Santo Domingo.- The general secretary of the United Left Movement (MIU), Miguel Mejiadescribed as a «decoration” his dismissal as Minister without Portfolio for Regional Integration Policies, provided by Decree 8-25 issued on January 9 by the president Luis Abinader.
Mejía stressed that his departure is not due to mismanagement of public funds nor to unethical conduct, but to their defense of fundamental principles and his criticism of certain government policies.
In an extensive statement, Miguel Mejía expressed his satisfaction that his removal from office is due to ethical reasons, making it clear that it is not exclusively linked to his positions on Venezuela.
He noted that he has persistently questioned sectors of the government, including areas such as energy policy, abroadhe economic team and the Public Ministrydue to irregularities and mistakes that, according to him, affect the sovereignty and the development of the country.
“While some called for my resignation, on several occasions I presented it to the president out of personal respect for him and his family, but they were not accepted.. For this reason, I chose to limit myself to carrying out specific tasks that were entrusted to me, both nationally and internationally,” he explained.
In this context, he considered that the president “could have avoided issuing the decree and simply followed through on my resignation.”
Mejía stressed that his permanence in the government was not the result of a political agreement with the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), but of the personal and family bond that he maintained with the late José Rafael Abinader, father of the current president.
The political leader indicated that, at the time of his dismissaldid not lead an active life in the National Palace nor in his assigned office, which he held since 2004, during the second term of Leonel Fernandez.
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He stated that, when he retires, the only thing he will take is a painting by Juan Pablo Duarte, a gift from the painter Miguel Núñez, since he considers that the patrician “does not deserve to remain there.”
Mejía also stated that he will frame the decree of his dismissal next to a photo of Dr. José Rafael Abinader, whom he praised as a patriot committed to democratic ideals.
Internal and external pressures
The former official assured that the presidential decision did not take him by surprise, as he was aware of the internal and external pressures that the president faced. Even so, He reiterated his critical stance towards the current government and its commitment to the principles of the MIU.
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“Is it honorable to continue being part of a government with all these elements that we have pointed out? For me, this dismissal is a decoration,” he concluded.
With this outcome, Miguel Mejía reaffirmed his commitment to continue working in defense of his ideals and national sovereignty, maintaining the coherence that, according to him, has characterized his political career.
