DR1 Daily News - Tuesday, 25 October 2016

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May 3, 2000
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President Medina goes to Guayacanes
Road Safety Campaign begins
CELAC and EU foreign ministers meet in Santo Domingo*
Plan to launch free WiFi hotspots
Children to eat rabbit for lunch
Family plan can now cover more family members
Landmark ruling gives citizens right to their personal data
Free information on where to look for oil
Challenges for DR to become fuel hub
Over 40,000 Dominicans of Haitian descent ?missing?
Some applicants for Audit Office have outstanding judicial issues
Corruption in DR re Tucano aircraft in the open
Murder rate down
Dominicans arrested with cocaine
Dominican Air Force man arrested with drugs
Floods cause damage
26th Le?n Jimenes Art Contest in Santiago*



President Medina goes to Guayacanes
President Danilo Medina made a surprise visit to Guayacanes in San Pedro de Macor?s province on Sunday, 23 October 2016. He met with representatives of the local Fishing Association (Asopemugu) and authorized a loan in support of their processes and operating capacity to improve sales and income.

During the meeting with the 65 fishermen they asked him for credit to buy 20 motorboats, refrigerators, a refrigerated truck and fishing materials. The government agreed to provide the last three and to make a loan for the boats.

Medina was accompanied by Ministers Jos? Ram?n Peralta and Gonzalo Castillo as well as Casimiro Castro, Milton Ginebra, Carlos Pared P?rez, Robert de la Cruz, John Hazim and others.

https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...anes-botes-con-motores-y-refrigeradores-video


Road Safety Campaign begins
The government launched a campaign on Monday, 24 October 2016 to raise awareness to reduce the high number of traffic accidents in the country.

The campaign slogan is ?Drive responsibly for yourself, for others and for your loved ones.?

The Presidency Communication Office says that data compiled from the 911 emergency system shows that one traffic accident occurred every five minutes last week, which translates to 12 accidents an hour, 288 a day and 2,024 during the seven days of the week.

Motorbikes are involved in seven out of ten of these accidents, according to the statistics. The press release states that many motorcyclists cause the accidents due to reckless and irresponsible driving. Motorcyclists are involved in 7 of 10 accidents, according to 911 data.

Traffic accidents are the main cause of death among people between the ages of 15 and 19 in the world and the Dominican Republic has the highest rate in the Western Hemisphere and second-highest worldwide with 29.3 deaths for every 100,000 citizens in the last year.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...no-lanza-campana-sobre-accidentes-de-transito
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias/se-fue-en-rojo-video


CELAC and EU foreign ministers meet in Santo Domingo
Foreign Relations Minister Miguel Vargas Maldonado has opened the working sessions of the missions attending the Meeting of Foreign Ministers and 48th Meeting of High-Ranking Officials of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the European Union in Santo Domingo.

The meeting is taking place from Monday 24 to Wednesday 26 October 2016. Representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean and the European Union are meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Relations convention center on the Malec?n in Santo Domingo.

In his welcome speech, Vargas Maldonado called for representatives of the 33 CELAC member countries and 28 European Union participants to prioritize strengthening for both parties.

?Your work should be focused on consensus, with a constructive spirit geared at harmonizing positions, putting aside that which separates us and focusing on our common goals,? he said.

As reported, the European Union is prioritizing the reactivation of trade and cooperation agreements between the two regions. The situations in Venezuela and Colombia will also be discussed.

National coordinator Laura Castellanos and the representatives of Ecuador, Dominica and El Salvador are leading the discussions. It was disclosed that El Salvador would be designated as holder of the temporary presidency of CELAC in 2017.

The meeting of the regional ministers of foreign relations officially opens on Tuesday afternoon, 25 October 2016 with the participation of President Danilo Medina.

http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2016/10/24/inicia-encuentro-celac-con-llamado-consenso


Plan to launch free WiFi hotspots
The government has announced plans to provide around 5,000 free Wi-Fi hotspots in parks, public squares, universities, schools and hospitals nationwide as part of its ?Digital Republic" program for 2016-2020. The initiative will be managed by the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel) with a view to significantly accelerating Internet access in the country.

Other measures include a deal with local energy utility ETED to bring fiber-optic technology to 32 underserved localities in the southwest of the country.

Earlier this year, the government said it planned to increase the percentage of Internet users in the country to 70% by 2020 and to connect all provincial capitals to the fiber-optic network as part of a US$300 million digital inclusion plan.

http://www.telecompaper.com/news/dominican-republic-to-activate-5000-free-wi-fi-hotspots--1168431


Children to eat rabbit for lunch
The National Institute of Student Welfare (Inabierd) and the Special Fund for Agricultural Development have signed an agreement for including rabbit meat in the school lunch program, due to its nutritional properties. The program will be offered to students in the extended school day program attending school from 8 to 4pm.

Under the terms of the agreement, Inabierd will initially buy 9,000 lb of rabbit meat a month and they expect to increase the amount once production facilities increase. In six months time, producers believe they will be able to supply 144,000 servings, which is equivalent to 18,000 monthly servings of rabbit meat.

https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...a-dieta-de-estudiantes-en-el-almuerzo-escolar


Family plan can now cover more family members
The Superintendence of Public Health (Sisalril) has announced that it is extending its affiliates? medical insurance coverage to family members to third degree of consanguinity as well as to stepparents. The National Social Security Council issued Resolution No.184-05 that extends family plan coverage to grandparents, adult children, uncles and aunts, and nieces and nephews, as long as they are not already registered in the Social Security database.

A recent resolution allows the additional dependents to affiliates of the family health insurance contributive regime. The intention is to incorporate persons employed in informal businesses to the health plan system that otherwise have not qualified.

Sisalril superintendent Pedro Lu?s Castellanos said the measure was an important step towards the universalization of the affiliation as it expands the scope of family health plans.

http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2016/10/...-seguro-medico-hermanos-tios-abuelos-sobrinos


Landmark ruling gives citizens right to their personal data
The Constitutional Tribunal (TC) has restored a citizen?s right to access data contained in files kept by government security forces. The only exception is that the exercise of the right to have access to their personal data must not become an obstacle to the success of an investigation in a particular case.

Namphi Rodr?guez of the Fundaci?n Prensa y Derecho made the announcement on Monday, 24 October 2016. He said that ruling TC-0484-16 modifies articles 4 and 40 of Law 172-13 on the Personal Data Protection (Habeas Data) and responds to a case filed by a group of entities and lawyers who expressed concern at the violation of the Constitution when the law prevented citizens from accessing their data.

The ruling was signed by Constitutional Tribunal president Milton Ray Guevara and nine other judges, with no dissident votes.

http://www.7dias.com.do/portada/201...odifica-varios-articulos-ley-habeas-data.html


Free information on where to look for oil
The Ministry of Energy and Mines has announced that the areas with most potential for petrol energy development are Enriquillo, Azua, San Juan de la Maguana, Ocoa Bay, San Pedro de Macor?s and eastern Cibao region where there are faults and structures that could trap petroleum.

Preliminary studies have been compiled by Schlumberger, which is providing interpreted geological information using the latest software, as a starting point for in-depth research to reach conclusions on where oil could be found.

The findings were presented by Minister Antonio Isa Conde on Monday, 24 October 2016. The data compiled by Schlumberger is available free of charge to companies interested in oil and natural gas exploration and extraction in the Dominican Republic.

http://www.mem.gob.do/index.php/not...ica-seis-zonas-con-potencial-en-hidrocarburos


Challenges for DR to become fuel hub
The Round Table of Commonwealth Countries in the Dominican Republic has issued an invitation to the seminar ?Dominican Republic Challenges for becoming a Fuel Hub in the Caribbean.?

Round Table president Fernando Gonzalez Nicolas says that the objective of the seminar is to increase understanding of re-export terminals, of challenges to overcome for their proper development and to learn of the collateral benefits that they offer a range of sectors of the Dominican economy.

The seminar is scheduled for 22 November 2016 starting at 8:30am at the Santo Domingo Sheraton Hotel on the Malecon in Santo Domingo.

It is organized together with the UK, Canada, Trinidad and India bi-national chambers of commerce and the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of the Dominican Republic, Fedocamaras.

For more information, contact the Chamber at Tel 809 476-9951 or email: commonwealthdr@gmail.com


Over 40,000 Dominicans of Haitian descent ?missing?
According to Lorenzo Jim?nez de Luis, resident coordinator of the United Nations System in the Dominican Republic, there has been a problem trying to locate applicants of Haitian descent for whom Law 169-14 ordered their Dominican legal status to be reinstated. The Central Electoral Board (JCE) had retained their documentation after an investigation into documents issued over the past years by the Civil Registry established that thousands had been irregularly issued.

Jim?nez de Luis said that to date only 13,000 of the 55,000 beneficiaries of Law 169-14 have retrieved their documents from the JCE. The JCE says that 42,000 people whose legal status as Dominicans was recognized in 2015 have not requested their documents as authorized by Law 169-14.
He added that no one seems to know what has happened as they have not appeared or visited the JCE offices.

Even though in some provinces some attempts have been made to trace them, there is simply no sign of these people. Jim?nez said that he appreciated the efforts the government was making to locate them.

The UN representative also congratulated the Dominican Republic on the way in which it has treated undocumented people, without deporting any pregnant women, children or elderly people.

JCE president Roberto Rosario, nevertheless, responded to the statements by Jimenez de Luis by saying that more than 20,000 out of the 55,000 people have picked up their birth certificates or IDs, as reported in Diario Libre. He said he does not know where Jimenez de Luis could have got the information that 42,000 people have not picked up their documents.

http://www.diariolibre.com/opinion/...cogieron-a-la-ley-de-naturalizacion-FE5262896
http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...oblemas-amparados-con-la-ley-169-14-YD5270032


Some applicants for Audit Office have outstanding judicial issues
According to the Attorney General, Jean Alain Rodriguez, 10 of the 262 people who have applied for posts in the Chamber of Accounts, the national audit office, have pending cases in the courts.

Rodriguez went to the National Congress on Monday, 24 October 2016 to hand over the list of those involved after checking the list of applicants as requested. He would not reveal the names of the individuals in question, or the matters under judicial scrutiny.

He said that 252 applicants have no legal issues; eight have some and two need to provide updated information.
Rodr?guez said the offenses could be traffic violations. He added that the cases need to be evaluated carefully and if the applicant has not been convicted they need not be disqualified from the process.

http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...ienen-asuntos-judiciales-pendientes-GK5268109


Corruption in DR re Tucano aircraft in the open
A release from the US Department of Justice states that the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer S.A. (Embraer) has agreed to pay a penalty of more than US$107 million in connection with schemes involving bribery of government officials in the Dominican Republic, Saudi Arabia and Mozambique, and to pay millions more in falsely recorded payments in India via a sham agency agreement.

The bribes enabled the sale of the aircraft in unfair competition with US-made brands. Embraer is accused of accepting corruption as part of the cost of doing business.

The US Department of Justice informs: ?According to the company?s admissions, Embraer executives and employees paid bribes to government officials and falsified books and records in connection with aircraft sales to foreign governments and state-owned entities in multiple countries. In 2008, Embraer paid US$3.52 million to an influential government official in the Dominican Republic via a false agency agreement to secure a contract to sell the Dominican Air Force eight military aircraft (Super Tucanos) for approximately US$92 million.?

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/embr...resolve-foreign-corrupt-practices-act-charges


Murder rate down
According to the Ministry of Interior and Police, 1,194 murders were committed up to the end of September 2016, 6% fewer than over the same period last year.

The Ministry projects a rate of 15.8 murders for every 100,000 members of the population by the end of the year.

It attributes the drop in the homicide rate to the Citizen Security Program, including the 911 system and the introduction of security cameras. The Ministry says that the homicide rate has declined from 26.3% in 2011 over the last five years.

According to the Ministry, the average homicide rate in the region is 23.6%, making the Dominican Republic one of the safer countries. Only Panama and Costa Rica have lower homicide rates.

Interior and Police added that up to September most of the murder victims were male at 90% of the total with 123 female victims. The provinces with the highest levels of homicides were Santo Domingo with 266, followed by the National District with 152 and Santiago with 141.

Eighty percent of the cases occurred in public spaces, just over half at the weekend and 39% between the hours of 6 pm and midnight. Most victims were between the ages of 15 and 34, and just over half involved people living together, 34% were due to crime and 10% were killed by the state security forces. The final 10% were due to causes unknown.

Firearms were used in 61% of the cases, knives in 34% and heavy objects in the others.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...na-de-las-tasas-de-homicidios-mas-bajas-en-al


Dominicans arrested with cocaine
United States Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents have detained two Dominicans who were intercepted in a boat near Aguadilla off the north east coast of Puerto Rico with 129 kilos of cocaine.

The CBP Caribbean office operations director, Johnny Morales said that the confiscated drugs have a street value of around US$3.5 million. He added that the arrest took place close to midnight on Sunday, 23 October 2016 when a boat from the CBP Maritime Unit intercepted the Dominicans.

http://www.listindiario.com/las-mun...9-kilos-de-cocaina-al-noroeste-de-puerto-rico



Dominican Air Force man arrested with drugs

A member of the Dominican Air Force has been arrested in Navarrete with 85 pounds of marijuana in 17 packages.

Joel Samuel Martinez Jimenez, 31, who is from the Corral Grande sector in Dajab?n and was driving a Honda Civic when he was stopped.

http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...85-libras-de-marihuana-en-navarrete-HA5266339


Floods cause damage
The Emergency Operations Center (COE) has announced that 217 homes were affected by the recent heavy rains, 85 people have been displaced and three communities have been cut off.

Meanwhile a green alert is in place for 17 provinces due to the rain, which is forecast to continue as a weather front crosses over the country.

According to the COE the communities that were cut off are Batero, Yunita, Sabana and El Cigual in Cotu? in S?nchez Ramirez province after the Batero River burst its banks.

In the municipality of Rio San Juan in Mar?a Trinidad S?nchez (Nagua) province around 200 homes were affected by the overflowing of the Santa Lucia stream and 68 people had to leave their homes.

In the municipality of Nagua, 17 homes were affected after the Rio Nagua flooded in la Islita de Rio Mar and residents have had to stay with families and friends.

The provinces under green alert are El?as Pi?a, Duarte (San Francisco de Macor?s), Santiago Rodr?guez, Puerto Plata, Valverde (Mao), Montecristi, San Crist?bal (especially Villa Altagracia), Dajab?n, San Jos? de Ocoa, Mar?a Trinidad S?nchez (Nagua), San Juan de la Maguana, Espaillat (Moca), La Vega, Santiago, Monte Plata, Monse?or Nouel (Bonao) and S?nchez Ram?rez (Cotu?).

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...tadas-85-desplazados-y-3-comunidades-aisladas


26th Le?n Jimenes Art Contest in Santiago
The 26th Eduardo Le?n Jimenes Art Contest opened at the Centro Le?n in Santiago on Thursday, 20 October 2016. The contest has maintained its focus as a strong supporter of emerging and contemporary art in the Dominican Republic.

Speaking at the opening, Eduardo Leon Jimenes Foundation director Maria Amalia Le?n highlighted the constant evolution of the contest as it seeks to serve the artistic community in the Dominican Republic.

Alanna Lockward, member of the 2016 jury, stated that in its 50 years of existence, the contest has continuously reinvented itself on the recommendations of its respective jurors in line with the changes in the arts.
Minister of Culture Pedro Verges congratulated the Leon family for the half century of the contest.

The selected artists this year are:
Guadalupe Casasnovas, Norian Cruz, Carlos De Le?n, Elvin D?az, Joan D?az, Wendy Espinal, Tatiana Fern?ndez, Gina Goico, George Heinsen, Quisqueya Henr?quez, Javier Mar?a, Natalia Ortega, Fausto Ortiz, Andrea Ottenwalder, Raquel Paiewonsky, David P?rez Karmadavis, Ernesto Rodr?guez, Maurice S?nchez, Dhimas Santos, Karol Starocean, Menc?a Zagarella and Juan Alfonso Zapata.

They have entered 23 works that are on exhibition at the Centro Le?n in Santiago. The winner of the three RD$500,000 prizes will be announced on 19 January 2016.

https://centroleon.org.do/cl/notici...cion-26-concurso-de-arte-eduardo-leon-jimenes

For information on upcoming events:
http://www.dr1.com/calendar


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