Aneudys Santos apologizes to U.S. ambassador Leah Francis Campos over offensive remarks

Santo Domingo.- Dominican television host Aneudys Santos publicly apologized to U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Leah Francis Campos for offensive comments he made about her nearly two months ago, acknowledging that he was wrong to question her personal faith.

In a video shared on his social media platforms, Santos admitted his remarks were inappropriate and said he wanted to apologize first to Campos “as a human being and a lady,” and also in her role as the representative of the United States government.

The broadcaster said he does not believe in questioning anyone’s religious beliefs and described the language he used as “erratic,” “undeserved,” and “unnecessary.” He also asked the ambassador to accept his apology and invoked the Christian principle of forgiveness.

Santos explained that his criticism stemmed from his disagreement with the ambassador’s participation in the public debate over the Dominican Penal Code and freedom of expression, but stressed that he alone was responsible for his comments and denied acting at anyone else’s direction.

The apology comes after Ambassador Campos defended freedom of expression in response to a video in which Santos referred to her with derogatory terms.