Jose Luis Chavez

SANTO DOMINGO. - The President ordered the withdrawal of 31 general officers of the Armed Forces and National Police, days after presenting his accountability speech before the National Assembly, on 27 February. This is the same number of generals who were removed in 2009, just after the presidential address to the National Assembly.

A fact that stands out is that on both occasions the head of state preceded the purification steps of the armed forces with serious critical remarks about the misconduct of some members of these entities, including their alleged involvement in drug trafficking and other criminal acts .

In his speech of 2009, the President said: "We note, of course, we do not shake the pulse to clean and apply the full weight of the law to the social ills that their misdeeds tarnish the prestige and honor of Armed Forces and National Police. "

Hours later, ordered the withdrawal "for length of service" of 31 generals, including former Secretary of sticking the Armed Forces, Major General Juan Bautista Rojas Tabar and Police Brigadier General Hilario de la Cruz Gonzalez. Among the retired generals included ten National Army, nine Navy and an equal number of the Dominican Air Force and three from the National Police.

General Rojas Tabar publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the way the withdrawal and called for clarification if their rejection was related to a criminal act, considering the harsh words of President.

In his speech this year Fernandez referred back to the "misconduct" of the members of the armed forces and even spoke of isolated events, announced the decision to deepen the process of purification in their ranks.

Like last year, the governor ordered his speech immediately after the withdrawal "seniority" of 31 generals from various branches, including two former directors of the DNCD, Ventura Bayonet and Ramirez Ferreira, a former chief of Police, Manuel de Jesus Perez Sanchez and Bernardo Santana Paez, and the director of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, General Rafael Oscar Bencosme Candelier.

For those who know the skill of Dr. Fernandez in the use of language may be difficult to accept as a mere coincidence that the relationship between anticipated in the speeches and the removal of senior officers.

Stay in the air some questions. Were they really so many senior officials involved in drugs and illegal actions? And so, because they waited for the President to have a special date for withdrawal and the submission to the ordinary courts to pay for the mistakes made? What if only some of them were involved in the incidents, why put them all in the same breath, condemning morally equally tame and feral?

Probably only the President can answer these questions.

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