The recent discussion between a general of the Armed Forces and two agents of the Directorate General of Traffic Safety and Land Transport (Digesett), puts back on the table the past conflicts between members of the two institutions over traffic problems. “There is no rank that is above the law,” President Luis Abinader said yesterday and precisely this phrase is applicable to what happened two days ago with General José Manuel Fredes Rodríguez. The military reprimanded two Digesett agents for bowing to him for the Rago he has, while they tried to control his vehicle for violating the Traffic Law, being parked on the National District bike path. Counting this event, journalistic records indicate that during this year 2020 at least four incidents have occurred between members of the two institutions mentioned above.
Recent altercation The most recent altercation was recorded on December 15, when a sergeant of the Dominican Republic Air Force (blush) assaulted a Digesett agent, when he was trying to fine him. The incident occurred on the corner of Abraham Lincoln Avenue Gustavo Mejia Ricart and was known for a video posted on social media, where it is observed when the driver stops in the middle of the avenue, hits him hand to hand to the officer, an action that resulted in both of them pulling out their guns, but then the driver got into his vehicle and tried to escape the scene. Just under two months earlier, on October 20, a video posted on social media also highlighted a defiant and arrogant attitude of the retired general of the Armed Forces, Flavio Jesús Soto Jiménez, who verbally assaulted a ras who asked him for his documents to commit a traffic violation. Much of the conversation was full of outbursts from the retired general to the officer, who refused to hand over his documents, despite having committed a traffic violation, while parking his vehicle on a sidewalk.
Discussion in the middle of the road While on June 1, according to newspaper records, there was a confusing traffic incident between several soldiers and a traffic officer, after passers-by witnessed a discussion for the Digesett to give preferential passage to a road. Although there were never official versions of the incident, witnesses to the event indicated that around 10:00 a.m. a group of “guards” tried to get the Digesett to give preferential passage to a specific route, which generated a discussion and a “struggle” between the members of both institutions.
The “revenge” In 2017, journalistic records date an alleged “revenge” that members of military corps were planning to “avenge comrades in arms” who had allegedly been mistreated by agent of the then Metropolitan Transport Authority (AMET ).
CHRONO
2017
I remember when some media outlets emphasized an alleged rally on April 11, 2017 at kilometer 9 of the Duarte Highway, where the military began planning a “revenge” against then-AMET agents, while these were dressed as civilians in the streets. Days earlier a video had been released showing when AMET agents shot a baleful soldier on the floor to arrest him. The then AMET spokesman explained that the conflict was caused by a “resistance” of the detainee, who was preparing to cross the tunnel of the Americas without a protective helmet or documents.