"Mrs." Dominican Republic

Not to badmouth the Dominican Republic, but these days its international reputation has been tarnished by some very high-profile cheating. Baseball fans are aware that some Dominican players in the U.S. Major Leagues have signed contracts under assumed names or have lied about their age. Now, the winner of the Miss Universe pageant in the Dominican Republic has been stripped of her crown, when it was found out that she was really a Mrs., being married since 2009. None of these things are innocent mistakes or misunderstandings. They are clear attempts at circumventing rules and regulations, from people who think that they are very slick and can get away with anything.

It may very well be that this is part of Trujillo's legacy. In order to survive his brutal dictatorship and that of Balaguer's  for such a long time, Dominicans had to do whatever was necessary, even though it may not have been on the up and up. Thus emerged a culture of bending, if not breaking, the law and the rules because, there being no valid "rule of law", it was every man and woman for himself. Hence, the present state of affairs.

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