Dominican Republic leader orders military alert on national park row

Santo Domingo.- President Danilo Medina ordered the armed forces to be on the alert to deal with any unruly protests in the heels of the veto of legislation that would’ve created a national park in the country’s central region.

Presidency administrative minister José Ramón Peralta made the statement Friday, and said surveillance by the military and police around the National Palace has also been bolstered to avert to disorder, with similar measures carried out across the country, "because if you have two or three unruly people calling for breaking windows, we have to defend public peace and citizen security."

He said all necessary measures will be taken to deal with the calls to protest against the President’s decision to the legislation which would create Loma Miranda National Park.

"If there’s a call for peaceful protests within the established order, we feel that’s alright, but a call to break windows, torch tires, burn trash, we have to take all necessary measures so it doesn’t occur, and the Government is taking them,” the official said.

Protests

Since early Friday several minor protests against the veto were reported in cities of the interior, while in the capital, dozens of students of the Santo Domingo State University (UASD) staged a demonstration in front of the National Palace, where more than 200 police were deployed to deal with the unrest.