On Sunday, 26 March 2017, probably the largest congregation of people happened spontaneously in Santiago as the poor, middle class and wealthy all gathered to call the government to end administrative corruption and impunity and set an example with the Odebrecht government construction case. Odebrecht has already admitted to paying US$92 million in bribes to government officers.
Now social media is reporting public officers are being obliged to attend a parade that will be head by President Danilo Medina on Thursday, 30 March 2017 at 5pm at the Avenida Hermanas Mirabal corner President Antonio Guzman, part of the same route used by the protest parade.
A note indicated employees at the Santiago aqueduct office (Corasaan) were getting off as of noon so they could attend the parade at 4pm.
Listin Diario published another note circulated to employees working in the public hospital system where it indicates their presence is obligatory on that date and place. The note is signed by the regional director of public health, Austria de la Rosa Cuevas.
But her head, the director of the National Health Service (SNS) Nelson Rodríguez Monegro, denied the obligation and said the parade is a historic commemorative event where citizens are invited to be present. 30 March marks the date in 1844 of the second decisive battle against Haitian occupants of the newly declared Dominican Republic (27 February 1844). The first had been in Azua on 19 March 1844. The Dominican troops under General José María Imbert defeated the larger contingent under Haitian General Jean-Louis Pierrot.
MetroRD asked Rosalia Sosa of Participacion Ciudadana civic group if the government could obligate its employees to attend the parade and was told there is no law that states so, but that it is a general practice to ask government employees to show support to their employer.
Read more in Spanish:
Listin Diario
MetroRD
7 Dias
30 March 2017
