The political organization led by Manuel Salazar described the measure as a sign of “submission” to the US interests, and in particular to the policies promoted by President Donald Trump. In a statement, the PCT urged Abinader to focus his efforts on domestic problems affecting the Dominican Republic instead of “becoming an instrument of external agendas.”

It noted that, to date, there is no evidence that the Cartel of the Suns represents a direct threat to the country.

“We urge you to prioritize the social and economic reality of our people and to reject all forms of submission and surrender to the dictates of the United States, which has historically only looked to the Dominican Republic to the extent that it serves its own interests,” stated the PCT.

On September 2, the Dominican government declared the so-called Cartel of the Suns a terrorist organization, a measure similar to the one adopted by Washington to justify the presence of warships in the Caribbean, near Venezuela.

Last July, the Trump administration linked the alleged Cartel of the Suns to drug trafficking and directly linked it to the Venezuelan government, upon which the constitutional president of the South American nation, Nicolas Maduro, stated that the deployment of US vessels and missiles in the Caribbean, under the false narrative of fighting drug trafficking, threatens the peace and security of the region.

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