Links to drug trafficking roils Dominican Republic’s opposition party

Santo Domingo.- Although he affirmed not knowing them, the vice presidential candidate of Dominican Republic’s major opposition party (PRD), Luis Abinader figures in a photo with members of the campaign support group “Movimiento Nuevo Renacer con Papa” (movement new rebirth with papa), headed over by the extraditable alleged drug trafficker Oscar E. Rodriguez Cruz.

“Luis Abinader next to the Renacer boys” is the photo caption, with the smiling politician, in a picture album titled “Visit by the candidate Luis Abinader,” published July 10.

The photo taken from a Facebook account has the group’s name during a visit by Abinader to the sugar mill town of Consuelo, and shows local PRD offices and members of the movement stating, “there we were saying present."

Yesterday other PRD leaders also placed distance from the alleged drug trafficker’s organization, noting that they couldn’t have control over so many movements which surface to support a candidate.

Abinader defended Mejía and assured that the PRD’s leadership didn’t know Rodriguez. “The National Campaign Headquarters were neither linked to nor were anywhere close… we don’t know that case, there are thousands movements in the country.”

Repeat offender

The Presidency’s Antinarcotics Adviser on Tuesday accused former president Hipólito Mejía of repeat offender in getting involved with narcotics trafficker and affirmed that he was linked to convicted drug trafficker and ex Army Captain Quirino Paulino.

Marino Vinicio – Vincho- Castillo said the PRD named Paulino head of the PRD’s campaign in Elías Piña (west), adding that the situation was serious. “Look at what he (Mejía) has done. He named Quirino campaign coordinator for two provinces. He (Mejia) promoted him the day before he left (office).”