President Danilo Medina has ordered the National Police to find a permanent solution to the plight of the dozens of squatters whose living quarters were destroyed during the dawn hours of Saturday, 1 December in a lightning move under court orders. Since then the families have been staying near their few belongings, out in the open and the children have not been attending school or the adults their jobs, according to Listin Diario.
The Chief of Police, Major General Jose Armando Polanco Gomez, said that the President had told him that he did not want the women and children to experience any more suffering. Initially, they were all taken to pensions on Padre Castellanos Avenue, but after inspecting the conditions it was decided to take them to a place on Ortega y Gasset Avenue.
According to unofficial reports, each will be given RD$100,000 per head. It was also announced that lands belonging to the State Sugar Council (CEA) out in Boca Chica would be used to build housing for them. Some of the families had lived in the demolished property for over 30 years.
The owner of the dwelling explained in a paid advertisement in the press today that he had offered the families settlement plans to voluntarily leave for many times that amount and these had not accepted.