DR1 Daily News - Wednesday, 1 February 2017

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President Medina meets Licey
Commission calls for annulling Los Tres Brazos land contracts
Valle Nuevo is closed
Forest fire season begins
Turning high schools into vocational centers
National Youth Day celebrated
Youth organization says young gets the crumbs from government
UNFPA calls for more investing in the young on the National Youth Day 
Puerto Plata senator urges repairs to Puerto Plata roads
Focus on the securities market in the Dominican Republic
Italian consulate reopens
Alert to airlines to not transport US banned travelers
UASD professors on strike
Angel Rondon makes the news in El Pais
Garlic confiscated after entry from Haiti
Accused murderer extradited from Colombia
Valentine’s Day show at Casa de Teatro


President Medina meets Licey
On Tuesday 31 January 2017, President Danilo Medina handed over the Dominican flag to the Licey Tigers who, as the Dominican Professional Baseball Winter League Champion for 2016-2017, will represent the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean Series. 

Licey general manager Audo Vicente showed Medina the championship trophy and gave him a team hat and a shirt with the number 1 on it. 

Sports Minister Danilo Diaz stressed that the Licey was not just about one team, but rather one country, referring to the participation of the team in the Caribbean Series that will be held in Culiacan, Mexico on 1 February through 7 February. Competing in the Caribbean Series are Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. Díaz asked for all Dominicans to support the team. 

Licey president Miguel Angel Fernandez said that the team would carry the Dominican flag high. This is the 22nd Dominican Baseball League championship won by the Licey Tigers. Licey is the Dominican ball club with the most wins in the Caribbean Series, having won 10 of the 19 Caribbean Series that a team from the Dominican Republic has participated in. 

http://www.listindiario.com/el-depo...l-licey-antes-de-partir-a-la-serie-del-caribe
http://www.7dias.com.do/portada/201...l-licey-les-desea-exito-serie-del-caribe.html


Commission calls for annulling Los Tres Brazos land contracts
The governmental commission created by President Danilo Medina to review the reported legalization of property in Los Tres Brazos by a company that had received the concession from the government, recommended these contracts be annulled. Likewise, occupants of properties that had not yet done so should receive their titles directly from the state. The members of the committee were the legal advisor to the Executive Branch, Flavio Darío Espinal; José Dantés, director of the Permanent Commission of State Land Titling and Lidio Cadet, director of the Ethics and Governmental Integrity Agency (Digeig). 

In a press conference, Espinal said that after a legal review of the documents supporting the contracts, interviews and meetings with representatives of the two companies that had received the concessions from Corde – Infelpa and Titulatec – and with representatives of Los Tres Brazos community organizations, the commission made several recommendations to the President including that to annul the contracts and the void the sales. 

It was the commission’s conclusion that the original process to issue the concessions was carried out irregularly, in violation to the Constitution, the public enterprise law (Ley de Reforma de la Empresa Pública) and the public role law (Ley de Función Pública). The commission found that the negotiations of the contracts were not in the public interest. 

The commission said that the state needs to guarantee the rights of those that legalized their status in good faith as well as the financial intermediaries that financed a part of the purchases. It also establishes that the land titles should be issued for free or for a nominal fee depending on the socio-economic status of each of the land occupants. 

http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2017/01/...dos-contratos-venta-terrenos-los-tres-brazos 


Valle Nuevo is closed
Following the end of the allotted time period, the Ministry of the Environment has begun to execute the dismantling of all farm installations in the Valle Nuevo National Park. 

The dismantling operation began with a strawberry farm located at Rancho al Medio, Valle Nuevo where staff from the Ministry of Environment accompanied by military removed all of the plastic coverings, pipes and irrigation hoses. 

The Ministry of Environment has said that the dismantling process will be rolled out gradually, starting with the biggest parcels of land. The Ministry has said it will allow crops to be harvested, but the fields must not be replanted afterwards.

The Ministry said that Haitian laborers are not being allowed to enter the protected area, nor seeds or fertilizers for farming were allowed in. It was announced that undocumented Haitians located in the area would be deported.

Dozens of local farmers from El Convento, El Castillo, La Siberia, Pinar Parejo and Pinalito have asked for the intervention of President Danilo Medina, insisting that they have farmed in the area for over 40 years.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...mbiente-desmonta-instalaciones-en-valle-nuevo


Forest fire season begins
Environment Minister Francisco Domínguez Brito has warned that the season for forest fires has now begun.

According to a press release, the minister has met with the forest firefighters, offering appreciation for their work and urged them to protect the environment and the protected areas.

The national director of Forest Fires, Gerónimo Abreu, has emphasized the need to work on controlling forest fires that he said can be sparked by a combination of drought, preparation of land for farming and the strong winds that occur at this time of year.

He said that last year there were 166 forest fires that affected 1,154 hectares, mainly in the vulnerable areas of la Sierra de Bahoruco, Los Haitises, the Cordillera Central, San José de Las Matas, San José de Ocoa, Restauración and Elías Piña, where the watches have been increased. 

Abreu asked the population not to set fires in wooded areas and reminded farmers not to burn crop residues on agricultural land. He also asked the population to be vigilant and report to the authorities any fire, no matter how minor, as soon as these are seen.

http://www.diariolibre.com/medioambiente/inicia-la-temporada-de-fuegos-forestales-GE6134118


Turning high schools into vocational centers
Education Minister Andrés Navarro says that high schools nationwide will be gradually turned into vocational training centers so that graduates can find jobs as soon as they graduate. Navarro made the announcement during a tour of the Escuela-Liceo San Vicente de Paul in Los Mina, in Eastern Santo Domingo, that will soon be expanded and converted to the extended school day model where vocational training center facilities will be integrated. More than 3,000 students study at the school in different shifts, including on Saturdays and Sundays. 

https://www.metrord.do/do/noticias-...sivamente-centros-tecnicos-profesionales.html


National Youth Day celebrated
On the occasion of National Youth Day, yesterday, Tuesday 31 January 2017, President Danilo Medina, the Administrative Minister of the Presidency José Ramón Peralta; Father Santiago Bautista, and the director of Casa Abierta, Radhames de la Rosa, urged the youth of today to integrate into society. 

The President said that they should learn as much as they could. The coordinator of Roman Catholic Youth Pastoral Father Luis Rosario warned that a large number of the young people in the country were vulnerable due to having been brought up in dysfunctional families and practically abandoned by their parents. 

Father Santiago Bautista lamented that they had few opportunities and that the Ministry of Youth should work with at-risk youth throughout the year and not only on National Youth Day. 

Meanwhile, de la Rosa, director of Casa Abierta, said that society has promoted and tolerated violence, abuse and violations of human rights and that, in his opinion, had generated what he called “a society of ignorance”. 

The Ministry of Youth celebrated the young people during an awards ceremony where 14 youths from around the country were recognized for their contributions to sustainable development. 

http://elnacional.com.do/piden-a-jovenes-jugar-rol-activo-en-la-sociedad/
http://eldia.com.do/ministra-juventud-premia-jovenes/


Youth organization says young gets the crumbs from government
Spokespeople for the Juventud Duartiana on occasion of National Youth Day, on 31 January 2017, complained that government investment to advances youth is so scant that one would have to use a magnifying glass to find cases of support. 

“When analyzing the level of unemployment of the young population, the high student drop out level, the scant participation of youth in director positions in government, it is obvious that Dominican youth have been excluded from the Medina administration, said Ángel García, spokesperson for Juventud Duartiana.

He said that much of what the government boasts as achievements are but crumbs that have not contributed to change the exclusion from society that afflicts countless Dominican youths. 

“For 16 years we have had a Ministry of Youth - but which are its achievements? Many of the actions of that entity aside from doubling those of other ministries, only contribute to a negative stigma of young people as those in need of charity,” he said. 

http://hoy.com.do/jovenes-denuncian-que-solo-reciben-migajas-del-gobierno/


UNFPA calls for more investing in the young on the National Youth Day 
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in the Dominican Republic in a statement issued on occasion of the National Youth Day on 31 January 2017 said that there is a need for more strategic investment in Dominican youth to guarantee the future of the country. 

Speaking for the UNFPA, Sonia Vásquez mentioned that the government should be recognized for having increased the number of scholarships through the Ministry of Youth, the number of student lodging, and the expansion of programs for teenagers, as well as an increase in the general investment in education.  But she said these programs are insufficient. She urged the General Youth Law (Ley General de la Juventud 49-00) to be more vigorously applied and promoted. Likewise, she recommended that more funds be made available to improve the quality of education, increase opportunities for jobs and for sexual and reproductive health programs. 

Vásquez mentioned that early pregnancies and premature marriages pose the greatest challenges for youths, and greatly impact high school and college drop rates and contribute to maternal and infant mortality and gender violence.

She said that 21.4% of Dominican youths fall in the category of NINI’s, meaning those that do not study or work (ni estudia, ni trabaja). Of these, 3 out of every 5 are women, according to World Bank studies. 

Vásquez said the situation is more dramatic in the rural areas, where there are even less opportunities. 

https://www.metrord.do/do/destacado...inversion-jovenes-garantizar-futuro-pais.html


Puerto Plata senator urges repairs to Puerto Plata roads
Senator José Ignacio Paliza (Puerto Plata-PRM) urged the government pick up the pace to repair 14 bridges and roads providing access from Puerto Plata to Santiago and other northern region towns. Torrential rains that fell in October and November 2016 badly damaged the roads and bridges. 

Paliza said the main highway that leads to Navarrete has collapsed. He also urged work begin on the Carretera Turística Gregorio Luperón that he says has completely disappeared. 

Paliza said the state of the roads has affected the province’s connectivity with the rest of the Cibao, affecting the tourism and farming sectors. He said for years the roads had been in disrepair and the torrential rains caused these to collapse. Paliza said despite the government declaring a state of emergency for Puerto Plata, the public works have not yet been carried out and many towns are still without viable roads. 

http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...uentes-y-carreteras-en-puerto-plata-YC6127001


Focus on the securities market in the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic Stock Exchange (Bolsa de Valores de la República Dominicana – BVRD) announced on Tuesday, 31 January 2017, that RD$25.49 billion  was transacted in 14 bonds and commercial papers operations in 2016, according to Hamlet Hermann, vice president and general manager of the BVRD. 

Hermann stressed: “It is a priority of the agenda of all the stakeholders of the Dominican securities market to promote that more businesses become aware of the multiple benefits of the financing through the diverse products the Exchange offers to meet the needs of capital investment for the development of infrastructure, the purchase of equipment, and general growth and expansion of operations. The securities market is one of the most viable alternatives to finance these projects, while contributing to the economic development of the country.”

Hermann said that 2016 was marked by the consolidation of new investment instruments and the sustained growth.  There was sustained growth in fixed income and variable income securities, as well as in the bonds placed by the Ministry of Hacienda. 

Hermann said that RD$271 billion in transactions were recorded in the secondary market at the BVRD and its affiliated systems. He said in 2016 public debt bonds were 98% of the total transacted, with 9% in corporate bonds issued. He said the Hacienda bonds have increased their participation in the fixed income secondary market, from 63% in 2015 to 72% last year. 

Hermann said in the short term, the BVRD is working on a new scheme for cashing in securities operations, designed to increase the transacted volumes. Foreign consultants will be hired this year for a diagnostics of the Dominican securities market, and to obtain recommendations of the best international practices to contribute to the comprehensive strategic planning of the BVRD given its predominant role in the country’s securities market. 

He said he is optimistic that securities transactions will continue to increase in 2017, and especially when the National Congress passes the new Securities Market Bill. 

http://acento.com.do/2017/economia/...ominicana-transo-operaciones-rd25492-mm-2016/
http://www.bolsard.com


Italian consulate reopens
The Italian consulate in the Dominican Republic will open again officially today, Wednesday 1 February 2017, after having been closed for the last 25 months.

The office re-opening ceremony will take place at 12:30 pm, in the consulate itself at 4 Manuel Rodriguez Objio Street in Gascue.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Relations, the reopening was due to requests to the Italian government made by thousands of Italian residents in the country. 

According to unofficial numbers there are more than 150,000 Italians residing in or visiting the Dominican Republic each year. 

The Italian government said the reopening confirmed the solid bilateral ties between both countries. 

http://elnacional.com.do/reabriran-manana-la-embajada-de-italia-en-rd/


Alert to airlines to not transport US banned travelers
The US government has notified airlines flying to the United States from the Dominican Republic to not board passengers from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. Citizens of these countries have been banned from entering the United States by the Trump Administration. 

According to a source, the US government has said that not only will such passengers not be allowed to enter the United States but that the airlines that carry these will be fined. Several airlines have flights from the Dominican Republic to the United States, including American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Spirit Airlines, JetBlue, United Airlines and Pawa Dominicana.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...ransportar-a-ciudadanos-de-los-paises-en-veto


UASD professors on strike
The professors at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) are on strike as from yesterday, Tuesday 31 January 2017, claiming the Rectory has not secured additional government funds for a pay raise for them.

The president of the Federation of Professors’ Association of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (Faprouasd), Santiago Guillermo, said that the rector of the university, Iván Grullón, was the enemy of the students and not the union as it was in his hands whether classes return to normal at the university.

The professors have been having protests over the last 18 months demanding a salary increase of 40%, with 15% before the start of the first semester of 2017. 

Professors at the state university are the best paid in the country with the most accommodating benefits. 

http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/educacion/profesores-de-la-uasd-inician-paro-XX6132077


Angel Rondon makes the news in El Pais
The Spanish daily El País de España has covered the local investigation of Ángel Rondón Rijo in regards to the Odebrecht bribery scandal, given his ties to AAA Dominicana, an affiliate of Canal de Isabel II (Sociedad Interamericana de Agua y Servicios), a Spanish company. AAA has been responsible for water service collections in the Dominican Republic. 

Rondón made headlines when he was accused of having received US$92 million in bribes by the Brazilian firm Odebrecht from 2001-2014 to secure contract work for the company in the Dominican Republic. He acknowledged receiving the amount and argued these were his fees for services rendered to secure the contract work. 

As reported in El País, scandals around the affiliates of Canal de Isabel II company based in Madrid have already prompted the regional government to shut down several affiliates in Latin America, although not the AAA Dominicana, with its ties to Angel Rondon.

As reported, Rondón is co-president of AAA Dominicana together with Diego García Arias who represents Inassa, the Colombian company that manages most of the affiliates of Canal Isabel II in Latin America. 

http://ccaa.elpais.com/ccaa/2017/01/30/madrid/1485797595_778744.html
http://www.7dias.com.do/portada/201...inculos-con-empresa-estatal-canal-isabel.html


Garlic confiscated after entry from Haiti
Members of the Specialized Corps of Frontier Security (Cesfront) have seized 156 sacks of garlic that were being transported in a truck from Haiti on the road from Cano de Boca to Montecristi. 

Also on the border with Haiti, in addition at several checkpoints in Dajabón they confiscated dozens of bags full of garlic, numerous cartons of cigars of different brands, whisky and other merchandise that Haitians were trying to smuggle into the Dominican Republic.

At least 68 Haitians who were being transported illegally in a bus in the area of Santiago were arrested by members of Cesfront and immediately returned to Haiti. The officials also found several cases of whisky, cigars and other products, and the driver of the vehicle tried to avoid arrest, albeit unsuccessfully.

http://hoy.com.do/decomisan-156-sac...ianos-intentaron-entrar-a-rd-de-forma-ilegal/


Accused murderer extradited from Colombia
Matías Avelino Castro, accused of being the brains behind the murder of communicator Jose Agustin Silvestre Maldonado, was extradited from Colombia to the Dominican Republic on Monday 30 January 2017 and is now under arrest.

Avelino Castro arrived at Las Americas Airport on a flight form Bogotá and was accompanied by members of Dominican Interpol and taken to the Public Prosecution Office in San Pedro de Macorís that is in charge of the penal process against Avelino Castro. 

The late José Agustín Silvestre Maldonado was kidnapped and murdered on 2 August 2011, by a group of six individuals headed up by Avelino Castro. He fled the country and took refuge in Colombia. 

http://eldia.com.do/procuraduria-in...por-asesinato-del-comunicador-jose-silvestre/


Valentine’s Day show at Casa de Teatro
Casa de Teatro presents for St. Valentine’s Day music and comedy show. Starring Aleja Johnson, Fernando Pucheu, Salime Caram, Entero and Errpidio, “Un Show pa’ que te Enamores” starts at 9:30pm. Tickets are RD$500 with previous purchase and RD$700 at the door. Tuesday, 14 February 2017. 

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


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