Dominican Republic legal experts condemn use of term for police killings

Legal experts and commentators in the Dominican Republic are criticizing the popularization of the term “puesto en 29” (put in 29), a slang expression used to describe the death of suspected criminals at the hands of police.

Lawyer Praede Olivero Féliz argued that the term distorts its original meaning, which is associated with emergency services like the Red Cross and Civil Defense. He described the use of the phrase to describe deaths as a “barbarity” that dehumanizes individuals and contradicts the country’s Constitution, noting that the Dominican Republic does not permit the death penalty.

Critics argue that celebrating such deaths suggests the police are acting as judge and executioner, effectively bypassing the judicial system and the courts. This trend raises concerns regarding the rule of law and the institutional integrity of the National Police, the Public Ministry, and the prison system.