Seven dead in alleged shootouts with police in 72 hours in the Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo.— Seven men died between Saturday, October 31, and this Monday, November 2, in operations that the National Police describes as shootouts, in Santiago, Moca, Bávaro, the Cibao region and the National District, according to reports on Monday.

In each case, the available version is that of the institution or of preliminary reports: no court has established the circumstances, and the people named were not tried for the acts attributed to them.

In Santiago, Rafael Antonio Uceta Acevedo, known as "El Gordito," died on Sunday during a Dicrim operation in the Pueblo Nuevo neighborhood. According to police, he had two arrest warrants for alleged robberies in villas in Jacagua, fired at officers, and a revolver was seized from him.

In Moca, Yonathan Arturo Castillo Rosario, 43, alias "La Maña," wanted in a robbery case, died; according to the preliminary report, he fired at officers and died at Toribio Bencosme Hospital.

In the Friusa neighborhood of Bávaro, two Haitian citizens died: Geriste Promesse, 34, and Arson Leroy, 30, identified as alleged members of a ring that robbed remittance offices. According to the police report, they fired as officers tried to detain them; they were taken to Verón Hospital, where they died, and two other people were arrested.

In the Cibao region, Wilfredo Antonio Rodríguez Henríquez, 34, alias "Bindo," died. He was under investigation for the kidnapping and murder of Albert Yauri Rodríguez Matías, a 15-year-old. Police said he confronted officers and that a 9mm Glock pistol was seized from him.

In the National District, the deaths of two men known as "La Piedra" and "El Peluche" were reported in operations attributed to Dicrim in Villa María, with no sufficient official details.

The seven cases add to a toll that, according to press counts, reaches at least 105 deaths since September: police reported 55 deaths as "legal action" in September, the first full month under Major General Ernesto Rafael Rodríguez García, and Diario Libre documented 43 more through October 25. That is not an official figure: police have not published a tally of these events nor announced a special operation.

The issue is already part of the political debate: on Sunday, former president Danilo Medina said police reform "has only managed to kill young people," while civil society groups demand investigations by the Public Prosecutor's Office.

Photo: El Caribe

Source: RD Mundo 23