The National Congress continued to be heavily militarized as of Tuesday, 2 July 2019. The presidents of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies had asked for the troops to prevent protest demonstrations against the motion to amend the Constitution to enable President Danilo Medina to run for a third term.
The cordoning off the building extends for three streets, all the way to Av. Independencia in the North and the Malecón in the South.
Puerto Plata senator Ignacio Paliza, of the PRM opposition party, told journalists he was prevented from entering by the security staff.
Senate president Reinaldo Pared Pérez (PLD-National District) has confirmed they would be keeping police and military as long as the threats of demonstration and occupation continued.
He reiterated that the decision to militarize the Congress area was taken after Defense Minister Rubén Darío Paulino Sen and Police director General Ney Aldrin Batista had told him and the president of the Chamber of Deputies Radames Camacho that they had information that a takeover of Congress by protestors was planned. Time is running out for Medina followers to start the procedures to amend the Constitution. The Central Electoral Board deadline for registration of candidates is 22 August 2019. The primary is set for 6 October 2019.
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El Dia
3 July 2019