Clave weekly newspaper and Clave Digital to cease publication?

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Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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Online newspaper Clave Digital and weekly printed sister publication Clave are to stop publishing with today's editions.

Clave y Clave Digital salen de circulaci?n ma?ana
Semanario Clave y Clave Digital dejar?n de circular este jueves - ElNacional.com.do

If this is true, it is a great loss media-wise as it was the best quality journalism available in the country. While catering to a more sophisticated minority readership was never going to be a mass-market success, one has to wonder about the abrupt nature of this decision. Clave Digital itself makes no mention of it in today's edition (as yet) but apparently the editorial column in Clave does confirm the news.

The official version would appear to be financial reasons but there has to be more to it - like the revelations about the Police Chief and Torre Atiemar and generally a lot of criticism of the government.

Withholding government advertising may have partly contributed to Clave's demise. The government's large advertising budget is what keeps most of the media afloat, and the media in return has to rein in some of its more outspoken criticism. Clave in contrast pushed its luck with last week's cover of Guzm?n Ferm?n in the style of a wanted ad with the caption "Witness tells of Police Chief's links with owner of Atiemar".

Nexo CLAVE :: CLAVE digital

There are even suggestions that the murder of a doctor who was exercising near the Botanical gardens earlier this week was a case of mistaken identity. He reportedly resembled the editor of Clave.

Ante un plan criminal :: CLAVE digital

?Por qu? cerr? Clave? - Hoy Digital

Very worrying indeed and my heart goes out to the doctor's family and to the editor and staff of Clave and Clave Digital, among whom we have several friends.
 
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donP

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Dec 14, 2008
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No Free Press

In a narco state there is no free press.
Investigative journalists have been receiving death threats and several local reporters were killed.

Nuria, Alicia Ortega, Marino Zapete need to take good care.

donP
 
C

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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Round-up in today's DR1 news:

Clave newspaper closes
A week after it published a cover story with statements by a witness in the Arturo del Tiempo drug trafficking case linking Police chief Rafael Guillermo Guzman Fermin and his family to Del Tiempo, the newspaper says goodbye to its readers in this week's issue cover story. The director of the online and weekly news service, Fausto Rosario Adames, announced the closure of both its outlets. "This week both media close until new times, when there is a less sinister atmosphere and economic crisis than at present," said Rosario. "We always resisted the pressure, and with the support of the Grupo Abrisa we forged ahead. With ups and downs, we carried out serious and responsible journalism, interested in contributing to the democratic system". Clave has published 230 print editions every Thursday since 2006, with its digital service dating to March 2004.
"The official and factual powers are tough, they act and seek to remove the media that make them uncomfortable. In our case, we have given a great battle. We have proved that more in-depth journalism is possible," said Rosario. "We risked going beyond what the traditional media have done," he said.

"Why did Clave close?"
Hoy newspaper's lead story today reports that Dr. Sergio Rafael Rojas Soriano's murder was a case of mistaken identity. The doctor was murdered while exercising near the Botanical Gardens and the UNPHU University. Only his gun was stolen from him. The killers are reported to have been targeting a newspaper editor who exercised along that route. The report says that shortly after the killing, a police officer called the newspaper executive for a meeting.
Clave newspaper, in the page 2 commentary of its last printed edition, writes:
"Citizen insecurity is a distinctive sign of the current police administration. A citizen who was exercising on Tuesday was killed by eight bullet wounds. It was not a robbery, because his belongings were left beside the body. He was victim of a criminal intelligence job and professionally killed. The doctor, who worked at the UCE private clinic, Sergio Rafael Rojas Soriano, 52, met his death opposite one of the most beautiful and healthy spots of the country, the Botanical Gardens".
Clave claims to have information that the murder was a mistake and that the order was to target a newspaper executive whose age and physical appearance is similar to the doctor, who exercised early that morning.
"The data are being confirmed and that is why we cannot share more details. Nevertheless, 10 minutes after the crime against Rojas Soriano, a high-ranking officer of the National Police called the newspaper executive "to coordinate a meeting." Because of the time, it was an unusual call.
"Without fear and with serenity the precautions have been taken and we are thus informing the political, military and police and the general police that we are aware where the aggression plans are coming from," writes the newspaper.
?Por qu? cerr? Clave? - Hoy Digital
Click to expand...
 
Hillbilly

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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That is ominous!! The caricaturist was a student of mine...gonna miss his work.

It is evident, as Adriano Miguel Tejada had editorialized, that we are everyday closer to a social revolution. Unfortunately, in this country the bad guys have all (most) of the weapons..

HB
 
Robert

Robert

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I think we can all read between the lines why it closed.

Dominicans will gossip about this, air their disgust amongst their close friends and do nothing.

Welcome to the DR, a Narco State.
 
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Onions/Carrots

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Jan 3, 2003
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Robert said:
I think we can all read between the lines why it closed.

Dominicans will gossip about this, air their disgust amongst their close friends and do nothing.

Welcome to the DR, a Narco State.
Click to expand...

WOW to hear level headed and at times an egg head, just kidding, Rob state that the DR is a NARCO-STATE is indeed ominous. I've never read from Rob anything negative concerning the DR.

This is a first!!!

Trujillo may have been a bastard but he was the only one.
 
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Robert

Robert

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Onions/Carrots said:
WOW to hear level headed and at times an egg head, just kidding, Rob state that the DR is a NARCO-STATE is indeed ominous. I've never read from Rob anything negative concerning the DR.

This is a first!!!

Trujillo may have been a bastard but he was the only one.
Click to expand...

I have said lots of bad stuff about the DR, or should I say, stuff that frustrates me.

To me the war on drugs was lost here years ago.
It goes to such a high level, that I don't see anything happening anytime soon.

- High level Government, Police and Military involved.
- Lots of money being washed, that we see visually daily.
- Press running scared.
- Apathetic Dominicans that will not say boo.

Just legalize it, let the Government make some money from it. They could pay off the Metro, fix the electricity problem, buy more jeepetas etc.
 
aarhus

aarhus

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Jun 10, 2008
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Critic

Onions/Carrots said:
WOW to hear level headed and at times an egg head, just kidding, Rob state that the DR is a NARCO-STATE is indeed ominous. I've never read from Rob anything negative concerning the DR.

This is a first!!!

Trujillo may have been a bastard but he was the only one.
Click to expand...

I have read both positive and negative critic of the DR from Robert here on dr1
 
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donP

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Me First

Robert said:
Just legalize it, let the Government make some money from it.
Click to expand...
They will never do that unless Big Brother does it first.
Also, they want to fill their private pockets and not generate revenue for the state.
In this country it is: ME FIRST.

donP
 
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engineerfg

Guest
Onions/Carrots said:
This begs the question-Would the U.S. allow it?
Click to expand...

What I found really strange was that the poor doctor that was shot at the botanical garden... he was exercising with a pistol and a rolex watch. How does that work? The watch I can see, my dad is old and weird and exercises with a gold watch too, but a pistol? Surely that's uncomfortable to exercise with?
 
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principe

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I recall Nals being quite voiceferous on the DR not being a Narco State. I wonder what he opines of all this? Would love to hear his views.

Again, the connections between Guzman Fermin and the ppl of Atiemar probably should not be looked into.

And I assume that the Govt. probably shut down Clave because of a license violation or something like that. We all know how well regulated DR is by its authorities.

Que chiste de pais eh!!
 
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donP

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Rolex + Gun

engineerfg said:
... he was exercising with a pistol and a rolex watch. How does that work?
Click to expand...

Makes sense in this country.
If you don't want to have your Rolex watch robbed, you need to carry a gun.
Unfortunately, in this case the 'sicarios' were not after his watch but his life... :tired:

donP
 
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engineerfg

Guest
Not to go off on a tangent, but say what you will about Hugo Chavez, he hasn't (yet) (as far as I know) ordered the assassination of a reporter - he just cancels the tv stations public license. :p

Why do Dominicans not organize and get outraged over this type of thing? Is it just fatigue from it happening too much??
 
Robert

Robert

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engineerfg said:
Not to go off on a tangent, but say what you will about Hugo Chavez, he hasn't (yet) (as far as I know) ordered the assassination of a reporter - he just cancels the tv stations public license. :p

Why do Dominicans not organize and get outraged over this type of thing? Is it just fatigue from it happening too much??
Click to expand...

I have asked that question more times that I care to remember.
Dominicans are apathetic and feel that they cannot make change happen.

Dominicans are very individuel and not so much into the collective or community movements. Plus they are still comfortable, it's doesn't effect them directly.

I have no doubt a few drive by shootings of innocent people in the more affluent areas of Santo Domingo will cause a change of mood.

It needs to get much worse before you see the local populace start up rising.

Back to the subject at hand...

It doesn't surprise me about USA funds. They do it all over the world.

In the case of Clave, it was a very well regarded newspaper and if USA funds
help to keep it afloat, then I have no problem with that :)
 
PICHARDO

PICHARDO

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May 15, 2003
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Robert said:
I think we can all read between the lines why it closed.

Dominicans will gossip about this, air their disgust amongst their close friends and do nothing.

Welcome to the DR, a Narco State.
Click to expand...

If we're label the DR a "Narco State" ala Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela... Where does that leaves the US? A "Narco Empire" maybe?

Just recently the "news" of how banks like Wachovia funneled a little less than 300 Billion US$ in their candid operations in LA via their own US channels, leaves much room for labels doesn't it?

That's the US where banking restrictions makes the UE restrictions look like something a kindergartener came up with, what can we call those states then? La Cosa Narcosa Nostra?

There's little argument that narco money is channeled in the DR via RE and dubious investments, but we're eons away from even reaching the levels of Panama, Miami, NYC, London, etc... Take the drug money out of any of those great cities and the hoouse of cards will come down so hard that nothing will stop it.

It's almost impossible to know which foreign investor is linked to drug capitals in the DR. Not the same in regards to Dominicans at home. I for one had the bad luck of coming in contact with one such drug-linked foreign investor in the DR some 5 years ago. He had the credentials and a quick search of his background in his country came back clean (or so it was believed). Later on the closing stages of the contract, we find out he's under investigation for money laundering in France, where a company he's heading was taken-over by the French's financial probe. We found out from INTERPOL in the DR that a warrant was issued for him, but there was not a peep from the financial system in France to indicate any changes on his background at that point...

Same thing happened in the case of Del Tiempo and his links with the DR, Spanish backgrounds checks came back clean and confidential. Later we discover he was under investigation by the same authorities from ties to money laundering and a link in the DR for drugs.

That's why most Dominican investors shy away from most mid to large level financial ventures with foreigners so far.

Calling the DR a Narco State is far from the reality in the country, where less than 5% of the overall RE infrastructure has been proven to have links to drug money at all. If most of these same nations took the precautions taken in the DR to identify illicit wealth before a "clean" report is offered overseas, we wouldn't have such large scale of foreign drug money invested. How many Dominican investors abroad have been ousted as drug fronts so far? Ochoa Hermanos, Hache and others invest in the same foreign companies they buy from in the US and PR!

Large drug syndicates operating in the DR are mostly if not 99% made up of foreign heads. Part of why the gov pays that hefty paycheck to big shots in the DR and people on important positions, is in fact to present them with an incentive to avoid falling for drug money offers.

Just like in the USA, CANADA, MEXICO, UK, etc... It?s very hard to win against deep pockets and outright terror.

One thing many big cartels vying for the DR biz got lost in translation was the fact that Dominicans by far, have been one of the most lethal groups when dealing in the underworld biz. They never took under account that not only were the crime figures in the DR after their wares, but so too the Police, Army, Politicians and pretty much anybody with a clear view of the loot.
 
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arg1118

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Mar 11, 2010
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Thank you Windeguy!

Windeguy FTW....


The DR is a Narco-State.

This is not likely to change unless a whole generation of good hearted Dominicans come to power together with a single vision of making the DR what it can be.

Regardless of what is happening in the US or anywhere else (only really care for the DR's condition and factors that affect it)... there is horrible corruption in the DR and narco control.

Drugs need to be legalized or another Trujillo to take over... or Warren Buffet and B. Gates can just pool their money hire a merc army and clean the DR the hard way.... it is what I would do if I had 40+ billion in cash. 2 weeks of "cleansing" and the no more criminals/corrupts:rambo::rambo::rambo::rambo::rambo: in DR.
 
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