Presidential candidates urged to take a stand on human rights

Santo Domingo.– Dominican presidential elections offer an "extraordinary opportunity" in the battle for human rights, Amnesty International said as it urged candidates to take a public stand on a range of issues including alarming levels of police killings, violence against women and abuses against migrants.

An open letter details a series of recommendations for presidential candidates, including the need for an extensive reform of the police, the appointment of an ombudsman and the provision of effective measures of redress in cases of gender based violence, abuses against migrants, denial of identity documents to Dominicans of Haitian descent and forced evictions.

"The presidential elections offer an extraordinary opportunity to discuss the challenges faced by the Dominican Republic, including on how to better protect and promote human rights," said Javier Zúñiga, Special Advisor at Amnesty International.

"Human rights must not be seen as a secondary or separate issue from daily issues of politics and economics, but as integral and essential to the Dominican society," he aded.