José Tomas Perez: "Our US agenda will prioritize commerce, labor and the issues relating to Haiti"
Perez feels that good information has been lacking with respect to the handling of immigration issue
Diario Libre
SANTO DOMINGO. As part of the diplomatic agenda of the Dominican Republic in reference to the United States, the Dominican diplomatic representation is visiting United States Congressman so that the country is not prejudiced by the Transpacific Economic Association Agreement between the US and the Pacific nations.
The new ambassador plenipotentiary in Washington, José Tomas Perez, reported that he has already met with several Congressman, among them Democrat Charles Rangel, who gave him assurances that nothing would be approved to the prejudice of their friendly states among them the Dominican Republic.
Already by the middle of last year he sent letters to the administration of Barack Obama, where he expressed his worry that the agreement mentioned would harm the country. The issue is part of the priorities that are on the agenda of the new ambassador, which includes in addition the Free Trade Agreement, child labor in sugarcane areas and the vigilance that the United States carries out regarding the issue of Dominican - Haitian relations.
In relation to the international pressures regarding the handling of the immigration issue in the country, of which the ambassador does not exclude the United States, he said he felt that they have lacked good information, since the United States NGOs, the same as the Congressman and human rights organizations, have been receiving reports from Dominican agencies based on their own criteria and prejudices, without giving the opportunity to the Dominican Republic to present their version.
"There in Washington, ambassador Anibal de Castro did a great job in this respect and we are continuing on this path, because we feel that as you present the correct information to each one of these agencies, the attitude and prejudice that exist towards the Dominican Republic will diminish," he said.
Another priority issue which is difficult for Perez is the labor issue, above all the accusation that is maintained against the country that child labor exists in the sugarcane fields. "We are working to demonstrate this, since the truth is that there is no child labor in the areas of the sugarcane fields," he maintained.
The ambassador, who participated as a special guest of the Dialogo Libre, sponsored by the Diario Libre newspaper, reported that at the present time a delegation from the United States Department of Labor is visiting the country in order to verify these reports, which he said have to be disproved with facts.
We said, and we told this to the commission which visited us at the Embassy that the doors are open, in order for them to verify whether or not this type of practice exists. It could be that in a paternalistic manner some father or some family member has their son working, but not because it in imposed by anybody and much less a company would contract children to work, this is a practice that is totally eliminated," he emphasized.
He also stressed the interest that President Obama expressed to him that they conclude the pending aspects of DR - CAFTA.
"They are interested in ending the process. There will be a ministerial meeting soon in order to put on the final touches. The Dominican Republic has not been able to obtain much benefit from this agreement, because our productive efforts do not have the capacity to take advantage of this scheme and we have to do some work to make our industry more competitive."
With the Diaspora
José Tomas Perez indicated that at the present time the Embassy is opening a section of affairs of the Diaspora in order to attend directly the needs of the Dominicans in the US..
He says that from the Embassy he will work to bring the consulates closer to the Dominicans, especially, he referred to the Dominicans who are undergoing deportation processes, in order to give them support and to classify the cases in order to determine those in which they could intervene.
He indicated that while it is true that 60% of those deported from the United States are for drugs, many others occur because of violations of traffic laws and immigration issues. At the present time the Embassy, which is charged with delivering the routing letters for the deportees, has 1200 cases of Dominicans in this process.
"There has to be an approach so that the Dominicans that feel that their rights have been violated in that country can go to the consulates and can receive the legal, and economic support if it is possible. That the Dominican who wants to return to his country and does not have any money, can find the way in which the government can help him." The ambassador points out that many persons went to the United States with the expectation of becoming rich and prosperous, and have found that the reality is not like that, and now there are some who wish to return home. He promised to watch out for the indigent Dominican communities...
"We have, as an Embassy, as a consulate, to pay attention to this community in order that they feel protected, that they feel that they have someone in the United States who watches out for their rights," he said.
"This administration is not perceived as a corrupt government"
To hear the Dominican ambassador in the United States, José Tomas Pettis tell about it, the American authorities do not perceive the government of Danilo Medina to be corrupt. "And this of itself sends a clear message," he adds.
The ambassador considers that it is difficult to eradicate corruption in different countries, but he understands that in the Dominican Republic they have made efforts, during the governments of the PLD, in order to reduce it to its minimum expression. He recognizes that there are still weaknesses in the area of the justice system, but he makes it clear that the government has no interest in obstructing the system.
"The cases of corruption that are in the justice system have to await their decisions. I cannot anticipate what is going to happen, for example in the case of Felix Bautista, when the destiny of this case is in the hands of a judge and they have not finished all the process. This and other cases are still pending."
The new ambassador plenipotentiary in Washington, José Tomas Perez, reported that he has already met with several Congressman, among them Democrat Charles Rangel, who gave him assurances that nothing would be approved to the prejudice of their friendly states among them the Dominican Republic.
Already by the middle of last year he sent letters to the administration of Barack Obama, where he expressed his worry that the agreement mentioned would harm the country. The issue is part of the priorities that are on the agenda of the new ambassador, which includes in addition the Free Trade Agreement, child labor in sugarcane areas and the vigilance that the United States carries out regarding the issue of Dominican - Haitian relations.
In relation to the international pressures regarding the handling of the immigration issue in the country, of which the ambassador does not exclude the United States, he said he felt that they have lacked good information, since the United States NGOs, the same as the Congressman and human rights organizations, have been receiving reports from Dominican agencies based on their own criteria and prejudices, without giving the opportunity to the Dominican Republic to present their version.
"There in Washington, ambassador Anibal de Castro did a great job in this respect and we are continuing on this path, because we feel that as you present the correct information to each one of these agencies, the attitude and prejudice that exist towards the Dominican Republic will diminish," he said.
Another priority issue which is difficult for Perez is the labor issue, above all the accusation that is maintained against the country that child labor exists in the sugarcane fields. "We are working to demonstrate this, since the truth is that there is no child labor in the areas of the sugarcane fields," he maintained.
The ambassador, who participated as a special guest of the Dialogo Libre, sponsored by the Diario Libre newspaper, reported that at the present time a delegation from the United States Department of Labor is visiting the country in order to verify these reports, which he said have to be disproved with facts.
We said, and we told this to the commission which visited us at the Embassy that the doors are open, in order for them to verify whether or not this type of practice exists. It could be that in a paternalistic manner some father or some family member has their son working, but not because it in imposed by anybody and much less a company would contract children to work, this is a practice that is totally eliminated," he emphasized.
He also stressed the interest that President Obama expressed to him that they conclude the pending aspects of DR - CAFTA.
"They are interested in ending the process. There will be a ministerial meeting soon in order to put on the final touches. The Dominican Republic has not been able to obtain much benefit from this agreement, because our productive efforts do not have the capacity to take advantage of this scheme and we have to do some work to make our industry more competitive."
With the Diaspora
José Tomas Perez indicated that at the present time the Embassy is opening a section of affairs of the Diaspora in order to attend directly the needs of the Dominicans in the US..
He says that from the Embassy he will work to bring the consulates closer to the Dominicans, especially, he referred to the Dominicans who are undergoing deportation processes, in order to give them support and to classify the cases in order to determine those in which they could intervene.
He indicated that while it is true that 60% of those deported from the United States are for drugs, many others occur because of violations of traffic laws and immigration issues. At the present time the Embassy, which is charged with delivering the routing letters for the deportees, has 1200 cases of Dominicans in this process.
"There has to be an approach so that the Dominicans that feel that their rights have been violated in that country can go to the consulates and can receive the legal, and economic support if it is possible. That the Dominican who wants to return to his country and does not have any money, can find the way in which the government can help him." The ambassador points out that many persons went to the United States with the expectation of becoming rich and prosperous, and have found that the reality is not like that, and now there are some who wish to return home. He promised to watch out for the indigent Dominican communities...
"We have, as an Embassy, as a consulate, to pay attention to this community in order that they feel protected, that they feel that they have someone in the United States who watches out for their rights," he said.
"This administration is not perceived as a corrupt government"
To hear the Dominican ambassador in the United States, José Tomas Pettis tell about it, the American authorities do not perceive the government of Danilo Medina to be corrupt. "And this of itself sends a clear message," he adds.
The ambassador considers that it is difficult to eradicate corruption in different countries, but he understands that in the Dominican Republic they have made efforts, during the governments of the PLD, in order to reduce it to its minimum expression. He recognizes that there are still weaknesses in the area of the justice system, but he makes it clear that the government has no interest in obstructing the system.
"The cases of corruption that are in the justice system have to await their decisions. I cannot anticipate what is going to happen, for example in the case of Felix Bautista, when the destiny of this case is in the hands of a judge and they have not finished all the process. This and other cases are still pending."
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