Central American Parliament asked to strip immunity of former Dominican president Medina

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A Dominican party asked on Wednesday the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN) to strip the immunity of former President Danilo Medina (2012-2020), legislator before that regional forum since November, to answer for alleged cases of corruption committed during his administration.

The Central American Parliament, also known as PARLACEN, is the political institution and parliamentary body of the Central American Integration System (SICA). Its headquarters are in Guatemala City.

According to the request of the minority Frente Amplio, presented by its lawyers and congressman Juan Dionisio Rodríguez, Medina “is aware of his responsibility and that explains why he has taken refuge” in the PARLACEN.

Given the accusations and indictments by the Public Ministry of Medina’s relatives and officials of his government for alleged corruption, the aforementioned party urged Parlacen to accept his request and avoid “becoming a den of criminals”.

For Rodríguez, “it is not possible that Medina has evaded” the investigations and interrogations carried out by the Public Prosecutor’s Office for alleged corruption in his administration.

Alexis Medina, brother of the former governor, has been in prison since last December, accused of leading a network that allegedly stole some 85 million dollars from the State when Medina was president, a case for which a sister of both is under house arrest.

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Meanwhile, Medina’s former security chief has been in prison since May for alleged corruption. Just yesterday, the State filed a lawsuit against several former officials and two brothers-in-law of the former president for alleged embezzlement in the electricity distribution companies.

Medina was sworn in on November 10 as deputy of PARLACEN together with his former vice-president Margarita Cedeño for four years. Immediately, there were comments from social groups warning that the intention is to guarantee his immunity.

The former presidents and former vice presidents of each of the full Parlacen countries, upon completion of their respective mandates, automatically become part of this forum for a period of four years.

PARLACEN acts as a permanent political organ to represent opinions and to carry out analyses and discussions about political, economic and cultural affairs of common interest, of basic conditions for democracy, peace, and the integration of Central America, as well to work out initiatives for its realization.

It is charged with furthering human rights and international law, to achieve a peaceful coexistence within the framework of security and social welfare, a mission which is well-founded in representative and participative democracy, in pluralism, and in respect for national legislation and international law.

PARLACEN has the status of a legal entity according to international law.