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Foreign priest Christopher Hartley?s who confronted Dominican nationalists departs to New York

Santo Domingo.- The priest Christopher Hartley?s departure to New York ends an era of tensions between Government institutions, Dominican nationalists and pro-Haitian groups defended by the British-Spanish prelate, whose parish duties centered around San Jose de los Llanos.

Since arriving in the country in 1998, Hartley oriented his work on defending Haitians who live in the East region bateyes and rural communities, which sparked conflicts between citizens and organizations who objected that work.

Questioned mission

During his mission in the country, Hartley was the object of rejection from sectors identified as nationalists, in addition to politicians, senators, and agribusiness leaders for activities in the region?s cane fields. He was accused by Government officials of showing a documentary in Europe that reveals supposed physical mistreatments of Haitian workers.

Hartley, from an opulent family, was born in London in 1960, and lived in Madrid until 5. Of English father and Spanish mother, he entered the seminary at the age of 15 and got his doctorate in theology in Rome.

For 13 years he served the Hispanic community in the Bronx, New York, and for several years worked in Calcutta, with Mother Teresa. He came to the country in 1998. From that date he baptized to more than 6,000 children, mainly Haitian.

In February 2005, he was assigned a permanent Police bodyguard and in Julio, the journalist Consuelo Despradel and leaders of the Patriotic Committee were removed by force and threatened with guns from the San Jose de los Llanos parish.

In October that year, the senior governing PLD party leader Euclides Gutiérrez accused him of distributing a documentary against the country in European countries.