Firings could signal a rift between ruling party, Medina’s administration

Santo Domingo.- An unprecedented development on Wednesday could signal a rift between Dominican Republic’s ruling party (PLD) and the administration of president Danilo Medina, after just 13 months in office.

The PLD’s Communications Secretariat demanded that the Government reinstate journalists and members of the Presidency Press Office who, in its view have been fired "without any justification."

The statement from the entity coordinated by PLD senior leader Héctor Olivo demands the return of the professionals in the department located in the National Palace. "The most recent to be fired was the narrator Fernando Custodio, who was working in the Governmental Information Center with a clean work record."

"The current Government is from the PLD, for which dismissals of its activists without a reason cannot be justified since they also do their job faithfully," Olivo said, adding that broadcasters, photographers, cameramen, TV technicians and communications support personnel in the National Palace have been fired since August.