Deputy Carlos de Pérez criticizes President Abinader’s statements regarding police confrontations
Legislator Carlos de Pérez expressed his firm rejection of the recent statements by President Luis Abinader, who urged those responsible for the attack against merengue artist Julián Oro Duro and his wife to turn themselves in to the authorities, warning them that if they do not, “it will go worse for them.” For the congressman, this type of message is unfortunate in the context of a democratic state.
During his participation in the public debate, De Pérez emphasized that the fight against crime in the Dominican Republic must be executed strictly under the current legal framework. According to the legislator, the role of law enforcement is to capture suspects and place them at the disposal of the Public Prosecutor’s Office for their due judicial process, avoiding the normalization of extrajudicial executions.
When a police officer executes a person, they act as prosecutor, accuser, and judge, who judges, sentences, and executes. We in the Dominican Republic do not have the death penalty.
Carlos de Pérez, deputy.
The call for due process
The legislator argued that unlawful police actions not only violate fundamental rights but also endanger the safety of innocent citizens who could get caught in alleged exchanges of gunfire. In that sense, he reiterated that the work of the National Police must focus on the effective capture of procedural subjects so that it is the justice system that is in charge of determining the corresponding sanctions.
Questioning the Public Prosecutor’s Office
In addition to his criticisms of the Executive Branch, De Pérez pointed out operational deficiencies in the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The congressman stated that there is a persistent weakness in the preparation of accusatory files, which makes it difficult for cases to reach a satisfactory judicial resolution. In his view, the strengthening of the Dominican justice system depends on a technical and efficient investigation that allows cases to be supported before the courts.
The debate arises following the unfortunate event in which Zeneida Socorro Castillo, wife of the artist Julián Oro Duro, lost her life; he was also injured during the attack. Given this scenario, the president has reiterated that the government will maintain the necessary measures to guarantee citizen security, upholding his stance on the urgency of capturing those responsible for violent acts that affect Dominican society.
