DR1 Daily News - Wednesday, 4 October 2017

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May 3, 2000
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Tramway cables go up this week
RD$1.5 billion more in funding to fight crime
Off the beach!, says the Ministry of Environment
1,000 quakes a year in DR
Over at 9,000 deported or refused entry to DR in September
Nearly 800,000 tareas damaged by Irma and Maria
Tourism provided 26% of last year’s hard currency
New Police director surveys police patrols
Dominican ambassador presents credentials to Putin
Cement exports hit new record
Quirinito is alive and kicking, says Attorney General
Dominicans major leaguers hit 708 homeruns in 2017 regular season
Knee injury keeps Nin Reyes out of Gymnastics Worlds


Tramway cables go up this week
The cables that will carry the tramway across Ozama River are being installed this week, the URBE contractors reported. The first stretch of cables will go between Station 2 in Los Tres Brazos and Station 3 in Sabana Perdida.

The installation consists of stretching a guide cable between the towers of the tramway. URBE/Cesmet press release explains that both local and foreign technicians are working the installation. When this work is completed the cables will extend over the communities of Ramon Matias Mella, Jardines del Ozama and El Moises in East Santo Domingo.

Tramway work is also being carried out in La Barquita North, Colinas de Ozama, 2 de Enero, La Javilla, INVI and other areas nearby.

http://urbe.cuencaozama.com/blog-25...amo-del-cable-del-telef�rico-de-santo-domingo


RD$1.5 billion more in funding to fight crime
The Medina administration has upped the Ministry of Interior and Police budget allotment for 2018 by RD$1.5 billion, compared to 2016’s budget. The additional money would be used to purchase technology and vehicles for patrolling the nation’s streets. The Ministry’s total budget will be RD$13.09 billion, of which RD$12.31 billion is assigned to the National Police and the remainder by the Ministry itself.

Homicide statistics for the first six months of 2017 show there have been 806 murder victims. This compares to 801 murders for Jan-June 2016.

https://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/seguridad-en-2018-implicaria-gastos-por-rd-13-097-mm-KK8297369


Off the beach!, says the Ministry of Environment
The Ministry of Environment has given the owners of small food stands and restaurants on the beach at Boca Chica two weeks to remove the establishments that are on beach to comply with the ordinance that prohibits any structure within a 60 m of the water at high tide.

Juan Antonio Burgos, acting under the authority of the provincial office of the Ministry of Environment in the province of Santo Domingo, issued the notification. The Ministry is citing violations of Laws 305-98 and 64-00.

The Ministry of Environment is appealing to the public to comply with the law after hundreds of structures located near river or coasts were damaged by waves and flooding during the recent passing of this season’s hurricanes.

http://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/text.jsp?file_id=236161
http://elnacional.com.do/dan-plazo-15-dias-retirar-negocios-en-boca-chica/


1,000 quakes a year in DR
Recent conversations in the DR1 Forums are focusing on the possibility of a major earthquake in the Dominican Republic, especially in light of the recent seismic activities that occurred in Mexico.

On Tuesday, 3 October 2017, the El Dia newspaper published a short article that reported that at least 1,000 earthquakes a year, on average, are detected in the Dominican Republic. Of course they are of different magnitudes, some of which are felt and some of which go unnoticed by the population. These slight tremors are only picked up by the machines at the Seismological Center in the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD).

According to the UASD Seismological Institute, in 2016 there were 990 events with magnitudes varying between 2.0 and 5.0 on the Richter scale. So far this year there have been over 600 events according to the official registry. The Institute, which works 24/7/365, measures as many as five incidents during one day.

Eugenio Polanco Rivera, the director of the Institute, explained that on a normal day at the Institute, between two and three seismic events are registered, and when there is what they call a “swarm” as many as five events are recorded. Nevertheless, these numbers show us as a country with very reduced seismic activities in comparison with others in Central America such as El Salvador or Chile in South America where official statistics might reach 1,000 quakes in just a few months.

“Seismic activity in the Dominican Republic is relatively low,” said Polanco Rivera. Regardless, the director ended his interview by encouraging people to take preventive measures to avoid major damage during such an event if it should occur.

http://eldia.com.do/mil-temblores-se-registran-en-rd-cada-ano/
https://www.fema.gov/earthquake-safety-home


Over at 9,000 deported or refused entry to DR in September
The Migration Agency (DGM) reported on Tuesday, 3 October 2017, that some 9,322 foreigners were either deported, not admitted or were returned to their respective countries of origin during the month of September.

7dias.com, cited a DGM statistics report that reveals that of these 9,322 foreigners, some 5,254 were denied entry by air or by land. The report also details the deportation of 4,069 foreigners. The repatriations occurred in coordination with the embassies of Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cuba, Spain, United States, Haiti, Holland, Portugal, Russia, Taiwan and Venezuela.

According to the report there were 335,054 persons entering the country and 422,666 persons left the country through the nation’s airports with the Punta Cana International Airport moving the greatest number of passengers. Airports moving the most air arrivals after Punta Cana are Las Americas, Cibao, Puerto Plata, Romana, El Catey in Samana and La Isabela.

During September, 596 foreigners voluntarily returned to their country of origin by air with the assistance of the DGM. Regarding movement across the border with Haiti, the DGM reported that 18,624 entries were recorded and 14,307 departures, mostly at the Jimaní border crossing.

Maritime arrivals and departures show 34,251 entries and 33,377 departures from La Romana and Amber Cove in Puerto Plata, the nation’s two most important cruise line ports.

http://www.7dias.com.do/portada/201...pidio-entrada-322-extranjeros-septiembre.html


Nearly 800,000 tareas damaged by Irma and Maria
The government has announced that it will mobilize resources to assist the more than 6000 farmers who were affected by the floodwaters produced by hurricanes Irma and Maria. The floods affected different crops according to the Minister of Agriculture, Angel Estevez, as he left the meeting President Danilo Medina in the Presidential Palace. He told reporters from the Diario Libre that the authorities with the support of the central government will carry out real solutions to the small medium and large farmers affected by these two natural events. He told the reporters that 790,781 tareas had been significantly affected and that 213,646 tareas were severely damaged, which meant that the national farm area saw 10% of its lands impacted by the storms.

The meeting was also attended by Osmar Benitez, the executive President of the Dominican Agro-business Board who represented the private sector. The head of the Dominican Banana Producers Association, Luis Bonilla, told the meeting that banana producers lost 140,000 tareas particularly in the area of Mao and Montecristi. He explained just how this cropland was damaged saying: “Irma’s strong winds knocked down about 80,000 tareas of crops, followed by three days of heavy rains throughout the region and when Maria arrived with even more water it found that the soils was saturated, and then came the floods.

Bonilla said that he estimated losses in his sector to be between RD$2 and RD$2.5 billion and he noted that only 30% of the farms were insured. The farmers are requesting the government provide low interest loans to restore their farms.

https://www.diariolibre.com/economi...fectadas-por-huracanes-irma-y-maria-EN8294341


Tourism provided 26% of last year’s hard currency
Direct foreign investment in tourism has grown by over 520% in the last five years in a sector that now generates nearly 1,000,000 jobs either direct or indirectly for the Dominican Republic.

A just-released study, “Dominican Tourism: A Sea of Opportunities” produced by the Hotel and Tourism Association of the Dominican Republic (Asonahores) in collaboration with Analytica and sponsored by the Banco Popular, reports that the credit portfolio for the tourist industry averaged RD$40 billion in 2016, annual growth of the sector was 28.4%.

The tourism sector, according to Jacqueline Mora, the executive director of Analytica, during the press conference to announce the study findings, said that tourism contributes 26% of hard currency income. For example, with regards to taxes, the report points out that for every 10 pesos that the sector pays in taxes, an additional 42 pesos are generated in the value chain.

Joel Santos, the president of Asonahores, explained the study is a tool that will facilitate decision-making in the sector because it covers key elements regarding competitiveness that have been identified by international agencies.

https://www.diariolibre.com/economi...-las-divisas-que-ingresaron-al-pais-LA8301049


New Police director surveys police patrols
The director of the National Police, Major General Ney Aldrin Bautista, told reporters on the afternoon of Tuesday, 3 October 2017, that the police are carrying out a survey to identify just what police patrols and its administrative units are doing to increase visibility and improve service in the different communities.

The top police brass indicated that part of the strategy employed by the new leadership is to guarantee that police agents will be on the streets doing “work that is eminently police work” he said when attending a meeting at the Senate’s Interior and Police Commission.

Major General Bautista said that this survey will help to determine the number of specialized police officers needed to perform functions that are different from those of the National Police. He said: “I cannot say that I don’t know where my men are. What I have to say is how I am going to make certain they are performing their duties.” This was possibly in response to the statement issued by the previous director of the National Police, Major General Nelson Peguero Paredes, who said he didn’t know where some 2,500 agents were.

General Bautista said that the internal survey should provide key information about the Department and he reiterated that there should not be any police officers working for private institutions.

https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...s-con-declaracion-sobre-los-agentes-JA8301281


Dominican ambassador presents credentials to Putin
Dominican ambassador Jose Manuel Castillo Betances, presented his credentials on 3 October 2017, at the Kremlin, in the traditional ceremony at the Alexander Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow that symbolizes the official commencement of the diplomat’s tour of duty in Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin received credentials from 20 foreign ambassadors.

In his welcome speech to the new ambassadors, Putin stated on the Dominican Republic:

“We maintain a constructive dialogue with the Dominican Republic, this consistent dialogue which has become strong and diverse in nature. The number of Russian tourists visiting your welcoming country is on the rise.”

Also participating in the ceremony was Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Also presenting credentials were the new ambassadors from Argentina, Croatia, Cyprus, the European Union, France, Grenada, Lao, Latvia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Myanmar, Portugal, Spain, Uganda, USA, Yemen and Zambia.


Cement exports hit new record
From January to June 2017, Dominican cement exports have reached a record US$654.8 million. This is US$58.6 million more than those registered for the first half of 2016. The biggest buyer of Dominican cement is Haiti that purchased US$543.1 million during the first half of the year. The volume of exports for the same period was 2,089,935 metric tons.

https://elnuevodiario.com.do/export...ron-los-us654-8-mm-primeros-siete-meses-2017/


Quirinito is alive and kicking, says Attorney General
The whereabouts of Pedro Alejandro Castillo Paniagua (Quirinito) are not known. Castillo’s nickname comes from his being a nephew of infamous drug trafficker, former army colonel Quirino Ernesto Paulino Castillo.

But an investigation by the Attorney General Office confirmed what is vox populi. He is alive.

Originally sentenced to 30 years in jail for the murder of Spaniard Gustavo Adolfo Cervantes (Waikiki), Castillo Paniagua’s lawyers secured a ruling that reduced his sentence by 10 years. Next Castillo Paniagua was diagnosed with terminal cancer of the mouth and allowed by judge Aleida Jiménez Acosta on 26 May 2017 to keep domiciliary arrest at his home in San Francisco de Macoris, allegedly for humanitarian reasons so he could be near his parents. His wife-lawyer was named his guarantor. Not long after his house arrest was approved, a death certificate was issued that proclaimed the death of Castillo Paniagua.

Now the Attorney General Office says that an investigation shows he did not die of mouth cancer and that he is very much alive. An international arrest warrant has been issued against him.

The Attorney General Office suspended forensic doctor Orlando Herrera Robles who certified Castillo Paniagua’s death, allegedly due to a heart attack on 5 July 2017. A day after, a death certificate was issued and registered by the state.

Dozens of people were interviewed, including Castillo Paniagua’s father, Rafael Castillo Ramírez, who told the authorities that his son was not dead because he would have received the corpse.”

But Castillo Paniagua’s wife, Jennifer Domínguez declared to the authorities that her husband had died in the early morning hours of 5 July 2017, but she could not tell the authorities who had removed the corpse nor where he was buried.

The couple married on 22 February 2016 at the Civil Registry of the First Circumscription of the National District, according to a marriage extract Hoy newspaper reporters had access to. To enable the marriage, the judge in charge of his sentence, Willys de Jesus Núñez gave the authorization despite “Quirinito” being held at the Najayo jail, located in San Cristóbal.

http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2017/10/...quirinito-esta-vivo-y-que-activa-su-busqueda/
http://hoy.com.do/esposa-de-quirinito-tambien-fue-su-abogada/
http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2017/10/...quirinito-esta-vivo-y-que-activa-su-busqueda/
http://dr1.com/forums/showthread.php/163541-Thursday, 28 September 2017


Dominicans major leaguers hit 708 homeruns in 2017 regular season
A Diario Libre sports section report makes the point that the 708 home runs clubbed by Dominicans accounted for 11.5% of the total 6,105 homeruns hit in 2017. In last year’s season, Dominican major leaguers launched 753 home runs. The all-time record year for homeruns by Dominicans was 769 in 2004.
This year, 16 Dominican players surpassed the 20 homerun mark, eight of them batted 25 or more, and half a dozen batted more than 30, including Nelson Cruz (39), Edwin Encarnación (38) and Marcell Ozuna (37).

https://www.diariolibre.com/deporte...ones-al-ano-record-en-grandes-ligas-GL8296448


Knee injury keeps Nin Reyes out of Gymnastics Worlds
A knee injury has affected the performance of Dominican Audrys Nin Reyes in the 47th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships that is taking place in Montreal from 2-8 October 2017. The best of 80 countries and over 500 athletes are competing. After suffering the injury, Nin ended 67th in the men’s horizontal bar qualification on 2 October and had to suspend his participation. Nin Reyes was one of the top 10 in his event.

https://live.fig-gymnastics.com/schedule.php?idevent=13465