In San Jose de los Llanos, a rural municipality in the southeastern province of San Pedro, protest organizers have reported what they claim are heavily armed foreign military personnel protecting Father Christopher Hartley. The protest organizers warn that the presence of foreign military officers could complicate the situation in the area, since the Haitians defended by the Spanish priest can now hide behind the troops. Diario Libre carries a photograph of heavily armed men on the church grounds, using light blue vests similar to those used by UN peacekeepers and equipped with sophisticated weaponry patrolling the area. The priest has a church, a care center for the elderly and a nutrition center for the poor under his care. Local community leaders are asking the head of the Dominican Armed Forces to clarify just who these men are.