Minister of Foreign Relations Eduardo Latorre said that the Dominican government would be willing to extradite Dominicans sought by the U.S. justice if the U.S. stops deporting Dominican criminals. "If one appeals to the universality of crime, then it cannot be alleged that Dominicans who have committed crimes in the United States should be sent to the Dominican Republic," said Latorre. Minister Latorre said that the D.R. is willing to negotiate an extradition treaty with the U.S. if that nation stops the deportations of Dominicans sentenced for crimes committed in that nation. In 1997 he said the country received 1,925 deported Dominicans who had served part of entire sentences. This new U.S. policy is contributing to an increase in delinquency in the D.R., traditionally a nation with one of the lowest crime rates in the Americas. The United States has requested the extradition of 30 Dominicans accused of crimes in the United States. Attorney General Abel Rodríguez del Orbe recently said he favors the extradition of Dr. Rafael González Pantaleón, a former Dominican diplomat, who is sought by the U.S. justice for fraud against Medicare. His extradition, given the opinion of the Minister Latorre, could be conditioned.
