Wikileaks reveal pressure from US on Leonel
This is the continuation of the documents broadcast by SIN News
SANTO DOMINGO.- The most recent revelation of the Dominican Wikileak cables exposes the pressures exercised by the United States Embassy in the country on President Fernandez, who is asked for reports, explanations and "monitoring" of the performance of the cabinet which he heads, and on occasions expressing raw criticisms about the officials.
According to the documents, from February and May of 2005 and August of 2008, the President had conversations with the then United States ambassador in the Dominican Republic, Hans Hertell, who reported that "commenting on the Armed Forces, Fernandez said that it was understood that the high ranking military often take 10% of the resources that go through their hands as a "commission," adding that the armed forces are a corrupt institution. He said that if he moved too fast in cancelling the corrupt officers, his own position might be in danger."
Likewise, one of the cables refers to the fact that Fernandez had said that "he would fire the corrupt police officers when he was given proof and he asked the embassy for help in order to obtain that evidence," to which ambassador Hertell offered to provide "additional details on known corrupt officers."
Regarding the issue of Haiti and the then-Dominican ambassador to that nation, the cable stresses that "providing continuation to the former conversations between the ambassador and Fernandez on Haiti, he referred to rumors that the Dominican ambassador in the neighboring country, Jose Serulle Ramia, was not being completely loyal to the Dominican political guidelines. Fernandez answered that he had chosen Serulle because he belonged to a respected family and was serious, educated, honest and trustworthy and spoke French and Creole perfectly, being, therefore, a more than adequate representative of the Dominican Republic.
Nonetheless, according to the cables, Fernandez did admit that Serulle is, like others in his family, a bit crazy and emotional.
As an aside to the main information of the cable of 11 February 2005, there appears the following note: "The Chancellor Carlos Morales Troncoso, in comments to the ambassador (Hertell) on 7 February, said that Serulle was useless and crazy and he said that he would be recalled in the next two weeks."
For his part, the United States ambassador in 2008, Robert Fannin, in a cable from August of that year, alleges that "the ouster of Alejandrina German, from the Secretary of Education and moving her to the Ministry of Women was something positive, given the allegations of corruption that weighed against her."
Moreover, the cable mentions that the embassy "was not too impressed" with the performance of Jose Ramon (Monchi) Fadul, as the Minister of Labor, "where he looks uninformed regarding important issues."
With respect to the Minister of Tourism, Francisco Javier Garcia Fernandez, the cable says "he is being awarded for his role as the director of the re-election campaign of President Fernandez. The Ministry of Tourism is seen by many Dominicans as a lucrative position."
Moreover, it indicates that "during the time when he was Minister of Industry and Commerce, Garcia supported the interests of transporters that were opposed to the rights of a United States company to implement new contracts, something that nearly kept the DR-CAFTA agreement from going into effect. A representative of the Chamber of Commerce told the ambassador that he was not too impressed with the work done by Garcia in Industry and Commerce," and so ends the report from Ambassador Fannin.
Dismissals
In the cable from 2 May, in answer to a request by the United States Ambassador, President Fernandez removed from their posts the chief of intelligence and two other high officials, among those known to be corrupt, and three possible promotions that caused serious worry for the United States did not take place: General Hector Medina Medina was not named Minister of the Armed Forces; General Rafael Bencosme Candelier was not named Chief of Police, and Jose Muñoz Moncion, a retired admirals, was not chosen as Navy chief of staff.
According to the documents, from February and May of 2005 and August of 2008, the President had conversations with the then United States ambassador in the Dominican Republic, Hans Hertell, who reported that "commenting on the Armed Forces, Fernandez said that it was understood that the high ranking military often take 10% of the resources that go through their hands as a "commission," adding that the armed forces are a corrupt institution. He said that if he moved too fast in cancelling the corrupt officers, his own position might be in danger."
Likewise, one of the cables refers to the fact that Fernandez had said that "he would fire the corrupt police officers when he was given proof and he asked the embassy for help in order to obtain that evidence," to which ambassador Hertell offered to provide "additional details on known corrupt officers."
Regarding the issue of Haiti and the then-Dominican ambassador to that nation, the cable stresses that "providing continuation to the former conversations between the ambassador and Fernandez on Haiti, he referred to rumors that the Dominican ambassador in the neighboring country, Jose Serulle Ramia, was not being completely loyal to the Dominican political guidelines. Fernandez answered that he had chosen Serulle because he belonged to a respected family and was serious, educated, honest and trustworthy and spoke French and Creole perfectly, being, therefore, a more than adequate representative of the Dominican Republic.
Nonetheless, according to the cables, Fernandez did admit that Serulle is, like others in his family, a bit crazy and emotional.
As an aside to the main information of the cable of 11 February 2005, there appears the following note: "The Chancellor Carlos Morales Troncoso, in comments to the ambassador (Hertell) on 7 February, said that Serulle was useless and crazy and he said that he would be recalled in the next two weeks."
For his part, the United States ambassador in 2008, Robert Fannin, in a cable from August of that year, alleges that "the ouster of Alejandrina German, from the Secretary of Education and moving her to the Ministry of Women was something positive, given the allegations of corruption that weighed against her."
Moreover, the cable mentions that the embassy "was not too impressed" with the performance of Jose Ramon (Monchi) Fadul, as the Minister of Labor, "where he looks uninformed regarding important issues."
With respect to the Minister of Tourism, Francisco Javier Garcia Fernandez, the cable says "he is being awarded for his role as the director of the re-election campaign of President Fernandez. The Ministry of Tourism is seen by many Dominicans as a lucrative position."
Moreover, it indicates that "during the time when he was Minister of Industry and Commerce, Garcia supported the interests of transporters that were opposed to the rights of a United States company to implement new contracts, something that nearly kept the DR-CAFTA agreement from going into effect. A representative of the Chamber of Commerce told the ambassador that he was not too impressed with the work done by Garcia in Industry and Commerce," and so ends the report from Ambassador Fannin.
Dismissals
In the cable from 2 May, in answer to a request by the United States Ambassador, President Fernandez removed from their posts the chief of intelligence and two other high officials, among those known to be corrupt, and three possible promotions that caused serious worry for the United States did not take place: General Hector Medina Medina was not named Minister of the Armed Forces; General Rafael Bencosme Candelier was not named Chief of Police, and Jose Muñoz Moncion, a retired admirals, was not chosen as Navy chief of staff.
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