One has to ask......where the heck was his personal security and the DR detail to protect him ?

The DR government does not have an obligation and responsibility, for extraordinary protection of foreign government officials, when they come as ordinary tourists, attending social functions. They must provide for their personal security themselves.
If the above story confirms as true, then the uniformed policemen treated him without any discrimination, as they would treat an ordinary Dominican citizen, and robbed and assaulted him.
It is also possible that the assaulters where felons, masquerading as police officers, and until an investigation is completed, that possibility is wide open.
The Haitian minister did not follow normal diplomatic protocol, by inviting the news media, to portray him as "another victim" of Dominican lawlessness, instead of formalizing a complaint with the police authorities.

Maybe he didn't file the complaint cause they left him without the customary RD$500.00 pa' la gasolina.

Walter ... I have have only had to pay the RD $500.00 to the police once ...

Isn’t this the city that Lie-onel said last week that the crime rate was down and wasn't he having a media show dinner there last night?

In an effort to try and tell the people of Santiago that although he had abandoned them for almost 12 years now he really, really cares about them; not that the fact that his plump wife and puppet presidential candidate appear to be going down in flames in Santiago would have anything to do with it.

This country is so bad that everyone should be able to rent a gun at the airport or point of entry to protect themselfs.

Meanwhile in another part of Santiago:

Chronicle of a night in which the poor were allowed to dine with the King

“Lie-onel on the boxes, Lie-onel on the bottles…Lie-onel even in the soup!”

“While waiting for the presidential couple, known for their proverbial tardiness, so their hunger not devastate them, while waiting for the presidential couple, the poor guest were allowed to snack apples and grapes, and where provided plenty of water, of better quality than the sometimes arriving at their homes by the governments pipes.”

What a sarcastic, sadistic, egocentric self-important, cynical and despicable human beings these two low- lives are.

They make Marie Antoinette look compassionate!

http://www.acento.com.do/index.ph....es-permitio-cenar-con-el-rey.html

This is normal for Santiago.We keep a gun at our family colmado at all times. We also travel with one almost all the time as well.The police and government officials are some of the biggest criminals in the country. Forget the thugs in the street you think of. Look for the lo9cal police and you will find they are bigger criminals.

I might have to mail my luggage and dress like a bum whenever I come back to visit the family.

In most countries as you walk along the street and you see a policeman you feel more secure.

Here, you see a cop and you start to fear for your personal possessions and property.

This recent incident of a Haitian government official robbed at gunpoint in Santiago is another slap in the face and will only serve to discourage further tourism from Haiti

guillermone,
"discourage further tourism from Haiti"?
It is just another nail in the coffin for tourism to this failed state from anywhere. Real cops or pretend cops the impression is the same.

Roy since the word Santiago is the heading of this article, does it count as being on topic?

Also the poor economic conditions of that city as in the rest of the country may be the motive for the real or disguised policemen to have mugged the minister.

“The Merchants of Santiago complain just like the merchants of the National District”

http://www.acento.com.do/index.ph....ue-los-del-Distrito-Nacional.html

Santiago is under siege from the police. It is a daily happening that the police stop us for no apparent reason other than to chantejear (blackmail I think). Either pay 300 - 500 pesos for no reason or be taken to the destacamento. Then wait several hours while they do the culebreo and check documents. It is shameless what Leonel has allowed to happen. It is worse than ever.

I hope this incident brings the abuse to light.

¡Señora Reyes Felicidades y mucha Salud para usted y sus seres queridos en el año nuevo!

Did you have dinner with El Jefe Last night?

It seems the wolves and jackals are in charge of the zoo. Every major drug bust either a police or military member is apprehended. Is anyone in charge??? You seem to have a very bad crime problems and no one seems to care. When I drive I am amazed at how bad the manners are yet the only Police I have ever seem is escorting a VIP doing 90 mph. This year my wife has been robbed at gun point and had her wallet stolen. She identified the robber in August by mug shot but no one seems to have been able to find him in the Sousa area. Since the police had priors on him someone should be able to find him if they actually tried. So much for police work

Sweetbabyj, tell her not to identify him anymore or the police will tell him before they do anything about it!
Let it rest and thank God she's alive. It's a shame but that is what my country has become.

guillermone
Hello? Knock, knock.....we have enough shoeless tourists from Haiti, bringing nothing to the table, they have open doors to return, ASAP. Please.....and thank you!

Professor,

"Just a friendly advise, because I know that you mean well:
In order to increase your credibility you should not post items that are not related to subject matter, designed to further personal causes unrelated to it."

I thought in the Christmas spirit I’d pass along that piece of advice I got form a friend before "The RIGIDTY to Topic Police" get on your case!

Josean NO I did not have dinner with El Jefe.

Your implication is not accurate. Your impression of me may be misunderstood.

Josean NO I did not have dinner with El Jefe.

Thanks for the good wishes.

Ms. Reyes,

I just wanted one of those collectable water bottles with El Jefe’s picture on it so I could use it to relieve myself on long trips, if you get what I mean.

No I do not understand your intent. As for me the idea that I would sit in the same room with El Jefe is a insult of great magnitude.

Ms. Reyes it was a JOKE that's all: since I know you’re as "fond" of him as I am.

Ms. Reyes here is another joke, which I hope you will like better:


"Year 3000: Extraordinary discovery archaeological in the Dominican capital"

http://www.acento.com.do/index.ph....ico-en-la-capital-Dominicana.html

@Generoso-"Hello? Knock, knock.....we have enough shoeless tourists from Haiti, bringing nothing to the table, they have open doors to return, ASAP. Please.....and thank you!"

I was being sarcastic.............

Although we are very aware that "well to do" Haitians travel frequently and own vacation property in the DR, there is really no such thing as a tourism market from Haiti. The only markets in existence are the bi-national markets along the border and a market for human trafficking.

guille
Good quality immigration is the key, the one that does not strain our resources, and adds to the poverty of the least advantaged Dominicans.
The illegal Haitian ragtag tsunami, that we have to try to contain on a daily basis, is an immense task of apocalyptic proportions, if not vigorously discouraged by all possible means.
Haitians in trade and investment business, are a great contribution to the DR economy, and I do encourage more legal bilateral trade between our countries.

Attracting the best and brightest, immigrants who will not be a burden to the host country but rather make a positive contribution should be the objective. Unfortunately it has not been that way for the the DR where in recent decades the vast majority of the influx have been the tired, hungry, destitute and huddled masses from the neighboring country.

Even the US with its emblematic quote by Emma Lazarus on the Statue of Liberty, an inscription made in 1876 when there was a lot more room, has had to modify its original founding precepts. In spite of being among of the most properous, they no longer can receive and accept with open arms every "wretched refuse of your teeming shore....the homeless, tempest-tossed to me..." .

Instead, they have pushed for a sovereign gov't EB-5 financier visa pgrm, where rich would-be immigrants with $500,000 to $1 million investments that generate jobs, can through this means, within a few brief years, emerge as official permanent residents

Josean, Thank you. I really like your rhetoric and comments.

Ms. Reyes,

On a serious note, here is a humble gift to you and ALL the Posters and Readers of DT.

Maybe some of you have seen or heard these speeches before, if you have I apologize, but the words are so powerful we ,or least me, can't hear them enough.

I hope you ALL enjoy them and are inspired by them as I am.

The girl who silenced the world for 5 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQmz6Rbpnu0&feature=related

The Greatest Speech Ever Made

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WibmcsEGLKo&feature=fvsr


"Peace on Earth and Good Will to ALL Women and Men!"

The tragic consequence of possibly combing “too much Christmas romo” and “definitely a lot of Lambonismo:”


“National Police Boss says that thanks to Leonel Fernandez Dominicans’ have a safe country”


"This increase in patrols, led by President Fernández Reyna, has begun to bear positive fruit in the main cities; the National District, Santo Domingo and Santiago, has experienced a significant reduction of the criminal acts and violence in the past months of this year," he stressed.

Does Lie-onel wear a Cape and drive a Bat-mobile when he’s leading these patrols and is Felix Bautista really ROBIN?

http://www.acento.com.do/index.ph....icanos-tienen-un-pais-seguro.html

Listen Minister, it was nothing personal
it was business as usual !

It is called SOP -standard operating procedure

okay sweetbaby you are quite naive sosua is not that big police should ve caught robbers by now,,,,at times the police send locals out to rob turists turn their head the other way and cover it up and share with them ,,,i was robbed my last visit to dr i an half dominican and feel quite ashamed of alot of things that go on in my beautiful country ,,i dont even feel safe there anymore and its a shame that people will be scared to go there it will kill the turist industry that has created alot of jobs for my people,,,,there are more good people than bad in my country ,,but eventually turism will die down at this rate like mexico has

cocoa, you are right, it does not take many bad apples to spoil the lot. I was told that Southern Californians would often take a Sunday drive across the boarder into Mexico for the afternoon - not an more, because it is now too dangerous. The Dominican Republic is far more dependent on tourism than Mexico. If they kill the goose that lays the golden egg, there will be no more tourists to rob. What then?

Wealthy tourists from rich countries have got it easy. Poor Dominicans are doing it tough. Therefore it is not stealing. It is the equitable redistribution of wealth.

"If they kill the goose that lays the golden egg, there will be no more tourists to rob. What then?"

Biometrics or Money Laundering according to Atabey and Little Dickey respectively!

reporting spam, please delete.