President Danilo Medina met with United States Ambassador James Brewster at the Presidential Palace for around 50 minutes yesterday, Monday 24 March. The meeting took place on the heels of the US issuing a special visa for Juliana Deguis to travel to the US. According to reports, despite not having a passport, Deguis was planning to attend the Inter-American Human Rights Court hearing on her case that took place yesterday. News sources criticized the US government for identifying Deguis in the visa as having Dominican nationality, ignoring Constitutional Court Ruling 168-13 that established the reasons why she did not automatically qualify for Dominican nationality. A parallel legalization plan provides the steps for people with strong ties to the country to regularize their status and seek naturalization.
Furthermore, the issuing of the visa came as a surprise because the normal procedure is for the US Consulate to require a current passport to issue the visa. Migration officers at the Las Americas International Airport denied Deguis access to board her flight on the grounds that she did not present a passport to depart.
Yesterday, Monday 24 March, the Minister of Interior and Police Jose Ramon Fadul, prior to meeting with President Medina, said that although the country has weaknesses in some areas, the Dominican Republic is a sovereign state with laws and rules that must be obeyed and no one can leave the country without the necessary documentation.
Referring to the humanitarian visa the United States embassy gave Juliana Deguis that stated that she was Dominican, he commented that no other country had the power to bestow Dominican nationality on a foreigner.
Brewster was not available for comment to the press after his meeting with President Medina.
www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2014/3/24/315549/Embajador-EEUU-se-reune-casi-una-hora-con-Danilo-Medina
www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2014/3/24/315546/El-ministro-Ramon-Fadul-afirma-que-nadie-puede-salir-de-este-pais-sin