Dominican Government threatens to disarm the population again

Santo Domingo.- The Interior and Police Ministry on Monday again threatened to “disarm the population” and announced a protocol to launch the process gradually, aimed at controlling the country’s recent levels of violence.

Minister Jose Ramon Fadul said he’s concerned by the situation, especially the cases involving families, crimes of passion and horrible murders which in his view are so violent as never before. “I’m greatly concerned with the atrocious murders in different parts of the country, but what I notice is the domestic violence, the crimes of passion and exchange of gunfire. I believe we should focus the problem towards the family.’’

He said most of the violent actions in the country are committed with illegal guns, which he affirms arrive through the ports, and not Haiti. “The weapons that we seize are always brought by someone’s cousin in the United States, through a container, that’s where we need to have major controls.”

The official however didn’t specify how the authorities would confiscate illegal weapons carried by bus and public car drivers, and others without permits.

Since the mid 1960s the Interior and Police Ministry has made similar announcements, but has yet to conduct an effective campaign to confiscate illegal weapons.