It appears that either media pressure or a lack of thoughtful reflection may have been to blame for words and actions of several officials implicated in the Odebrecht scandal who may have compromised their own defense against corruption charges. It is apparent that several public figures are talking “rubbish”, as named in Diario Libre, when they speak to the media about the judicial process and the Odebrecht case.
For example, Diario Libre reporters focused on the words of Attorney General of the Republic Jean Alain Rodriguez who recounted a Dominican refrain that basically says that “all that should be are there, and all there should be there” during a press conference on Monday, 29 May 2017, barely hours after several politicians and government officials or former officials were arrested in regard to the Odebrecht case. The Attorney General was then forced to issue a press release in which he said that the investigations are ongoing in order to determine if there are other persons or companies involved in the corruption scandal.
Another major political figure, Reinaldo Pared Perez’s words have become subject of many memes and comments in all media. The high-ranking ruling PLD party member and president of the Senate told reporters the following: “What happened is that I went by the mud puddle and I didn’t get muddy!” This gave rise to much speculation especially since Pared Pérez had just visited the persons under arrest at the Palace of Justice in Ciudad Nueva, those who therefore must be muddy.
Pared Pérez was also quoted in talking about Temistocles Montas, Cesar Valentin, and Tommy Galan, who are all mentioned in the bribery indictment, and he referred to them as “the President’s men.” Such a statement, which throws suspicion upon the figure of President Danilo Medina and “his men” who are now in jail, seemed to be a denial of the accusation by the opposition parties that the President of the Republic seems to have favorites who are corrupt.
The journalists from the Diario Libre recall another Dominican popular saying that refers to the fact that most fish die by opening their mouths.
Read more in Spanish:
Diario Libre
1 June 2017
