Santo Domingo.- Prominent journalist Marino Zapete on Friday slammed Dominican Republic president Danilo Medina for in his view allowing the bizarre behavior of Pedro Corporan, head of the government’s cooperatives regulator (IDECCOP).
He said on several occasions the official has headed violent entries into offices of cooperatives, has challenged city officials to a duel of ‘Russian roulette’ and has filed slander charges against investigative journalists Alicia Ortega, Huchi Lora, Patricia Solano, and himself.
“Corporan pays claques to insult and threaten the journalists in hearings, and one of his brothers approached me in Bella Vista Mall and told me that they knew where my children go to school,” Zapete said on Colorvision Channel 9.
He says he’s sure Medina is aware of Corporan’s dangerous behavior, and warns that the official’s antics won’t blow away.
Precedent
Medina’s lack of response to actions by reckless officials became evident just last year, with the conflict sparked by the illegal construction of a pedestrian bridge over the 30 de Mayo highway by a government agency, allowing the violation to fester for months.