The Dominican Republic’s minister of the environment and natural resources was shot and killed in his office on Monday, according to officials.
Authorities said Orlando Jorge Mera was shot by a close friend. No further details were immediately available.
Watch NBC6 free wherever you are
“We are troubled by the situation,” Mera's ministry said in a brief statement.
Bartolomé Pujals, executive director of the government’s Cabinet of Innovation, wrote that he lamented the killing.
Get local news you need to know to start your day with NBC 6's News Headlines newsletter.
“His death is a tragedy,” he said. “We Dominican have to come together to achieve a pact for peace and peaceful coexistence. No more violence.”
Mera also was an attorney and a founding member of the Modern Revolutionary Party. He was appointed minister of the environment and natural resources in August 2020.
