In the barrios of Guananito, El Eden and Novillero, all located near Villa Altagracia, Saturday was not just any day. Troops from the Police, the Ministry of the Environment and officials of the District Attorney’s office arrived to evict 200 families who had built shacks in the median of the Duarte Highway. The Environment Ministry wants to create an ecological belt, since many of the houses affect the Novillero hill, an area considered to be of environmental importance. Francisco Dominguez Brito, the Attorney General, sent a note to Listin Diario saying that the move was to reduce the crime rate in the area as part of the Democratic Security Plan being proposed by President Fernandez, since most of the houses were unoccupied and were used by gangs to commit their crimes. There were several incidents and tear gas was used by some of the army troops.
Nonetheless, the people returned on Sunday, and swore that “over their dead bodies would they leave the place.” People who had been evicted showed a decree by former President Hipolito Mejia that gave them their lands. They blamed the PLD authorities for their problems. Using cardboard, tin and some of the wood strewn about, the 75 families set about fixing up a place to sleep. Campesino associations such as Hermogenes Popa and
La Nueva Esperanza, led by Milagros Mejia and Sixto Emiliano threatened to take the fight to the last resort and urged the government to start digging a common grave like they did for the Haitians in 1937. Human Rights activist Virgilio Almanzar told Listin Diario that the Human Rights Committee would hold a rally on Wednesday to prepare for the defense of the neighborhood. Almanzar dared the Justice Department to prove that the community was full of criminals. Many of the people had been in the area since 1986.