|
| ||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
||
|
| ||
|
Foreigners to decide on Dominican migration? The touchy Haitian migration issue made headlines yesterday and again today after Minister of Foreign Relations Hugo Tolentino Dipp announced the forming of a new Comite de Impulso. The migratory rights vigilance committee is made up by Dominican government members, and representatives of foreign pro-Haitian migration lobby groups and will decide on the migratory status of Haitian migrants in the DR. Reportedly Columbia University Law students would assist the pro-Haitian migration lobby groups. Minister of Foreign Relations Hugo Tolentino Dipp told El Caribe newspaper that the country was obliged to sign the agreement or face economic sanctions. He blamed the past government for not defending the DR better in its first case at the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights. In 1998, the DR became the last Latin American country to join the court jurisdiction. Miguel Pichardo of the Ministry of Foreign Relations explained that the committee will resolve matters relative to the order issued by the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights in 2000. But the decision is being seen locally as uncalled for by the Court ruling and a violation of Dominican sovereignty. Back in 2000, the DR went to the court when Belgium priest Pedro Ruquoy and Haitian-Dominican activist Solange Pierre requested the court rule to outlaw the Dominican Republic from deporting illegal Haitians. The twosome in their opening presentation showed a video highlighting the Dominican Republic was “apartheid in the Caribbean.” They sought that the DR not be allowed to repatriate illegal Haitians until previous conditions they recommended be met. At the time, the DR had stepped up the number of deportations, as a result of the exodus of Haitians that were escaping critical economic and political situation in their home country. Ambassador to the OAS Flavio Dario Espinal and Ministry of Foreign Relations lawyer Servio Tulio Castaños defended the Dominican Republic before the InterAmerican court. At the time the Court rejected the petition to stop the deportations of illegal aliens in general. During the trial it was also determined that the country had improved the conditions under which the illegal aliens were being deported. The Court did order that provisional residence status for seven named persons be granted but left up to the Department of Migration of the Domincan government the setting of the final migratory status of the group. See http://www.corteidh.or.cr According to an editorial in the Listin Diario, afterwards the Migration Department was able to locate three of these families whose legal residence status was established and they were allowed to return to the DR. The whereabout of the four other individuals is unknown. The forming of the Comite de Impulso would supposedly expedite the investigations. But many in the DR are calling it interference in domestic migratory matters. In an editorial today, the Listin Diario newspaper writes: “What we would have liked is that any investigation have been left in Dominican hands without any type of intervention of Haitians or Americans in the matter.” Rafaela Alburquerque, president of the Chamber of Deputies says that the resolution is very damaging and delicate because the DR cannot carry the burden of the Haitian problems. Furthermore, the president of the committee on Haitian affairs in the Congress, deputy Pelegrin Castillo said he would request that the Supreme Court declare in violation of the constitution the signing of the agreement. He said only Congress has the right to determine migration policy. He also said they would request that Minister of Foreign Relations Hugo Tolentino Dipp and director of Migration Trajano Moreta Cuevas appear before Congress to explain the details of the agreement. Pelegrin Castillo maintains that an uncontrolled migration of Haitians to the more prosperous DR is seen by foreign governments as a short term solution to Haitian social problems. Flavio Dario Espinal, who defended the DR in the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights says, “An agreement of any such kind was unnecessary, as the Court determined that Migration was in charge of deciding on the specific cases,” he said. He told DR1 he had not read the agreement, but that it gave the impression that the country was committing to some kind of family reunification policy, granting migratory rights to persons who do not have migratory rights. This week the Wall Street Journal reported on the hundreds of thousands of dollars the government of Jean Bertrand Aristide is paying to Washington D.C. lobby firms on behalf of his government. An increase in the immigration of destitute Haitians to the DR is in the best interest of the Haitian government as it relieves the social pressures within that country. | ||
|
Northwest Aqueduct passes in Senate The Senate approved yesterday without any further study the US$129 million 12-year term loan with a Brazilian bank for the construction of the Northwest Aqueduct and the construction of the aqueduct by two Brazilian companies, Andrade Gutierrez S.A. and Norberto Odebrech S.A. and Hidraulica, Agricola y Civil, S.A. The Senate had earlier passed an additional five-year loan contract for US$32.7 million, to cover the 15% Dominican government matching funds needed to build the Northwest Aqueduct. The loan contract is with the ABN Amro Bank, the eighth largest European commercial bank. This loan contradicts the country’s borrowing policy announced by President Mejia in his 27 February address to the nation. The loans are for the construction of the same project that had been rejected two years ago by the PRD majority congress when presented during the PLD administration. The President said the project will serve the needs of a population of 400,000 living in the provinces of Santiago, Santiago Rodriguez, Monte Cristi, Valverde and Dajabon. The US$161 million project was originally promoted by senators Ramon Alburquerque (PRD-Monte Plata, José González Espinosa (PTD-Barahona) and the late Darío Gómez (PRD-Santiago Rodríguez). But the Senate turned it down in 2000 after it received the endorsement of the Fernandez administration. Sectors argued the high cost of the financing, the lack of transparency and that the Brazilian contractors had not carried out the adequate studies. A contending firm said the government had turned down better offers for the construction. | ||
|
Smith Enron on the purchase of the plant Smith Enron Cogeneration, the company operating the 175-megawatt power plant in Puerto Plata, published today full-page ads in the press regarding the possibility of the state purchasing the plant and the reasons why the plant is shut down. The company confirmed it had received a letter of intent for the purchase from the government, but said this did not specify terms. The company says the specs are necessary for the offer to be evaluated. Furthermore, the company said that the contract for the operation of the plant was renegotiated in 1999 and is in effect until 2015. The company explained it is not supplying power because the government owes US$27.2 million, of which US$21.8 million are in arrears. | ||
|
Placer Dome agreement approved The Monetary Board approved the Placer Dome bid to negotiate an agreement for the exploitation of the open pit gold mine of the Rosario gold project in central Pueblo Viejo, Cotui. The company had won the tender in July 2001. The next step is the completion of a contract that is subject to congressional approval. Between 1975 and 1999, Pueblo Viejo produced 5 million ounces of gold and 22 million ounces of silver. | ||
|
| ||
|
Dominican food for European babies Stefan Hipp, and Mario Graf Beissel, president and director for Latin American markets director for HiPP, the world's largest processor of organic foods, visited the Dominican Republic last week to sign an agreement with Bon Agroindustrial (of Bon Ice Cream fame). The agreement calls for an increase in its sourcing of Dominican organic mango and banana pulp for the manufacturing of baby food for European markets. HiPP is a European market leader in the baby food industry. See http://www.hipp.co.uk/ During their stay, the executives visited the Bon manufacturing plant where the pulp for the European baby food is manufactured under world class standards. Bon also manufactures ice cream and Bon mango juice for domestic and export markets. Speaking at a reception hosted in their honor at the German Embassy in the DR, Hipp and Beissel praised the quality of Dominican organic produce. They also used the opportunity to stress their identification with Bon’s efforts to promote an improvement in the living standards of Dominican farmers by finding markets for better-paying organic produce. They explained that HiPP. a winner of the prestigious United Nations Environment Program’s Millennium business Award for Environmental Achievement, shares the commitment to socially-responsible environmental projects. | ||
|
| ||
|
Six offspring from six spouses The Senate studied yesterday granting a RD$30,000 a month pension to the widow of the late senator Dario Gomez and RD$5,000 monthly stipends to the six legal guardians of six minor offspring of the former senator. Interestingly, the RD$5,000 stipend would benefit offspring of the late senator born to six different women. The beneficiaries would be Maria Estebania Mercedes, his last wife and the guardians of minors Alvaro Gomez Hernandez, Darlenys Gomez Diaz, Osmery Gomez Lanfranco, Juan Alberto Gomez Lantigua, Jose Miguel Gomez Ventura and Domingo Gomez Lima. These would receive the stipend until the children are 18 years old. | ||
|
| ||
|
Easter Week preparations Easter Week is the peak vacation time for Dominicans. Will school closing this coming Monday, thousands will head from the cities to the towns for the week-long holiday. The time to avoid being on the road is on Thursday afternoon and on the returning Easter Sunday afternoon. Radhames Lora Salcedo, head of the civil defense and emergency operation forces, said that 70,000 men and women would participate in the safe Easter Week operation. Some 750 emergency stations are being set up in vacation spots and along highways. Lora said they would be alerting drivers against drunk driving and hand held cellular phones, and in favor of the obligatory use of seat belts on the road. The use of jet skis is banned nationwide for the week. The government also announced the closing of beaches and watering spots that are considered especially risky when visited by large crowds. Vigilance will be stationed to explain to visitors the areas are off limits from Thursday, 28 March to Monday, 1 April. The closed beach areas are: Santo Domingo: Guibia, Manresa, Playa de Juancho, La Playita, Los Gringos beaches. San Cristobal: Los Cañones de Nigua, Puente de Nigua, Boca de Nigua, Los Cuadritos San Pedro de Macoris: Playa del Muerto, Las Saldinas, Hawaii, Morota, Villa del Mar, El Muelle Samana: Playa de los Mesias, boca del Limon, Playa del Valle, Playa Frances, Chiguela, Gran Estero Barahona: Los Patos, Saladilla, Palito Seco, Del Caño, San Rafael La Romana: Chavon, Tres Colitas Puerto Plata: El Canal, Sand Castle, Encuentro, La Bombita, La Bonita Nagua: Independencia The better known river vacation spots that will be closed include the El Salto de Jimenoa in Jarabacoa, Boca de Chavon in La Romana, and Hatillo Dam. | ||
|
|
||
|
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 1996-2008. DR1. All Rights Reserved. |
