Seven female and three male students from the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) entered the anteroom of the office of the Attorney General, Jean Alain Rodríguez, to urge for “an end to impunity”. The students remained there for around five hours after which they met with a deputy Attorney General who received their letter of requests and committed to act so the demands be met.
After the students refused to leave the anteroom of the Attorney General, security forces were called in and these shut the students in the room and sprayed pepper gas in the room. The 911 Emergency System paramedics were called in to determine the effects on the students. Afterwards, they would meet with the deputy attorney general and reach an agreement to leave.
The youths were protesting the perceived delays in taking action in the Odebrecht bribes scandal and demanded an independent audit as part of the investigation. The Attorney General Office announced the start of the investigation five months ago. To date, no have been made.
The protesting students arrived with regular clothes and upon entering the anteroom removed their shirts to remain in grey t-shirts with the slogan “jail for corrupt people, no impunity.” The students communication that called for “A cry for dignity” that demanded for the publication of the names of those people who have received bribes from the Brazilian construction company, Odebrecht.
The students claimed they knew that Rodriguez was evading, hiding, lying or otherwise manipulating the system to avoid the public disclosure of those that may have be involved in the scandal. The protestors said that obfuscation amounted to coordinated campaign to deceive the public.
The students had refused to leave the lobby while demanding an investigation of all of the government employees and businesses involved in works carried out by Odebrecht, including the current President and former Presidents Leonel Fernandez and Hipólito Mejía.
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10 May 2017
