Chiefs of Police, Armed Forces, Army and Air Force are changed

SD. President Leonel Fernandez made important changes in the high military and police commands, designating a new Minister of the Armed Forces, and relieving the chiefs of the National Police, the Air Force and the Army. He also retired 20 generals from the military and the police.

By means of Decree 444-10, the President designated Major General Joaquin Virgilio Perez Feliz as the new Minister of the Armed Forces. Until yesterday Perez Feliz was chief of staff of the Army. From now on he will hold the temporary rank of Lieutenant General. He substitutes Major General Pedro Rafael Peña Antonio, who was appointed military advisor to the President.

Meanwhile, in Decree 446-10, General Israel Anibal Diaz Peña was appointed chief of staff of the Dominican Air Force in place of Carlos Rafael Altuna Tezanos, who was appointed inspector general of the Armed Forces.

Likewise, in Decree 447-10, the Executive Branch appointed General Carlos A. Rivera Portes, chief of staff of the Army in substitution of Perez Feliz and, as assistant chief of staff of the Army, General Geraldo D. de los Santos Mora.

Polanco Gomez for Guzman Fermin

The movements also touched the Chief of the National Police, a job that was assigned to General Jose Armando Polanco Gopmez, who substituted Rafael Guillermo Guzman Fermin, who had been in the position for more than two years. In Article 2 of Decree 445-10, Guzman Fermin was appointed Presidential advisor on Police matters.

Cesa, Politur and Cesfront

In Decree 449-10, Fernandez appointed Army General Pedro Antonio Caceres Chestaro director general of the Tourism Police (Politur) in place of General Henry de Jesus Gomez Bueno, who was sent to G-2 of the Army. Meanwhile, Major General Cesar Nicolas Castaing Jimenez of the Army was named the new director of the Specialized Corps of Frontier Security (Cesfront), substituting General Francisco Gil Ramirez.

In a like manner, Army General Zenon Antonio Padilla Alcantara, who was the commander of the Presidential Guard, will take over the leadership of the Specialized Corps of Airport Security (Cesa), in place of Air Force General Pedro R. Valenzuela Quiroz.

Padilla Alcantara will be substituted by newly promoted Army General Jose Manuel Frias Rodriguez.

With Decree 449-10, Army generals Rafael Liranzo Medina and Jose Aurelio Lopez Lajara were appointed chiefs of the Electoral Military Police and the executive director of the Superintendence of Watchmen and Private Security of the Armed Forces.

Other appointments released yesterday were those of Colonel Luis E. Feliz Mota, as administrative director of the National Police Hospital; Air Force Colonel Jose Jimenez Perez, as the new governor of the Columbus Lighthouse, and Army Colonel Rafael Diaz Gomez as director of the School Police. Also Cesar R. Mejia Santana will substitute Rafael Alipio Sosa Perez as director of Highway and Beltway Beautification.

20 Armed Forces and National Police generals retired

In the National Police, Generals Jose L. Dominguez Castillo, Pedro Henriquez Perez, Juan Manuel Fructuoso Heredia, Rinel Lozada Montas, Raudo Ramirez Comas, Ruddy De Jesus Almanzar Medina, Eduardo Alberto Then, Ramonsito Jiron Alcantara, and Alejandro E. Estevez Germosen were retired for length of service.

In the National Army, the President retired Generals Jose I Holguin Balaguer, Rafael Percival Peña, Carlos A. Soler Pereyra, Marcos Antonio Pilar Frias, Miguel Antonio Encarnacion de la Rosa, and Ubaldo Reyes Fernandez. In the Dominican Air Force, he retired Ricardo Cabral Vittini, Manuel Espinosa Feliz and Bienvenido Reyes Arache. In the Navy, Rear Admiral Jose A. Ventura Bayonet was retired.

Yesterday there were 24 decrees emitted

The President signed 24 decrees, which besides the changes in the military and the National Police, also included appointments in different assistant directors of institutions such as Inespre, Omsa, the National Lottery, National Assets, the IAD, Agriculture, Intabaco, Promipyme, and the Environment.

There were also appointments of new commanders of six Infantry Brigades of the National Army and in other military organs, among them, Insude, and the Cartographic and Technological Institute of the Armed Forces and other.