The government downplays US visa sandal

Santo Domingo.- The visas cancelled by the US of active and retired military officers close to president Leonel Fernandez won’t harm relations with Washington, and much less foreign investments, said Economy minister Temistocles Montas Wednesday.

He said he has no knowledge that the US canceled visas of Dominican military, and discarded any influence over the economy or foreign investment. “You must ask those military involved in the suspension of visas or to the embassy of that country.”

The official spoke after the conference “National Development and Tax Strategy,” hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce, in Hotel Meliá Santo Domingo, one day after the Hispanic network Univision reported that the US State Department canceled the visas of senior officers.

The Univision report mentions ex National Police chief major general Rafael Guzmán Fermín, National Investigations Department (DNI) Assistant director and Fernandez’s top bodyguard Victor Crispín; Military Aides commander major general Héctor Medina Medina, and former Armed Forces minister, retired general Manuel de Jesus Florentino, who’s the current director of the Border Development Agency.