Dominicans heighten protests against government corruption

Santo Domingo.- The Social Justice Movement gathered hundreds of people in Santo Domingo’s Malecon Sunday, to demand an end to corruption and impunity in the Dominican Republic, and requested imprisonment for most of the officials of former president Leonel Fernandez’s Administration.

The organization, one of several groups to stage similar protests lately, also announced they’ll continue them over the holidays and widen their demands in January.

Wearing black and carrying pickets and posters, hundreds of protesters marched to the Malecon’s Obelisk to state their disgust with the so-called "fiscal hole."

"The town is in mourning, because of the corrupt," chanted the protesters, to the beat of live music.

"I think there’s a growing awareness among the Dominican people of the terrible damage that corruption and impunity have caused to the country‘s development, which has been an obstacle to progress," said Maria Teresa Cabrera, one of the movement’s representatives.

Corruption and impunity

Cabrera, ex president of the Dominican Teachers Guild, said billions of dollars which should’ve been used to develop national production, create jobs, improve health and education, on clean water and decent housing, "have gone into the pockets of individuals."

She added that corruption and impunity have done terrible damage to democracy, because they have discredited the government agencies.