Home  Message Archive  2007  2006  2005  2004  2003  2002  2001  2000  1999  1998  Premium News Service

Daily News - 13 February 2001
Annualized inflation at 11.4%
According to data published in today's El Caribe newspaper, the DR's inflation rate is 11.4% annualized as of January 31st. The figure is in excess of any registered in the past four years. The Central Bank attributes the high inflation rate to increments in fuel prices, and the 50% increase in the ITBIS (point-of-sale) tax. Previous inflation rates were 5.99% (2000), 7.15% (1999), 5.51% (1998), 6.95% (1997).
50,000 tourists visit cigar factory
Carlos Guillermo Leon, Vice President of Aurora Cigars, a subsidiary of the E. Leon Jimenes conglomerate, said that some 50,000 tourists had visited the factory last year. Aurora's production is largely for the export market, mostly North America and Europe. Interviewed by El Caribe, Leon said that while sales in North American are not increasing, those in Europe and South America are. Aurora produces over 6.5 million cigars a year.
Livestock Fair
A million visitors are expected at the Livestock Fair, being organized by the National Livestock Association in cooperation with 200 other institutions. The fair will take place at Feria Ganadera on Santo Domingo's Malecon between March 3rd and 11th. A traditional event, the full range of Dominican livestock will be exhibited.
142 Dominicans play in the Big Leagues
Listin Diario newspaper writes that 142 Dominicans are currently active in Big League training camps, 12 more than last year. Dominican players who aspire to selection by one of the 30 Big League franchises, 77 in the National League and 65 in the American League. The DR is the single largest foreign provider of U.S. Big League players, exceeding Puerto Rico, Mexico, Venezuela and Japan. Dominicans Sammy Sosa, Pedro Martinez, Raul Mondesi, Moises Alou, and Manny Ramirez, and Vladimir Guerrero are among the current Big League stars.
Mejia is satisfied by economic and political stability
President Hipolito Mejia is pleased by the way the measures comprising his "social welfare package" have been received. According to the President, right and left wing extremists who predicted strikes and social upheavals if the reforms went into effect, now look like a "grist for the mill." Mejia is quoted by Hoy as being satisfied with the political and economic stability the DR is now enjoying.
Senator sees nepotism and duplicate employment
The Senator from the National District, Jose Antonio Najri, told the newspaper Hoy that nepotism is rife in the government and that there are some persons receiving up to three government salaries. At the same time, according to Najri, many PRD Party members remain without government jobs. The PRD numbers over one million persons among its adherents, and many of them continue to pursue government employment. According to Hoy, President Hipolito Mejia said those who continue to petition for government jobs are wasting their time since it is impossible to include 1.4 million persons on the personnel roster. "I have been clear on this point," said Mejia, referring to the 400 job seekers who disrupted yesterday's seminar at the Haina Vacation Club, "there are not jobs for everybody."
Rice imports authorized
Agriculture Minister Eligio Jaquez said yesterday that the Price Stabilization Institute would import 12,943 tons of rice from the U.S. in order to circumvent what he called the machinations of rice importers who are bringing boatloads of rice from Asia and South America without government approval. The President of the Dominican Association of Rice Processors, Miguel de Moya, revealed that in recent weeks more than 50,000 sacks of rice have entered the country from the U.S. and Uruguay under questionable circumstances.
Promised land granted after 40 years
The Director of the Dominican Agrarian Institute, Tomas Hernandez Alberto, together with Ambassador of Japan, Masato Akasawa, conducted an emotional ceremony during which 26 Japanese immigrants, were given titles to parcels in La Luisa in the Province of Monte Plata. They had been promised the parcels when they came in 1959. The Japanese immigrants were lured to the DR by the Dictator Trujillo government's offers of work and land, and had been waiting since then for the titles to the land they cultivate.
Mayors disenchanted with government
This morning's El Siglo writes that all is not well between the nation's municipal governments and the national government. According to Fausto Ruiz, President of the Dominican Federation of Mayors, the government has retained RD$56 million that was to have been distributed to municipalities, according to instructions of President Hipolito Mejia. This past Thursday, a meeting was held in San Cristobal, attended by 70 mayors and city council presidents from around the country. Ruiz alleged that the money has not been released due to the bottleneck formed by the National Budget Office, the National Treasury, the Controller General. He indicated that, as a result, state-local relations are poor, and that the mayors, most of whom belong to the PRD Party, are disappointed in behavior they never would have expected from a PRD government.
Montas excluded from PLD Central Committee
The rank and file of the Dominican Liberation Party, who voted on the Party's Central Committee membership, has excluded Temistocles Montas, former Technical Secretary during the Fernandez administration. With 40% of the votes counted, a preliminary result of voting by the Party's approximately 30,000 members is already in. In this past Sunday's first round of voting, there were 1,297 candidates for office pursuing 270 Party posts, 30 of which comprise the Executive Committee. The vote was called as part of National Convention activities to better position the party for the 2002 and 2004 elections. Party divisions include a traditionalist faction, a pragmatic faction, and those advocating openness and change.
Wish-ky Sour and Salome U return to National Theater
Two of the most successful theater productions are back on stage at the National Theater: "Wish-ky Sour" and "Salome U: Cartas a una Ausencia." The works were written by Scherezada (Chiqui) Vicioso and are directed by Jorge Pineda and Henry Mercedes. Their run is between February 13th and 18th.
Carlota Carretero and Karina Noble have leading roles in "Wish-ky Sour." They have performed the same work in Costa Rica, Caracas, Nueva York and Santo Domingo. The work presents the history of a woman whose physical exhaustion cause her to reflect on what she's accomplished in the eyes of society and how she feels about it. "
Salome U" deals with the life of the Dominican poet, Salome Ureña, from the historical perspective and modernism's introduction into Dominican literature. Salome Ureña was the first Dominican to organize a school for women's technical education.
Best in Dominican show business in 2000
The winners of the Dominican show business's night of stars, the
Casandra Awards were announced last night. Cervecería Nacional Dominicana,
the Presidente beer brewery, sponsors the awards. Members of the
Dominican Association of Show Business Chroniclers (Acroarte) chose
the winners of the annual awards. Mayor of Santo Domingo Johnny Ventura won the evening's top award, El Soberano. Special awards of the evening were given to Colombian Carlos Vives and actress Sofia Vergara, Puerto Rican singer Ednita Nazario. Dominican Elenita Santos received a special award for her 50 year career as a singer, and Dominican composer Manuel Troncoso was honored that evening also. A posthumous tribute was rendered to Jean Louis Jorge. The tribute was received by his father.

The winners were:
    Classics & Theater:
1. Best Actor of the year: Felix German (La mejor cerveza caliente del barrio)
2. Best Actress of the Year: Maria Castillo (La controversia de Valladolid)
3. Best Theater Director: Maria Castillo (Muller Machine)
4. Best Drama Production National Theater: Interioridades (Ivan Garcia)
5. Best Foreign Drama Production: Muller Machine (Maria Castillo production)
6. Best Children's Play: Cascanueces (Carlos Veitia)
    Dance, Music and Shows:
7. Best Classic Ballerina: Silvia Crespo (Cascanueces)
8. Best Classic/Modern Dancer: Armando Gonzalez (Cascanueces)
9. Best Classic/Modern Choreographer: Carlos Veitia
10. Best Classic Performance: Madame Butterfly (National Theater)
11. Best Popular Show Choreographer: Isadora Bruno (Soy and Los cantantes)
12. Best Folklore Ballet: Ballet Folklorico de Josefina Miniño
13. Best Classics Vocal: Marianela Sanchez
14. Best Classic Instrumentist: Luis Ruiz
15. Best Classic Music Composer: Dante Cucurullo
16. Most Outstanding Dominican Artist Abroad: Michael Camilo
17. Best Orchestration and Musical Arranger: Amaury Sanchez
18. Best Songwriter: Charlie Mosquea
19. Best Music CD: Toromania (Los Toros Band)
19. Best Merengue: El Vicio (Elvis Samuel, Eddy Herrera)
20. Best Concert: Los Cantantes (Rubby Perez and Hector Acosta, produced by Amaury Sanchez)
21. Best Show: Soy (Johnny Ventura, produced by Guillermo Cordero)
22. New Artist of the Year: Ciudad de Angeles
23. Best Female Vocal: Milly Quezada
24. Best Male Vocal: Eddy Herrera
25. Best Bachata Performer: Zacarias Ferreiras
26. Best Music Group: Los Toros Band
27. Best Grassroots Music Group: José y su Artillería Pesada
    Television & Radio:
28. Best Investigative Journalism or Specialized Program: Nuria en el 9
29. Best Daily Variety TV program: Super Trade (Domingo Bautista)
30. Best Weekly Variety TV Program: Sábado de Corporán
31. Best Variety Show: En antena con Jatnna
32. Best Children's TV program: Sabado Chiquito
33. Best Comedy Program: Perdone la hora
34. Best Comedian: Manolo Ozuna (Perdone la hora)
35. Best Commentator: Pablo Ross (CDN)
36. Best Presenter: Domingo Bautista
37. Best TV Special: Nuestro siglo (Hugo Mateo and Carlos Bass)
38. Best Music Video: De vuelta al barrio (Juan Basanta)
Home  Message Archive  2007  2006  2005  2004  2003  2002  2001  2000  1999  1998  Premium News Service

The contents of this webpage are copyright © 1996-2008.  DR1. All Rights Reserved.