In general terms, the root causes for the violence that has shaken the Dominican Republic over the past month, claming 45 lives in just the past two weeks, are to be found in the hasty pardons granted to convicted offenders, the repatriated criminals deported mainly from the United States and the unequal distribution of wealth, goods and services. The National Dialogue, which met at the PUCMM and was promoted by the United Nations, was chaired by the university’s rector, Monsignor Agripino Nunez Collado. Every sector of the political, economic and social spectrum was present and the group heard the conclusions of the fist meeting last 12 October, which indicated 30 separate causes for the violence. This most recent session narrowed the principal causes down to a lack of supervision of the thousands of veteran criminals deported from the US, the hasty and often unjustified pardons or releases of convicted criminals from Dominican prisons, the societal issues of poverty, hunger, unemployment and the lack of confidence in the government. The National Dialogue named a sub-commission to prepare a final document to be handed to President Fernandez at the next meeting.