12 people accused of kidnapping arrested

The Police force announced yesterday the detention of twelve people and the chase of three others suspected of the kidnapping of the American resident Nita Sue Rash, which occurred on Saturday in Las Galeras, Samaná, and for which the kidnappers required the sum of a million dollars, equivalent to 33 million pesos.

According to the Police force, the authors of kidnapping are Juan Trinidad, deportee of the United States after having undergone a judgment for drugs traffic, Amado de la Rosa and/or Julio Laureano de la Rosa (Amadito) and July Pérez Reyes (El Bizco), who are researched by the Porto Rican authorities for attacks and kidnappings.

The spokesman of the institution, Ramón Rodriguez Sánchez, said that Fernando Pérez Bello, 28 years, was also arrested he had the mission of surveillance and of informing of the police presence, according to a report sent by the headquarters of the Police force to president Leonel Fernández and to the secretary of the Armed Forces.

Eleven other people were arrested and an investigation was started to determine their possible implication in this crime, in which case they will be subjected to justice, said Rodriguez.

The kidnapping of Sue occurred at four O’clock in the afternoon when she came back to her residence in her van.

Diario Libre, by Adonis Santiago Díaz, 19.09.07

Leonel Fernández reiterates request to USA for the fight against drugs traffic

WASHINGTON. President Leonel Fernández expressed yesterday his concern regarding the drugs traffic and requested from the United States a greater assistance to fight this traffic in the area of Central America and the Caribbean.

Moreover he considered that the international Community must offer its support in order that the Haitians continue the process of reinforcement of the democracy which will put an end to political instability in Haiti.

Fernández, during a meeting at the State Department with Under-Secretary of State John Negroponte, expressed his concern due to the increase in the drugs traffic whose consequences affect the Dominican society as well as other nations of the area.

The President said it is necessary that the efforts of the great powers as the United States arte multiplied to face this plague which transformed into one of the principal causes of criminality.

Another point discussed by Fernández with Negroponte was the need that this nation promotes the projects for the use of bio combustibles as ethanol, mainly in the time when it is necessary to face the increase in the oil prices on the international market.

Negroponte was receptive to the approaches of the Dominican President, by ensuring that he would do all the possible to approve some of these initiatives. He expressed his best wishes of success to President Fernández for his travel in the United States.

Diario Libre, 19.09.07

Hundreds flock to revered Dominican site

LA VEGA.- Hundreds of faithful from different towns around the country visit this community since last weekend to participate today Monday in the mass to mark the Day of Our Lady of Las Mercedes.

On Saturday and Sunday numerous buses and other types of vehicles arrive in processions at the revered place to await the arrival of September 24, date in which traditionally marks the virgin of Las Mercedes, which according to historical accounts made its appartition prior to a battle between the Spaniards and the Taino Indians, at the hill Santo Cerro in 1495.

Dominican Today, 24.09.07

Date set for Baninter verdict

The ongoing court case against the accused in the Baninter fraud case concluded yesterday and the judges announced that they would issue their verdict in one month’s time.

The bank’s former owners are accused of fraud to the tune of US $2 billion following Baninter’s 2003 collapse, which set off one of the worst financial crises in the Dominican Republic’s history.

The prosecution is calling for 20 years sentences for the accused, Ramón Báez Figueroa, Marcos Báez Cocco, Luis Álvarez Renta, Vivian Lubrano de Castillo and Jesús María Troncoso Ferrúa, who are pleading innocent. They attribute the bank’s collapse to political maneuvers by then president Hipólito Mejía (2000-2004).

The trial, which began in April 2006, is being heard by judges Antonio Sánchez Mejía, Giselle Méndez and Pilar Rufino, who said they would announce their verdict on October 21st.

Dominican Today, 23.09.07

Las Terrenas: Concert of Antony Santos ¡Tu Mayimbe !

Since his childhood, Anthony Santos dreamed to be an artist and was seduced by the romantic singers.

Very young he learned to play guitar while singing with his romantic voice the airs he listened to in the cantinas.

Time passed until he decided to form a band. Very quickly this band had a lot of success in the north-western area since all the songs they interpreted reflected the feeling and the life of the people of his village.

As from this moment, Antony Santos positioned himself as one of the most popular artists of Bachata. Until becoming the best salesman of records of Dominican Republic. He also started to be recognized and solicited in other countries.

He became thus El Mayimbe de la Bachata.

Antony Santos is composer of almost all the hits he plays.

Las Terrenas, Sunday September 23rd, La Rancheta Típica, starting from 07:00 pm

Las Terrenas Live, 22.09.07

Dominicans celebrate Las Mercedes Day

This Monday, September 24th is the 392nd anniversary of the proclamation of the Our Lady of Mercies (La Virgen de las Mercedes) as the patron saint of the Dominican Republic and the island of Hispaniola as a whole.

A series of events are being held to commemorate this event, which is a national holiday. The Blessing of the Waters will take pace today Saturday at 7:00pm at the Church of Las Mercedes in the capital’s Colonial Zone.

The first apparition of the patron took place in 1495 when she spoke to a group of Spanish soldiers who were fighting the Taino Indians, according to local lore.

Our Lady of Mercies then appeared on several more occasions at Santo Cerro, where a church has been built in her honor. This site will be visited by pilgrims and a mass will be held there on Monday.

Dominican Today, 22.09.07

Gas prices on the up

The Industry and Commerce Ministry has announced new increases in fuel prices as a result of the high oil prices on the international market.

As of today, premium gasoline sells for RD $160.80 per gallon, an increase of RD $2.90, while the price of regular gas went up by RD $2.60 and now sells for RD $148.60 per gallon.

Diesel also went up by RD $2.60, and a gallon now sells for RD $121.20. Propane was increased by RD $1.25, and the subsidized price for domestic and vehicular use is now RD $55.75 while the non-subsidized price for commercial and industrial use is RD $77.51.

The dollar-peso exchange rate used to calculate the increases was RD $33.61.

The ministry informed that these increases come as the result of fears of crude oil shortages during this quarter.

Dominican Today, 22.09.07

Bush vows to veto bill would “decimate” Dominican tobacco industry

United States president George W. Bush said on Thursday he would veto a legislation approved by Congress that threatens to decimate the tobacco industry in Central America and Dominican Republic.

The measure includes a proposal to expand a public health program for the children of his country, already ratified by the House of Representatives and the Senate, at the democrats’ insistence.

Democrats in Congress have decided to approve a bill which they know will be vetoed, said Bush, who asked the lawmakers to appro a clean and temporary extension of the program as it currently functions, so it wouldn’t affect the tobacco industry of that region, which in Dominican Republic’s case employees as many as 50,900 workers.

As one of the main sources of financing for the expansion of the health coverage, the democrat-sponsored bill raises taxes on tobacco products.

In Dominican Republic’s case, the expensive handmade cigars would be taxes as much as three dollars each.

Dominican Republic president Leonel Fernandez on Tuesday asked the Congress not to approve the tax, as it would harm people and the rural economies of his country, Honduras, Nicaragua and tobacco zones in particular. He said a tax rise would cost his country 50,900 jobs.

Dominican Today, 20.09.07

Aerodom rejects the charges of XL Airways

Aerodom rejects the charges of XL Airways on the situation with the passengers in Samaná Airport.

We read with attention and surprise the declarations announced through the press, by Mr Laurent Magnin, General Manager of XL Airways, describing the situation which occurred with its flight coming from Paris to Samaná on last Thursday September 13th, in the sense that the airport authorities had ensured to them that they had the equipment necessary so their plane can take off again because this one presented problems with ignition.

As operators of the Presidente Juan Bosch International Airport, located in Samaná, receiver of this flight, we need to explain that in any moment we were warned on the specialized equipment required by this plane, and we are not the direct persons in charge for the efficient answer or not which the teams of AVIAM can offer, sub-agent company which offers banisters in this airport, which is not property of Aerodom.

What happened however obliges us to evaluate our participation regarding this event by confirming that since one reported that the aircraft – already in the country – presented problems with ignition, we put ourselves in contact with the representatives of the air line and with AVIAM, to offer them the support with the corresponding coordination through our operations department, as we did while being used as intermediaries, including our sub-agents, in order to make more effective and to accelerate your answers to the airline.

We consider very inappropriate the declarations of Mr Magnin when he affirms that as well the aircraft as the passengers were sequestered because of the negligence of the authorities in addition to other very severe expressions far away from reality.

We also consider like an excess and a lie the allusion of insecurity in a terminal operated in a permanent way with the most demanding parameters of airport security required by the regulating organizations of the civil aviation like TSA and ICAO at the international level and IDAC at the national level.

We are not responsible for economic compensations required by the passengers of XL Airways company in complaint for the time that they involuntarily spent in the country due to the technical negligence presented by one of the two equipments with which this company operates its international roads.

We are not either responsible for the fact that the equipment provided by AVIAM was « ineffective » as XL Airways defines it, although we requested this equipment from another airport in which we also operate.

However, although we requested a report on this situation with AVIAM, we must decide in their benefit which it acts of a company which has a great international prestige and a great experiment in the country, since it is providing exclusive banisters services in the famous airport of Punta Cana.

As operators of the Samaná International Airport, we sincerely apologize for the group who lived this unpleasant experiment but we categorically reject the assertions made by XL Airways through its General Manager, we consider them wrong, irresponsible and obviously supporting in front of its customers and its associated companies.

The Dominican Republic is a treasure of the Caribbean and Samaná will continue to be a destination of incomparable value, whose development will depend of the serious and the responsibility with which the hotel sector, the tour operators, the air lines and airports operators assume their roles in the tourism industry.

Aerodom, Santo Domingo, 20.09.07

The maintenance of the paths of Las Terrenas in the national press

The article below, coming from Listín Diario and not signed by its author, seems to relate a scandalous case of abuse of power from the Mayor of Las Terrenas, José Alexis Martínez (and not Mercedes as it is written in the article).

According to my information regarding the facts with the concerned person, in no case the Mayor was present on the spot and in no case the things occurred in a violent way, nor with armed men.

It was, on request of foreign investors, a matter of cleaning a cadastral way, therefore of public domain, in order to delimit a land.

Sylvain MAUFRAIS, 21.09.07

Las Terrenas: Destruction of a tourist plot

SAMANÁ. – By provision of the mayor of Las Terrenas, a brigade of armed men driving tractors penetrated in a violent way, without explanation and without respecting the surveillance on the plot N0.3819 of the Cadastral District N0.7, destroying its structures to open a path.

The decision of José Alexis Mercedes concerning several plots, generated problems with the owners of this zone which, by its tourist vocation, must deserve the largest respect of the authorities.

In the case of the plot N0.3819, the Mayor, in an attitude of abuse of power, acts without the intermediary of any document of the representative of the Public Spaces, Amado Jhonson, who was presented on the spot where everything was destroyed.

The property destroyed with an aim of opening a public passage belongs to several Companies and to National and Foreign Contractors, who, in addition to have undergone a violation of their rights, suffered economic damages.

Engineer Francisco Jorge Elías, one of the co-owners affected, allotted this abuse to the ignorance of the Mayor as for the limits of his attributions and of the respect for the goods of others.

The persons in charge of the vigilance of the property located in Las Terrenas expressed their concern as for the manner with which the syndic tries to use his power, for, by personal interest, destroying the property of others.

They announced that they will carry the case in front of justice, to claim penal and civil repair to the damage resulting of an unjust action.

Listín Diario, column Las Ciudades, 17.09.07

Fear of increasing prices of the basic products

The National Federation of the Storekeepers and Contractors of Dominican Republic (Fenacerd) expressed yesterday that the increase of oil prices in the international market would increase the prices of some first need products and consequently will increase inflation.

The general manager of the organization, Ricardo Rosario, indicated that this organization is worried by the increase in the thefts and aggressions in the country.

As for the robberies and the attacks, he said that a great insecurity is reining in the country, not only felt by the storekeepers but also by the citizens, this is why they approve the Police force of continuing to harden the treatment against the delinquency.

Our support to the National police force is without restriction because we cannot allow that the population is sequestered and deceived by the delinquency, he underlined.

El Nacional, 20.09.07

Dominican Family Health Insurance Plan comes into effect

Santo Domingo.- President Leonel Fernández has formally launched the controversial new state family health insurance plan, the SFS.
The president said that Dominican democracy is the winner in this extraordinary initiative. Today, Dominican democracy has made a huge leap forward because the country’s poor people, the workers are starting to feel part, to be first line actors in the democratic system, he declared.

Business leader Lisandro Macarrulla said that there was still some uncertainty. We all need to be conscious of the responsibility we have taken on on behalf of the nation.

Union leader Rafael « Pepe » Abreu said that this had been the Dominican workers’ most unparalleled achievement of the last few years. He announced that the union movement was committed to working in support of the social security system.

Diario Libre, 01.09.07

Gas prices up

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce has increased the price of fuels across the board this weekend.

Premium gasoline has gone up by RD $2.90 and now sells at RD $222,60, while a gallon of regular gasoline now costs RD $140.20, a RD $3.00 increase.

The authorities justified the increases by citing international market price rises as a result of the reduction in crude oil reserves in the United States.

Diesel also went up by RD $1.40, now selling for RD $113.20, while subsidized propane (Liquid Petroleum Gas) for household and vehicular use now costs RD $52.56 and non-subsidized propane for commercial and industrial use now costs RD $74.32. Both went up by 82 cents.

The exchange rate used for calculating the increases was RD $33.39 to the US dollar, according to the Ministry.

El Diario Libre, 01.09.07

Deadly Chinese toothpaste shows up in Dominican motels

The Public Health Ministry yesterday seized 40,000 tubes of toothpaste which contain diethylene glycol, the same chemical which caused the death of more than 100 people in Panama and forced to the recall of the brands Mr. Cool, Exel and others last May.

Public Health said the 0.6 ounces tubes of the brands Maxam, Hey, Jieheng and CPP have the toxic substance and warned motels, cabañas and other businesses agaisnt distributing the toothpastes to their guests, and whose size and weight are for onetime use.

In a press conference Environmental Health vice minister Luis Emilio Féliz Roa said the toothpastes didn’t have the corresponding sanitary registry, another reason which would require its confiscation. So far, Environmental Health employees have seized 40,000 units of the pastes, while visits continue to establishments where they distribute and give out to users to continue the seizures.

In May the Customs Agency and Public Health seized more than 300,000 tubes of the toothpastes Excel and Mr. Cool, which contained diethylene glycol, a toxic substance which causes acute renal insufficiency in just days or weeks.

After news the toxic toothpaste showed up in Dominican Republic, a Chinese official was sentenced to death and executed days later, for being found being guilty of negligence and taking a bribe to allow the product’s manufacture.

Dominican Today, 01.09.07

Felix was born during the night but will move over the far south

The sixth tropical depression was born this night and is currently moving over the Barbados.
The first forecasts give a trajectory crossing in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, therefore no risk for the majority of the islands, of which Dominican Republic.
Elsewhere tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.

Sylvain MAUFRAIS, 01.09.07 at 10:30 am local time

Windpower for Samana

Last week, the town of Las Galeras in Samana became the first part of the DR to benefit from clean electricity generated by wind power, according to Jose Oscar Orsini, president of Luz y Fuerza de Las Terrenas, C. por A. power company.

The operation of the country’s first commercial wind-powered generator, a 60KW generator, will reduce electricity prices by 5-8% for consumers in Las Galeras. The company plans to sell the kWh for US $0.15 and US $0.17.

Luz y Fuerza de Las Terrenas, C. por A. has the concession for power distribution in the north and east of the Samana Peninsula. It purchases the power from Generadora Eolica de Las Galeras, S.A., presided by Jaime Fernandez.

The Las Galeras wind park is located on a plain at Las Guzumas, Cabo Samana, where the winds are very favorable. A coastal shelf formed by a marble mine at 800 feet dropping down to the sea creates a kind of Venturi air flow effect that accelerates the force of the winds.

The generator can currently provide 15% of the power used in the beach town of Las Galeras. Generadora Eolica de Las Galeras, S.A. plans to install a wind park with the capacity to generate 1,200KW to supply 20% of the north and eastern areas of the Samana peninsula.

The park has the capacity for three 275KW and four 60KW generators when the Las Galeras and Las Terrenas systems are interconnected. The first four 60KWs will be installed by June 2008 and plans are for the system to be interconnected by the end of 2008.

The wind park requires a US $1.5 million investment, of which US $500,000 has been invested in the first system now in operation.

The site was chosen 10 years ago when USAID financed a study on wind power potential in the Dominican Republic, which was carried out by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NREC) of the United States.

DR1, le 01.09.07

Felix, category 3 hurricane

Hurricane Felix is still moving toward the west-northwest and it is currently passing south of Dominican Republic and about 100 miles from Bonaire near 25 Km/h.

If Felix does not represent a danger for the north of the Caribbean, strengthening of the system is forecasted in the middle of the Atlantic and it should be closely monitored.

Sylvain MAUFRAIS, 02.09.07 at noon, local time

Potentially catastrophic hurricane Felix continues moving quickly westward

ORANJESTAD Aruba (AP) – Felix rapidly strengthened into a dangerous Category 5 hurricane and churned through the Caribbean Sea on a path toward Central America, where forecasters said it could make landfall as potentially catastrophic storm.

Felix was packing winds of up to 165 mph as it headed west, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. It was projected to skirt Honduras’ coastline on Tuesday before slamming into Belize on Wednesday.
As it stands, we’re still thinking that it will be a potentially catastrophic system in the early portions of this week, Tuesday evening, possibly affecting Honduras and then toward the coast of Belizesaid Dave Roberts, a hurricane specialist at the center in Miami.

On Sunday, Felix toppled trees and flooded some homes on the Dutch islands of Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire in the southern Caribbean.

Heavy rains and winds caused scattered power outages and forced thousands of tourists to take refuge in hotels, but residents expressed relief it did far less damage than feared as the storm’s outer bands grazed the tiny islands.
Many Bonaire residents prepared for the worst, installing storm shutters and hauling their boats ashore, but winds from Felix’s outer bands left little damage. In Curacao, several homes in a low-lying area were flooded.
In Aruba, there was also little visible damage, although at least one catamaran snapped off its mooring, a house was damaged by a downed tree and power was temporarily knocked out in a northern town.
Felix is the second Atlantic hurricane of the season following last month’s Hurricane Dean, which killed at least 20 in the Caribbean and carved out a destructive swath stretching from St. Lucia to Mexico.

On Saturday, Felix brought heavy rains and strong winds to Grenada as a tropical storm, ripping roofs off at least two homes and destroying a popular concert venue. No injuries were reported.

Tropical storm watches were issued for Grand Cayman and Jamaica, which was battered by Dean on Aug. 19. A watch means tropical storm conditions could begin affecting the island within 36 hours.

Off the Pacific coast of Mexico, meanwhile, forecasters said Tropical Storm Henriette could strengthen to a hurricane by Monday, and officials issued a hurricane watch for the resort-studded tip of the Baja California peninsula, a vacation area popular with Hollywood stars and sea fishing enthusiasts.

Henriette dumped heavy rain on western Mexico. In the resort city of Acapulco, three people were killed when a giant boulder fell on their home, and three more died when a landslide slammed into their house.

Hoy Digital, by MARGARET WEVER, 03.09.07

US navy will train DR soldiers

More than one hundred members of the Navy, from the National army and the Specialized Body of Harbor Safety will receive training to face drug traffic and terrorism, as explained by the businesses representative of the US embassy, Roland Bullen.

The diplomat offered his declarations at the time of the welcome to the members of the US Marines, who arrived to Santo Domingo on board of the Swift catamaran, a high speed boat of the US Army, and which forms part of the Total Fleet Station 2007.

The crew of the ship will perform training during two weeks, in the sectors of harbor security, small boats manoeuvres, engines maintenance and leadership.

During the activity, carried out in the Port San Diego, Bullen declared that the instruction formed part of the Durable Friendship program, with the means of which its country will offer two high-speed motorboats to DR.

These boats, which will be delivered on next Thursday, will be used to reinforce the capacity of the Navy to increase the maritime security of the country, declared the ambassador.

In the same way, Captain Douglas C. Wied, commandant of the Total Station, declared that the technical help that they will offer to the Dominican soldiers is necessary as much for this country as for the United States in the maritime security aspect.

Terrorism, piracy, drugs traffic, a country cannot face alone with these threats, but together we will be able to do it.

Hoy Digital, by Leonora Ramírez, 03.09.07

Health plan gets off to shaky start

The government’s new health insurance plan (SFS) started yesterday, albeit symbolically. Despite a six-year wait and multiple proposals, it appears that this preparation was not enough.

Saturday saw the first day of the new program’s entry into effect, yet 400,000 users without previous insurance still do not have a card that confirms their eligibility for the service. In addition, medical centers still haven’t received the forms needed in order to prescribe medication as part of the SFS plan. Primary health care centers also reported some difficulties.

People with no previous insurance are still likely to encounter difficulties when requesting medical services, because they don’t possess any sort of document to identify them as beneficiaries of the SFS system.

Private Clinics Association president Dr. Rafael Mena said that they would continue to work under the old system until the situation gets sorted out.

Local Dominican Today, 03.09.07

Twenty-two thousand students receive their birth certificate

Twenty-two thousand students of the public schools were provided with birth certificates, while nineteen thousand others await the approval of their files, informed yesterday the secretary of Education, Alejandrina Germán.

By affirming that when the Electoral Central Parliament approves the last dossiers submitted by the educational authorities there will be more than 40.000 students who will have a birth certificate, Germán recalled that without this document, they cannot reach at the average level of the education system.

Only the children who make studies between the initial level and the seventh basic degree can do it even if they do not have birth certificates, she recalled.

Germán said that within the government there is a conscience of the social problem which represents that complete families were never recorded in an Office of Register of Births. It is for this reason, she stated, that the Social Cabinet works to solve these problems with the JCE.

Since the beginning of current educational management we worked with the Electoral Central Parliament with a common aim that the students who do not have birth certificates can obtain this vital document not only to continue their studies, but for the full exercise of their civil and political rights at the time of their majorityshe emphasized.

The civil servant exhorted the families and the Communities in general to become aware of the need for taking part in the tasks which are concluded to provide with birth certificates the Dominicans who still do not have any.

Hoy Digital, by Marien Aristy Capitán, 03.09.07

Dominican ex-guerrilla will not name alleged plotters

Former guerrilla leader Claudio Caamaño Grullón reiterated his accusation about a high-level military conspiracy to carry out a coup d’etat after being interrogated by the army yesterday.

He refused to reveal the names of the alleged plotters, saying he would take the secret to the grave, and described his interrogation as a friendly conversation during which he did not reveal anything he had already said in public.

He said that the officers’ plot came about because of the high level of discontent in the country with the government’s economic policies.

The government has denied the existence of a plot, and said that the conditions did not exist for such an event to take place.

Presidential press and information director Rafael Núñez said that coups d’etat were a thing of the past.

Dominican Today, 04.09.07

Government will extend mixed patrols during the night

The Citizens Security Council announced that with the application of the Security Democratic Plan criminality decreased by five percent from 2004 to date, and informed that they will extend the mixed patrols of the Armed Forces and the National Police Force during the night.

This announcement was made at the time of a press conference directed by the Secretary of Interior and Police Franklin Almeyda, who explained that the program Barrio Seguro will be extended to 10 districts of Santiago and to 9 of the province of Santo Domingo.

During this conference with managers and State Secretaries who are part of the Citizens Security Council, Almeyda reiterated that they will maintain the closing times for the sale of alcoholic drinks since it gave good results in the reduction of the delinquency.

He explained that the criminality rate, calculated on 100 thousand inhabitants, could be reduced to an average of 25.2 during the year 2004 and to an average of 20.2 during the first seven months of this year.

He said that during an evaluation meeting of the Higher Council of the Police Force, it was regarded as relevant maintaining and going further into the programs in execution and to increase the mixed night patrols to control the acts of violence.

They want to also maintain the presence of the auxiliary police force which is integrated into the low risk police tasks and which is helping the population, as well as they want to continue the controls of the closing times in the places of alcoholic drink sales.

The chief of the National Police Force, Major General Guillermo Guzmán Fermín, the chief of the FFAA, Lieutenant General Ramón Antonio Aquino García, the director of the Research National Department (D.N.I.), Vice-admiral Sigfrido Pared Pérez, the president of the Drugs National Council, Mabel Felix Báez, the Health Secretary, Bautista Rojas Gómez, and the secretary of the Sports, Felipe Jay Payán also attended the conference.

Listin Diario, 04.09.07

Three young people die drowned, seven are saved

SAN PEDRO DE MACORIS. – Although the hurricane Felix moved very far from Dominican Republic, it caused this Sunday sudden and abnormal waves upper tide level which caused the death of three young people who were swimming in two beaches of this province.

The victims were respectively 17, 20 and 21 year-old, the Police force informed.

The two first were swimming with their families and friends to the beach of Marbella, in Viña del Mar, while the third victim was swimming to the Vicini beach, in Juan Dolio.

The Police force informed that the three victims died swept away by the strong and sudden rise of the waves, caused by the hurricane Felix.

In addition, members of Civil Defense saved in the Caribbean Sea seven young people who carried out a walk in boat close to Juan Dolio, San Pedro de Macorís. Pablo Polanco, director of the Civil Defense of this province, exhorted the hotel keepers and the tourist centers, to inform their customers that they should not dare to do aquatic sports when strong and sudden rise of waves is forecasted.

Al Momento, 04.09.07

Free schoolbooks for public employees

The Dominican Congress is considering a bill that seeks to authorize the government to issue book tokens to all state employees each July. The token would be valid for the purchase of their children’s schoolbooks and equipment.

The bill was proposed by opposition PRSC deputy Luis José González Sánchez, and establishes that public employees earning the minimum wage would get a token worth 100%, while workers earning under RD $25,000 would get 75%.

Earners between RD $25,000 and 100,000 would get 50% and workers who receive over RD $100,000 per month would get 25%.

The bill will be sent to a special Congressional committee for assessment.

Dominican Today, 04.09.07

Felix pounding Nicaragua-Honduras coast

PUERTO CABEZAS, Nicaragua – Hurricane Felix roared ashore early Tuesday near this town as a fearsome Category 5 storm, flattening coastal areas before weakening to a still powerful Category 3 hurricane with 120 mph winds as it headed over land.

Felix made landfall with 160 mph winds — joining Hurricane Dean last month to mark the first time in recorded history that two top-scale storms have come ashore in the same season.

The situation is chaotic. Puerto Cabezas is being totally destroyed, said Antonio Joya, a regional government official. I’m sure it is going to be a total disasterMudslides feared.

The area around Puerto Cabezas is sparsely populated and dotted with lagoons and marshes, but the storm threatened many poor Honduran and Guatemalan villages further inland that are perched on hillsides and vulnerable to mudslides.

Up to 40,000 Hondurans were evacuated to shelters, but some 15,000 people were unable to find transportation and were forced to ride out the storm in their homes.

They couldn’t be evacuated because there is no fuel to take them to safe areas, said Carolina Echeverria, a lawmaker from Cabo Gracias a Dios on the border with Nicaragua, where Felix landed.

Felix’s landfall marked the first time that two Category 5 hurricanes have hit land in a season since 1886, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Hurricane Dean also came ashore just last month as a Category 5 storm. Only 31 such storms have been recorded in the Atlantic, including eight in the last five seasons.

This is an extremely dangerous and potentially catastrophic hurricane. We just hope everybody has taken the precautions necessary to protect life and property, Richard Pasch, a hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center, said Tuesday.

Henriette now a hurricane

Meanwhile, off Mexico’s Pacific coast, Tropical Storm Henriette strengthened into a hurricane with 75 mph winds and the U.S. National Hurricane Center said it was churning toward the upscale resort of Cabo San Lucas.

Henriette was on a path to hit the tip of the Baja California Peninsula on Tuesday afternoon. The had sustained winds of 75 mph.

On Monday, police in Cabo San Lucas said one woman drowned in high surf stirred up by Henriette. Over the weekend, the storm caused flooding and landslides that killed six people in Acapulco.

MSNBC, 04.09.07

“No conspiracy” says government

Santo Domingo – The state intelligence agency has not detected any type of conspiratorial activity aimed at bringing down the government, or any whiff of subversive meetings that could cause concern, meaning that recent accusations of a plot are unfounded.

National Investigations Department (DNI) chief Admiral Sigfrido Pared Pérez said that his department has the facilities to monitor this type of suspicious activity.

He said that none of the factors or conditions were in place that would allow such a situation to develop. He also said that today’s armed forces served democracy.

Earlier this week, former guerrilla Claudio Caamaño reiterated his claim that a group of civilian and military officials was plotting to oust Leonel Fernández through a military coup.

Dominican Today, 05.09.07

Proposal to eliminate the “Patronales” celebrations

The reformist deputy for the province of Bahoruco, Luís González Sánchez, proposed the elimination of the “Patronales” of the villages, because according to him these activities are against the values.

The legislator declared that these celebrations are indefensible because of the disorders which they cause.

He moreover emphasizes the difficulty for the local authorities to pay the expenses generated by these events.

We will see how we will be able to regularize this situation, to see whether we can create a commission with the deputies who have a better relationship with the Christian groups, to see whether we can stop that because I do not support any more my province with these “Patronales” celebrations, said González Sánchez.

The Lower House created a commission directed by the spokesman of the deputies of the Party of the Dominican Liberation, which will be in charge to study the viability of the proposal.

El Caribe CDN, by Juan Pérez Bell, 05.09.07

The PRD deputies will subject Felix Jiménez to justice

The block of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) deputies announced today that it will subject to justice the Sate Secretary of Tourism Felix Jiménez, accused to use his function to favor one of his companies, Constructora JJ S A, by building the tourist project « Vista Mare », this constituting obvious evidence of corruption.

The spokesman of the organization, Doctor Cristian Paredes, said in a press conference that Jiménez did not take into account the specifications of decree 688-05 which regulate the use of the 60 meters of littoral to obtain the non objection of the Secretariat of the Environment as well as a study of environmental impact.

In agreement with Paredes, a commission of lawyers works to elaborate evidences in order to subject Jiménez to the Supreme Court of Justice.

He informed that this step will be also supported by the Block of the Christian Social Reformist Party Deputies.

In front of the gravity of the situation, the Block of the PRD Deputies required from President Leonel Fernández the dismissal of Jiménez, because the country requires an administration of the public goods done in the greatest transparency and ethical respect.

On another side, the Block of the PRD Deputies deplored the incorrect course of the interpellation of Felix Jiménez, by the President of the House of Commons, Julio César Valentín, while expressing that its legislators feel a deep frustration as for the procedures which were approved by the plenary meeting of the congress.

He added that Valentín was transformed into puppet to serve the interests of the Secretary of Tourism.

Listin Diario, by Víctor Mañaná, 05.09.07

NICARAGUA Felix leaves 4 killed people and 38.000 victims

MANAGUA. – At least 4 killed people, 5.000 destroyed residences and 38.000 victims constitute the preliminary assessment of the passage of the hurricane « Felix » over the north-eastern littoral of Nicaragua, hit yesterday by winds of 260 kilometers/hour, informed yesterday the authorities of the government in Managua.

The report was made public at the time of a press conference during which President Daniel Ortega communicated by telephone with civil servants of his government sent to Puerto Cabezas, capital of the Caribbean Northern area which was affected by the violent cyclone. According to the initial assessment, three men and a child died in different circumstances during the passage of « Felix », which with the force of a category 5 hurricane raged during several hours over the northern Caribbean extremity of the country.

« Felix » left behind him more than 5.000 damaged residences, a lot of them completely destroyed, in the 32 Communities of the municipality of Puerto Cabezas, at 580 kilometers in the North-East of the capital, as well as damages in the center of the harbor and the close towns.

In the meantime, the hurricane « Henriette », the first which threatens the Mexican Pacific coast this year, hit the land yesterday at 14:30 hours (19:30 GMT) by hitting the town of San José de los Cabos, in the peninsula of Baja California, in the North-West of Mexico, informed the National Weather Service (SMN).

Its arrival was accompanied by winds of 140 kilometers per hour and gusts of 165 kilometers/h.

Listin Diario, 05.09.07

Felix leaves more than 100 killed people after its passage in Nicaragua and Honduras

BILWI, Nicaragua, (AFP) – the hurricane Felix, which devastated the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, left more than 100 killed people in Nicaragua and in Honduras, a hundred disappeared persons, tens of thousands of victims and million material damages indicated this Thursday the authorities.

A total of 52 bodies of natives missing from the zone of Cayos Miskitos, in the Autonomous Area of the North Atlantic (RAAN, North-East of Nicaragua), reappeared on the Caribbean coast of Honduras, said the president of the Emergency Committee (COPECO), Marcos Burgos.

The Naval Army Forces of Nicaragua located the corpses of nine fishermen in the neighborhoods of Cayo Mara, those coming to be added to the 38 dead ones announced by the Nicaraguan authorities and three deaths deplored in Honduras.

The government of Nicaragua estimated that it needs 30 million dollars to start the rebuilding the damaged infrastructures in the RAAN, area devastated by the fury of Felix, which made category 5 landfall on Tuesday with wind gusts up to 300 km/h.

The scenes of tears, rage and pain are frequent in the middle of the debris, the fallen trees and the destroyed houses. Devastation is total, said President Daniel Ortega after having visited the zone of the catastrophe, before its government was calling for urgent international assistance.

About 10.000 residences were destroyed, the wells of drinking water were contaminated and the population is without water and electricity.

The Food World Program announced the delivery of 225.500 tons of food during the last three days, to which are added money or food donations of the United States, European Union, Honduras and of Venezuela.

In Honduras, a sudden storm fell down over Tegucigalpa during 20 minutes, causing the flood of the streets and of the markets and causing the death of at least two people, organizations of assistance confirmed that this event increases to three the number of killed people since the passage of Felix.

The authorities of Guatemala issued the red alert in the commune of Izabal, at 295 km in the North-East of the capital, on the Caribbean, because of the heavy rains which caused floods and obliged the evacuation of 850 people.

In El Salvador, the authorities decided to maintain a yellow warning because of prevalent humidity.

Hoy Digital, 07.09.07

Differences prevent from adopting JCE regulations

The president of the Administrative Chamber of the Electoral Central Parliament (JCE), Doctor Roberto Rosario, affirmed yesterday that the internal differences prevented this organization from adopting the campaign regulations and from slowing down the proselytism carried out by the political parties.

He explained that the plenary Meeting of the Parliament had not been informed of the totality of the draft Regulation subjected by the AC, because of the existing differences on the discussed subject, which is precisely related to the control of the election campaign.

At the end of a session which took place on Wednesday, the president of the JCE, Doctor Julio César Castaños Guzmán, informed that the plenary Meeting took note of the 80 articles contained in the project subjected by the AC, and that a new session will take place on Tuesday 12 in order to take note of the proposals, modifications and omissions made by other magistrates.

According to Rosario, the discussion on the control of the election campaign became more difficult because of various interpretations that have the judges of the Electoral Law and the functions of the three authority of the JCE.

He added that the regulations application would be the role of the commission as coordinating work with the medias to agree with them of a campaign code of practice; to identify the regulation violations and the violations of the electoral law, and to recommend to the plenary meeting relevant actions; to recognize the absence of impartiality of the communication means and to recommend to the plenary meeting the admissible actions; as recommending to the plenary meeting necessary measures to ensure the observation of the rules relating to the use of paid political publicity.

Hoy DIGITAL, by Loyda Peña, 07.09.07

Politur will reinforce security

The Tourist Police force (Politur) will incorporate 300 new agents for the security of the tourist poles of the country, especially in Las Terrenas and in Boca Chica, considered as the most neuralgic points and where criminal acts were denounced.

The new director of Politur, colonel Manuel Rodríguez Miranda, said that they worked on the qualification of this personnel to increase the level of security and quietness of which benefit thousands visitors who arrive in Dominican Republic, attracted by the enchantment of the beaches, the hospitality of the Dominicans and the guarantee of a pleasant stay.

For that, the visitors travel to the tourist places.

El Día, by Roberto Gil, 06.09.07

Mattel withdraws seven toys from DR for high lead levels

The international company Mattel Inc announced this Wednesday the withdrawal of seven of its principal toys for children from the Dominican market, sold under the brand name « Barbie » , because of unauthorized lead levels.

The company explained that this decision is the result of the research carried out on all its toys made in China. It clarified that no « Barbie » doll is included in the voluntary withdrawal.

 In total there are 719 units of toys affected in Dominican Republic. Mattel already carried out tests for the majority of its toys, including all the products manufactured by sub-contracting companies.

Mattel indicated that they also implemented a reinforced system of three points to test their toys during all the production process.

In August we promised that we would continue to focus on the safety and the quality of our toys through tests on the finished products, meticulous research, sub-contracting companies, and the installation of a test system reinforced with three points. Following our research we discovered some new contaminated products. Consequently, several subcontractors already stopped producing Mattel toys. We sincerely apologize and we promise that we will continue to focus on the safety and the quality of our toys said Robert A. Eckert, president of Mattel.

In Dominican Republic there are seven toys to withdraw sold under the brand name Barbie.

DominicanosHoy, 06.09.07

Public works supervise the progress of the road for Samaná

The secretary of Public works, Víctor Díaz Rúa, confirmed yesterday that the road Santo Domingo-Samaná will be finished between February and March of the next year, as planned.

The civil servant carried out a course on the project from the toll station close to the avenue Las Américas to Rincón de Molinillo.

He indicated that although work is rather advanced there are some sections where the rhythm will have to be accelerated.

Díaz was accompanied by Armin García, the president of the North-East Freeways, concessionaire of the work, who committed putting all his energy in the acceleration of work.

It is in the interest of President Leonel Fernández to inaugurate the road at the latest in March of the next year.

The project involves an investment of 150 million dollars and will have a 106 kilometers length with two other toll points and 12 small bridges.

Tolls will be located at the cross of the road Mella-Monte Plata and Monte Plata Bayaguana-Cruce Rincón de Molinillos.

Diario Libre, 05.09.07

Las Terrenas: Rescue of a leatherback sea turtle

This Wednesday morning, the instructor of the diving base of the hotel Viva Wyndham, located in Playa Cosón and the instructor of the diving school Las Terrenas Divers, in Playa Bonita, both in immersion at 2 kilometers off Playa Bonita, discovered an adult leatherback sea turtle captive of ropes at approximately 800 meters of the small islands Las Ballenas.

After delicate operations, they succeeded to release the turtle and the animal once released of its mortals hindrances moved majestically away in the deep blue of the Atlantic Ocean.

For information, the leatherback sea turtle is the biggest of the current species of sea turtles. It lives in all the oceans of the planet, but its survival is seriously threatened by the poaching, the fishing nets, the pollution and the urbanization of the littoral.

In the United States the leatherback sea turtle has been classified as endangered across its range since 1970. It is also endangered in Canada. It is also listed on Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). This makes it illegal to harm or kill the turtles.

The leatherback sea turtle reaches a length of over 2.7 m (8.8 ft) and weight of 900 kg (2,000 lb).

Las Terrenas Live and Wikipedia, 05.09.07

Dominican people asked to pay attention to final decision of the Baninter trial

The famous lawyer Ramón Antonio Veras (Negro) declared that all the forces of the Dominican society must pay attention to the decision that will take the court responsible for the Baninter case.

If the Dominican judicial service wants to preserve credibility and respect within the Dominican society, it has now the occasion, while dispensing justice in the case of the Dominican people stealing, the case Baninter, indicated Ramón Antonio Veras.

He considers that it acts of embezzlement which not only wounded the national banking structure, but which also worsened the economic situation of the majority of the Dominicans. He pleads for an exemplary judgment, because it is matter of the largest banking fraud ever recorded in the world.

One must apply an exemplary sentence for all those which were stolen and because the Dominican people through the Central Ban was obliged to pay, expressed Negro Veras while speaking with Clave DIGITAL.

Veras deplored that because of this situation, the Dominicans will require at least 20 years to be liberated of this debt for which they are not responsible, but for which they have to compensate in capital, interests, pain, sweat and tears.

Clave Digital, by Maximo Laureano, 07.09.07

Los Haïtises families receive 20 million RD $

After 15 years of fight and a long wait, 315 dislodged families of the National park los Haïtises started to receive compensation money (20 million RD $). This sum corresponds to a compensation of 35 million RD $ from a 144 million RD $ debt, assigned by the Executive power.

On July 15th, 1992, the ex president Joaquin Balaguer emitted the decree Nº 192-92, by which he authorized to dislodge 3.020 families who occupied the part of the central zone of the Park los Haïtises.

Last year, President Fernández ordered through the decree 17-06 the creation of a special subcommittee in charge to carry out a data collection, by which it was decided to economically compensate the families affected by the evacuation.

Yesterday, in the Multiusos hall of Monte Plata, the Secretariat of the Environment delivered the money, sums which went from 4 thousand RD $ up to 105 thousand RD $, according to the value of the property. People could not dissimulate his joy.

Teodoro Aquino Torres said that the national reserve holds the 40% of the water of the population, because of 228 river sources but they are worsening because the authorities did not solve the situation which stagnates since many years.

We want that the president holds the promises made in order to let rest this wooded sanctuary indi cated Aquino.

Alejandro García, 65 year-old, and representing the Movement of the Unified Farmers (MCU), qualified of mamitas the civil servants, for not compensating the families which are on standby, waiting for the IAD and the Invi to deliver the grounds and build the already promised houses.

The secretary of Environment, Omar Ramirez, explained that the national park los Haïtises contains a bio-diversity of fauna and flora. He indicated that it is also the principal reserve of water of the country. He said that he would not tolerate any environmental infringement in the parks nor elsewhere in the country

In the same way, the civil servant announced that he will speak with the directors of IAD, Invi and of the Agricultural Bank with the aim to solve the situation.

El Día Digital, by Dayana Acosta, 07.09.07

4 more killed in gun shootings “exchanges”

Santo Domingo – The Police force killed four other young people, making in total 14 killed persons these last 16 days, victims who succumbed during supposed gun shootings exchanges.

None was identified by the Police, because they did not carry personal ID.

According to various versions, four presumed delinquents broke yesterday morning the principal door of the President Sport bank, located in the avenue San Vicente de Paul. A patrol of Police force arrived on the spot and during an exchange of shootings killed two of them. The others succeeded in escaping. The cashier, Tania Castillo, said that the robbers did not succeed in stolen something.

Wednesday night, the Police force killed one presumed delinquent who tried to steal the trade Delicias Marinas in the Avenue of Spain.

In the same way, the afternoon of this same day, another robber was surprised while trying to penetrate in a residence of the urbanization Corales del Sur, close of the Juan Carlos Bridge, and then killed by gun shootings of a police patrol who had beforehand asked him to give himself up.

The four unknown ones were transferred separately to the hospital Darío Contreras and from there to the Legal Pathology Institute.
In addition, a sergeant of the police force killed his ex woman and he then committed suicide with his service gun. The corpses were sent to the Legal Pathology Institute.
An unusual movement reigned yesterday morning in Legal Pathology buildings because of people looking for parents died in various circumstances.
The majority of deaths occurred because of the violence, which according to the public opinion, is in recrudescence in all the territory.
Approximately 150 people, civil, police and military were in the waiting room and in the court of the Legal Pathology Institute.
The last events occurred in the capital, with several cases of suicide, caused a hold-up in the autopsy rooms of the organization.
A source of the Institute of Pathology revealed that in three years, it is the first time that he sees so many corpses at the same time.
Various sectors required a recess against the delinquency. Many affirm that they lost their quietness during these three last years because of the increase of the thefts and of the attacks.

The population claimed a control of the situation, situation for which the authorities started the Democratic Plan of Security.

Gasoline going up

The Secretariat of State of Industry and Commerce increased the price of fuels, starting from today the population will pay 4.00 RD $ more than last week for the gallon of premium gasoline, 3.70 RD $ more for regular gasoline, while the gas oil and the liquid gas recorded a raising of respectively 3.00 RD $ and 94 centimes.

These new increases are due to the upward trend in the crude prices on the international market after the American government reported a fall of the crude oil reserves more consequent than forecasted.

This increase is the third recorded in three weeks and the most important as for the prices, in comparison of the two preceding ones.

In its weekly report, the Department of Energy reported that the inventories of the crude fell to 3.9 million barrels the last week of August, three times more than the reduction of 1.1 million predicted by the analysts.

The report specifies that refineries worked at 90.3 % of their capacity, compared to 91.6 % for the previous week. However, the analysts hope that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) maintains the production without change when the oil Ministers of their countries will meet in Vienna on next Tuesday.

Hoy Digital, by Elvis Lima, 08.09.07

IMF approves US $118.3m for Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo .– The International Monetary Fund on Friday approved the disbursement of $118.3 million to the Dominican Republic under a $672.2 million IMF loan program and said the country’s economic performance was commendable

According to IMF Deputy Managing Director Murilo Portugal, prudent policies in a generally favorable external environment have restored confidence and resulted in high growth, single-digit inflation, declining public debt ratios, and a robust external position.

Continued progress in program implementation should further reduce vulnerabilities and bolster medium-term growth prospects he added.
The IMF program for the Dominican Republic was approved in January 2005 to help the country out of the depth of an economic slump triggered by a banking crisis in 2003.
The central bank was left in the red after a botched banking sector bailout after the collapse of a major bank.
Portugal said monetary policy had kept inflation within single digits despite oil price increases, however he said the central bank would need to keep an eye on signs of overheating.

On July 11, the Dominican Republic’s Congress approved a bill empowering the government to issue up to 320 million pesos, or $9.7 billion, of bonds over 10 years to recapitalize the central bank.

The recapitalization of the central bank will strengthen its financial independence, accountability and credibility Portugal said.

Financial sector risks had also decreased and the banking system had significantly strengthened, he added.

Dominican Today, 08.09.0

The Caamaño denunciation « will be dissipated »

SANTO DOMINGO. – the director of the National Department of Investigations (D.N.I.), the vice-admiral Sigfrido Pared Pérez, judged that the denunciation of Claudio Caamaño Grullón saying that colonels would be plotting against president Leonel Fernández, will be dissipated with time.

The vice-admiral Pared Pérez was interviewed in the corridors of the National Palace, where he brings every day the Sate security reports to President Fernández.

The Dominican Revolutionary and Christian Social Reformist parties as well as the Catholic Church also gave an opinion on this subject.

In the same way, the secretary of the Armed Forces, general lieutenant Ramón Antonio Aquino García, guaranteed on Tuesday that the denunciation would be investigated although it does not appear credible.

Leonel accuses PRD to spread « tragedy »

 SANTO DOMINGO. – President Leonel Fernández challenged this Sunday the government of the Dominican Revolutionary Party, which he accuses to spread « tragedy » over the Dominican people.

While speaking in a meeting where he formed his Campaign National Committee, Fernández affirmed that the public administrations directed by the PRD brought the citizenship to despair.

He said that during the administration of the former president Hipólito Mejía, unemployment in Dominican Republic had increased up to alarming levels. « And despite of the tragic history of their governments, they are still now shown like the representatives of employment, forgetting that when they were at the power in 2000, they increased the rate of unemployment from 13.9% to 19.7% » , he indicated.

He supported that during the two last years of the government of Mejía, the number of the poor persons increased to more than 1 million 200 thousand people. He said that regarding the public administration, the « perredeistas » deserve « a gold trophy », because they are the persons responsible of the growth of unemployment in the country.

When we see the banners and the publicity of the candidate « perredeista” , Miguel Vargas Maldonado, with the slogan » employment” , which he should say is unemployment, he underlined.

In the same way, he reiterated that the people must understand the tragedy which represents to have the PRD in the government in Dominican Republic.

Al Momento, el 09.09.07

The PRD will give the names of those gaining more than one million RD $ monthly

SANTO DOMINGO. – The political director of the campaign of the candidate of opposition Miguel Vargas Maldonado said this Sunday that the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) will reveal the names of the Secretaries of State who gain more than one million pesos monthly.

Alfredo Pacheco also began a communication campaign which treats as « false » the government because some of the works inaugurated lately by President Leonel Fernández, like the aqueduct of the south-western area, had been started in the period 1996-2000.

To face the comments that the PRD is advancing the election campaign while spending the resources which it could hold for the continuation, Pacheco said: Good, they said that we died, that the PRD had not started, and that the candidate seemed dead. Therefore, we take actions.

In the same way, he rejected that the PRD and its general secretary, Orlando Jorge Mera, underwent a reverse with the denunciation in front of the Organization of the American States (OAS) as what the government uses the public resources to conquer new adherents and for the publicity for the re-election of President Leonel Fernández, spending the money of the state.

Within the new PRD, we look forwards, to the big and serious problems from which the country suffers and towards the mechanisms to solve them.

Al Momento, 09.09.07

To compete Dominican tourism needs more security, industry expert says

SANTO DOMINGO. – The Dominican tourism has been marred by weaknesses, including lack of safety for the tourist, from which the country risks losing its competitiveness as a preferred Caribbean destination. Nowadays fears of insecurity are greater than ever from the difficulties that have appeared in different regions of the world, said ex Tourism minister Ellis Perez.

Other unfavorable factors are the high taxes and the United States Government passport requirement for its citizens to travel. He said people look for places to spend safe vacations where they have nothing to fear, where they feel calm, where their physical security isn’t threatened.

Perez urged Dominicans to develop competitiveness to keep Dominican Republic a place where tourists aren’t frightened. He said the Caribbean is currently in a critical time as statistics show that it’s one of the declining tourism destinations from the less than expected tourist arrivals. In such a competitive world as today’s, especially in the tourism area, one does not compete by area or region, competition is in the global scope instead.

The tourism industry generates 0.8 direct jobs per hotel room, according to the National Hotels and Restaurants Association (Asonahores). The resorts in Bavaro, one of the country’s major tourism regions, generate 16,900 jobs, whereas more than 2,500 people work in Cabarete (north), one of the country’s fastest-growing areas.

According to the figures from official and private entities, 2006 was a good for the industry, which showed a continuous growth. According to the Central Bank in the first seven months this year the arrival of nonresident foreigners by air grew 0.03 percent compared with the same last year period.

Investments in tourism projects are expected to grow an annual average of 4% until 2015, until reaching US $2.34 billion, which would then represent 25.2% of the economy’s total investments.

Tourism is expected to be a US $15.7 billion industry in 2015, with a 4.2% average annual growth starting this year.

Dominican Today, 10.09.07

« The dengue increases » affirm hospital sources

The cases of dengue increased in Dominican Republic, affirm hospital sources, in spite of divergent declarations of the Public Health Secretary.

This year, five thousand 400 people were admitted in hospitals and private clinics affected by the disease in its traditional and hemorrhagic forme, according to reports published in the press.
The statistics were provided by Bautista Rojas, Secretary of State of the Public Health, and it is opposed to the declarations of the hospitals according to which seven people out of ten suffer from this disease.
Whatever the truth, it is certain that in the capital, there is an invasion of mosquitoes without preventive fumigations or other tasks.
The rains of the cyclone Dean in last August and the frequent downpours, added to the bad condition of the sewerage system, create an ideal environment for the proliferation of these insects whose variety Aedes Aegypti transmits the disease.
The rate of admission for case of dengue is about ten patients per day, affirmed Doctor Felix Cruz to the press.
Maintained on this level, the disease could be transformed into epidemic with the inevitable human victims and the economic losses that it represents.

Secretary Rojas promised an increase in the tasks of prevention, when the temperatures will grow cooler and that the frequency of infected people will decrease, but without specifying a date.

El Libelo, 10.09.07

Valeria and the bachata, the challenge of a woman to a genre reserved to the men

NEW YORK. – Le cerré la puerta, is the song which launches Valeria, a Dominican interpreter living in the United States who has a great popularity near her compatriots, as bachatera.

The interpreter, who began his ascending career during the Eighties, ensures that this production is the challenge of a woman to a genre which was traditionally sung by men.

Valeria, who was during these last decades one of the figures most applauded in the spectacles, in the discotheques and night centers of the Dominican Community of the town of New York, is so enthusiast by the « crossing » of genre she realized, that she affirms that her dream to receive the Latino Grammy Award could be concretized with this new song.

El Diario Libre, 10.09.07

A half million find for a project where the secretary of Tourism is shareholder

The secretariat of the Environment imposed a fine of 498,542.16 RD $ on the tourist project Vista Mare, in Samaná, in which the secretary of Tourism, Felix Jiménez, is shareholder, to have started work without the necessary authorization or the environmental license and to have caused considerable damage on an extension of 186.140 square meters.

The project Vista Mare consists of the construction of 93 apartments situated in five buildings of three levels, located in terrace in front of the sea, in the sector Los Cacaos, commune of Los Naranjos, in Samaná.

The fine was notified on last August 28th, two days before the interpellation of Jiménez by the House of Commons. This same day the promoters of the project (Constructora JJ, S.A) carried out the payment by recommended check.

In agreement with the resolution work was suspended in a temporary way, until the obtaining of the necessary license or of the authorization emitted by the Secretariat of the Environment, on pain of civil and/or penal liabilities that these actions could imply.

The Secretariat of Environment has faculty by the law to sanction the people who violated the rules and the standards in accordance with legislation 64-00 on the Environment and Natural resources.

He indicates that the promoters violated article 40 of the above mentioned law and the payment of Authorizations and Environmental Licenses System.

The law grants a 10 days deadline to appeal the decision in front of the Administrative Court, but the fine must be paid beforehand.

However the promoters of Vista Mare did not do it.

Hoy Digital, by Odalis Mejía, 11.09.07

The Chief of the Police force defends the exchanges of fire guns

SANTO DOMINGO. – the chief of the National police force, major general Rafaël Guillermo Guzmán Fermín, justified yesterday the activity of his agents, by affirming that the number of killed people at the time of fire guns exchanges is the fact of self-defense of the police officers in the fight against delinquency and criminality.

He said that to face the criminal intention of delinquents, the policemen are obliged to use the force to survive, as the Penal code considers it.

However, he recognized that the situation where 20 supposed delinquent were killed and where 8 police officers were wounded must be controlled, since the infringement will be always fought.

He indicated that it is necessary to decrease the acts of delinquency in the country and that for that a preventive policy is required, by working hand to hand with the Community to guarantee the security of the citizens.

El Día Digital, by Roberto Gil, 11.09.07

Education starts the « school lunch » program

The Secretariat of Education started yesterday the Food School Program (PAE), with the distribution of 1.760.000 rations to the pupils of the Initial and Basic levels in all the country. For this school year 60.000 rations were added for the 300 educational centers inaugurated by the Government, and which form part of the education system.

The school Nuestra Señora del Carmen, located in the sector of Gazcue, was used for the starting of the school lunch program, directed by the Secretary of Education, Alejandrina Germán, accompanied by the under-secretaries Fausto Mota García and Mery Valerio.

The director of Student’s Wellbeing of the secretariat of Education, Eugenio Álvarez, explained that the total investment budgeted for the school year 2007-2008 is 2,600 million RD $, to guarantee the quality of the service.

El Día Digital, by Degnis León, 11.09.07

Colombia: The baron of cocaine arrested

BOGOTÁ. the commander of the Colombian Army, Mario Montoya (in the center on the photo) supervises the arrest of the narco-trafficker Diego Montoya (on the right-side), « Don Diego » , yesterday in Bogota.

Montoya, one of the leaders of the Northern Cartel of the Valley sent 70% of cocaine from Colombia to the USA, was the most wanted leader of the world and will be handed over to Washington once that the extradition request will be issued.

EFE, Diario Libre, 11.09.07

Transfer of PN, MG and DNCD agents in Sabana de la Mar

SABANA DE LA MAR – agents of the National police force, of the Navy and of the National Office of Drugs Control (DNCD) of this locality were transferred for abuse, negligence and bad treatments to the population.

The Fiscal of the commune of El Valle, Wintel Alí Peguero, was also transferred, described by the population as inoperative, apathetic and to have little responsibility in the exercise of his functions.

This communication comes from the Fiscal of Hato Mayor, Manual Emilio Santana Montero (Iron Hand), who explained that the DNCD and policemen penetrated in the private residences looking for hypothetical culprits, without legal orders.

He declared that members of the Navy made seizures of small boats of humble fishermen, accusing them to organize illicit travels.

He explained that theses transfers were carried out at the request of the Community, in the same way, the inhabitants of Sabana de la Mar asked the authorities of the province, for the return to the commune of the assistant Fiscal, Ines Bruno Tejeda, who strongly faced the drug traffic and the organized crime.

Ines Bruno Tejeda, had been transferred from Sabana de la Mar because the drug traffickers threatened on several occasions « to steal her head » and she received shot gun from delinquents saying she is very hard.

The Fiscal Montero confirmed the increase of the delinquency and of the drug traffic in the coastal commune of Sabana de la Mar, but said that the authorities faced the problem with firmness, after having indicated that more than 20 people are in prison for drug traffic.

Listin Diario, by Manuel A. Vega, 11.09.07

The Viva Wyndham Resorts receive an ISO certification

Viva Wyndham Resorts received the international certification ISO 9001:2000 for its commitment with the quality systems management for all its line of « all inclusive » $var, becoming the first hotel of the sector and one of the first of this level to obtain this approval.

This certification includes the seven properties of the chain in Mexico and in Dominican Republic.

Colussi, manager of the chain, informed that ISO certification is an example of the commitment assumed by Viva Wyndham Resorts to provide an exceptional service to the customer and an experiment without equal to its hosts.

In the country, the certified hotels are Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach and Viva Wyndham Dominicus Palace both in Bayahíbe; Viva Wyndham Tangerine, in Cabarete; Viva Wyndham Playa Dorada in Playa Dorada and Viva Wyndham Samaná, in Las Terrenas.

Listin Diario, 11.09.07

JCE Judges sign a fine agreement putting end to the crisis

An « abstract » agreement should be signed by the magistrates who compose the plenary meeting of the Central Electoral Parliament Central in an attempt to put an end to the crisis produced by the amendments that one wanted to introduce into the rules which will have to control the presidential campaign of 2008.

This polemical regulation could be adopted at the time of the session of the plenary meeting convened for today. It will have then to be submitted to the political parties, the civil society, the media and the Community organizations.

The Administrative Room of the JCE as informed as it will answer by means of an official statement to the charges formulated in a public letter by the judge Aura Celeste Fernández as for the use of almost 1,000 million RD $ of the budget of the court, amount which CA would have handled without communicating with it.

Diario Libre, 12.09.07

Strangers kill three young people to steal a truck

Villa Alta Gracia – Strangers stole yesterday a truck with 540 quintals of rice and killed their occupants who delivered the goods to Higüey.

The corpses of the three young people were thrown at kilometers 56 and 59 of the Duarte highway. They were native from the section Zambrano Arriba in Cotuí and had left at two o’clock in the morning with a rice cargo from the factory Humberto Henríquez.

The group carried a load of 540 quintals of rice on board of a Mack truck, green color, which they delivered to Higüey and they were attacked by strangers who killed them and took over the cargo.

A police source, said that they are following the investigations and that they are chasing the attackers.

According to the coroner, the corpses had been thrown on the spot 3 hours before the time of their discovery. The corpses were sent yesterday in the afternoon to the Legal Pathology Institute.

The bodies were thrown in the border of the highway where the vegetation is high, with the apparent intention that they are discovered later.

Diario Libre, by Adonis Santiago Díaz, 12.09.07

DNCD thanks the public support

The president of the National Office of Drugs Control (DNCD) underlined the support that receives the institution from the various sectors of the population and thanked them for this support. Thanks to received information, this organization could capture hundreds of drug distributors.

Major Général Rafaël Radhamés Ramirez Ferreira expressed himself in these terms by receiving the report of an operation carried out in the areas East, North-East and North-West of the country. « I have just received a detailed report of the work carried out during the last hours in the provinces of Santiago Rodriguez, Montecristi, Valverde and Dajabón, where was sent a quota of civil servants and DNCD agents from the Capital and from Santiago, to answer the concern of the citizens who address themselves at this institution to obtain the arrest of the suspects involved in small traffics » $var, he said.

He also supported that the DNCD has an Office of Denunciations which receives invaluable information from the citizens, data who allow us to act immediately, naturally after a checking of the latter.

The anti-drug chief thanked the citizens for the confidence in the work carried out by the DNCD, and recognizes that without their support the things would be different, even if our image changed, and although we still should correct some points.

Ramirez Ferreira is worried by the great number of violent attacks whose DNCD agents were victims in various points of the country. We recorded at least 175 aggressions, without counting that at least 5 agents were attacked by firearms outside of their working hours, he said.

El Nacional, 12.09.07

Las Terrenas: The Police force wounds a man

On Monday, the Police force wounded with gun shooting in the legs two men surprised while trying to steal respectively in San Francisco de Macoris and in Las Terrenas.

In Las Terrenas, Robert Rivera Castillo (El Gallo), has be wounded by gun shooting in left knee, when he attacked a patrol who surprised him trying to penetrate in the residence of an Italian named Fabian, in the Cortesana Residence.

The injured man, whose Police ensures that he has a big criminal past, was transferred to the hospital of Las Terrenas.

El Nacional, by Pedro Hernández, 12.09.07

Venezuelan Surgeons will practice 300 free surgeries

The Secretariat of the Public health revealed that in coordination with a team of plastic surgeons of Venezuela, 300 surgeries will be practiced this week on people of various ages of the Northern area of the country.

Doctor Séntola Martínez, coordinator of the operation indicated that these surgical operations were on standby for several years, because the patients do not have economic resources to carry them out.

Martínez explained that the surgeries will be practiced to repair congenital malformations, harelips, palatal slits, equine feet, dystrophy breast, unaesthetic scars, and burning sequels among other things. The majority of these surgeries will be practiced on children suffering from congenital malformations and who until now, for economic reasons, could not undergo a surgery in private centers. For this reason, the State, through the SESPAS attends these cases, he added.

By the means of a note of the Strategic Management of Communication of the SESPAS, Martínez informed that the surgical procedures which will be carried out at the Traumatology Professor Juan Bosch Hospital of La Vega, will not involve any cost for the patients. He said that although he does not have the figures, there are in the country thousands of people requiring an operation and who, because of their economic situation could not solve their health problem.

The malformations in the children have various origins, mainly congenital, which can be acquired during the pregnancy.

El Viajero Digital, 12.09.07

Tropical depression eight is born

The forecasts give its path toward the Dominican Republic, at a few kilometers over the north of the country.

Currently the depresson is located about 1200 miles east of the first Crribbean islands, everything indicates that this depression has the chance to become a tropical storm later today and will be named Ingrid.

An advisory on the evolution of the phenomenon will be issued every 6 hours.

Ending weeks of tension, Dominican Electoral court approves regulation

SANTO DOMINGO.- The president of the Dominican Electoral Board (JCE) last night said it approved the regulation for the 2008 presidential campaign, a measure that puts an end to weeks of tension among the court’s members.

In the meeting the judges rejected the proposal to modify the regulation presented by the judge Aura Celeste Fernandez, to create a commission to oversee the electoral process.

Julio Cesar Castaños said though its members didn’t sign an agreement for the regulation’s definitive debate, the talks concluded satisfactorily.

He said the regulation would be posted in the JCE Web site in the coming days and given to the political parties, civil society and the media, so they make their observations, and the plenary will debate it definitively to add the pertinent amendments.

Dominican Today, 13.09.07

The Defense of Báez Figueroa pleads no guilty

The Council of the defense of Ramón Báez Figueroa asked yesterday the judges of the First Collegial Court of the National Sector to declare his customer no guilty for the crimes of credits laundering and breach of trust, for not having performed the facts and because the charged material roles do not constitute the elements of crime.

Juárez Castillo, by presenting the final speech for defense supported by technical defense of the defendant, requested the exclusion of the evidence provided by the Public Ministry and the Civil Actors, considering that the documents and the evidence violated the provisions of several articles of the Dominican Constitution.

The defense of Báez Figueroa required from judges Antonio Sánchez Mejía, Gisell Méndez and Pilar Rufino to take into account that the mobiles which pushed the defendant to violate the law were the expansion of Baninter and not the economic damage of the country.

According to Defense, the infringements made by Báez Figueroa did not cause the collapse of Baninter and enormous economic damages for the country, but occurred by the accumulation of constitutional and legal violations to harm the bank and the principal executives of the financial institution.

El Día Digital, by Dominga Ramírez, 13.09.07

ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON: Hurricane Humberto crashes ashore in Texas

HOUSTON – Hurricane Humberto crashed ashore along southeast Texas early Thursday, bringing heavy rains and maximum sustained winds of up to 80 mph as it made its way to Louisiana, the National Weather Service said.

The Category 1 storm made landfall about 5 miles east of High Island, near Sea Rim State Park, meteorologist Jim Sweeney said. The storm was expected to start weakening as it continued inland.

A hurricane warning was issued from east of High Island to Cameron, La. A tropical storm warning was in effect from east of Cameron to Intracoastal City, La. The storm was initially expected to strike as a tropical storm until it energized into a Category 1 hurricane after midnight.

At 5 a.m. EDT, the center of Humberto was about 60 miles northeast of Galveston and about 25 miles northeast of High Island Texas. It was moving toward the north-northeast near 8 mph.

The warning area included Louisiana’s Cameron Parish, which was devastated by Hurricane Rita in September 2005. More than 500 federally issued travel trailers and mobile homes remain there.

Beginning of work in the Calle Principal

After the installation of the tubes, the cutting of asphalt and the passage of the drainage pipes started a few days ago in the beginning of the Calle Principal.

The fact is that there is nothing to say about the general organization from the point of view of security with alternation of traffic ensured by workmen equipped with a red flag, as well as of immediate filling of trenches after hiding of the pipes.

The cutting of asphalt is made with line and the covering of the pipes with sand, then with soil packed layer by layer up to the level of the road.

Work is followed permanently by Solsanit engineers.

Sylvain MAUFRAIS, 13.09.07

PLD, PRD and PRSC will make recommendations to the Parliament

The general secretaries of PLD, PRD and of PRSC declared yesterday that these respective organizations hope to have in hand the draft Regulation of the election campaign, with its modifications, in order to examine it and to make recommendations which will allow that the elections of 2008 are transparent, right and fair.

Reinaldo Pared Pérez, Orlando Jorge Mera y Víctor Gómez Casanova, spokesmen of the parties of Dominican Liberation (PLD), Dominican Revolutionary (PRD) and Christian Social Reformist (PRSC), separately gave their opinion on the approval of the draft Regulation of Election campaign, Publicity and use of Medias.

The plenary Meeting of the Electoral Central Parliament (JCE) adopted the regulation after several months of discussion. It also regulated competences of its member for its application.

It is expected that the political parties have the document in hand the next week, in order to make known their points of view on the latter.

Dismissal of police officers for offense

Four police officers were laid off because according to their superiors, they caused interferences to the radio station of this institution which is used as support to its members to give a follow-up to the aggressions, robberies, homicides, kidnappings and other punishable actions.

A fourth agent involved with four civils in the stealing of a store of the Ozama Avenue, will be laid off with dishonor. The police officer and the four civil ones carried 20.000 pesos. A patrol surprised them with the money in the hands.

The excluded police officers are Major Wilson Terrero Batista, Sergeant Major Pedro Antonio Núñez Robles and a chief who was not yet identified by the organization.

The chief of the Police force, Rafaël Guillermo Guzmán Fermín, said that the exclusion of the three police officers falls under the shock process of the police discipline.

Hoy Digital, by Radhamés González, 14.09.07

Demonstration against corruption and delinquency

SANTIAGO. With placards and by chanting slogans, several organizations of drivers of Santiago protested yesterday to require Government that it changes its economic policy and faces with energy the administrative corruption and the delinquency which affect the country.

The demonstrators carried out a peaceful walk to the provincial government, where they gave a document to the governor Augusto Izquierdo.

Before the protest, the leader of the drivers Juan Marte declared that walk was also organized to require justice for the death of 22 taxi drivers who were assassinated in various Santiago points during the three last years.

The trade-union leader supported that until now no judgment nor means of coercion were pronounced against the suspects.

On his side, the priest Rogelio Cruz, one of the organizers of the demonstration, considered regrettable that there exists in the country so many unpunished cases of corruption.

The organizers of the protest announced that this one is the first of a series of demonstrations which were programmed to make hear their complaints at the authorities.

Diario Libre, by Cornelio Batista, 14.09.07

Manu Chao: La Radiolina

Six years after Próxima Estación: Esperanza, Manu Chao produced a new album, very awaited: La Radiolina.

Varied, dense, it should charm his fans like those of Mano Negra.

For Manu Chao, La Radiolina would be the last CD, the ultimate support of his songs before imagining a new diffusion mode, like a small radio, able to host his creations directly on line. The site of the artist already hosts the tévélina with evolutionary contents, which diffuses the clip Rainin In Paradise” , revolutionary auto car ride, shot by Kusturica.

La Radiolina affirm its structures, with, in the center, this question asked by the elusive Manu: « ¿Y ahora qué ? » (” And now what ?” ).

We could return the question to him. We prefer to be satisfied with his answers, to follow him throughout his tours: a voyage by train, a western, the round of the Barcelona bars. And to watch through windows, a world which speaks about love, revolt, and football. Life, of course. This adventure.

Manu Chao Radiolina (Because Music/Wagram) 2007

RFI Musique, by Anne Laure Lemancel

The tropical storm Ingrid is moving slowly over open waters

Slowly but surely the tropical storm Ingrid continues its progression towards the north of the Antilles and is currently at 850 miles of the first islands.

According to the forecasts it would reach level 1 tomorrow and would be Tuesday at the end of the day close to Dominican Republic.

We have to expect strong swell on northern coast of the country.

Sylvain MAUFRAIS, 14.09.07

Humberto knocks out power, eyes Mississippi

HIGH ISLAND, Texas – Some residents of Texas and Louisiana fired up generators to cut through the darkness after Hurricane Humberto sneaked up on the Gulf Coast, knocking out power to thousands and flooding streets before fizzling into a tropical depression.

Humberto, the first hurricane to hit the United States in two years, steadily lost its punch Thursday after sloshing ashore in Texas as a stronger storm than initially expected and then dragging across Louisiana. One death was blamed on the storm.

Early Friday, the remnants of Humberto took aim at Mississippi, where flood watches were in effect. Flood warnings were issued for portions of the Vermilion River in Louisiana.

Forecasters didn’t put out their first advisory on what became Humberto until almost midday Wednesday. It strengthened from a tropical depression with 35-mph winds to a hurricane with 85-mph winds in just 18 hours, said senior hurricane specialist James Franklin at the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Roofs were torn from stores and homes, power lines and telephone poles littered the street and the lights and scoreboard at the school’s football stadium were in pieces.

One man died when the carport at his home collapsed on him, Bridge City Police Chief Steve Faircloth said. The town is between Port Arthur and Orange.

MSNBC, Associated Press, 14.09.07

The service stations in alert for vandalism

The recent attacks perpetuated against gasoline stations carried out the administrations of these businesses to require from their personnel to be more attentive, but a few of them reinforced their security.

Journalists of El Caribe carried out a course yesterday passing by several petrol stations of Distrito Nacional, Santo Domingo East and Pedro Brand, sectors in which little surveillance is set up to prevent acts of delinquency.

In one of these stations, two guards, dressed like civil, supervise that the unauthorized people do not approach the money of the sales during the day.

But these guards go away during the night, according to the commercial representative. In a station of the Duarte Highway, cameras of monitoring are installed but the service station has only one guard to manage the security. Security is business of everybody, said the supervisor.

He ensures that the recent attacks did not involve a reduction in the businesses and he gives as example the sector store of the service station, where people come with the same frequency.

In another station, in Distrito Nacional, an employee revealed that the monitoring is done 12/24h and with few men. He said that he never saw camera in this service station.

The most recent attacks of petrol stations occurred last week in a station of Winston Churchill, where three people stole more than one million pesos, and at kilometer 18 of the Duarte Highway, where unknown ones stole 181 thousand pesos.

Concerning the first case, the Police force only said « that they are investigating » and as regards to the second, the Police force arrested and then released the proper guard of the station.

El Caribe, by Martín Polanco, 17.09.2007

Opening of a school to teach Spanish and the Dominican culture to children of Creole residents in Switzerland

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND. – With the aim that the Dominican children born in Switzerland learn Spanish, know the symbols of the fatherland, their culture and their roots, the Advisory Council of the Presidency of Dominican Abroad (CCPDE) in Switzerland, opened a school devoted to these ends, this being the first project of this nature emerging in this European nation.

The courses will be given in a classroom provided by the Swiss educational authorities; they will use the Dominican books of initial and basic teaching provided by the Office of the Advisory Councils of the National Palace, and the qualifications will be recognized by the Suisse School.

The program started with 15 children, who receive teaching free.

The creation of a Spanish school for Dominican children in Switzerland is one of the 10 projects worked out by the Advisory Council of the Presidency for the Dominicans in Switzerland, chaired by Luz María Nold, Dominican living in Switzerland since 25 years and working in the banking environment since 23 years.

Interviewed for Listin Diario, Nold stresses that school fills a big gap since one of her great concerns is to see that the majority of the Dominican children who live there lost any link with their country, they do not know the National anthem, the flag, the escudo, the Fathers of the Fatherland and do not even speak Spanish.

It is an idea which came two years ago from President Leonel Fernández, who chose Nold as president it took me two months to accept, I was initially thinking on what could be made and I chose the people who accompany me.

In addition to the Spanish School for Dominican children in Switzerland, the Advisory Council worked out 10 projects, of which five were developed, among them the opening of an Internet page with all information; presentation of the Diary of Professor Juan Bosch; a site of chat and training courses for members of the Council. One works out stories of the Dominican in Switzerland.

Swiss education does not include the Spanish language, until now the interested people must pay private classes. The basic languages of Switzerland are German, French, Italian and Romansh.

El Listin Diario, by Doris Pantaleón, 17.09.07

Ingrid the invisible one impedes the forecasts

Ingrid was supposed to pass off the coast of the Antilles and it iso ver Britanic Virgin Islands.

Ingrid was supposed to follow a north-west trajectory from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and it continues its western progression towards Puerto Rico.

Ingrid was supposed to strengthen and it weakened into tropical depression with remaining winds and some cloudy traces.

Definitely Ingrid…

Sylvain MAUFRAIS, 17.09.07

Daddy Yankee Tour

On Saturday December 22nd Daddy Yankee arrives at the Olympic Stadium Felix Sánchez, with his spectacle The Big Boss World Tour, in an impressive presentation with lights, dancers, fireworks and the best of reggaetón.

The Big Boss World Tour is one of the best spectacles never seen, as qualified by criticism in the United States, where the Cangri is currently on tour, playing successfully in Chicago, Dallas, New York, Washington, in Connecticut, in Miami and Orlando in Florida.

Daddy Yankee was recognized like one of the most famous artists of reggaetón since his success « La Gasolina » which was number one, being also the artist who sold more in the last few years and the more admired of the reggaetoneros.

With his last album Daddy Yankee avoided the monotony of the genre by mixing reggaetón with hip hop, salsa, merengue and bachata, thus showing his sympathy for the Dominicans and this island where he recorded some video clips of his songs.

With his new album, Daddy Yankee is nominated for the Grammy Latino.

The tour of the famous reggaetonero will continue by Mexico where it will coincide with the MTV Latin America 2007, to which he is nominated as « Better Urbain Artist ».

The Big Boss World Tour started in Puerto Rico on last August 24th and will continue in Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia and the Dominican Republic.

Diario Digital, 17.09.07

U.S. lists Dominican Republic as a major drug-trafficking country

SANTO DOMINGO.- Dominican Republic was included in the United States’ list of the world’s twenty top drug production and trafficking countries.

Washington is mulling the application of sanctions against those nations, though the U.S. State Department report which was filtered to the newspaper the New York Times doesn’t specify what type.

The list also includes Bolivia, Afghanistan, Bahamas, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela.

In July the Dominican antinarcotics agency (DNCD) said in 10 months it had seized 6 tons of drugs, arrested more than 12,000 people in 8,000 operations, dismantled 16,000 drug sale points and fired dozens of agents.

Dominican Today, 17.09.07

Thousands of dead fishes

Thousands of dead fishes of unknown causes were found on the beach of Las Garitas, commune of Sánchez, Samaná, informed yesterday evening the syndic of this locality.

Angel de Jesus Calcaño said that he noted the death of fish at the time of a walk carried out yesterday afternoon on the beach. When we arrived, we saw that all the beach was filled of died fishes, tiny, small, big, explained the executive municipal.

He said that some of the dead species were in a state of decomposition, but that others were still fresh, which indicated that they had just died. This worries us and we try to know if they were poisoned or if there are problems in water, this is why we let know it to the public so that the authorities intervene in the sector, he explained.

The Mayor de Jesus Calcaño estimated that in the sector of the beach of Las Garitas they were yesterday afternoon around thousand and two thousand dead fishes of various sizes.

He asked the Secretary of the Environment and the Natural resources, Omar Ramirez to send specialized technicians in this zone, in order to make investigation and to establish with precision the origin of this situation.

He said that the situation worries the local authorities, and he asked the population and the visitors of the zone to not use this beach until the problem is solved.

Hoy Digital, by Teófilo Abreu, 17.09.07

Humanitarian Association Dominico-Europea prepares its 10th container

Our team of voluntaries is preparing the loading of the 10th container; after an important donation of material coming from Rhone Alpes and the Rotary club of Avallon, a donation of drugs of international Humanitarian Pharmacy, Laboratories Pierre Fabre, the team of France went to the Béziers hospital (see photos) where the director and the responsible for the pharmacy gave us material and consumable medical. For each donation, a diploma of honor was given to the generous donors. Children’s wears will make the complement of the loading and will benefit hundreds of children.

Another team will charge the container on September 20th (a report will be published).

Association Office.

The office of Humanitarian Association Dominico-Europea

Fast mobilization to investigate on the fish death

Representatives of various organizations started this Monday an investigation to determine the cause of dead of thousands of fishes on a beach of Sánchez, in the North-East of Dominican Republic.

Specialists in fish, fishing and biology of the Secretariat of the Environment, Academy of Science and Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) take part to the investigation and they started to work in various points of the beach of Las Garitas, commune of Sánchez, in Samaná, zone where the problem was recorded.

Pedro Carreras Aguilera, regional manager of the Forest Resources, allotted the death of fish to a bad practice of the fishermen and drew aside the poisoning of water.

Idalia Acevedo, under-secretary of the Coastal and Marine Resources of the Secretariat of the Environment informed that today this office would offer a preliminary report, specifying that the analysis of quality of water to establish the possible presence of foreign elements will take a few days.

The death of fish can be because of several factors, like the inadequate use of the nets and the scatter of polluting substance, in an intentional or accidental way.

In 1999 in Samaná, a great quantity of fish died when the pier was built. Because of the earthmoving, sediments appeared in water and caused the death of thousands of species.

The biologist Felicita Heredia directs the technical team of the UASD and the Academy of Science which studied the situation in Sánchez. Luís Carvajal spokesman of the two organizations said that several assumptions on the cause of the deaths are considered, but before emitting those possibilities, checks on the spot have to be performed.

On his side, Mr Casimiro Acosta, resident of the zone of the beach of Las Garitas said that appearance of dead fishes is frequent in the sector, because the fishermen use equipment of trawling, mainly during the night.

Al Momento, 18.09.07

Lack of U.S. vigilance has increased drug traffic, Dominican president says

Miami. – Dominican Republic president Leonel Fernandez said on Monday in Miami the United States’ decreased vigilance in the Caribbean as a result of the war in Iraq has increased drug trafficking in the region.

Fernandez said made reference to the U.S. government drug trafficking report disclosed in Washington which included Dominican Republic among the to top 20 drug-producing or transit countries. I don’t know the report, but it’s our complaint that as a result of the war in Iraq there has been a decrease in the vigilance of the U.S.A. in the Caribbean zone, at the air as well as the marine level and that has increased the illicit drug traffic in the region.

He said for that reason his government has requested more collaboration between the U.S. and his country, so that both countries can confront this criminal action that affects the two nations.

The list in the U.S. annual report on the war against drugs also figure Afghanistan, Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Myanmar, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela.

The Dominican leader spoke before participating in an event organized by the University of Miami in his first stop of a tour of the United States that includes Washington and New York.

As to his speech before the UN General Assembly, Fernandez said he will talk about peace and how the international community can collaborate more with our countries to obtain the development objectives of the millennium.

Dominican Today, 18.09.07

Police rescue U.S. citizen kidnapped in Samana, 2 arrested

The Police last night rescued a U.S. citizen who was kidnapped Saturday by several gunmen in the community La Cantana, in the town Las Galeras, Samaná province (northeast).

The kidnappers had demanded a one million dollar ransom from the woman’s relatives.

The newspaper Listin Diario said Police spokesman Ramon Francisco Rodriguez confirmed that Nita Sue Rash was released near 11:00 a.m. Monday. We don’t have many details, only that were rescued her safe and sound, that two kidnappers were arrested and others are being south.

Sources said a Police anti-kidnapping unit was pursuing the kidnappers of Rash, who lives with her husband David Rash in the La Cantana tourist zone.

Dominican Today, 18.09.07

Sánchez: more died fish on the beach

Environmentalists Felícita Heredia and Luis Carvajal said yesterday to be worried by the massive quantity of dead fish on the beach of Las Garitas, commune of Sánchez, Samaná, whose characteristics make suspect that it acts of poisoning.

The declaration of Heredia and Carvajal contrasts with the preliminary version offered by environmental technicians, who counted between 500 and 1.000 small dead fish in the zone, with the characteristics to have been captured with systems of trawling, net, « tramayos” or ” licuadoras » $var(mi xer).

Heredia and Carvajal, the two Members of the Environmental Commission of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo – UASD – and of the Environmental team of the Academy of Science, agreed to indicate that the problem must be investigated in-depth, in order to establish the real causes.

They said that as lately as yesterday, when they visited the zone, there were many fresh dead fish and others in a state of anguish, among them fishes of big size, suitable for the market.

Everything we found has to be confirmed, but the impression we have is that there was a toxic substance which has affected the system, because the fish are very stressed, expressed Heredia.

And independently of that, although it was three days ago, dead fish still appear, the quantity of fish is enormous; it is a fish carpet. And, in the roots of the mangrove there is nothing alive any more, this is why we suppose that there must be a toxic substance, he explained.

The expert of the environmental office indicated that the samples collected on the beach will be carried to the laboratory, in order to establish the real causes of the death of so much of species.

Because in the zone a system of illegal fishing is used, some people allotted to that the death of fish. The mortality of the species could be due to the use of this inadequate equipment, which is subjected to checking, without speaking of the fact that in the neighborhoods of the zone, people were seen fumigating.

Hoy Digital, by Teófilo Abreu O. Mejia, 19.09.07

Dismantling of an attack against the chief of the security of AILA

LAS AMERICAS AIRPORT. The chief of the security of the International Airport of Las Americas denounced a plan of plot against his life orchestrated by a senior official of the Navy who claims to act in complicity with another civil servant.

The version was confirmed by Major General Valentín Jáquez López, director of the Intelligence of the Armed Forces, who explained that the civil servant was questioned and will be sent to the civil justice to be accused of the imputed charges.

The person threatened of died and for whom a hired killer charged to assassinate him was contracted, is Colonel Juan Francisco Tejada Genao, chief of the security of the AILA and assigned to the Specialized Body of Airport Safety (CESA).

Although not confirmed, the version of the soldiers who are in service in the AILA would be that the civil servant of the Navy would have been questioned and recognized guilty of a hypothetical plan related to the drugs traffic operating by the airports.

The Management of the Intelligence J-2 of the Armed Forces is investigating on the senior Navy official.

Diario Libre, by Tomás Ventura, 20.09.07

The Louvre in SD

World famous art from The Louvre of Paris is on exhibit in Santo Domingo starting today. This is a premiere for the Louvre.

Walk or drive around the Independence Park in the Colonial City to view the full-sized reproductions of some of the museum’s most famous paintings. « Images from the Louvre » display s six centuries of European paintings, from the Middle Ages to the first half of the 19th Century, with 122 reproductions and artwork from the greats such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Rafael Sanzio and Diego Velasquez, and Dominican-born Theodore Chasseriau.

El Caribe presents a special edition on the works of art to its subscribers. The issue will be available to those who attend the opening of the exhibition today at the Independence Park. The outdoor exhibit will be open to the public until 15 November.

DR1, 18.09.07

Opening of the first subway line in January

President Leonel Fernández announced that the first line of the Subway of Santo Domingo will be open next year and reiterated that the station Villa Mella will have the name of the defender of the rights of the Dominican farmers Mamá Tingó.

He revealed that all the Subway stations will have the names of historical and contemporary figures of Dominican Republic, like los Taínos, Trinitarios, Gregorio Luperón, Juan Pablo Duarte, Professor Juan Bosch, Joaquin Balaguer, Colonel Francis Caamaño, Francisco Peña Gómez and Amín Abel Hasbún for the station in the neighborhoods of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD).

President Fernández gave this information at the time of a meeting with the Dominican Diaspora resident in New York.

He explained that this subway will be the subway of all the Dominicans and that it will definitively make enter the Dominican Republic in the modern era of century XXI.

The President announced that the Government will receive the assistance of the New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) and will acquire Software for the correct operation of the train, which will be at disposal in the Office of the Subway of Santo Domingo.

Diario Dominicano, 24.09.07

PN will use tankers to repress the strike of October 2nd

Four tankers will be used by the Police force to resist the strike convened by the Alternate Social Forum for October 2nd.

The presentation of the trucks was made this Monday during a meeting directed by the chief of the police force, Major General Rafaël Guillermo Guzmán Fermín, to which the staff of this body assisted.

The spokesman of the Police force, General Ramón Francisco Rodriguez Sánchez, informed that they are already conceiving the strategies which will be implemented before, during and after the day of protest.

He said that it will be a question with these trucks of dissuading the demonstrators in order to they do not cause disorders.

It is emphatic to say that with these measures they want to prevent that the agents use firearms during the demonstrations of protest.

These vehicles will expel ink, stinking water and chemical agents. They will be used in the National District, the province of Santo Domingo, San Francisco de Macorís and in Cibao Central.

Al Momento, 25.09.07

Formation of the Tropical Storm Karen

The new tropical storm Karen was born this Tuesday, forming the 12th tropical depression of the cyclonic season in the Atlantic Ocean. It does not represent immediate threat to land areas.

At 09:00 GMT, the center of tropical storm Karen was located near latitude 10.4 North, longitude 38.0 West or about 1565 miles, 2520 kilometers east of the Windward Islands, with constant winds of 65 kilometers per hour (40 miles per hour), said the National Hurricanes Center.

The storm moves towards the north-west at 26 kph (16 mph) and it is expected that it will be strengthened in the next 24 hours.

The winds extend outward up to 72 kilometers (45 miles) from its center.

The tropical storm Jerry weakened until being transformed into a depression which was dissipated in cold water of the Atlantic. Jerry, formed on Sunday, dissipated during the night of Monday without threatening any land.

El Caribe, 25.09.07

Vaccine Clinical Research against the dengue progresses

LYON – France. – a potential vaccine against the dengue shown positive results at the time of the first clinical trials and will be subjected to efficacy studies on a great scale in 2008, as informed an executive of Sanofi Pasteur, vaccines division of the pharmaceutical industry Sanofi Aventis.

The vaccine is based on a new technology which incorporates protein covers of the four serotypes of the virus which causes the dengue and it will be the first tetravalent vaccine against the disease to reach phase III of the clinical trials, which implies the realization of investigation on thousands of people.
To protect us from this disease, we should be protected from the four viruses », explained Marie Quentin-Millet, responsible of the research and the development for Sanofi Pasteur in France.

With this vaccine we obtained hundred percent of seroconversion against the four serotypes in voluntary adults in the United States.

Additional studies are scheduled on children in endemic sectors.

Sanofi Pasteur works since the Nineties by evaluating various technologies to develop the vaccine which, if it shows his efficacy and obtains an approval of the authorities, would be on the market in the years 2012.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 24 thousand people die annually because of the dengue, a disease which threatens more than one hundred tropical and sub-tropical countries and territories, among them the Dominican Republic.

Cases were also reported in Texas and in the north of Australia.

According to Quentin-Millet, the sector where the mosquito Aedes aegypti transmitter of the disease, extends because the climate is changing.

Listín Diario, by Jaclin Campos, 25.09.07

There are three thousand false lawyers; they swindle the tourist investors

Yesterday, the president of the Lawyers of the Dominican Republic College (CARD) denounced the fact that in the country there are more than 3.000 false lawyers who devote themselves to swindle investors in tourist projects, mainly in the Eastern area.

Julio Cesar Terrero Carvajal said that this discovery took place after the Disciplinary Court made a purification of the registration of the college, and then discovered that thousands of their members had been registered in an irregular way.

He asked the judges to require from professionals of the right to present their identification license to the CARD and to add their professional number to every act and instance, as establishes by article 18 of law 91-83, implemented by the college.

He added that to avoid the bad practices, last year the Supreme Court of Justice has prohibited to the law students to practice the profession as academic practice.

In another order, Terrero Carvajal said that during his management, 800 customer complaints against lawyers were recorded, and that more than 55 million pesos in liquid and goods were restored to the affected people.

He explained that the majority of the files presented to the Disciplinary Court through the Public National Ministry of the CARD, are related to infringements to the traffic and labor laws through which the appointed lawyers perceived the totality of the judgments by excluding their customers.

Among these cases, there are also those of lawyers appropriating themselves goods by using false documents.

He said that at the time of 155 audiences, 19 lawyers were sanctioned with sentences going up to five years of suspension.

Hoy Digital, by Carmen Matos, le 25.09.07

Chávez offers to provide RD with the totality of oil

Venezuela could assume the provisioning of the totality of the oil and hydrocarbons quota of Dominican Republic, in preferential conditions allowed at 160 thousand daily barrels.

The Venezuelan ambassador, Francisco Belisario Landis, emphasized that the country is qualified to take advantage of these benefits thanks to the Petrocaribe agreements.

He expressed that if the Government formalizes its request we will work on it with the Ministerial Council and examine it with the necessary attention.

It is hoped that with the return to the country of President Leonel Fernández, planned for the weekend, the Council of the Government meets to evaluate the situation of the oil, which recorded these last days historical increasing in prices.

One of the options suggested by the secretary of Finances, Vicente Bengoa, is that the Dominican Republic buys in Venezuela all the crude and fuels which it imports from various parts of the world.

The Venezuelan ambassador Belisario Landis explained that although the daily fuel quota that Petrocaribe assigned to the Dominican Republic is of 50.000 daily barrels, they import only between 25 and 30 thousand barrels per day.

El Día Digital, by Máximo Manuel Pérez, 25.09.07

Dominican Republic has votes for Security Council seat, official says

SANTO DOMINGO.- Foreign Relations minister Carlos Morales today said Dominican Republic has the support of African countries and small island-States to obtain a post in the United Nations (UN) Security Council.

He said the country has the votes needed to obtain the post. We have worked strongly, we continued the work to pick up support from the nations and in that regard we have been very successful.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Ysaolim Mieses refused to say how many votes the country has in the competition for the UN post, because the supports and lobbying are secret, to prevent helping a competitor, in this occasion Costa Rica, the rival for the seat to be chosen next October.

He said an attitude of agreement and dialogue characterizes Dominican Republic’s efforts, adhering to the UN’s cardinal principles.

Dominican Today, 26.09.07

After murder of 8 Dominican police, agents won’t “think twice”

Since Rafael Guzman began his tenure as Police chief on August 19, 8 policemen have died and 14 have been injured in the line of duty or victims of assaults.

Police spokesman Ramon Rodriguez said the incidents in the line of duty are from exchanges of gunfire and when holdups occur, the criminals generally seek to take the agent’s weapon.

In 20 of those cases charges have been filed agaisnt 24 people and both homicides separately committed on Monday are under investigation. Rodriguez said Police have identified one suspect while there are no leads in the second killing.

Of the eight murdered 6 are agents and 2 are lieutenants.

In a posthumous tribute for 6 agents who had been killed at the hand of civilians at that moment, Guzmán warned the agents, « don’t think twice » when confronting the criminals.

Dominican Today, 26.09.07

Humanitarian Dominico Europea Association, under full development, will receive its 10th container

Thanks to its team of volunteers in France our association is loading its tenth container; drugs, clothing, medical material, consumable medical and books constitute the 60m3 which will take the sea today.

Many thanks to those who took part in this solidarity action and in particular in Béziers to Mr. and Mrs. Piccolo, Mr the Director of the hospital, Mrs. the Director of the pharmacy, all the team of PHI 34 in Epinal, all the team of PHI 88 in Rodez, all the team of PHI 12 in Ussel (19), the Laboratories Pierre Fabre in Mayenne, the Commander Dorange, director of the First-aid Organizations in Avallon, the Rotary club and its President Mr. Doctor Servettaz and Mrs, Mr. and Mrs. Lepoint.

In Brive Mr. and Mrs. Monteil who manage the recovery of clothing, of toys and material for each container; « Les Bébés de Sabine » which give us all their stock of unsold clothing, and finally all the team of Transport Darfeuille-Salvesen of Brive which helped us to charge and LMF Aduanas, Mr. Jean Claude Fernandez who helps us at the reception of this container.

Everybody is very motivated to help us, knowing that our teams in Dominican Republic are there to help the needier and to control the distribution of the container. Our new statute of Dominican Foundation, recognized by the Dominican State, will enable us to develop our actions in the province of Samaná and to sensitize other countries that France to support us (file in progress in Canada).

A lot of work remains to be done in order to achieve our goals but we know that we can count on the assistance of many Dominicans, French and foreigners to improve and amplify our humane actions: continuation of sight controls in the Dominican schools, free consultations in the villages, installation of a Family planning, organization of surgical operations by voluntary surgeons.

Our office library is open every morning from 10h. to 13h. in Casa Linda.

Tel 809 240 50 73.

Email: od.ten.tenretni@modper.inamuh

Website: www.humani-repdom.com

The Humanitarian Dominico Europea Association, 26.09.07

The DNCD affirms to have dismantled tens drug points

The National Office of Drugs Control informed that the unit of this organization which gives a follow-up to the denunciations of the citizens allowed the organization to dismantle 30 drug distribution points in two weeks, while arresting at least 50 people during these operations.

The action was defined by the president of the institution, Major General Rafaël Radhamés Ramirez Ferreiras, like transcendent, because it enables us to answer to the evil which harms everybody.

Ramirez Ferreira said that a specialized team is appointed to receive the denunciations, by various ways, those are then transmitted to civil servants and to special agents in order to answer the concern of the citizens.

He revealed that in the sector of Herrera a network directed by four men was dismantled; the latter were armed with guns and revolvers.

This network operated in the sector of Altagracia, and its members were identified by the organization.

The president of the DNCD said that these people were denounced by residents of the zone as forming part of an organization which distributed drugs of several types.

He indicated that the prisoners dedicated themselves to exchange drugs against various types of articles, especially Rolex, Sinobi, Movado and Breitling watches, as well as rings and bracelets made of precious metals.

Listín Diario, 26.09.07

DR obtains a seat with the Council of the ICAO

The Dominican Republic obtained, for the first time, a seat in the International Civil Aviation Organization- (ICAO), thus forming part of the 36 Member States of this international organization.

The Dominican representation composed by members of the Dominican Institute of the Civil aviation, IDAC and of the Parliament of the Civil aviation, JAC, carried its proposal to Montreal, in Canada, where the assembly number 36 of the ICAO takes place, proposal endorsed by the last successes obtained, including the recovery of the Category One.

The Secretary of State and general manager of the IDAC, Tomás Pérez, who directs the delegation, declared that « by mandate of Mr. President of the Republic, Doctor Leonel Fernández, we did all our best in order that the country can occupy this position, event that we are celebrating now. It is the first time in the history of the aviation that we present a proposal and receive the support of the other Member States, which voted for us »

To succeed in obtaining this important position, the IDAC and the JAC, jointly with the Airport Department, combined all their efforts to achieve this goal.

At the time of the 36th Parliament of the ICAO, which takes place from September 18th to 28th, 17 states disputed the 13 remaining positions, to supplement the total of the 36 seats of the council.

The other countries having obtained a seat in this group, jointly with the Dominican Republic, are Cameroon, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ghana, Indonesia, Malaysia, Namibia, Pakistan, Korea, Romania, the Arab Emirates and Uruguay.

With the success represented by the obtaining of this seat within the ICAO, and after having obtained the Category One, the country strengthens its image with regard to the civil aviation on a world level.

El Viajero Digital, 27.09.07

Drinking time to 1am ?

The Ministry of Interior and Police has caved in to pressure and announced that it would extend the official time limit for selling alcoholic drinks to 1am at selected restaurants and businesses in Santiago de los Caballeros and Santo Domingo, the country’s two largest cities.

The government has relaxed the measure already in tourist destinations.

Minister Franklin Almeyda Rancier made the announcement on Friday. He said that the extension is not being applied nationwide, but at authorized centers.

He said that anyone who would like an extension should apply at the Ministry of Interior and Police, and their businesses will be evaluated by the fire service and public health ministry officials to determine whether they qualify.

Last year the government instituted time limits from Sunday to Thursday to midnight, and on Fridays and Saturdays and holidays to 2am.

The measure was welcomed by parents, but criticized from some quarters on the grounds that that the DR lived off tourism and people came here to party.

The Police backed the curfews, saying that most gun fights occurred between people who were under the influence of alcohol.

DR1, 25.09.07

Migration dismissed 400 inspectors in three years

The director of the Migration, Carlos Amarante Baret, revealed that more than 400 inspectors were dismissed during his management because they were related to the traffic of people.

We suspect that much of them have bonds with people who function like clandestine consulates in the country. Several of them who were discovered during our management were subjected to the justice and for several of them with the measurements of coercion dictated by the courts, said Amarante Baret during an interview at the opening meeting of the operations of the new Specialized Border Security Corp’s (Cesfront)

Regarding the traffic of Cubans, the civil servant indicated that this aspect acquires a special nuance because it is a matter of an illegal migration where the money movement is in dollars.

He specified that they are Cuban families who pay gangsters in Dominican Republic.

For us it is difficult to control this traffic, because regarding the Cubans who are here, much are in a legal situation when they are transferred to us by the Navy, for instance they are residents and moreover, one part of them do not enter by Las Americas Airport Americas but by Haiti, he expressed.

The civil servant declared that obviously a criminal organization takes part in this traffic.

He affirmed that he coordinates joint actions with the Navy for a better control and follow-up of the traffic of Cubans.

He indicated that the Migration does not have logistics to go beach after beach and hotel after hotel to detect that at any time they can take refuge in the country.

In another order, the director of the Migration said that the Spanish José Rodríguez Salvador accused of rape, is banned from the country as requested by the General Attorney of the Republic, Radhamés Jiménez Peña.

Listín Diario, by Ramón Pérez Reyez, 27.09.07

Fernandez to U.N.: Dominican like a phoenix rising from the ashes

NEW YORK.- Dominican president Leonel Fernandez Thursday morning told the 62nd General Assembly of the United Nations that his country is like a “phoenix bird, emerging from our own ashes” of corruption, inflation, unemployment and crime, but warned that negative international influences could derail its progress.

Fernandez praised his government’s success in restoring the Dominican Republic’s credibility with investors and international trading partners since the economic crisis of 2003 which sparked a 100 percent devaluation of the peso and a subsequent rise in poverty and crime. He said the country’s economic growth is at risk of losing momentum due to rising oil prices and fluctuations in the cost of staple foods like milk, chicken, bread, and eggs.

As you could appreciate, we are facing a grave situation which could lead our people towards widespread hunger, and consequently, catastrophy and a fall into extreme poverty, Fernandez said.

Fernandez criticized free trade, saying it protects wealthy, powerful countries at the expense of people in developing countries, particularly farmers, who don’t benefit from subsidies and want a fair price for their product. The fact is that the challenges of globalization have a harsh impact on countries such as the Dominican Republic. What we are experiencing is the interdependent character of current international trends.

Fernandez also emphasized the need for international solidarity in addressing problems like climate change, which he said poses a real threat to the attractiveness of his country as a tourist destination. He said cooperation must begin with a revamping of the United Nations from its current Cold War-era structure to one that better corresponds to modern international relationships and recognizes smaller countries.

In the midst of the 21st century, we, the Dominican Republic, do not truly comprehend why the president of the World Bank must be an American, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund a European, [and] all the important global decisions taken by only five countries, he said.

Fernandez said he would like to see Dominican Republic, as a founding member of the UN, appointed to a non-permanent position on the Security Council in order to be a voice in favor of the weak, the most vulnerable, the deprived, and the most condemned on the earth.

Dominican Today, 27.09.07

The Armed Forces and the Police Force are prepared to face the strike

The secretary of the Armed Forces, General Lieutenant Ramón Aquino García, announced yesterday to those which convened the strike for next Tuesday that if they disturb the law and the order, they will have to face this institution and the National police force.

Although he did not enter in detail to the measures which will be carried out, he informed that to ensure the law and order and to protect the private properties, mixed patrols will be formed and the principal entry and exit points will be supervised in all the country, with soldiers at the strategic points.

He exhorted the popular groups to carry out the strike in a peaceful manner, without disturbing the citizens, and to respect their freedom of movement.

He indicated that they are prepared to face any situation which could occur in the country.

El Día Digital, by Roberto Gil, 28.09.07

Milk prices up

Going to the super market or to the colmado to buy milk has been more expensive for ten days.

Increases in price which are going from 4 up to 149 pesos per can affected these last days five types of dried, evaporated and condensed milk, by affecting the economic situation of thousands of families using this food as basic nutritional source.

The president of the Association of the Wholesalers Tradesmen of Santo Domingo, Daniel Peña, qualified as abusive the increases because they affect the development of the poorest classes.

The only milks maintaining an invariable price are the liquid ones.

The increases in price of the various types of dried, evaporated, and condensed milk are due to the fact that the metric ton of dried milk increased from 2.400 to 5.300 dollars.

The reports indicate that the distributors of evaporated, dried and condensed milk increased the prices of the various types of this product in order to not operate at a loss.

According to the Secretary of Agriculture, Salvador Jiménez, the dairy sector of the country had an enormous growth during the three last three years and the Dominican Republic will finish this year with a production of milk of more than 600 million liters.

This quantity represents half of the domestic demand.

Listín Diario, by Jairon Severino, 28.09.07

Dominican authorities resume campaign against dengue

The Public Health and Education ministries yesterday resumed the campaign against dengue in the country’s public and private schools, in this occasion involving more than 2.5 million students and 70,000 teachers.

The effort, which will also be carried out next April, aims to mobilize the population in the fight against the disease transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

The campaign’s inaugural was held in a school in the barrio La Fe, whose students learned how the disease is transmitted, how to prevent it and what to do once infected.

More than 6,000 cases of dengue have been reported so far this year, with 30 probable deaths blamed on the disease.

Dominican Today, 28.09.07

Formation of the fourteenth tropical depression in the Atlantic

The fourteenth tropical depression of the Atlantic hurricane season formed today in the south-west of the African archipelago of the Cape Verde, informed the National Hurricanes Center (NHC) of the United States.

The depression currently presents maximum sustained winds near 55 km hour, with higher gusts and some strengthening is possible during the next 24 hours.

The NHC informed in its advisory of 15.00 GMT of today that the center of the newly formed tropical depression was located near latitude 14.1 north, longitude 26.5 west or about 340 kilometers south-west of the Cape Verde Islands.

The weather phenomenon is moving toward the west near 11 km hour and, according to the projections of the NCH, a gradual turn to the northwest is expected on Saturday.

On its side, the National Office of Meteorology (ONAMET) also maintains the monitoring of the evolution and the development of the tropical storm Karen, located 1280 km east-north of the Lesser Antilles, and which is moving toward the west/northwest near 15 km hour with maximum sustained winds near 65 km hour.

In the meantime, the tropical storm « Lorenzo” , which made landfall over the coast of Mexico as category 1 hurricane this morning was downgraded today to tropical depression in the east of the country, although ” the red alert » is maintained in tens of communes because of intense precipitations.

Since the beginning of this season, which began on June 1st and which will finish on November 30th, twelve tropical storms already formed, of which 4 were upgraded to hurricane, with 2 among them, « Dean » and « Felix », of category 5, the highest on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

The meteorologists of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States forecast the formation of seven to nine hurricanes, including three to five which could be upgraded to cyclones of great intensity (category 3, 4 or 5).

Diario Libre, 28.09.07