The Dominican Republic maintains a constant fight against traffic illegal of armswhich has become one of the most serious threats to security of the country.
One of the most relevant cases was the dismantled network, by the Ministry inside and Police in conjunction with the Ministry Public, through Operation Pandorain which 10 police members were accused of subtracting ammunition from internal deposits in order to sell them in a particular way, including Haitians.
In that sense, several countries of Central America and Dominican Republic They launched a coordinated initiative to stop the traffic illegal of arms In the region, the Organization of American States reported yesterday (OAS) In a statement.
Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and Dominican Republic adopted the call ´Sheet of route to prevent the traffic and the illicit proliferation of armsammunition and explosives´, an initiative promoted by the OAS with the support of the United Nations and the European Union.
This joint strategy for the next ten years contemplates the strengthening of regulations and of the coordination Among countries, greater control of the life of armsan improvement of research and greater prevention of violence.
Each of the countries promised to develop a plan of action National aligned with those axes.
The sheet of route also includes the creation of a mechanism of follow-up managed by the OAS.
Ministers of security of those countries met on Wednesday at the headquarters of the OASin Washington, to sign the creation of this new regional instrument.
The Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagrohe said in this regard that it is “a milestone on the agenda of security in Central America and Dominican Republic“
“I am convinced that the Sheet Route will be a key tool to support Central American governments in their valuable efforts to reduce the impact of armed violence and promote safer countries for our communities, “he said.
According to the OAS, Central America and Dominican Republic record a rate of Homicides that exceeds the global average, 17.3 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023. In 2022, four out of five Homicides They were perpetrated with arms of fire in the region.
“The geographical location of Central America and Dominican Republic converts this subregion into a strategic point for the traffic of armsammunition and explosives, feeding the levels of armed violence, “said the OAS.
The Foreign Minister of Dominican Republic, Roberto Álvarez, had requested before the OAS the implementation of strictest controls and international collaboration to stop the flow of arms illegal
The chancellor said that the security citizen is a fundamental requirement for sustainable development and that without security There can be no economic growth or social welfare.
Last January, the General Directorate of Customs (DGA) reported the confiscation of illicit firearms in juice and coconut containers. That same month, police officers of the Central Investigation Directorate (DICRIM), through the Department of Transnational Crimes Investigation (Deidet), occupied guns and ammunition illegally in tank from New York. In December 2024, Pastor Dieune Day, of Haitian origin, for alleged arms and ammunition traffic in his country, was arrested in the country. While, in July 2024, a woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison for smuggling of ammunition in Elías Piña.
