Spanish
Santo Domingo. – With deep sadness, prayers, and demands for justice, family members, survivors, and loved ones gathered this Sunday in the so-called ground zero to commemorate the eight months since the collapse of the roof of the Jet Set nightclub, a tragedy that left 236 people dead.
The religious ceremony was led by Father Rogelio Cruz, who offered prayers for the victims and their families, but also launched strong criticisms of the Dominican judicial system for the lack of progress in the legal process related to the case.
"Slow is an understatement, he has been absent," the priest firmly stated, referring to the authorities' actions regarding the investigation.
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During his homily, Cruz denounced that the judicial handling of the case file has been marked by indifference and protection of power sectors. "Justice has acted as they know how, solely and exclusively to cover up what is un-coverable and, above all, which is even worse, to side with the powerful and those with economic power," he pointed out. The religious leader assured that, as a diocese, they will continue to accompany the families in the fight to clarify the facts and determine real responsibilities: "We will go where the others are not," he affirmed, promising to keep alive the voice of those who are still waiting for answers. In the mass, direct relatives of the victims, community representatives, friends, and members of civil society participated, who agreed on the urgent need for the case to move forward and for justice to be done with transparency, without privileges or impunity. The tragedy of April 8th continues to be one of the most painful and controversial episodes of the year, and the families insist that they will not rest until they obtain clear answers about the causes of the collapse and the institutional responsibilities behind that fateful day.
