Cibao strike victims
Three people were killed, five were injured and dozens were arrested during protests yesterday, Tuesday 22 October in Navarrete, Ciruelitos, Santiago and San Francisco de Macoris, in support of a 48-hour strike called by the Popular Front (Falpo) and other groups, all demanding a long list of social changes.
The victims were Derlin de la Rosa Hidalgo, 17 and Gilberto Antonio Reyes, 36, who died during disturbances in the Ciruelitos area of Santiago. Relatives blamed the SWAT team of the national police for the violent deaths, which in turn provoked further protests about police repression.
There was also tension in Navarrete and San Francisco and SWAT teams were present there too with large gauge weapons and teargas. The body of 13-year old Kelvin Rodriguez was discovered with a bullet wound to his chest in Navarrete and once again the police were accused of killing him.
The injured also included three police agents, Sergeant Argenis Manuel Rosa, Private Ariel Santos de la Cruz and First Lieutenant Oscar Nunez Ozoria.
In Santiago, two men named only as Many and Sandy were injured, one seriously and in San Francisco de Macoris, Wilson David Camilo, 25, was shot twice in the head when caught in crossfire between protesters and police. Also in San Francisco, an unidentified teenager and Yeury Martinez, 21, were both taken to hospital with gunshot wounds.
The head of the Cibao Police, General Neivis Luis Perez Sanchez, said that he would work within the law to maintain peace and public order.
Dos muertos y 7 heridos en?disturbios Santiago y SFM - listindiario.com