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They denounce land grabbing attempt and armed aggressions in Samaná
Samaná. – Residents of Palmar Nuevo, Samaná province, went to De Último Minuto this Tuesday to publicly denounce a case of armed aggression, threats and alleged illegal dispossession of land, in which they involve Mr. José Miguel Brito, alias Kunchi, and, according to them, General Miguel Mata Rodríguez, regional director of the Police in the northwest.
Darío Aquino Santana, one of the victims, reported that two months ago he was shot in the foot by Brito, after a conflict generated by a land dispute.
“He claims that land is his, but he has no documents. We have letters from the ‘palero’ since 1976 and we have lived there for over 50 years. I just told him that the land was not his and he shot me,” narrated Aquino, assuring that at the time of the attack Brito was accompanied by two other armed men.
Despite having filed a formal complaint, Aquino claims that justice has acted with negligence. The arrest warrant took more than a month to be issued, and although the aggressor was arrested, he was released on a minimal financial guarantee. “They didn’t even review the evidence. The prosecutor only set a bail of 100 thousand pesos and he’s already on the street,” he said indignantly.
Another of the complainants, Félix Marcial Manzueta, a member of an association of 63 farming families and smallholders in the area, stated that they are being harassed by Brito and “people with power” to be evicted. “They call us invaders, but we were born there. Our parents died on that land. We have nowhere to go. We just want our right to be respected,” he expressed, directly pointing to the authorities as responsible if anything happens to them.
Community members claim to fear for their lives and urgently call on President Luis Abinader, the Public Ministry, and human rights organizations to intervene. “They are pushing us to the limit. We are seeking help through peaceful means, but if they don’t listen to us, we don’t know what else to do. We are not criminals, we are workers,” they concluded.
The community is located in the Guayabal area, Boca del Carmen, in the municipality of Sánchez, Samaná, where, according to reports, power networks operate that prevent the application of justice in favor of historical parcel owners.
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