This is a statement from the Dominican Republic Branch of the Movimiento de la Gente Libre. It is being widely circulated in Espa?ol in the Dominican Republic, and in Espa?ol and English in Dominican communities around the world, and online.
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In late July, under the guise of ?combating crime,? the government declared what can only be described as defacto martial law across the entire country.
Almost immediately, some 3,000 soldiers and 3,000 members of la Policia Nacional took to the streets to enforce the repressive measures, which include inspections of the identification of anyone outside of their homes after dark.
Since many have no identification (either from an inability to afford it, or because they have no birth records as a result of the criminal lack of infrastructure and health services in the country), they are subject to immediate arrest. Because of this, an untold number of people have already been unjustly arrested.
The order has also been made that all places of business that serve alcohol must close by midnight on weekdays and two a.m. on weekends; but of course the numerous high-class hotels for rich tourists will be still be allowed to serve alcohol at all hours.
According to Interior and Police minister Franklin Almeyda, additional ?hardened? restrictions will be added to those already in place in the immediate future.
All of this comes shortly after the release of a report that found the Armed Forces to be ?80% corrupt?, and another that found that 40% of people arrested by la Policia Nacional are severely mistreated (which includes being beaten or even killed). The latter report also found that la Policia regularly break the law themselves when making arrests.
What the government has done is similar to steps taken in the name of ?law and order? by repressive capitalist governments all over the world. They have seized on popular fear which has resulted from a dramatic increase in crime, and used it to justify their mobilization of the military against the poor and oppressed population.
It is no coincidence then, that the de facto martial law was proclaimed only days prior to a taxi and bus driver?s strike in Puerto Plata, and a nation-wide truck driver?s strike (that is becoming increasingly radical).
Even the though the law officially says the role of the Armed Forces is to defend the country and its people, the government has a long tradition of calling out the Armed Forces to squash workers? and farmers? struggles, dating back to the iron-fisted rule of the dictator Trujillo and even earlier. This recent declaration of de facto martial law puts thousands soldiers in the streets, thus aiding their ability to quickly respond to any popular uprisings.
Events in Rio San Juan in the first week of August have already confirmed this. When the residents of that city came into the streets to protest absurdly long blackouts and the removal of sand from their local beach (Playa Grande) for use in ?restoring? beaches for tourists in the north, soldiers and police immediately moved in on them. The scene was described by one source as looking like ?a scene in Iraq or Lebanon,? with ?some 18 people wounded from shotgun pellets.?
Of course the Yanqui imperialists have their hand in these repressive actions as well. Besides the U.S. soldiers in Barahona (who claim to be here to build schools, but for some reason came with plenty of weapons), the Policia Nacional have been working with ?anti-terrorist trainers? from the FBI, and the Yanquis' colonial police in Puerto Rico. The U.S. government wants to guarantee its political and economic stranglehold on our country, and will stop at nothing to do so (as we?ve seen with their multiple invasions over the years).
The real roots of the recent rise in crime
President Leonel justified his proclamation of de facto martial law by saying it was based on the findings of an advisory panel made up of representatives of all branches of the government which called for an increased police and military presence in the streets, and a limit of the sale of alcohol, to combat ?delinquency?. But a close examination of the situation shows that the recent rise in crime has nothing to do with either of these two things. The rise in criminal activity directly corresponds to a dramatic rise in poverty over the last several years.
Despite the government?s claims of huge economic growth over the last year, a recent report co-sponsored by the United Nations Development Program shows that more than 3,600,000 people ? over 42 percent on the population ? are living in extreme poverty. Poverty has dramatically increased since 2002, at what economists have called ?catastrophic levels.? More than half of the population now lives under the ?official poverty line,? with many more unable to afford even their most basic needs.
This, coupled with extremely high rates of unemployment and inflation ? are the root causes of crime. Most people who commit crime do so because they can?t find a job, or because their job doesn?t pay enough for them to buy the things they need to take care of themselves and their families, not because they drink alcohol after midnight. Under the neo-colonial capitalist system currently in place, conditions in our country for workers, farmers and the unemployed promise to get worse and worse.
Revolution is the only solution
In socialist Cuba, our neighbor to the west, crime is virtually unheard of, because everyone?s needs (food, shelter, employment, education, healthcare) are met. Only when we ? the workers, farmers and unemployed ? here unite and fight for revolutionary change ? that is, fight to take power and reorganize the economy along truly democratic, socialist lines ? will we be able to insure that the needs of the whole population are met, and thus, substantially decrease the crime rate.
More police and soldiers in the streets will not stop crime, more jobs and power for the oppressed masses will.
Down with de facto martial law! Yanqui imperialists and their puppets out now! For a popular revolution of the poor and oppressed in the Dominican Republic!
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In late July, under the guise of ?combating crime,? the government declared what can only be described as defacto martial law across the entire country.
Almost immediately, some 3,000 soldiers and 3,000 members of la Policia Nacional took to the streets to enforce the repressive measures, which include inspections of the identification of anyone outside of their homes after dark.
Since many have no identification (either from an inability to afford it, or because they have no birth records as a result of the criminal lack of infrastructure and health services in the country), they are subject to immediate arrest. Because of this, an untold number of people have already been unjustly arrested.
The order has also been made that all places of business that serve alcohol must close by midnight on weekdays and two a.m. on weekends; but of course the numerous high-class hotels for rich tourists will be still be allowed to serve alcohol at all hours.
According to Interior and Police minister Franklin Almeyda, additional ?hardened? restrictions will be added to those already in place in the immediate future.
All of this comes shortly after the release of a report that found the Armed Forces to be ?80% corrupt?, and another that found that 40% of people arrested by la Policia Nacional are severely mistreated (which includes being beaten or even killed). The latter report also found that la Policia regularly break the law themselves when making arrests.
What the government has done is similar to steps taken in the name of ?law and order? by repressive capitalist governments all over the world. They have seized on popular fear which has resulted from a dramatic increase in crime, and used it to justify their mobilization of the military against the poor and oppressed population.
It is no coincidence then, that the de facto martial law was proclaimed only days prior to a taxi and bus driver?s strike in Puerto Plata, and a nation-wide truck driver?s strike (that is becoming increasingly radical).
Even the though the law officially says the role of the Armed Forces is to defend the country and its people, the government has a long tradition of calling out the Armed Forces to squash workers? and farmers? struggles, dating back to the iron-fisted rule of the dictator Trujillo and even earlier. This recent declaration of de facto martial law puts thousands soldiers in the streets, thus aiding their ability to quickly respond to any popular uprisings.
Events in Rio San Juan in the first week of August have already confirmed this. When the residents of that city came into the streets to protest absurdly long blackouts and the removal of sand from their local beach (Playa Grande) for use in ?restoring? beaches for tourists in the north, soldiers and police immediately moved in on them. The scene was described by one source as looking like ?a scene in Iraq or Lebanon,? with ?some 18 people wounded from shotgun pellets.?
Of course the Yanqui imperialists have their hand in these repressive actions as well. Besides the U.S. soldiers in Barahona (who claim to be here to build schools, but for some reason came with plenty of weapons), the Policia Nacional have been working with ?anti-terrorist trainers? from the FBI, and the Yanquis' colonial police in Puerto Rico. The U.S. government wants to guarantee its political and economic stranglehold on our country, and will stop at nothing to do so (as we?ve seen with their multiple invasions over the years).
The real roots of the recent rise in crime
President Leonel justified his proclamation of de facto martial law by saying it was based on the findings of an advisory panel made up of representatives of all branches of the government which called for an increased police and military presence in the streets, and a limit of the sale of alcohol, to combat ?delinquency?. But a close examination of the situation shows that the recent rise in crime has nothing to do with either of these two things. The rise in criminal activity directly corresponds to a dramatic rise in poverty over the last several years.
Despite the government?s claims of huge economic growth over the last year, a recent report co-sponsored by the United Nations Development Program shows that more than 3,600,000 people ? over 42 percent on the population ? are living in extreme poverty. Poverty has dramatically increased since 2002, at what economists have called ?catastrophic levels.? More than half of the population now lives under the ?official poverty line,? with many more unable to afford even their most basic needs.
This, coupled with extremely high rates of unemployment and inflation ? are the root causes of crime. Most people who commit crime do so because they can?t find a job, or because their job doesn?t pay enough for them to buy the things they need to take care of themselves and their families, not because they drink alcohol after midnight. Under the neo-colonial capitalist system currently in place, conditions in our country for workers, farmers and the unemployed promise to get worse and worse.
Revolution is the only solution
In socialist Cuba, our neighbor to the west, crime is virtually unheard of, because everyone?s needs (food, shelter, employment, education, healthcare) are met. Only when we ? the workers, farmers and unemployed ? here unite and fight for revolutionary change ? that is, fight to take power and reorganize the economy along truly democratic, socialist lines ? will we be able to insure that the needs of the whole population are met, and thus, substantially decrease the crime rate.
More police and soldiers in the streets will not stop crime, more jobs and power for the oppressed masses will.
Down with de facto martial law! Yanqui imperialists and their puppets out now! For a popular revolution of the poor and oppressed in the Dominican Republic!
