Cardinal slams Dominican ‘traitors’ on Founder’s day

Santo Domingo.- Cardinal Nicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez on Sunday slammed Dominicans and the many NGOs for selling their conscience against the homeland, and reminded them that Dominican Republic had to fight for its independence from Haiti

He said many NGOs make a living out of accusing the country without taking into account what Dominican Republic has done for Haiti.

"Today there’s no lack of people like those who caused (Juan Pablo) Duarte’s suffering in those days, who prefer to sell interests to so-called non-governmental organizations which I always translate to organizations non grata, because they are of little consequence for us," the prelate said during a mass attended by president Danilo Medina and first lady Candida Montilla.

López Rodríguez, heading the service to celebrate the 201 years since Found Father Juan Pablo Duarte’s birth, said there’s a consortium of nations, which he didn’t name, which conspire against the Dominican Republic.

He noted that Dominican Republic fought for its independence from Haiti, not Spain, the only Latin American country which didn’t do so from the so- called motherland.

"We became independent from Haiti on February 27, 1844, and the author of that was Juan Pablo Duarte, for this he was paid that way and is being paid still, because there are many selling themselves to the worst interests there are, which aren’t Dominican Republic’s."