Dominican ambassador in Washington, Bernardo Vega has requested that the DR receive equal treatment as other Central American nations on occasion of damages suffered by Hurricane Mitch. Vega says that the DR was the nation most affected in the Caribbean by Hurricane Georges. Vega says that if the US government condones the bilateral debt of El Salvador and Guatemala, then the DR should receive equal treatment as its level of development is similar to that of El Salvador and Guatemala. Furthermore, the Dominican ambassador again requested that the US suspend the deporting of murderers and other prisoners to the DR. Dominican President Leonel Fern?ndez and other Caribbean leaders have constantly complained that murderers and other prisoners deported by the United States have brought more violence and rising crime to their countries. They are particularly angry because some of the Dominican-born convicts have lived most of their lives in the United States. The Dominican government is forced to free hundreds because the deported have never been convicted in the Dominican Republic. Hundreds bring back sophisticated crime methods and thousands of dollars to finance their activities. After the Dominicans complained, U.S. officials began advising them of details about inmates before their arrival to help local police keep track of released felons. The matter was brought to the attention of Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton during her visit to Santo Domingo earlier this month. She said, "We will continue to work with the Dominican government to minimize the impact of such deportations."
