Santo Domingo. – Renowned Dominican models Angelina Rosa, Hiandra Martínez, Lineisy Montero, and Melanie Pérez denounced, through a video published in collaboration on their social media, having allegedly received mistreatment from members of the National Police.
According to what was reported in the audiovisual, the event occurred while they were traveling in a vehicle from the Uber platform from a well-known restaurant in Santo Domingo to the hotel where they were staying. During the journey, the vehicle was stopped by agents of the National Police.
The models stated that two men and one woman, allegedly members of the law enforcement institution, maintained a hostile, unfriendly, and threatening attitude towards them at all times, even going so far as to warn them that they could be arrested. This, despite the fact that they explained that they had just left a restaurant and were going to their hotel, after having traveled to the Dominican Republic to participate in activities related to the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the fashion firm of designer Oscar de la Renta.
According to their testimony, the agents requested their identity documents. The models explained that, as residents in the United States and other countries abroad, they offered to show photographs of their passports from their mobile phones, as they did not carry their identity cards with them despite being Dominican.
In a joint statement, they stated that the attitude of the police officers was despotic, unfriendly and mocking, and indicated that on several occasions they made inappropriate comments, both about their clothing and their profession, even making “racist” comments.
They also acknowledged that there was a problem with the Uber driver, as he allegedly did not have his documents in order. However, they pointed out that the driver offered to leave them at the location so they could request another service and continue to their hotel, an option that, according to their complaint, was not allowed by the agents who continued to threaten to arrest them.
The models also reported that, during a phone call with their manager, he explained that they were models with a great international trajectory. Faced with this, the agents allegedly responded in a mocking way, indicating that they “also have cameras” and questioning who they thought they were to be walking around without identification in the country, making inappropriate comments about a minor who was also with them, expressing in a threatening tone, that how a minor was at that time of night on the street.
Finally, the four models called on the Dominican authorities, including the President of the Republic Luis Abinader, the First Lady, Raquel Arbaje, the Minister of Interior and Police Faride Raful, and even the communicator Ramón Tolentino, to investigate what happened and take measures to avoid similar situations, which, according to them, put at risk not only Dominicans, but also tourists who visit the Dominican Republic.
