Unusual protest in Higuey leaves 1 dead, 5 hurt, many arrests

Higuey, Dominican Republic.- One person dead, five wounded and more than one dozen arrests thus far from the violent protests in Higuey, Altagracia province, as part of a 48-hour shutdown in demand for social works.

Police and protesters staged heated clashes in the barrio Villa Cerro, where the conflict started, as resident Juan Carlos Jiménez was shot in the chest when demonstrators tried to barricade the city’s San Jose in sector.

The tragedy in the unusual protest came despite East Region Police commander Manuel Rodríguez Miranda order to the agents not to enter Villa Cerro to avert confrontations, claiming that some people wanted a tragedy in that area.