| Daily News - Tuesday, 21 December 2004 |
According to Hoy newspaper, a judge has ordered three of those apprehended in Saturday's RD$900-million drug bust to remain in custody. Former army captain Quirino Ernesto Paulino Castillo and his wife Belkis Elizabeth Ubri Medrano were arrested in Santo Domingo, while National Police Lieutenant Colonel Lidio Arturo Terrero Nin and civilian Tirso Cuevas Nin were taken into custody after being discovered transporting 1,300 kilos of cocaine in a truck on the outskirts of Santo Domingo. The three men will be sent to the Najayo jail in San Cristobal, while Ubri Medrano will be released on RD$2 million bail. The defense council of the accused had requested that all be given bail conditions, but Attorney General Jose Manuel Hernandez Peguero supported the judge's decision to the contrary, saying that if they were to be released, it would be like asking the people to "kneel down" to drug trafficking and crime.
Hoy newspaper's Que se dice column also deals with the story, saying many questions need to be answered regarding the involvement of military, police and political figures in the country's criminal activity. While he says that many pieces are of the country's narco-trafficking machinery are falling, the writer wonders if lawyer Negro Veras wasn't right when he vehemently insisted last week that there wasn't enough political willpower to wage the fight against narcotics smuggling in the DR. The attorney general has said that will be no hesitation to prosecute whoever else may be involved.
Quirino Ernesto Paulino Castillo, 44, was well known to the DNCD (Dominican DEA), who had him pegged as one of the major drug traffickers in the Dominican Republic. In spite of this, he was admitted into service with the National Army with the rank of lieutenant. Hoy newspaper's sources told them that on 3 January 2002, Paulino Castillo entered the Army as a second lieutenant, and before the year was out he had been made a captain. The Listin Diario revealed that Paulino Castillo was a close friend of former Army chief of staff and now-retired Major General Jorge R Zorilla Ozuna. Zorilla Ozuna carried a high profile during the reelection campaign of former President Hipolito Mejia, openly campaigning for the later, despite this being banned to the military.
Upon being arrested, Paulino Castillo was in possession of four Winchester shotguns and a 9mm Browning automatic. Part of the Fernandez administration's first order of business was the forced retirement of several hundred officers who were closely tied to the former PRD administration, and as such Paulino Castillo was released from service, without a pension, in September. According to its sources, Hoy reports that the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had been tracking Paulino Castillo for two years, "but the investigation had to be stopped." When the new government started to clean up the ranks and Paulino Castillo was demoted and then retired from Army service the investigation was able to net them their target.
Paulino Castillo has been flagged as the leader of the ring involved with the DR's second biggest drug seizure in the past 10 years. Hoy's report says that millions of pesos worth of assets have been confiscated from the former military captain, including luxury vehicles, farmland, helicopters, warehouses, gas stations, warehouses, bank accounts, factories and night clubs. Hernandez Peguero signaled that more property could be seized in the course of the ongoing investigation to add to the evidence that they already have, evidence that he assumed was derived through illicit means.
The recent arrests of numerous military and police figures, as well as press reports on the incident, have prompted the Association of the Industrial Free Zone of Santiago to publish a statement in today's newspapers. The association wants to know the name of the "business in a Santiago Free Zone" that was published as part of the story on the discovery of 1,300 kilos of cocaine, and purportedly on its way to the un-named site for "processing" and shipment to the US. The Free Zone Association is asking the authorities to remove the uncertainty as to which company they referred to in order not to tarnish the good names of all of the other industries in the industrial park. In another part of the Listin Diario, journalist Felix Parra reports that the executive secretary of the association, Josefina Hernandez, issued the statement because those who may be implicated should be brought to the full extent of the law. Parra also reports that other business organizations in Santiago, such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Industrial and Merchant Association and the Industrial Association-Northern Region, have joined forces with the free zone groups to demand that the confusion be cleared up. All of the corporate entities pledged their full cooperation in every way possible to resolve the case.
Every year at this time DR1 News is forced to report on the danger of children and adolescents handling fireworks. Now, according to the Listin Diario, pediatricians and orthopedic surgeons are asking parents to keep a closer eye on their children. Prevention is much easier than are the treatments for burns or the amputations caused by the misuse of these "attractive dangers." El Caribe reports that so far this year, one child has died and six have been injured by exploding fireworks. The Pearl F Ort Burn Unit at the Luis Eduardo Aybar Hospital treated the seven children. Surgeon Eddy Bruno said that just one month ago they received a child who was killed by a firecracker that exploded near his neck. The president of the Dominican Society of Pediatricians, Dr Luis Alam Lora, warned parents that fireworks are just that, "fire" and "explosives," that burn, maim and kill. The numbers from Christmas 2003 showed that there one person died and 327 were injured in fireworks-related incidents.
GlobalMed Technologies is suing the Ministry of Public Health and the National Council on Bioethics over the closure of their experimental procedures in their search for a cure for AIDS and HIV. Judge Marilyn Musa Valerio chose to wait until both sides had presented the documents to support their cases. Dr Danilo Fernandez, the chief of GlobalMed, brought the matter to court because the Bioethics Council said his facility would remain closed "until an exhaustive investigation into the legal and ethical norms being employed could be fulfilled." GlobalMed told the court that the two governmental entities are not legally entitled to suspend research, and the 36 patients who are being treated could die as a result, given that they are not insured and of little financial means. According to the GlobalMed spokesperson, the reason they are in the DR is because 99% of the Dominican AIDS/HIV+ patients are without medication. "It is not because they do not want to give them medicines, it is just that there are none to give," said Dr Fernandez. The experimental team worked from the Betances Medical Center, but they were told that they could no longer continue to use those premises. GlobalMed threatened to take the case to court and the clinic reported them to the authorities.
The issue of experimenting with radiation treatment of the blood using ultraviolet light is no stranger to controversy. Brought to the Dominican Republic by Dr Fernandez, a Cuban-American who trained at the UCE Medical School, the ultraviolet treatment was subject to scrutiny by the Bioethics Council, which, incidentally, is headed by Aura Celeste Fernandez, one of the DR's most gifted and respected jurists. The council requested a series of conditions that were ignored, according to its report to the Ministry of Public Health. Last April, however, Minister Jose Rodriguez Soldevila authorized the experimental treatments to begin, which decision brought about a conflict with the Bioethics Council. After meeting with the council members, the minister admitted he had made a mistake. Nonetheless, Rodriguez Soldevila fired the entire staff of the ethics council and replaced them with people who supported his actions.
In spite of the government's attempts to start up the Family Health Plan in October of 2005, funding for public health will account for only 1.48% of the GDP in the year's budget, one of the lowest levels since 1998. El Caribe says that after a slow but steady increase in funding that nearly hit 2% of the GDP, the budget has assigned fewer and fewer pesos to the ministry charged with the public's wellbeing. In order to implement the Family Health Insurance as called for by Law 87-01, the economy will have to take some large steps forward. The Juan Montalvo Center for Social Studies points out that official expenditures in the health sector have traditionally been very low and irregular, with a completely deficient impact on the general population. Irrespective of the current economic national crisis, the monies assigned to Public Health fell by 36% in 2003 and have remained at those same levels into the budget year of 2005. Vice-President Rafael Alburquerque had announced that in October 2005 the Family Health Insurance would be put into effect, marking the seventh postponement of the program's startup date. In July, Dr Bernardo Defillo had warned that the health system was on the brink of a total collapse. The Family Health Plan is meant to give medical health coverage to all salaried employees.
The Dominican Corporation of State Electrical Businesses (CDEEE) signed a financial agreement with the Canadian government to the tune of US$90 million. These resources will be used to develop hydroelectric ventures and improve the transmission lines in the DR. The financing is being guaranteed by the Canadian Commercial Corporation. One part of the money will go towards rural electricity service. Saul Santana, of the CDEEE, told El Caribe reporters that 42 substations of 138KV and 69KV would be reconditioned, and a 30MW substation would also be built with the funds. The agreement was signed by Ambassador Adam Blackwell for the Canadian government and Radhames Segura, the head of the CDEEE.
While the wells that have been drilled so far have not produced commercial quantities of crude oil, the three companies currently involved in the exploration efforts still have high hopes of finding it. The Listin Diario says that Maleno, Once-Once and Murfin are all studying the results of their drilling. Located in the Azua, Enriquillo and Cibao basins, the oil companies are looking for gas and oil, and have invested millions of dollars in their quest. Murfin Dominicana has devoted over US$10 million to their research, and this, according to the director general of mining, is proof of the intensity with which the search is being conducted. Octavio Lopez says that the first stages have been concluded and after carrying out the analyses required, there will be four more exploratory wells drilled. The official has continually warned the general public not to get too excited about these events in order not to create false hopes. In the event, three of the wells in the Azua basin may have petroleum in what might be commercial quantities. While company representatives are being very tight-lipped about the amounts involved, a source told the Listin Diario that there are good indications of considerable quantities of crude within reach, and the country might well receive some good news sooner rather than later.
The Dominican Winter League is heating up with two teams trying to displace the Aguilas Cibaenas from first place. More important, though, is the fight for the fourth place, in order to play in the semi-final round robin in January. Thus in the next days, the Major League players affiliated with the teams are making appearances.
Last night, the Tigres of Licey beat the Estrellas Orientales 4-1 in the Quisqueya Stadium in Santo Domingo. The game was scoreless until the seventh inning, when Licey took a one-run lead on a hit by Jose Herrera. Licey broke the game open with three more runs in the bottom of the eighth.
At Julian Javier Stadium in San Francisco de Macoris, the Leones del Escogido defeated the hometown Gigantes by a score of 3-2. A homerun by Wilton Veras in the ninth inning gave the Leones a victory that just might turn their season around. After remaining in the cellar for most of the season, the Leones are now just one game behind the Estrellas Orientales for the final play-off spot. A final round-robin tournament with the Aguilas, Licey, Escogido and Gigantes participating would be a major draw for baseball fans and a success at the box office.
| Today's games | |
| Quisqueya Stadium: | Toros del Este vs Escogido 8 p.m. |
| Julian Javier Stadium (SFM): | Licey vs. Gigantes |
| Tetelo Vargas Stadium (SPM): | Aguilas vs Estrellas |
| Tomorrow's games | |
| Quisqueya: | Gigantes vs Escogido |
| Cibao (Stgo): | Toros vs. Aguilas |
| Tetelo Vargas: | Licey vs. Estrellas |
No Games 23, 24 or 25 December
| Standings | W | L | Avg. | GB |
| Aguilas | 26 | 18 | .591 | |
| Gigantes | 25 | 19 | .568 | 1.0 |
| Licey | 24 | 20 | .545 | 2.0 |
| Estrellas | 21 | 23 | .477 | 5.0 |
| Escogido | 20 | 24 | .454 | 6.0 |
| Toros | 16 | 28 | .364 | 10.0 |
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