President Luis Abinader has called on the courts to take harsh action against clandestine producers and alcohol traders, who have taken the lives of more than 20 people in recent weeks.
The president said that there is a lot of recidivism of people who have been subjected and, after a lawsuit, they return to practice.
“We think it should act more severely,” Abinader said.
The president spoke on this topic in response to a question from journalists covering the National Palace, about his concern about the deaths that the consumption of clerics in the country leaves every year.
“It is a complaint from the police and military organizations, that the people who are submissive, that the judiciary is also acting, because there are many recurrences in these cases,” the governor said.
For his part, the Minister of Industry and Trade, Víctor Bisonó, reported that yesterday they confiscated over 8,000 bottles of clerén in Cabral, Barahona.
He added that the operation was mounted at 8:30 a.m. and confiscated 23 55-gallon tanks.
“There is an active monitoring of the place where this crime is fabricated to be prosecuted and brought to justice. This is done with the support of the General Directorate of Customs, the General Directorate of Internal Taxes and Public Health “, he added.
Dead and damaged
There have been 21 deaths in recent days due to the consumption of adulterated alcoholic beverages and more than 80 cases of people affected in the country, the Ministry of Public Health revealed yesterday, which maintains an epidemiological alert in this regard.
The data were provided yesterday by the director of epidemiology of the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Ronal Skewes, together with other authorities in the sector, who asked the population to refrain from illegal consumption of alcoholic beverages produced.
They pointed out that cases of methanol poisoning continue to increase and that deaths have been reported in various parts of the country, including the national district, the municipalities of Santo Domingo de Est and Vest Santo Domingo and the provinces of Monseñor Nouel, Santiago and Puerto Plata.
Dead and damaged
The methanol poisoning fire started during the Easter holiday. Of those affected, 53% are men and 33% are between 20 and 29 years old.
Health officials have pointed out that so far two possible sources have been identified, one by adulterated clergy and the other from a prepared drink, which is a type of frozen cocktail.
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The prosecution is investigating
Yesterday, the special prosecutor for crimes and crimes against health (Pedecsa) reported that, along with other government agencies, producers and distributors of adulterated or illegally manufactured alcoholic beverages are being persecuted throughout the country. Rafael Brito Peña, the head of the department, reported that, following the recent deaths, the investigation into the origin of the drink has begun.