This May, the former chief of the presidential military assistance corps (today Cusep), Major General Adan Cáceres is awaiting trial in the Najayo Jail. He is accused of taking advantage of his position and profiteering through corrupt practices in the military. Julián Herrera writes in Acento on 18 May 2021 on how the corruption schemes in the military that are now investigated as part of the named Coral Operation can be traced back to the government of former President Leonel Fernandez.
Herrera explains that the chief of the military assistant corps (today Cusep) took on roles that were not contemplated in the law and controlled the relations between the President and the then secretary of the Armed Forces. He writes of how the practice began in the government of former President Leonel Fernandez and continues today.
Herrera explains that from 1996 to 2000, Major General Jesus Florentino y Florentino, then chief of the Military Assistant Corps of the Presidency (today Cusep) took on roles of dealing with military matters and dispatching correspondence sent by the secretary of the Armed Forces [today the position is that of Minister of Defense], then General Iván Hernandez Oleaga.
The feature in Acento explains that the situation would continue in the subsequent governments. He writes that the military institutions (Army, Navy, Air Force and the Secretariat of the Armed Forces) were controlled by the past directors of the Cusep. These were Florentino y Florentino and Aquino García and Medina y Medina (Leonel Fernandez’s governments – 1996-2000, 2004-2012). Hipólito Mejía (Carlos Díaz Morfa). And more recently by Major General Adán Cáceres Silvestre (2012-2020), who is awaiting trial at the Najayo Jail.
President Luis Abinader announced he was restoring the authority to name military staff without the intervention of the Cusep to the Ministry of Defense and the military and police commands. Abinader named former President Hipolito Mejía’s director of military aides to the position of Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Carlos Díaz Morfa.
The author says that the law establishes that no body inferior to the Ministry of Defense can claim authority to act as an intermediary between the President of the Republic and the Minister of Defense. He highlights that the situation nevertheless has been the practice during the governments of Leonel Fernandez, Hipolito Mejia, Danilo Medina and in the current one of Luis Abinader, although now to a lesser degree.
According to the current legislation, the Cusep is not authorized to order, appoint, promote or authorize pensions in the military. However, the most recent military promotions have had the signature of Major General Celin Rubio Terrero, under the supposed instructions of President Luis Abinader in violation to the military ruling.
Read more in Spanish:
Acento
19 May 2021