SANTO DOMINGO.-  President Leonel Fernandez clarified yesterday that the head of the United States Southern Command, general John Craddock, came to the country to formally give the study on border security that the Dominican government had requested to effectively fight drug trafficking.

He said that the study is concluded and that will be submitted with recommendations of specific actions to bolster the border’s security.

The chief executive stated that he asked for the Southern Command to conduct the study because throughout the years, it has been seen that "the problem of drugs in Dominican Republic has come from Colombia towards Haiti, and from Haiti to Dominican Republic."

Faced with that situation, it is necessary that "we adopt new measures that allow us to assure that situation in the Dominican-Haitian border," he said.

Did not come to supervise

For his part, Armed Forces minister admiral Sigfrido Pared rejected that Craddock came on a mission of border supervision. "He does not have a reason to supervise our border; nobody has to supervise us. The supervision of the border is by the Armed Forces," the military official said.

Pared added that it is not as some of the press has reported, on a supposed supervision of the border. "he took advantage of the fact that he is in the island to bring the report to the President."

Both statements were made in the ceremony to mark the 161st anniversary of the National Army.