The celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the PRD was a vivid reflection of the obvious split in its leadership. The events that took place yesterday afternoon, Wednesday 22 January, put former President Hipolito Mejia on one side and party president Miguel Vargas on the other side, as if it were a boxing ring. The former President attended a Mass at the Las Mercedes Church in the Colonial City, which began at 4pm and from there a procession led by Eligio Jaquez, Guido Gomez Mazara, Tony Raful, Tony Pena Guaba, and other leading party members went to the Altar of the Homeland where they laid a floral tribute. “I think that the convention has to take place in the context of transparency and honesty, not with elements who are followers of that guy (Vargas), who are mostly there to collect money. It should be something agreed upon, a consensus, serious, or to the contrary there will be great and serious problems,” warned Mejia before laying the wreath. Meanwhile, Vargas concentrated his commemorative activities on the remodeled PRD National House located on Jimenez Moya Avenue, one hour later.
According to Listin Diario, while Mejia and his group were laying a wreath of white flowers at the Altar, Vargas was doing the same thing but on the esplanade in front of the PRD House at the foot of a statue of late party leader Jose Francisco Pena Gomez, which was unveiled in December after the house was remodeled. After his speech and after a speech by Fulgencio Espinal – who accused Milagros Ortiz Bosch of “defaming Miguel” by complaining of irregularities when he was obtaining a loan for US$15 million in order to “divert the political discourse” – Vargas answered questions from reporters. “Did you invite the other party?” asked one reporter. “We invited all of the PRD rank and file, all of the PRD,” answered Vargas. “Did you invite Mejia?” she insisted. “Hipolito Mejia is not in the PRD,” declared Vargas.