Santo Domingo witnessed heightened tensions on Sunday as members of the Ancient Dominican Order (AOD) organized a significant protest in the Los Mina district. The demonstration, originating from community outrage, centered on demands for the immediate expulsion of undocumented Haitian immigrants residing in the Katanga, Vietnam, and adjacent neighborhoods.
Angelo Vásquez, leading the mobilization, presented immigration authorities with a stringent ten-day ultimatum to initiate deportations. He explicitly warned that a failure to elicit an official response would compel the organization to pursue independent measures to address the situation.
The catalyst for this public outcry was the horrific killing of 14-year-old Naurel Nizael Medina on February 4th. The adolescent was ambushed near his residence in the Katanga sector, where assailants brutally assaulted him with machetes and blunt objects, leading to his tragic death.
In a poignant appeal, the victim’s sister, Nazaury Medina, implored the National Police, the Dominican Army, and the General Directorate of Migration to apprehend the perpetrators. She attributed the devastating incident to a pervasive climate of insecurity plaguing the local area.
Protest participant Carmen Delgado echoed the collective demand for justice, directly urging President Luis Abinader to intensify surveillance along the national border and expedite the procedural timelines for migrant deportations.
The march culminated outside the Medina family’s home on 52nd Street in Katanga, where attendees reaffirmed their calls for robust governmental intervention and comprehensive enhancements to public safety protocols across the Dominican Republic.