Protesters in SDE over the high cost of living: “If the people don’t fight, they’ll starve.”

Santo Domingo — Dozens of leaders from the minority political party, the Broad Front (FA), marched through various streets in Santo Domingo Este (SDE) this Saturday to protest the rising cost of basic food supplies and the deficiencies in some Government services.

Specifically, the national vice president of the FA, Heidy Adón, dedicated her statement to the media to the Dominican people, encouraging them to criticize the Government for the deterioration of the country’s quality of life.

“From the Broad Front, we make a call: we urge the population to become more aware, to demand the fulfillment of their rights because we are in an unsustainable situation due to the lack of services…” he said.

Adón used the cases of food and medicine as a reference, which, according to the report, are disproportionately priced compared to the average income of Dominicans.

“The basic food basket is currently sky-high: we have salaries of around 17,000 pesos, and we have a basic food basket above 45,000 pesos, the amount established by the Central Bank,” he lamented.

For this reason, political activists reiterated to residents and residents of the districts located in the Los Mina sector the need to publicly criticize these types of shortcomings.

“Out to the streets, out to the streets, no one can stand this. If the people don’t fight, they’ll die of hunger…” were some of the chants shouted by members of the political organization as they passed by homes and businesses in the region.

Demands in SDE

The president of the FA in the SDE districts, Fernando Morillo, spoke out about the events that have residents in a state of concern.

According to him, the instability of electrical power in the area for which the Eastern Electricity Distribution Company (Edeste) is responsible has increased in recent days.

“The blackouts have irritated the population. Edeste is anti-community, and it keeps the population in conflict over the blackouts and the rising electricity rates,” he said.

In addition, he requested that the Santo Domingo Water and Sewer Corporation (CAASD) resolve the issues that have been occurring for three years at the wastewater treatment plant located in the Los Tres Brazos district.

Finally, he asked the Ministry of Education (MINERD) to build a high school in the town as mentioned earlier, where “thousands” of children and young people lack guaranteed access to education.

“What the Broad Front is seeking is to call the government’s attention to changing its economic policy regarding the basic food basket and medicines,” Morillo recalled.

The political group’s action is part of a series of demonstrations they’ve been carrying out in different regions of the country, “these have been in Santiago, San Cristóbal, the National District,” among others.