U.S.-gays-Vatican-Cardinal scandal reveals Dominican Republic’s greenhorn diplomacy

Santo Domingo.- A gay activist organization on Monday slammed Dominican Republic’s envoy to the Vatican for the diplomat’s claim that they, together with gay U.S. Ambassador James Brewster, plot for the ouster of cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez.

The widening scandal reveals Dominican Republic’s greenhorn diplomacy, in which ambassadors and consuls, despite rebuke from superiors for committing major gaffes, don’t resign or are rarely fired.

Amigos Siempre Amigos (friends always friends) spokesman Leonardo Sanchez said the meeting between the LGBT organizations with Brewster forms part of their 30-year s relationship with the US Embassy in area of health, “especially the HIV-AIDS agenda.”

“Our meeting with Brewster was part of that relationship,” Sanchez said on the program El Dia, Channel 11.

For Amigos Siempre Amigos coordinator Deidi Ventura, Grimaldi’s allegation forms part of the country’s lack of legislation that penalizes discrimination against gays, and cited the case of a friend who bled to death because as gays, “we aren’t even allowed to donate blood.”

Ventura also noted that Grimaldi’s statement in the letter to the Vatican poses a dilemma for the government. “So is Grimaldi going to remain at his post, writing letters to other governments without the authorization of his superiors?”

Although the Dominican Foreign Ministry issued a statement distancing itself from the diplomat’s letter to the Vatican, president Danilo Medina isn’t expected to recall Grimaldi, who, true to the tradition of senior government officials, would rather wait to be fired instead of resigning.