Cabinet minister shot dead in his office in Dominican Republic, officials say

The Dominican Republic’s environment minister was shot and killed in his office on Monday, according to officials. Authorities said Orlando Jorge Mera was shot by Miguel Cruz, who has been detained. Officials gave no potential motive. Mr Jorge comes from a powerful political family. He is the son of former Dominican President Salvador Jorge Blanco and his sister is a vice minister in Abinader’s administration. Mr Jorge’s son is a lawmaker for the Modern Revolutionary Party, of which he is a founding member. The family issued a statement saying that Mr Cruz had been Mr Jorge’s friend since childhood, and that Mr Jorge was shot multiple times.

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“Our family forgives the person who did this. One of Orlando’s greatest legacies was to not hold grudges,” it said. Police and emergency officials swarmed the office of Environment and Natural Resources Ministry in the capital of Santo Domingo and barred entry to it as mourners gathered nearby. Mr Jorge’s office is located on the fourth floor of a building that also houses the Ministry of Tourism.

“We express our deepest condolences,” the office of President Luis Abinader said.

Bartolomé Pujals, executive director of the government’s Cabinet of Innovation, wrote that he lamented the killing.

“His death is a tragedy,” he said. “We Dominican have to come together to achieve a pact for peace and peaceful coexistence. No more violence.”

Mr Jorge was also a lawyer and a founding member of the Modern Revolutionary Party. He was appointed minister of the environment and natural resources in August 2020.