The shooting dead of a PRD activist in Moca on Sunday, 8 April opened a new clash between the PRD and PLD parties, which are accusing each other of causing the incident that also resulted in several injuries. The Attorney General of the Republic has ordered an investigation in order to bring the persons to blame to justice.
The incident that cost the life of Antonio Pena Ramos, 45, occurred nine days after the political parties had signed a “Civility Pact” promoted by the Catholic Church, and almost immediately both parties accused each other of having violated it. Despite expressing regret about the tragedy, neither the PRD nor the PLD has taken responsibility for Sunday’s events in the municipal district of San Victor, Espaillat province (Moca). Diario Libre found out that several hours before the scene degenerated into a clash, the parties had managed to agree on the space that they would occupy along the highway in order to welcome returning vacationers due to pass through the area.
“Strangely the leaders of the Hipolito campaign violated the agreement, when members of his security team provoked this incident which we all regret,” said a document from the PLD leadership in Espaillat province.
The PRD activists in the province stated: “At close range, and in a criminal manner, our comrade Pena Ramos was murdered by a leading PLD member by the name of Pedro Santos, who can be identified by eyewitnesses to the incident; our comrade was in the area assigned by the agreement to the PRD and he was killed right in front of the police station and in the presence of members of the force.”
In response to the situation, the Attorney General, Radhames Jimenez Pena appointed prosecutor general of the Court of Appeals of La Vega, Victor Gonzalez, and the District Attorney for the province of Espaillat, Jose Anibal Carela, to identify the persons responsible, “with the aim of transferring whoever is responsible for the deplorable act to the Justice Department.”