DR1 Daily News - Tuesday, 13 September 2016

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Mayor plans multi-storey car park in Colonial City
Visa cancellation has ramifications
Immigration continues to grow
UASD stops classes
More information on Dominicans smuggling dollars
Storm kills two
US tourist dies on flight
Arrest made in death of councilor
More rains forecast
Photo exhibition at Cultural Village in La Romana



Mayor plans multi-storey car park in Colonial City
Speaking at a Listin Diario breakfast meeting on Monday 12 September 2016, National District Mayor David Collado outlined some of his plans for the Colonial City and thanked everyone for their support so far.

He said that his administration represented a change of style and would have more contact with the people, especially through neighborhood groups and community organizations in the city. He confirmed his administration was already very active on social media.

He said that he was going to set up ?a Committee of Friends of the Colonial City? for its residents as he is convinced that the historic quarter has a major role to play in the country?s future and that it needs support and maintenance.

He spoke of the plans to use the area at the intersection between Billini and Arzobispo Meri?o streets to build a multi-storey car park. He said his administration is also approaching businesses to create a network of parking spaces in the Colonial City.

With reference to the Malecon, he said that discussions were underway with the owners of the abandoned buildings to make them comply with the environmental regulations. He reported that the president of the Catalonia Group had told him of plans to purchase an abandoned building on the Malecon, and that he had also expressed his concern that hotel guests were finding it impossible to cross the avenue because of the large number of trucks and heavy vehicles that used the road. Collado said that the city council was also holding discussions with the Industries Association (AIRD) and the National Business Council (Conep) to ensure that their members comply with regulations banning heavy trucks from using the Malecon.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...eno-es-una-ciudad-humana-en-las-manos-de-dios


Visa cancellation has ramifications
The Central Electoral Board (JCE) met on Monday 12 September 2016 to discuss the situation affecting its president, Roberto Rosario Marquez, whose personal and diplomatic visas to the United States were both cancelled by the United States Consulate in the country. They condemned the consulate?s action and said they are asking the Ministry of Foreign Relations to seek an explanation for the reasons for the cancellation from the United States government.

Following the cancellation of Rosario?s visa during an unusual visit to the Central Electoral Board by the United States General Consul, a group of senators is pushing for Rosario to stay on at the helm of the JCE. Rosario?s term is up and this month the Senate is due to choose the new board members for the next four years.

In addition, PLD Deputy Ruben Maldonado describes the visa revocation as a blow to the country?s sovereignty.

Meanwhile, eleven opposition parties are warning that they will not accept Rosario ratification?s as JCE president along with other members of the board nor will they accept the ratification of members of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE).

During a press conference, they stated that none of the members of either of these bodies should be affiliated to any party and that they should be impartial. The statement was issued by Vinicio Castillo Seman from the National Progressive Force, Jesus (Chu) Vasquez from the PRM, Rogelio Genao of the PRSC, Guillermo Moreno of Alianza Pa?s, Elexido Paula of the Dominican Humanist Party, Fidel Santana from the Popular Front, Max Puig from Democratic Alliance, Ricardo Fortuna from the Quisqueya Democratic Christian Party, Manuel Oviedo from Dominicans for Change and Ada Barriola from the Social Christian Party.

The United States government, represented by its mission in the Dominican Republic, chose not to go through diplomatic channels, i.e. the Ministry of Foreign Relations and instead sent the US General Consul to the JCE in person to cancel Rosario?s diplomatic passport US visa. The JCE is now calling on the Ministry of Foreign Relations to formally request an explanation from the US government for the high-ranking Dominican government official?s visa cancellation.

Media speculation is rife on the reasons for the cancellation with mentions of unexplained personal differences between US Ambassador James Brewster and president of the JCE Roberto Rosario, differences over the application of rulings on Dominican nationality, differences over the request for a United States observer mission in the 15 May 2016 general election, and acknowledgements of widespread drug trafficking and criminal funding in the 2016 general election campaign.

As reported in the press, US Ambassador Brewster visited President Danilo Medina shortly before the cancellation. Brewster also visited Foreign Relations Minister Miguel Vargas Maldonado at the Ministry on Monday 12 September 2016.
Meanwhile, the Senate has announced the start of hearings for the selection of the new JCE members.

http://m.elcaribe.com.do/2016/09/13/embajador-.-visita-canciller
http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2016/09/12/diputados-someteran-resolucion-apoyo-roberto-rosario
http://almomento.net/pleno-de-jce-s...lunes-trataran-temas-revocacion-visado/242530
http://elnacional.com.do/creen-atropello-a-rd-retiro-visa-roberto-rosario/
http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...cacion-de-roberto-rosario-en-la-jce-NI4921429


Immigration continues to grow
According to a new International Labor Organizational (ILO) study the United States is the country that receives the most immigrants per year, with an estimated 45 million immigrants in 2015, some 13.9% of the total population.

The study went on to say that 67% of the Dominicans who emigrate go to the United States and every year they send home around US$5 billion, according to Gina Gallardo, speaking at a seminar at the National Migration Institute at the Ministry of Interior and Police.

The ILO says that the continent of the Americas has around 27% of the immigrants in the world with 25.1 million in the United States and Canada and 3.2 million in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2010. Five years later the figures had risen to 37 million in the United States and Canada and 4.3 million in Latin America and the Caribbean, an increase of 13.1 million in only five years.

The Dominican Republic is no exception with 87.7% of its immigrants coming from Haiti. In Costa Rica the immigrants are mainly from Nicaragua and Panama, in Panama and Belize they come from Central America, in Trinidad and Tobago from other Caribbean islands, in Argentina from Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru and Ecuador, in Brazil from Haiti and Paraguay, Chile they come from Peru and Argentina, Venezuela from Colombia and Ecuador, while immigrants to Spain come mainly from Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Colombia.

http://elnacional.com.do/el-87-7-de-la-inmigracion-a-rd-es-de-haitianos/


UASD stops classes
The Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) called off all classes following the protests that took place on Monday, 12 September 2016.

Rector Ivan Grullon Fernandez issued a statement announcing the suspension of classes due to safety risks caused by unrest in the main campus area. He said, however, that classes would resume on Tuesday, 13 September.

There were also protests on Friday, 9 September to call on the university authorities to resume talks with the government for a list of demands including increased budget for the university to ensure salary increases, the maintenance of the library, construction and equipment for the registration, admissions and general archive buildings.

The protesters burned tires and threw garbage into the street blocking traffic in the area.

http://hoy.com.do/uasd-suspende-docencia-por-disturbios-en-su-sede-central/


More information on Dominicans smuggling dollars
According to the Miami Herald new information has emerged in the case of a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation officer who was detained at Miami International Airport in early June 2016 as he arrived from the Dominican Republic with two women in whose luggage agents found about US$2.4 million.

The officer, Luis de Jesus Alonzo, tried unsuccessfully to subpoena two fellow ICE officers in the case, revealing that he had traveled to the Dominican Republic in search of his daughter, whom he thought had ?gone missing.? This could explain why he had no money in his luggage and sources close to the case say he may not have been aware that the women?s luggage contained the concealed money.

The incident happened on 4 June 2016, when Customs and Border Protection officers at Miami airport inspected the luggage of Alonzo and the two women, Mildrey Gonzalez and her daughter, Milka Alfaro, who were all arriving from Puerto Plata on board an American Airlines flight. Alfaro and Alonzo have a young daughter who was also with them on the flight. However, Customs officers discovered US$2.4 million concealed in the women?s bags.

Alonzo was indicted along with the women because he filled out and signed the customs declaration as the ?responsible family member? for the group.

Prosecutors say that the women are connected with a separate Medicare fraud investigation and had liquidated their assets and left the country on a private charter in February this year. Alonzo then travelled on his own, knowing that his daughter had ?gone missing? with her mother and grandmother, and he said he did not know their whereabouts.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miamidade/article101219127.html


Storm kills two
On Sunday, 11 September, 2016 gale force winds and heavy rain blew down trees and flooded roads in the municipal district of Los Cocos de Jacagua, in the north of Santiago province. The storm hit the area at around 4:30pm blowing over signs and damaging at least two vehicles.

According to Civil Defense, two people disappeared in Guaybal when the bridge over a stream collapsed. The body of Porfirio Zenon was discovered on Monday, 12 September but the body of his three-year old daughter who was with him as they crossed the bridge in a vehicle when it was swept away, has still not been found.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...-un-arroyo-anoche-junto-a-su-hija-en-santiago
http://almomento.net/santiago-ventarron-derriba-arboles-y-letreros-en-distintas-zonas/243210


US tourist dies on flight
A tourist from the United States who was on her way to the Dominican Republic on vacation died of a heart attack on board a flight that was about to land at Punta Cana International Airport.

According to Listin Diario, 39-year old Karen Angelena Lewis was on a flight from Baltimore, travelling with her 33-year old husband Dion Lamont Brown. He said she slumped forward and became unresponsive as the plane started to descend.

On arrival, she was taken to a Punta Cana clinic where she was pronounced dead and her body was sent to the National Forensic Pathology Center for autopsy.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...urante-viaje-desde-baltimore-hacia-punta-cana


Arrest made in death of councilor
Police sources have confirmed the arrest of a man named as Benny Lara Contreras in connection with the murder of Santo Domingo East municipal councilor Catalino Sanchez on Thursday, 8 September 2016.

The suspect?s brother, Rafael Lara Contreras is the first in line to replace the deceased in his post as city councilor.

Sanchez, of the PRM, was playing dominoes at his sister?s house on Thursday night when two men on a motorcycle shot and killed him.

http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...r-por-la-muerte-de-edil-en-san-luis-JH4922496


More rains forecast
The national weather service, Onamet is forecasting rains nationwide, especially in the southeastern, border and central mountain regions in the afternoon and evening of Tuesday, 13 September 2016 due to the effects of a passing trough.

Provinces most affected will be Monte Plata, San Pedro de Macor?s, Hato Mayor, San Crist?bal, S?nchez Ram?rez (Cotui), La Vega, Monse?or Nouel (Bonao), Santiago Rodr?guez, Dajab?n, San Juan de la Maguana and El?as Pi?a. The rains will also affect the Greater Santo Domingo area.

http://m.elcaribe.com.do/2016/09/13/vaguada-altura-continuara-provocando-lluvias-pais


Photo exhibition at Cultural Village in La Romana
La Romana?s Aldea Cultural Santa Rosa de Lima is presenting an exhibition of photographs by the PUCMM University?s Social Communications department.

The exhibition, which is part of the PhotoImagen?16 event, opened on 10 September and will last through the end of the month. A total of 149 portraits of people from all around the country were taken by 51 students as part of their Digital Photography course during the past summer session.

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


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