A research project entitled “Crime in the Dominican Republic, a Challenge for the New Model Prison” by journalist and lawyer Angel Belisario Batista and Juan Antonio Mejia, both graduates in law from the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) has revealed the potential collapse of democracy in the country over the next 10 to 15 years, due to social inequality in a system affected by both public and private corruption.
The research shows that violence has resulted in more deaths than during the repressive 12 years under former President Joaquin Balaguer, the 31-year dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo and the Pinochet regime in Chile.
The researchers believe that there is evidence that the Dominican system has been involved in corruption that has led to acts of violence and an increase in drug trafficking and consumption that will result in the breakdown of democracy “sooner rather than later.” They go on to say that in the last 16 years, as democracy has developed there has been an increase in crime that has led to general public insecurity and deaths due to robberies and attacks, which combined with domestic violence has led to major concerns.
They say that the absence of political will to make the judicial system more effective and to try and prevent crime has led to an increase in violence and that currently, violence and organized crime are winning the battle against the authorities.
www.elcaribe.com.do/2012/11/12/revela-hoy-hay-mas-muertes-violentas-que-cuando-balaguer-trujillo