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Stepping up security at the border Chief of the Army, Major General Carlos Luciano Diaz Morfa, announced the rotation of soldiers at the border with Haiti starting in September. He said that officers and soldiers will have to make routine service at the border, and that these will be rotated every three or six months. It’s hoped that the rotation will reduce corruption at the frontier. He said that living conditions for the soldiers in the area would be improved, and soldiers would receive wage incentives for the time they are stationed there. Service in the frontier needs to be seen as an important service to the nation, not as a a punishment. Diaz Morfa told the Listin Diario that the patrolling of the border is the top priority of the Army, “There is a big contraband problem at the border”. He said that soldiers would receive training so that they’ll know exactly what to do regarding migration, drug trafficking and contraband at the frontier. He said they will also be required to participate in tree planting and patrolling to avoid deforestation along the border. He estimated there are 3,500-4,000 soldiers presently working in the border, but that the numbers would be increased. The announcement comes at a time that the increase in the political crisis in Haiti is leading to new waves of indigent Haitians crossing the border. |
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Senator denies recommending deputy consul Senator Dagoberto Rodriguez Adames, (PRD-Independencia) denied that he had recommended businessman Ornis Freddy Peña Mendez for the post of deputy consul in Haiti. The National Drug Control Department recently announced the arrest of Peña for trafficking with 43 kilos of cocaine in the Cristo Rey slum area. The cocaine was found in his vehicle that he drives with a Haitian diplomatic plate. Rodriguez said that Peña Mendez is the owner of a company in Duverge that transports merchandise between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. |
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Suggestions to solve the power crisis The Listin Diario editorial today protests what it calls the blackmailing of the government by the power distributors. It mentions sources that indicate that the power distributors are pressuring the government to create a fourth power distributor that would deal exclusively with the low income barrios. “In other words, the bones to the government, and the meat to the private distributors,” says the newspaper. Three companies, affiliates of Union Fenosa and AES multinationals, control the distribution of power in the DR. The Listin Diario says there is a better way. It suggests that the power distributors make the necessary investments to reduce the size of the power grids. And then distribute among low income households 500,000 modern meters of the kind manufactured in Asia that can be remotely controlled so as power can be interrupted without companies having to enter the often hostile barrios. The Listin says that if the government wants to subsidize the barrios, then it can distribute prepaid cards. The Listin says that if the power distributors protest a solution like this to the problem and insist on the government taking responsibility for the barrios, then the government should take the case to the courts to rescind the contracts for non fulfillment on behalf of the distributors of their contractual responsibilities. “We cannot permit social subversion nor accept that the state show such weakness before three simple companies. It is setting a bad precedent to present such a weak state, subject to blackmail,” states today’s editorial. |
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Too many military involved in domestic violence Elisa Sanchez Pujols says that so far this year the Department of Children, Teenagers and Family of the Attorney General Offie has issued 650 protection orders for wives and spouses of police or military personnel accused of domestic violence. She said that everyday her office receives two or three such victims, and with a high percentage of military or police being involved. She said it’s alarming because these individuals are armed. She said that her office issued 2,600 protection orders in favor of women from January to June of this year, of which 25% are spouses of military of policemen. |
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Vice President revs up to run for President Vice President Milagros Ortiz Bosch announced yesterday her intention to seek the presidential candidacy of the Partido Revolucionario Dominicano (PRD) in the 2004 election. She said that she would not start her campaign now because of her responsibilities as Minister of Education. She says she is the candidate that can unite the party and win a victory in the 2004 election. |
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No date for talking of FTA with DR Deputy US Trade Representative Peter Allgeier, in Santo Domingo for the 11th Meeting of the Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC) at the Vice-ministerial level for the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas, told El Caribe newspaper that there has been no official statement of any US government agency regarding an intent of the US government to negotiate a free trade agreement with the Dominican Republic. He told the newspaper that the FTA with Central America could be in place a year and a half prior to the FTAA in 2005. Ambassador Allgeier said that Regina Vargo, Assistant USTR for the Americas, would lead negotiations with the Dominican Republic in the Council for Trade and Investment of the US government regarding the interest of the Dominican government in opening talks for a bilateral FTA. He said there is no set date for the start of those talks. He also said that Panama and Colombia have expressed a similar interest. |
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Richard Bernal, the star Caricom negotiator Ambassador Richard Bernal, Director General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery that is negotiating on behalf of the Caribbean bloc of nations regarding the Free Trade Agreement with the Americas, told El Caribe that his position was strengthened after taking a stand in the Panama meeting regarding trade positions of the United States contrary to the demands by small Caribbean economies. El Caribe compares the Dominican government removing of Dominican trade negotiator, ambassador Federico Cuello Camilo to appease the US and seek a free trade agreement, with the Caricom governments’ position of standing beside their trade negotiator Richard Bernal. Caricom seeks to extend the timetable for setting trade tariffs to October, from the May date sought by the United States. The DR would benefit from this position. After the US government sent a letter criticizing Bernal’s position in Panama to Caribbean states, Congressman Charles Rangel criticized the United States for the pressures. In a 8 July letter to US Trade Representative, Rangel defended Bernal, calling the U.S. demarche an “extraordinary step” and a “heavy-handed tactic.” “I would like to remind the State Department that the sheer size of the United States makes it easy to lose sight of the overall mission of these global trade negotiations and perhaps to lose patience with small nations who suffer from an inequality of negotiating capacity. Each country should feel as though they can participate in a fair and understanding environment among its peers,” Rangel wrote. To make amends, the US sent Deputy US Trade Representative Peter Allgeier to the Caribbean to lay the groundwork for the August meeting of the trade Negotiations Committee that is now taking place in Santo Domingo in preparation for the fall Ministerial meeting. Reaching a deal with Caricom on market access modalities is crucial in the Santo Domingo talks, particularly because all countries with the exception of the Caricom members had agreed to a basic framework in Panama’s May meeting. The DR representatives were ordered to be mute at the meeting after months of standing beside the Caricom position. Caricom is demanding special treatment of small economies in market access negotiations, including that the small economies may start from a higher base tariff in negotiations on market access for agricultural products. Also sought is that entire sectors be excluded from trade-liberalizing commitments. The US rejects that the Caribbean be allowed to use the higher rates bound in the World Trade Organization as the starting point for talks on reducing or eliminating tariffs. Bernal told El Caribe that the opposition of the US government to his stand only increased his influence and popularity in the region. “It makes no sense to shoot the messenger when the message will continue to be the same. If they replace me, as has happened in other countries [subtly referring to the removal of Cuello], the Americans are not going to hear anything different and they may have to negotiate with someone more unpleasant. That is not the way to go. The Caricom heads of state congratulated me and reiterated their commitment. The position I present is not a personal one, it is one of the entire region. I have come to Santo Domingo to negotiate, no matter how long it takes. The matters are too important to give them up. Reciprocity is when both parts can leave the negotiating table feeling they have both received a fair part of what has been agreed.” |
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446 dishes vie for prizes in Gastronomy Prix The Listin Diario reports that 446 dishes will compete in the 28th National Gastronomy Festival. The event will take place Tuesday, 3 September and Wednesday, 4 September at the Salon Las Carabelas of the Hotel V Centenario Inter Continental as of 8 pm. The event has the backing of the Ministry of Tourism, the National Hotel & Restaurant Association, the Association of Hotels of Santo Domingo, and the Association of Chefs of the Dominican Republic. The food competition is open to the general public at RD$600 per person per night. The funds go to several benefits. The Festival is divided into two nights. On the first night, judges choose the best sancochos (Dominican national stew), hors d’ouevres, corn dishes, meats, rice dishes and pastries. The second day is for judging soups, creams, other stews, salads, pastas, poultry, fish, seafood and Dominican sweets. Tickets to the event are already for sale at the D’Europe store of Plaza Castillo, Lina and Napolitano hotels. |
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World Volleyball Cup The Dominican national women’s volleyball team goes up against Russia in the opening of the International Volleyball Federation 2002 Women’s World Volleyball Championship today in Muenster, Germany. The DR is in the preliminary Pool C. The Dominican women will also match Puerto Rico, the United States, Kenya and Argentina. The Dominican team needs to win three games to move on to the second round. To prepare for the event, the Dominican team swept all games against the national teams of Spain and Australia. They went on to defeat Canada in 10 of 11 games. In Japan it played against professional teams and won 11 of the 12 games. Jorge Perez Ventos said that the Russian team is the most difficult challenge the Dominicans will face in the first round of the tournament. For more information, and to follow the event, see http://www.fivb.ch/ |
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Spotlight on Felix Sanchez Dominican world class athlete Felix Sanchez competes today in the sixth Golden League athletics championship, being held in Brussels’ King Baudouin stadium. Sanchez, the World 400m hurdles champion (47.35 area record in the last Golden League meeting in Zurich) of the Dominican Republic is one of only four athletes still in contention for the IAAF Golden League Jackpot. The prize - 110 pounds of gold bars worth about £300,000 - will be divided by athletes who win their event at all seven Golden League meets. Two meets, including the Brussels event, remain. http://www.iaaf.org/ |
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