DR1 Daily News - Thursday, 12 January 2017

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Ministry of Industry & Commerce stresses small business in new bill
Ra?l Castro to attend CELAC Summit
The whales are coming! The whales are coming!
Conflict of interest in Odebrecht commission
Angel Rondon “can prove he didn’t receive Odebrecht bribe”
Penal Code bill sent to Senate commission
Moca zoo and botanical garden to get a facelift
COPRE continues to empty Tavera
CMD fires broadside at self-managed hospitals
Venezuelans find opportunities and security in the DR
Guns inside paint found at Puerto Plata Port
Miss DR raises US$11,000 to fund trip to Miss Universe pageant
Workers injured in scaffold collapse
MLB.com says DR is favorite in World Classic
Baseball Winter League round robin
Jazz in the Colonial City


Ministry of Industry & Commerce stresses small business in new bill
The bill for the reorganization the Ministry of Industry & Commerce, aimed at ensuring that the Ministry takes the medium-sized and small business sector into greater account passed in the Senate on Wednesday, 11 January 2017. The bill had already passed in the Chamber of Deputies and will now go to the Presidency for President to sign and publish as law.

The Ministry will now be known as the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and SMEs. The bill includes new clauses on entrepreneurship, trade, small and medium-sized companies and free zones.

The Senate reports that the changes were made due to the importance of local and international trade and the need for new active industrial policies to encourage economic development in the country.

http://www.elnuevodiario.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=515786


Ra?l Castro to attend CELAC Summit
President Ra?l Castro of Cuba will be attending the Fifth Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Summit of Heads of Government and State being held in Punta Cana on 25 January 2017. This will be his first official visit to the Dominican Republic. This also the first trip abroad he will make since the death of his brother, Fidel Castro.

During the summit the Dominican Republic will hand over the temporary presidency of the regional bloc to El Salvador.

The CELAC members are Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Lucia, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Surinam, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...aul-castro-asistira-a-la-v-cumbre-de-la-celac


The whales are coming! The whales are coming!
The Saman? Bay whale-watching season in the Dominican Republic formally opened on Wednesday, 11 January 2017 with the signing of the 2017 Memorandum of Understanding for Whale Watching by government and NGO entities, namely the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Tourism, together with organizations that work and support the preservation the marine bio-diversity.

The whale-watching season runs between 15 January and 15 March. The annual arrival of humpback whales in Saman? Bay from as far away as Greenland is the culmination of one of the longest wildlife migration routes in the world.

Announcing the start of the season, Environment Minister Francisco Dominguez Brito emphasized the importance of the whales and of biodiversity in general. The minister went on to highlight the social and economic benefits the whale-watching season brings for the province of Saman? and nearby provinces. He pointed out that around 55,000 people took whale-watching excursions in 2016.

The bay is an internationally recognized protected area together with Silver Banks off the North Coast.

The DR is in a partnership with the Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, a federally protected area in Massachusetts Bay.


Conflict of interest in Odebrecht commission
The chairman of the new commission created by Presidential Decree 6-17 to investigate the bidding and decision process for the Punta Catalina coal-fired power plant contracted by the Medina administration to Odebrecht is being called into question by civil society, as reported in Diario Libre.

The commission was created in parallel to the Attorney General Office’s investigation following a New York court ruling that established that the Brazilian construction giant had paid US$92 million in bribes to secure US$163 million worth of contracts.

Diario Libre reports that the new commission’s chairman, Monsignor Agripino Nunez Collado, is also on the board of directors of Acero Estrella, which is one of Odebrecht’s main Dominican partners. The article points out that the Odebrecht-Estrella consortium completed the 26km Santiago beltway. Both companies also are building the Punta Catalina plants together with Tecnimont, SPA, and the Duarte Corridor with six overpasses, three underpasses, a tunnel and a pedestrian bridge at main intersections in the Dominican capital.

The Presidential decree states that the commission has full powers to investigate anyone they choose as well as everything connected with the tender that awarded the contract to Odebrecht-Estrella. The decree also calls for a report to be issued as fast as possible.

The Odebrecht New York court ruling investigated corruption payments made between 2001 and 2014, spanning the governments of Hip?lito Mej?a, Leonel Fern?ndez and Danilo Medina. The first project was the Northwest Aqueduct executed by the National Institute of Potable Water (Inapa) under Roberto Rodr?guez during the Mej?a administration. Next to follow were the seven contracts signed by former Minister V?ctor D?az R?a under the Fern?ndez governments. The current Minister of Public Works Gonzalo Castillo has signed five contracts for works with Odebrecht, including the Santiago overpass and the Catalina coal-fired power plant in Peravia (Ban?) province.

As reported in El Dia, the Attorney General has given Odebrecht a Friday, 13 January 2017 deadline for delivering the requested information on dates, sums and forms of payment for all the works carried out in the DR.

Meanwhile, Presidency Minister Gustavo Montalvo said the commission was appointed to give credibility to the Punta Catalina power plant project, as reported in El Dia. Meanwhile, Monsignor Nunez Collado said the decree that defines the work of the commission in no way replaces the work on this matter being carried out by the Attorney General Office.

http://eldia.com.do/danilo-medina-busca-revestir-de-credibilidad-proyecto-central-punta-catalina/
http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...-de-constructora-aliada-a-odebrecht-DH5966577
http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...olitica-de-los-principales-partidos-EF5968402


Angel Rondon “can prove he didn’t receive Odebrecht bribe”
Businessman Angel Rond?n, who visited the Attorney General Office on Wednesday, 11 January 2017 to respond to questions in a session lasting from 11am until after midnight, denies receiving any bribe money from Brazilian construction company Odebrecht for distribution to Dominican government officials.

Attorney General Jean Alain Rodr?guez said that when questioned on 6 January 2017, Marcelo Hofke, Odebrecht’s general manager the country, mentioned Rond?n as the contact person for the distribution of the bribe money to Dominican government officials. The revelation comes as the attorney general began investigations into the case on the heels of the New York court sentence that ruled that Odebrecht had spent US$92 million in bribes in return for securing US$163 million worth of work contracts from the Dominican government.

Shortly after the remarks made by Jean-Alain Rodr?guez on Angel Rond?n, his lawyer Robert Valdez denied that his client Marcelo Hofke had made the comment, as reported in Acento.

Accompanied by his lawyers Jos? Antonio Delgado, Jos? Antonio Columna and Alberto Abreu, Rond?n was questioned by Rodr?guez and the administrative anti-corruption director, Laura Guerrero Pelletier. As reported in El Caribe, a newspaper owned by the Estrella group media company, Rond?n said: “I now have to prove I did not receive the money.”

Interviewed on Cuentas Claras on Thursday, 11 January 2017, *95.7FM, Rond?n said he received around US$92 million in payment for his lobby services for the company to secure contract work. He said he would sue Odebrecht if the company says that it had given him money to bribe government officials or legislators. Rond?n said he has been working with the Dominican government since 2001 under the Salvador Jorge Blanco government and has been paid fees for his successful securing of contract work payments, including the installation of the San Pedro de Macoris floating power plant and the Mitsubishi plant.

http://eldia.com.do/con-odebrecht-cobro-honorarios-por-exitos/
http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2017/01/...-le-senale-repartidor-us92-millones-odebrect/
http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...a-procuraduria-en-el-caso-odebrecht-FM5961106
http://hoy.com.do/angel-rondon-apar...ros-funcionarios-redes-sociales-se-encienden/
http://hoy.com.do/quien-es-angel-rondon-el-empresario-citado-por-la-procuraduria-en-caso-odebrecht/


Penal Code bill sent to Senate commission
The Senate has created a commission to review the Penal Code bill, which was returned to Congress after it was vetoed by the Presidency due to its blanket ban on abortion in all circumstances. This was the second time President Danilo Medina had vetoed the bill for the same reason.

The special commission, chaired by Rafael Calderon, will be made up of senator Ignacio Paliza, Felix Nova, Pedro Alegr?a, Amarilis Santana, Juan Orlando Mercedes, Amable Aristy Castro, Julio C?sar Valent?n and Luis Ren? Cana?n. They need to present a report in 15 days.

The new version of the Penal Code has led to clashes between several sectors of the public on the abortion issue, and its approval has taken more than 20 years. The Catholic Church and evangelical denominations call for the “right to life” to be recognized from the moment of conception while all leading medical associations, human rights and women’s groups are favoring exceptions in cases where the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest or when the mother’s life is at risk. According to Diario Libre, the government also favors this point of view.

The Dominican Constitution (articles 101, 102, 103) calls for the senators to discuss the bill in one sitting. The Constitution establishes that if after debate, two thirds of the members present in the house pass the bill again, the bill shall be sent to the Chamber of Deputies. If the Chamber of Deputies passes the bill with the same majority, the bill shall be published within ten days, and its publishing within another 10 days for it to become law. If these deadlines for enactment and publication are not met, the bill shall be deemed enacted and the president of the house of Congress that sent the bill to the Executive Branch shall have it published.


Moca zoo and botanical garden to get a facelift
The city government of Moca, capital of Espaillat province, has announced a program to refurbish the municipal zoological and botanical gardens with the infrastructure required for correct management of the animals. Mayor Angel Lopez toured the area with the members of his team in order to personally launch the program.

The zoo in Moca is a unique and historical institution. It will be closed to the public until the refurbishment is completed.

According to Lopez, local businesses have contributed to the program by sponsoring different areas of the park. Cages are to be rebuilt and the paths and walkways repaired. The restaurant and the children’s area will also be refurbished.

The zoo has entertained people from the Cibao for over 30 years and is regarded as an education and ecological attraction for all. The city park dates back to in 1982 when it opened during the city government of Rub?n Lulo Gitte. In recent years it has fallen into disrepair, leading to widespread public concern about the welfare of the animals in the zoo.

Inmates at the local Isleta rehabilitation jail are taking part in the refurbishment of the park.

http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/empiezan-remozamiento-del-zoologico-de-moca-MG5967871


COPRE continues to empty Tavera
The Dams Operations Committee (COPRE) has announced that it is continuing to release water from the Tavera reservoir because of rising water levels resulting from the rains that fell in the watersheds of the Yaque and Bao rivers. The rains have decreased in the Central Mountains, and Onamet has lifted its meteorological alerts for the provinces of Montecristi, Puerto Plata, Dajab?n, Espaillat (Moca) and Santiago.

On the early morning of Wednesday, 11 January 2017, the water behind the Tavera Dam was at 326.73 meters above sea level. Water was said to be entering at 215 m3 a second and the discharge was rated at 185.64. The maximum design level of the lake is supposed to be 327m above sea level.

Civil Defense director General Rafael de Luna Pichirilo told news reporters that the lower Yaque River valley floods when there is major rainfall in the watersheds of the Amina, Mao and Guayubin rivers. He added that alerts have been issued for parts of Santiago, Valverde (Mao) and Montecristi provinces because so much water has been released from the dam.

The waters from the dam have caused major damage to farms near the river course in the west. It takes the waters about four days to run from the Tavera Dam to Montecristi on the northwest coast.


CMD fires broadside at self-managed hospitals
The Dominican Medical Association (CMD), represented by its president, Dr. Waldo Ariel Suero, president of the Dominican Medical Association, has spoken out against the inefficiency of the so-called self-managed public hospitals. He described them as a complete failure and said that they have accumulated debts that exceed RD$1.4 billion.

According to Suero, “the self-managed hospitals are no more efficient than the traditional public hospitals. The debts of the public hospitals amount to RD$1.6 billion and that of the self-administered hospitals is RD$1.4 billion. In other words, what is owed by 156 hospitals is nearly the same as what is owed by ten.”

He stated that the term “self-managed” used by the government was inaccurate since it is supposed to mean that they resolve all of their problems with their own resources. However, the fact is that they charge their patients and receive triple the subsidy received by the other hospitals. He described the directors of these hospitals as “pharaohs.”


Venezuelans find opportunities and security in the DR
A large number of migrants from Venezuela have settled in the Dominican Republic since 2016, working in stores, gyms, restaurants and other businesses or even performing circus acts at city street intersections. El Caribe looks into Venezuelan migration in an attempt to explain the recent phenomenon.

The newspaper points out that no clear statistics are available on the number of Venezuelans who have moved here. Officially, there is a statement made by Migration director General Rub?n Dar?o Paulino Sem in mid-2016 that their numbers in the country had increased by 40%. According to their data, 16,000 Venezuelans were living in the country.

In the past three years, the Ministry of Foreign Relations has authorized 2,556 visas granting working status, including 567 in 2014, 1,207 in 2015 and 782 in 2016. In 2016, the Migration Agency said that it issued 626 temporary residences for Venezuelans. This confirms a significant increase in Venezuelans beyond the 3,434 estimate made by the First National Survey on Immigrants (ENI-2012).

Venezuelans can enter the Dominican Republic with a tourist card and their passport, but to legally have earnings, they need to apply for the work visa and the process needs to be started by making an application at the Dominican consulate in Caracas.

Rom?n Brice?o, a Venezuelan who immigrated here 18 years ago, recently created the Association of Venezuelans in the Dominican Republic to support and keep track of Venezuelan immigration here. He comments that in the past a good share of the arrivals was made up of large Venezuelan investors. The difference in the recent wave of immigration, however is that the new arrivals need to find work here.

Brice?o says most of the newcomers now are middle class professionals who are migrating due to the difficult economic situation and high crime rate in Venezuela. Brice?o says that while in the DR the homicide rate is 17 per 100,000 inhabitants, the Venezuelan Violence Observatory (OVV) reports the same figure for Venezuela as 91.8 murders per 100,000 inhabitants.

He said that Venezuelans were taking jobs as taxi drivers, night watchmen and building concierges. “Venezuelans put their pride aside… You will find lawyers and engineers working as taxi drivers,” one interviewee told El Caribe.

Airport statistics show that the big wave of Venezuelan immigration started in 2014. In 2014, a total of 108,376 Venezuelans arrived in the Dominican Republic, up from a previous peak of 75,000. Central Bank 2016 statistics show that as of November 2016, 155,674 Venezuelans had visited, and 146,870 left. In 2015, a total of 163,870 Venezuelans arrived and 166,903 left.

The newspaper reporter spoke to several Venezuelans who said that they had chosen the Dominican Republic because of the ease of entry, job and entrepreneurship opportunities and following in the footsteps of a compatriot who had already immigrated.

http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2017/01/12/venezolanos-hallan-pais-oportunidades-seguridad-para-vivir


Guns inside paint found at Puerto Plata Port
Members of the Ministry of Defense intelligence unit (J2) have seized six guns of several varieties that were being smuggled in through the port of Puerto Plata. The guns were concealed in a paint bucket that had arrived together with personal items transported by door-to-door shippers Carmen Cargo Express.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...eis-pistolas-camufladas-en-cubetas-de-pintura


Workers injured in scaffold collapse
Six workers were injured on Wednesday 11 January 2017 when strong winds caused the collapse of a scaffold at a 22-floor building located on Av. B?livar near Av. Jim?nez Moya in Santo Domingo, according to a report in 7dias.

The workers, who fell from the 14th floor, were taken to the Dar?o Contreras public hospital by a 911 emergency unit around 4pm.

http://www.7dias.com.do/portada/201...esplome-andamio-edificio-avenida-bolivar.html


Miss DR raises US$11,000 to fund trip to Miss Universe pageant
Miss Dominican Republic, 24-year old Sal Garc?a will be attending the Miss Universe pageant to represent the Dominican Republic. The money had to be raised from supporters online via GiveForward after the Dominican government said it could not fund her participation. The Miss Universe contest in the Philippines begins on 24 January 2017 and will be aired on Fox TV.

http://www.vibe.com/2017/01/miss-dominican-republic-raises-funds/


MLB.com says DR is favorite in World Classic
If it is not the single favorite to win and repeat as champions of the World Baseball Classic, the Dominican team is certainly among the top teams with the best chances to win.

Team manager Mois?s Rojas Alou is lining up repeat players from the winning 2013 team and new stars for the fourth edition of the international competition that starts on 6 March 2017.

So far, the Dominican team includes (on paper at least) such mega-stars as Nelson Cruz, Manny Machado, Starling Marte, Robinson Can? and Wellington Castillo. It also has Adrian Beltr?, Jos? Reyes, Gregory Polanco, Gary S?nchez and Hanley Ram?rez. There are rumors in the press that David Ortiz might “perhaps” take part. This, however, is only speculation.

On 6 February 2017, the Dominican Republic will file its official roster. According to Diario Libre, local sources say that most of the starting lineup has confirmed their participation.

Follow developments leading to the World Baseball Classic at http://www.worldbaseballclassic.com


Baseball Winter League round robin
The Dominican Professional Baseball Winter League Championship enters the final stages of the semi-final round this week. For baseball fans, this is an agonizing week, with three teams vying for just one spot in the finals.
The Aguilas Cibae?as are almost a slam-dunk to make the finals at 10-2, with just six games remaining. However, the Tigres del Licey, the Leones del Escogido and last year’s champions, the Gigantes del Cibao are struggling for the number two lot and a place in the finals.

Escogido is at the bottom of the standings at 5-8, in a virtual tie with the Gigantes who are 4-7. The Licey Tigres who could be 5-7 after last night’s game with the Aguilas might be in third place.

The series continues on Thursday, 12 January 2017, when the Tigres will receive the Gigantes del Cibao at the Quisqueya ballpark in Santo Domingo. On Friday, the Licey will travel to Santiago to meet the Aguilas and the Gigantes will travel to Santo Domingo to meet the Leones del Escogido.

The standings are as follows: Aguilas lead (10 wins, 2 losses), followed by Tigres (5wins, 7 losses), Escogido (5 wins, 8 losses) and the Gigantes (4 wins, 9 losses).*

On Saturday, 14 January 2017, baseball fans will have a unique opportunity to see a real double-header, two games for the price of one! The Gigantes del Cibao will be in Santiago to play the Aguilas, starting at 4pm.

This most unusual event only occurred because of a rain-out on Monday. In Santo Domingo, the Leones and Tigres will play a single game at the Estadio Quisqueya.

Follow the schedule for the games at: http://www.lidom.com/home/calendario/


Jazz in the Colonial City
On Thursday, 12 January 2017, enjoy a mix of Dominican folk music and popular rhythms with jazz played by Joshy & su 4 Jazz. Their concert is part of the Jazz Nights program that brings live entertainment to the steps leading up from Avenida del Puerto to Calle El Conde in the Colonial City. The band players are Salvador Guti?rrez, F?lix Garc?a, Abel de la Rosa, Nicol?s Calca?o and Joshy Mej?a. The program is produced by Once y Once.

Every Thursday evening through April, jazz is played at the Calle El Conde steps stage as part of the Ministry of Tourism entertainment program (PFTCC).

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


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Archived Travel News stories:
http://dr1.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/92-Travel-amp-Tourism-News