TRUJILLO GANG MAKING COMEBACK IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Under a Santo Domingo dateline, the Toronto Daily Star published an informative report on recent political developments in the Dominican Republic. The gist of the article, written by Norman Gall, is that the island is reverting to a situation similar to the one under Trujillo.
"A resurgence of police brutality and military authority has followed the evacuation two months ago of the foreign troops, mainly American, who occupied the country for 14 months under the auspices of the Organization of American States," he writes.
"New political factions have emerged within the armed forces, similar to the military conspiracies which led to the April 1965 explosion."
Gall notes that "The slum dwellers of Santo Domingo, who defeated crack tank and infantry units during the revolt, still have thousands of arms hidden."
"Many," he continues, "are frightened and angry about the beatings, deaths and disappearances in recent months of members of the rebel forces who fought in the streets last year for the return of deposed President Juan Bosch."
After losing in the election held under the bayonets of foreign troops, Bosch suffered swift eclipse. "He is expected to leave soon for an indefinite voluntary exile in Span) on decision bitterly criticized within his own Partido Revolucionario Dominicano (PRD
Sharp divisions have been developing in the PRD, and the "moderates" have been resigning under pressure from the rank and file who favor a militant line. The latest resignation was.that of José Rafael Molina Urena November 17. President of the chamber of deputies during the Bosch regime, he was named provisional president during the 1965 uprising but sought diplomatic asylum when it looked like the revolt might collapse.
"Bosch," the Star correspondent writes, "has been a restraining influence over the angry slum dwellers who follow him, especially in the tense days following the June election when the PRD rank and file believed itself cheated of victory through fraudulent counting of the ballots.
"His counsels against resumption of street violence have been one of the principal underpinnings of political stability supporting the five-month-old Balaguer regime."
Gall quotes a PRD slum dweller who was in command of a machine-gun post during the 1965 uprising. "The police are searching our houses for guns and commit fewer abuses than in the past while doing so, but...people are getting killed mysteriously and are disappearing for good after their arrest by police.
"Te people want to fight again because they don't want to be killed this way.
"In the April revolution we did not go into the rich people's houses and into the main street stores to loot the nice things we want.
"Next time it will be different. Juan Bosch's departure will free the people to fight again. His presence is the only barrier to renewing the revolution."
A "moderate" PRD leader is quoted by Gall as saying, "The country by now has left Juan Bosch behind. The people are now looking for a leader with a larger pair of pants."
As for the Balaguer regime, Norman Gall indicates its rightward drift:
"The old curse of Dominican militarism has been revived with the frictions within the military establishment.
"General Neit Rafael Neivar Seijas, head of a group of army generals who pushed hard for Balaguer's return to the presidency after Bosch's 1963 ouster, has become chief of the presidential guard.
"He is a principal palace figure in the effort to control the air force generals and colonels at the San Isidro air force base outside Santo Domingo.
"The key tank and infantry units at San Isidro, which used to exercise decisive
military influence in national politics, have been dispersed “throughout the country. But they are still commanded by officers believed loyal to General Elias Wessin y Wessin, the exiled San Isidro commander who ordered the bombing i Santo Domingo during the 1965 revolution. : . LG ; .
"Anti-Balaguer right wing elements have 2 been pressuring heavily for Wesein' 's return from his Miami exile, where he has -been.in close touch with .the exiled figures . of the Cuba Batista dictatorship.
“United States: military. advisers, always influential in the internal politics of the Dominican armed forces, have been organizing another elite military unit,. highly trained‘ in counter-insurgency and riot control techniques, to replace the dispersed San Isidro ground units.
"The new unit is being organized along the Lines of. the elite. presidential guard of the deposed Diem regime of South Viet Nam, with U.S. _ officers serving in advisory roles at all command levels. :
“Earlier this week former police chief General, Belisario. Peguero Guerrero, who | became a millionaire following Bosch's 1963 ouster through contraband imports of liquor and electrical appliances and who symbolized police abuses that. generated popular resentment before the revolution, returned to the republic amid great publicity."
"Balaguer," reports Gall, "has surrounded himself with a kitchen. cabinet of former Trujillo politicians -- judges, cabinet ministers, congressmen and governors during the long dictatorship.
"Other leading figures of the Trujillo era have also returned to pubis life.
-. “One of these is Colonel Nin Melo, formerly of Trujilio' s dread Seryicio de. Intelligencia Militar (SIM), later implicated in illegal drug traffic and now. head of the secret service of the national police.
"Another is Colonel Soto Echavarria, the last chief of the SIM, who was. incorporated into the police in 1963 by Balisario Peguero and recently promoted to full colonel by Balaguer.
"Another is. Tadeo Guerrero, who terrorized the populations of several interior towns during the Trujillo era and last month was also promoted to full colonel."
» Gall tells about an incident indicating ‘the way the. political wind is blowing . ain the Dominican Republic today:
"A week ago police Colonel Cesar Nicolas Ramirez Alcantara, another killer of the Trujillo era, became drunk in the home of relatives.
"He became enraged as “he announced that money was missing from his. pockets and taking a submachine: gun, shot two persons dead and critically wounded another.
"Ramirez Alcantara continued his regular functions pending investigation.
"The police public relations chief denied that the colonel would be summarily dismissed, saying that such dismissals under these circumstances occur only in the cases of enlisted. personnel."
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