Another senior officer threatens reporters, calls media “rats”

Santo Domingo.- Deputy Defense minister Ismael Alvarado on Tuesday called the reporters of news outlets Acento and El Nuevo Diario “rats” after they published his alleged abuses against his subordinates, firing some unfairly, according to their complaints.

Alvarado, who also heads the military’s Social Security Institute (ISSFA), warned he has nothing to lose after his 35 years in the Air Force, noting that the only thing that can result from his bravado, is his pension, while referring to the newspapers that published the alleged abuses in a derogatory manner.

"I’m the brother-in-law of president Danilo Medina’s agricultural coordinator and I’m here because he put me here and while Danilo is there I’m sticking around, and no seedy newspaper can influence my removal," the officer said, adding that the media is full of "rats" who write for money.

Some media have questioned Alvarado’s tenure at ISSFA, where he took out a RD$3.0 million loan.

El Nuevo Diario reporter Feliz Rubio asked president Medina and Defense minister Sigfrido Pared to take notice of the situation, on fears of reprisal by Alvarado, a Major General.

It’s the latest case of a senior military officer intimidating journalists, after Lt. Col. Johan Liriano – a senior Antinarcotics Agency official- recently threatened to fabricate drug trafficking cases against them.