Police ordered the shutdown of businesses selling alcohol near universities yesterday. This decision came after the president of the Federacion de Estudiantes Dominicanos (FED) was assaulted following his comments that the colmadones operating near the state university were affecting the academic work of the campus. Diario Libre reports that the director of the Foundation for Justice and Institutionalism (Finjus) said that the closing the bars is illegal. Jose Alfredo Rizek said there is no law that prohibits the sale of alcohol to adults (18+ years of age). The dean of the Law School of the UASD, Franklin Garcia Fermin, was not of the same opinion. And Porfirio Diaz, Rector of the UASD, told El Dia newspaper that while he is not against the bars’ right to do business, the operations were affecting the academy.
Hoy newspaper’s “Que se dice” column recommends the FED instead begin an awareness campaign, in conjunction with the university authorities, so that students stay away from such vices. The newspaper says that to complete the effort, the student body and university authorities should seek out a legislator or the National City government to ban or regulate the installation of alcohol-vending businesses around universities, whether public or private.