Dominican bishops say dirty money stalks electoral campaign

Santo Domingo.- The Catholic Church yesterday warned against the threat of dirty funds from international drug and people trafficking and money laundering, which in its view are attractive temptations that could poison the candidates’ will in the electoral campaign and of future officials.

The Dominican Episcopal Conference’s statement to the Dominican people to mark National Independence Day the 27th of this month, read by cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, the Catholic bishops this is a time of temptations to commit the candidates’ future will to “become schemers.”

It said certain companies provide large sums money to political leaders and the parties, to exert control over them once they reach power “or seeking the evasion of taxes or the approval of laws that unilaterally favor their investments.”

The bishops also warned law enforcement agencies need an urgent renewal which in their view means that the Government must significantly improve the salaries in the National Police and the military, to efficiently exert their authority. “Faced with a spiraling wave of crimes and violence and delinquency, we often have la sensation that we’re orphaned of authority.”