Dominican Air Force chief Major General Ramon Hernandez has announced a name change for the recent Air Force officers graduating class. The name of the graduating class was changed to Juan Pablo Duarte, honoring the founding father in the year when the 200th anniversary of his birth is being celebrated.
The class had graduated with the name of the late Major General Fernando Sanchez Jr. Major General Hernandez distanced himself from the name, saying it was chosen four years ago.
Historians were prompt to say Major General Fernando Sanchez, who headed the air force in two periods, was down in history together with Gilberto Sanchez Rubirosa, Federico Cabral Noboa, Dante Minervino, Luis Jose and Alfonso Leon Estevez for participating with the son of Trujillo Ramfis in the death of the people the regime accused of killing the dictator, including Roberto Pastoriza, Huascar Tejeda Pimentel, Pedro Livio Cedeno, Savador Estrella Sahdala, Modesto Diaz and Luis Manuel Caceres Michel at the Hacienda Maria torture center.
National Archives director and historian Roberto Cassa says that the incident reflects what he described as “the false culture of institutionalism that allows for honoring questionable characters.” He said that a picture of Johnny Abbes, one of the most infamous Dominican criminals of the dictatorship, had been on display in the gallery of former Department of Immigration directors, and there are photos of past presidents who were villains, including Trujillo at the Presidential Palace.
Minister of Defense Sigfrido Pared Perez had explained that the cadets’ graduating classes carry the names of chiefs of staff and that was why the name of Fernandez Sanchez was used.
Roberto Cassá critica homenaje militar trujillista; ministro explica