President Luis Abinader becomes the first Dominican President to reject placing framed photographs of himself as the President of the Republic in government offices. The practice has been continued since the days of President Joaquin Balaguer in 1966. Historian Juan Daniel Balcacer, interviewed for Listin Diario, says the practice dates back even before then.
President Abinader tweeted:
“I invite government employees to refrain from placing the photograph of the President in their offices. Place that of your family and children. Let’s put an end to the caudillo personality cult. We are not here to be applauded, but to serve the people.”
The media has stressed President Luis Abinader is the first Dominican President to be born after the Trujillo Dictatorship ended in 1961.
The practice of hanging the picture of the President is also a time-honored tradition in the United States. Nevertheless, as in the Dominican Republic, no regulation specifies US government agencies must display the portraits in government offices.
Read more in Spanish:
Listin Diario
KHOU
26 August 2020