The Minister of the Environment of the Dominican Republic, Orlando Jorge Mera, was assassinated on Monday morning in his office, according to the Dominican press reported today.
Sources from the Ministry of the Environment quoted by the newspaper ‘Acento’ reported that a total of six detonations were heard in the Secretary of State’s office and that the attacker, who entered the room alone, escaped after firing the shots. Ministry workers were evacuated. Several ambulances and police officers arrived at the scene.
Later, government spokesman Homero Figueroa stated that the individual who had fired the shots at Mera was identified as Miguel Cruz, a “personal friend” of the deceased minister. He was detained by the police and the motivations he had for carrying out the attack are being investigated. “The government and the president remain at the disposal of the family for whatever they may need,” he said.
“From the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources we are dismayed by the situation presented this Monday morning”, the Ministry published on its Twitter account.
From Chile and through a statement published on social networks, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs delivered his condolences on the matter during the afternoonindicating that they regretted “the tragic death” of Mera as well as extended their condolences to both the Government of President Luis Abinader and the minister’s family.
Orlando Jorge Mera was appointed Minister of the Environment in August 2020 by President Luis Abinader. After his appointment, he said that his mission was to work for proper environmental management and for compliance with the Constitution and laws, attached to transparency and public ethics.
“In our management we will work for the responsible use of natural resources, the protection and conservation of ecosystems, the reduction of pollution, and the effective management of solid waste,” he explained in his minute, according to the newspaper Listin Diario ‘.