An incredible story here about Official Government Documents that are being openly traded on eBay.

Usually the documents and private correspondence are in connection with the notorious Dictator Rafael Trujillo, of which these papers should be kept under lock and key in the National Archives.

Dominican newspaper El Nacional has reported that internal communications between the National Palace Officials and letters sent to the President, presidential appointments and engagements, requests, dismissals and dispositions are all being auctioned off on the popular internet auction site eBay.  These papers obviously should be in the Dominican Governments Archives and available to historians, students and the general public, to peruse and study, instead they are being sold from prices ranging from 100 to 150 dollars.

At the moment there are 2 official documents on eBay, the bidding closes on the 4th July at 6.07am, they are both being sold as original documents and sources say that they appear to be so.

One item up for grabs is an internal National Palace correspondence dated June 17, 1936 in which Joaquin Balaguer who was the then Chief of Staff is congratulating in hand written letter form Emilio Espinola for his designation to Minister of State.

The second and older document which is dated July 2nd 1926, is an official communication in which Rafael Estrella who was the Minister of Justice and Public Instruction is asking the then President Horacio Vazquez to commute the sentence of a convict from Moca in the north of the Dominican Republic. 

Each of these items has a price tag  of 150 dollars to “Buy Now” however interested purchasers may put in a bid through the eBay bidding system.

The 2 documents are being offered under the eBay vendor’s name of “Coincoqui” who is registered to Puerto Rico. It is assumed that eBay and Pay pal know the vendors true identity who appears to have a stash of documents especially pertaining to the Trujillo era.