Abuse of power is the main accusation launched by various journalistic guilds against the president of the Second Instruction Court of the National District, Patricia Padilla. This denunciation arises after the imposition of precautionary measures on communicators Nelson Gutiérrez and Joan René Santana, known as ‘the Sniper’, in a case promoted by the former director of the National Police, Ramón Antonio Guzmán Peralta.
Imposed measures and reaction of the guilds
In a press conference at the Dominican College of Journalists (CDP), leaders such as Luis Pérez, president of the CDP, and Gabriel Cruz, of the Institute for Prevision and Protection of Journalists (IPPP), qualified the magistrate’s actions as intolerable. Gutiérrez was ordered to pay an economic guarantee of 500,000 pesos, present himself periodically before the court, and prevent him from leaving the country. Santana, on the other hand, must comply with periodic presentations.
The present, including representatives of the National Union of Press Workers (SNTP) and the Dominican College of Speakers (CDL), see in these decisions a clear abuse of power that violates freedom of expression and journalistic practice. Gutiérrez, also president of the National Council of Human Rights (Conadehu), defended his work based on an official audit of the National Police, memorandum 8821, which exposes anomalies of 441 million pesos in the General Directorate of Road Safety and Land Transport (Digesett) during Guzmán Peralta’s management.
Context of the audit and actions taken
Background of the Digesett case
The audit, carried out by the police themselves, also involves Major Omar Cabrera and Captain Rodolfo Ramírez, assistants to the former director. Gutiérrez assumed responsibility by delivering copies of the document to President Luis Abinader, Prosecutor Wilson Camacho, and the Special Prosecutor’s Office for the Prosecution of Administrative Corruption (PEPCA), directed by Mirna Ortiz. This historical context highlights previous tensions in Digesett, where past reports have pointed out similar financial irregularities, although without exact public figures verified until this audit.
The guilds consider it arbitrary to demand an economic guarantee from Gutiérrez without reading the sentence, scheduled for March 22. They announced immediate appeal to correct what they call a violation of rights.
Opinions and calls to action
- Luis Pérez (CDP): He demanded respect for constitutional principles of freedom of the press.
- Nelson Gutiérrez: He ratified the veracity of the audit as the basis of his publications.
- Olivo De León (MMV): He warned about the risks to investigative journalism.
Experts in Dominican constitutional law have pointed out in previous debates that measures like these could clash with Article 49 of the Constitution, which protects freedom of expression. Statistics from the CDP indicate that at least 15 similar cases of judicial pressure on journalists were registered in 2025.
This abuse of power denounced puts the independence of journalism in the Dominican Republic at risk, where the united guild seeks to safeguard its fiscalizing role. Those involved await justice in appeal, while the case of Patricia Padilla generates national debate on the limits between judicial authority and informative rights.
