{"id":141071,"date":"2020-04-28T12:50:01","date_gmt":"2020-04-28T12:50:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/wordpress\/?p=141071"},"modified":"2020-04-28T13:45:12","modified_gmt":"2020-04-28T13:45:12","slug":"puerto-plata-mayor-says-invitation-to-welcome-the-coronavirus-pilgrim-is-a-fake-nobody-wants-to-take-responsibility-for-allowing-the-people-agglomeration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/2020\/04\/28\/puerto-plata-mayor-says-invitation-to-welcome-the-coronavirus-pilgrim-is-a-fake-nobody-wants-to-take-responsibility-for-allowing-the-people-agglomeration\/","title":{"rendered":"Puerto Plata mayor says invitation to welcome the Coronavirus Pilgrim is a fake, nobody wants to take responsibility for allowing the people agglomeration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The new mayor of Puerto Plata, Diomedes Garcia (Roquelito) said on Monday, 27 April 2020 that his office did not send out an invitation to participate in the crusading for God\u2019s support against the coronavirus led by self-proclaimed prophet Migdomio Adames, \u00a8el Peregrino\u00a8. On his Instagram page, the new mayor denies having sent out the invitation. Adames first became known when he carried his cross from his hometown in El\u00edas Pi\u00f1a on the border of Haiti to Santo Domingo to campaign for the reelection of President Danilo Medina in 2014. At the time, the Constitution banned Medina from running for reelection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Puerto Plata Mayor Garc\u00eda is criticized for lending a sound-blasting vehicle that was used for his political campaign for the procession through the city of Puerto Plata on Sunday, 26 April. The city government vehicle escorted the cross-bearing Adames and the religious fanatics that followed him as he walked along the Malecon to a city beach where he would plant the cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The caravan began in Santo Domingo, and passed through Villa Altagracia where it was received by a Catholic priest Padre Chelo, moving through Bonao and Santiago where it did not draw many followers, as reported. When it arrived to Imbert, in Puerto Plata, the caravan gained followers. There, Adames spent the night at the firefighters station. He had the support of the mayor of Imbert, a ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) politician.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Videos show Adames escorted by Dominican transit (Digesett) motorized agents, the National Police and even a large 911 Emergency System fire truck. The videos also show numerous police mingling with the crowds at a time when there is an executive order for social distancing. Most that attended the religious procession were not wearing masks. This is in contrast with the firm position of the Police and military to arrest all who do not wear masks in a public space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless, on Monday morning, in his daily press conference, the Public Health Minister Dr. Rafael S\u00e1nchez C\u00e1rdenas centered all the blame of the congregating of what he estimated were around 5,000 people for the caravan on the mayor of Puerto Plata. He said the mayor turned the procession into a political event. The mayor had been sworn in on Friday, 24 April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Friday and Saturday, Dr. S\u00e1nchez C\u00e1rdenas had coincidentally been in Puerto Plata to meet with representatives to coordinate measures to reduce the spread of the disease in the province. \u201cAll the work we had carried out that weekend was thrown overboard,\u201d he complained during the press conference. \u201cIf there was weakness on behalf of the officers that should have avoided this by using public force, we do not deny that, and the police is taking measures,\u201d he said. He said new measures will be needed for the province after the agglomerations. He asked that penalties be applied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the press briefing on Monday, 27 April, Dr. S\u00e1nchez C\u00e1rdenas was asked why the police or the firefighters did not disperse the crowds. The public health minister said that the firefighter truck was under the responsibility of the new mayor of Puerto Plata. Nevertheless, he acknowledged the lack of action by the police and the military. The Puerto Plata police commander was suspended pending an investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo our surprise, the entire citizenry was able to see the great disorder amid the declared state of national emergency,\u201d said the minister. He said the event was \u201csponsored and mobilized by those who today are denying participation and involvement in the mass rally.\u201d He referred to newly appointed Mayor Roquelito Garc\u00eda, who represents the opposition party, the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM). He called the event \u201ca political activity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He complained that on Friday and Saturday, the Ministry had dispatched vehicles to neighborhoods in Puerto Plata to distribute the message of the need to wear facial masks when out in public and avoid agglomerations. \u201cWhat happened there was a lack of respect to the people of Puerto Plata, the authorities and the health mandate,\u201d he said. \u201cWe reject this and ask that Puerto Plata take drastic measures against this \u201cvagabunder\u00eda\u201d or disorderly charlatanism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interestingly, on that Sunday, right after the activity, ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD)\u2019s presidential candidate, Gonzalo Castillo\u2019s sanitization trucks were prompt to cover up the path of the caravan, disinfecting the area in a well publicized effort to capitalize on the damage caused by the throngs of people led by the vehicle of the newly appointed opposition mayor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The governor of Puerto Plata sent out a press release saying that he was not aware of the event until the procession was in the city of Puerto Plata. Governor Iv\u00e1n Rivera Bastardo sent out a press release also accusing Mayor Roquelito Garc\u00eda of being responsible for allowing the activity that violates the social distancing rule in effect nationwide. News sources say that the Ministry of Interior & Police authorized the caravan. The Minister of Interior & Police has denied the authorization. The Medina administration had just inaugurated a multi-million dollar new surveillance center, the C5i.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The caravan had been a trending topic all day on Sunday, but throughout the week social media had already shared the pilgrimage videos. It took Adames six days on foot to reach Puerto Plata. Yet no authority seemed to notice until the damage was done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The coordinator for the High Commission for the Prevention of Coronavirus, Gustavo Montalvo also put the blame on the local authorities in Puerto Plata. He said this time there would be no penalization. Instead, Public Health Minister Dr. Rafael S\u00e1nchez C\u00e1rdenas was sent back to Puerto Plata on Tuesday, 28 April to prepare measures to respond to a possible outbreak of the disease in the province. These include an epidemiological cordon of the province with increased restrictions for a week in circulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Journalist Diana Lora on \u201cEsta Noche con Mariasela\u201d variety show on the evening of 27 April also observed: \u201cEveryone failed. The municipal authorities, the religious leadership that opened their doors, the leadership of the authorities\u2026 The National Police that is so prompt to arrest the most humble on the street for not wearing a mask and yet allowed this manifestation. And those that were there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carolina Santana also commented on Esta Noche con Mariasela:
“This shows that the rope breaks where it is thinnest. Hapless people are arrested for not using masks, but a procession is allowed because it is escorted by the authorities. One has to ask about whether such negligence is fortuitous as the procession proceeded municipality by municipality. It is particularly interesting that all this negligence is salvaged with the intervention of the presidential candidate of the government who then took charge to clean up Puerto Plata.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Investigative journalist Alicia Ortega on her 27 April \u201cEl Informe con Alicia Ortega\u201d remarked:
\u201cIt is unwonted for throngs of people, many without masks, to defy calls to avoid contagion. It is unwonted that no competent authority prevented so many people from following a pilgrim on his way to stamp a cross on a beach. This is an irrational and irresponsible act of the participants who did not meditate on the risks they were taking for themselves and others. How can one act with such degree of insensitivity to the thousands of healthcare workers that are risking their lives. \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ines Aizpun, in an editorial for Diario Libre writes:
“You can’t go out, open your small business, work at whatever comes along\u2026 but if you go out and do the most grotesque parade in years, they’ll even escort you.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more in Spanish:
El Dia <\/a>
Puerto Plata Digital <\/a>
Hoy <\/a>
El Caribe<\/a>
Hoy <\/a>
Puerto Plata Digital <\/a>
Ministry of Public Health press conference 27 April 2020 <\/a>
Diario Libre <\/a>
Esta Noche con Mariasela <\/a>
Diario Libre <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

28 April 2020<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The new mayor of Puerto Plata, Diomedes Garcia (Roquelito) said on Monday, 27 April 2020 that his office did not send out an invitation to participate in the crusading for God\u2019s support against the coronavirus led by self-proclaimed prophet Migdomio Adames, \u00a8el Peregrino\u00a8. On his Instagram page, the new mayor denies having sent out the … <\/p>\n

Read more\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[271,3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141071"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141071"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141071\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":141088,"href":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141071\/revisions\/141088"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141071"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141071"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141071"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}