Father Rogelio confronts police at Jet Set site, denounces “that wretched justice” and calls for mausoleum

Santo Domingo.- Father Rogelio Cruz faced a tense exchange with police Thursday night after officers tried to record him on their cellphones as he arrived at the ruins of the Jet Set nightclub, where he holds a monthly mass for the victims of the disaster that killed more than 200 people four months ago.

“Don’t film me! I am not a criminal. You know where all the criminals in this country are,” Cruz shouted, visibly upset, before calming and delivering a homily that turned into a blunt critique of the Dominican justice system. Minutes later he asked authorities and lawmakers to transform the abandoned site into a public mausoleum where mourners could pay respects.

In his remarks, Cruz called the judicial decisions tied to the Jet Set case “injustice” and said the measures imposed on the club’s owners amounted to “that wretched justice they have applied.” He added a memorable line: “Justice is like a snake; it only enters and bites the barefooted,” a metaphor he used to argue the weak suffer while powerful figures escape real accountability.

Judge Fátima Scarlette Veloz Suárez recently ordered economic guarantees of RD$50 million and imposed travel restrictions and periodic appearances for Jet Set owners Antonio and Maribel Espaillat. The public prosecutor’s office has said it will appeal, describing the measures as insufficient.

Cruz said he has sent formal requests to the National District Mayor’s Office, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies to declare the site of the nightclub of public utility and convert it into a mausoleum. The letters were filed by the Diocese of Padre Montesinos and the Fundación Rogelio Cruz, he said.

Addressing families of the victims, Cruz offered consolation framed in faith: “Death is a new birth…we want nothing more than that they be with God,” he told the congregation. He also used the occasion to lambaste what he called a political and social order that, in his view, allows a small elite to profit at the expense of ordinary Dominicans.

The Caribbean-wide outcry over the Jet Set collapse has focused attention on safety enforcement, regulatory oversight and the pace of the judicial response. For now, the ruins remain a site of grief and growing public pressure for both remembrance and accountability. The Círculo de familiares and other victim groups continue to demand a transparent investigation and stronger measures to prevent similar tragedies.