Santo Domingo.- Less than 12 hours after DominicanRepublic’s President and Defense Minister attended a graduation of cadetsdedicated to one of the country’s most loathsome figures, the Air Force announcedit renamed it to honor of found father Juan Pablo Duarte instead.
The cadet’s graduation had been named Maj. Gen FernandoA. Sánchez (Tunti), one of the most feared assassins during Rafael Trujillo’sdictatorship.
In a statement, the Air Force said it changed the name tothe cadets’ commencement ceremony, although its Chief of Staff Ramón HernándezHernandez had justified the controversial designation just yesterday.
But even Defense minister Sigfrido Pared justified the gaffe,arguing that despite Sanchez being a despicable figure, “you cannot deletehistory, for better or worse…”