Some 80 families in the eastern town of Hato Mayor occupied the housing project known as Villa Progreso in the community of Los Hatillos yesterday afternoon, Wednesday 6 January 2016. They claim that PLD party members are trying to assign the apartments that should be allocated to community residents to government employees and members of the ruling PLD instead. The squatters arrived with mattresses, pots and pans and other household items and used rocks to open the doors. Although military and Police agents arrived on the scene they did not evict the families so as not to use force.
Provincial Governor Manuel de la Cruz also went to the housing project and announced the creation of a commission composed of members of the families who remain in the 84 apartments built in two-story blocks. The commission will visit the director of the National Housing Institute to reach an agreement.
