Dominican Republic boosts defenses against vocal attacks

Santo Domingo.- The Senate on Tuesday designated a special committee to defend Dominican Republic from attacks by various Haitian and international sectors, which allege abuse against Dominicans of Haitian descent.

The announcement comes in the heels of numerous calls for stronger defense, including business leaders, against the wave of attacks from abroad, which have also managed to quiet some harsh local critics.

To that end the committee met with president Central Electoral Board (JCE), Roberto Rosario; Interior and Police minister Jose R. Fadul, Foreign minister Andres Navarro; and Immigration director Ruben Paulino, all of whom separately explained the measures to carry out the government Plan to Regularize Aliens and enforce the Constitutional Court ruling handed down in 2013.

Senator Charlie Mariotti (PLD-Monte Plata) proposed the initiative which Senate committee chair Prim Pujals (PRSC-Samana) called an effort to prevent that Dominican Republic continues being a victim of an international smear campaign.

"We will visit various parliaments to tell the truth of what’s occurring. The measures being taken are correct and here there’s no case of human rights violation,” Mariotti said.

Catholic Church

Influential catholic bishop Agripino Nuñez Collado also called on the Dominican government to reach out to its allies to confront what he affirms is unfair criticism. “The Dominican Republic cannot fight this alone.”