DR1 Daily News - Monday, 12 September 2016

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President Medina visits Puerto Plata
Public Works Ministry says Malecon works making good progress
Santo Domingo has a new Archbishop
Rosario claims drug trafficking money used in elections
Tourists survive boat capsizing
La Romana judge fired for releasing cocaine smugglers
Two Haitians arrested in murder of Italian
An SUV for Olympic medalist Luisito Pie
Live Jazz at Lulu Tasting Bar
Environmental Film Festival opens 13 September
Franklin Dominguez comedy opens Thursday
Suarez Brothers Circus coming to town



President Medina visits Puerto Plata
President Danilo Medina was in the north coast province of Puerto Plata on Sunday, 11 September 2016, visiting the towns of Cabarete and Sosua to mingle with the people. In Cabarete, community representatives asked the President to help speed up the construction of the public school and a water treatment plant. They also asked for street lighting and paving, the town bypass, a cemetery, the small Catalina Bridge, and a clinic, as reported on the Presidency web page.

In Sosua, President Medina listened to community representatives expressing a series of needs, including improvements to the hospital, the potable water supply, and street paving.

Medina was accompanied by Administrative Minister of the Presidency Jose Ramon Peralta and Minister of Public Works Gonzalo Castillo.

https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...upa-por-necesidades-de-cabarete-y-sosua-video


Public Works Ministry says Malecon works making good progress
The Ministry of Public Works says that the road works on the western end of Santo Domingo?s Malecon between the 30 de Mayo Highway and George Washington Avenue are 90% complete. The works are aimed at easing traffic flow along the seafront avenue.

Ministry spokesman Ramon Antonio Pepin said that they still needed to complete the construction of a parking area and cleaning the drainage system. These works are due for completion by 22 September 2016, he said.

Pepin mentioned that the new U-turns at 30 de Mayo Highway and the Av. Abraham Lincoln, Feria Ganadera, Cervecer?a and Universidad del Caribe intersections have been completed.

Overall, the Malecon improvements include 20 points where U-turns are allowed.

As part of the program, sidewalks and gardening have been improved. At certain points the road has been widened from two to four lanes to make it easier for drivers to turn.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...rabajos-en-el-malecon-estan-concluidos-en-90-
http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...jos-de-la-avenida-george-washington-YM4916670


Santo Domingo has a new Archbishop
Monsignor Francisco Ozoria was installed as Archbishop of Santo Domingo on Saturday, 10 September 2016. Ozoria served as Bishop of San Pedro de Macoris for 19 years.

In his first mass to thousands of Catholic faithful congregated at the Palacio de los Deportes, Ozoria asked Divine Providence for the wisdom to best carry out his pastoral mission. ?I know I am not alone,? he said, while acknowledging the many challenges ahead.

He appreciated the support and solidarity of his brothers in the Dominican Episcopate Conference. ?I am counting on you and your prayers,? he told them. He also expressed his appreciation to Pope Francis for entrusting him with the leadership of the Catholic Church in Santo Domingo and appointing him as successor to Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, ?to whom I am united by strong spiritual, brotherly and pastoral links,? he said.

Ozoria also made it clear he will be bringing the church closer to the people. During the mass, he said that he would be taking the church to the barrios.

President Danilo Medina and the diplomatic corps accredited in the Dominican Republic were present at Monsignor Ozoria?s first mass.

The mass was co-celebrated by 15 bishops who are members of the Dominican Episcopate Conference, five from the Haiti Episcopate, two from Puerto Rico and the New York emeritus archbishop Monsignor John O?Connor.

Nuncio Jude Thaddeus Okolo and auxiliary bishops V?ctor Masalles and Amancio Escapa accompanied Archbishop Ozoria in the first communion.

Pope Francis also announced that Felipe N??ez would replace Ozoria as the new Bishop of San Pedro de Macoris. At the time of his appointment on 10 September 2016, N??ez was bishop emeritus of Barahona. He had retired in 2015 at the age of 75 after serving in Barahona for 17 years.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...la-divina-providencia-para-su-mision-pastoral
http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...de-monsenor-ozoria-en-palacio-de-los-deportes
http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...n-salida-que-vaya-a-las-comunidades-GN4917329


Rosario claims drug trafficking money used in elections
In an interview with Diario Libre, Central Electoral Board (JCE) president Roberto Rosario warns that the political system will collapse unless limits are imposed on electoral funding. He claimed that drug money has had a powerful influence on the campaigns in many municipalities.

Rosario said that two months before the May 2016 general elections, Central Electoral Board officials met with representatives of the Attorney General and security corps who presented a map showing the municipalities where they were predicting problems caused by individuals with links to drug trafficking and illegal acts, who were running for elected office.

Rosario said that on 15 and 16 May they were able to confirm that the map presented by the authorities was accurate in terms of its effect on the elections.

?If anything became clear during these elections it was the weaknesses caused by the absence of adequate legislation regarding public financing and regulation of private financing in that the political system and all the democratic system were exposed because of a lack of control on funding,? he said. He recalled statements made by the Attorney General and the director of the National Investigations Agency (DNI) that pinpointed that the elections were permeated by the presence of funds from individuals associated with or funded by drug trafficking and crime.

Rosario said that the political parties do not want to confront the issue, when they are the ones who are really responsible. He said that the amount of money that was spent on the elections to obtain senate, deputy and mayor positions was shocking. ?If a summary of the money spent on the campaign was done, we would all have palpitations,? he told Diario Libre.

The interview took place before it was revealed that the United States had cancelled his US visa on Friday, 9 September 2016.

Rosario?s term at the JCE is up and next week the Senate is scheduled to choose the members of the electoral and civil registry government body. Rosario has served as a judge in the JCE for the past 14 years, after he was chosen to represent the interests of the ruling PLD in the board. After the US cancelled the visa with the unusual visit of the General Consul to the JCE, there is a movement in the Senate to confirm Rosario in the position.

See the compete interview at: http://www.diariolibre.com/dialogolibre260116


Tourists survive boat capsizing
A group of nine foreign tourists on a diving excursion in Puerto Plata were rescued at sea on Friday, 9 September 2016, several hours after their scuba diving excursion boat capsized.

Two Air Force helicopters and two Super Tucano aircraft helped locate and rescue the tourists who had been on board the boat ?My Father,? crewed by two Dominicans who were also rescued.

The boat had left from the Ocean World Marina in Puerto Plata for the Cambiaso scuba diving area at 9am, but by noon it was known that it had capsized at sea and the search and rescue operation began, coordinated by the Dominican armada and the Air Force.

The tourists were found floating in their lifejackets about 17 km off Luperon, as reported in Puerto Plata Digital.

http://www.puertoplatadigital.com/verNoticia.aspx?Id=22577


La Romana judge fired for releasing cocaine smugglers
The Judicial Branch Council (CPJ) has fired La Romana judge Aristilda Mercedes Rodriguez who made headlines when she ordered the release of four Venezuelans caught smuggling drugs into the country on 24 March 2016. She was fired for serious offenses.

The Venezuelans were apprehended at the La Romana International Airport with 349 packages of cocaine in their possession. The judge had been suspended since 5 April 2016.

As reported in Diario Libre, during the disciplinary hearing and before inspectors of the Supreme Court of Justice the judge acknowledged that she should have sent the foreigners to pre-trial custody.


Two Haitians arrested in murder of Italian
Two Haitians have been detained as the lead suspects in the murder of 47-year old Severino Toneatto in Las Terrenas, in the northeastern province of Samana. According to Police, Toneatto died of bullet wounds to the head and abdomen. The two Haitians were named as Andios Simon and Reginal Marux. Toneatto, who lived in Hoyo del Cacao with his wife, was attacked as they were both returning home.

The men under arrest had been employed by Toneatto and another Italian, who is also being sought in connection with the ongoing investigation.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...puestamente-por-dos-haitianos-en-las-terrenas


An SUV for Olympic medalist Luisito Pie
Senator Charles Mariotti (Monte Plata-PLD) has donated a compact SUV to Luisito Pie, the only Dominican medalist in the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

The bronze medalist, who is from Bayaguana in Monte Plata province, expressed his appreciation in a post on his Facebook page. In interviews before and after the Olympics, Pie has repeatedly described the difficulties he experiences getting to university and to sports practice.

https://www.facebook.com/luisito.pie


Live Jazz at Lulu Tasting Bar
It?s part of Santo Domingo?s Colonial City calendar of events. The Lulu Tasting Bar Monday jazz nights event presents Alvaro Dinzey on piano, Gelson Henriquez on saxophone and Edgar Molina on percussion this Monday, 12 September 2016. Enjoy a mix of jazz, Latin jazz, bossa nova and more. Music starts as of 6pm.

Free admission. Reservations recommended: Tel 809 687-8360.


Environmental Film Festival opens 13 September
Set time aside for the many eye-opening films that are being shown as part of the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF). The festival opens in Santo Domingo at 5pm on Tuesday, 13 September 2016 at the Agora Mall Palacio de Cine with the film, ?The True Cost.?

All the films are free.

See the complete program at:
http://www.dreff.org/dreff2016/wp-co.../guide2016.pdf


Franklin Dominguez comedy opens Thursday
?My Ex Does it Better,? is a comedy on the effects of finances on couples that opens at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Santo Domingo on Thursday, 15 September 2016.

It is directed by veteran actor Franklin Dominguez.

The leading roles are played by Honey Estrella, Philip Rodriguez, and Ivan Camilo and Evelyna Rodriguez. The play was written by Puerto Rican Carlos Vega Abreu.

The play will continue through Sunday, 18 September. Shows are at 8:30pm and 6:30pm on Sunday.


Suarez Brothers Circus coming to town
The Mexican Circo Hermanos Suarez is coming to Santo Domingo for performances starting 13 October on the Malecon at the corner with Socorro Sanchez Street.

The show is brought by Cesar Suarez. Diario Libre reports that a campaign has been launched on social media to call for the suspension of the shows as trained animals are used. The organizers deny any mistreatment of the animals.

The shows will be Monday to Friday at 8pm, Saturdays at 5pm and Sundays at 2, 5 and 8pm. Tickets are RD$500 children, and adults are RD$700, RD$1,000 and RD$1,400 depending on the circus area.

For more on ongoing and upcoming events:
http://www.dr1.com/calendar


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