Speculation about the possible postponement of the starting date for the DR-CAFTA agreement continues around the region. Salvadoran newspaper Diario El Mundo reported on 29 November that according to information published in the Costa Rican and Nicaraguan media, Washington has decided to postpone the treaty for three months because the legal requisites are not yet in place. There is widespread speculation that in December, US President George W. Bush is due to announce that DR-CAFTA will not begin until April 2006. Salvadoran Economy Minister Yolanda de Gavidia said she has no knowledge of this decision and that the government could not consider a change in date without official confirmation from the US. According to Nicaraguan paper El Nuevo Diario and Costa Rican paper Capital Financiero, the official announcement of the date change is to be made on 14 December. The Costa Rican ambassador to the US confirmed to Capital Financiero that the US Trade Representative Robert Portman is considering the date change. According to the media, US officials believe that El Salvador is the only country that is ready to apply DR-CAFTA.
Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez has asked the government, Congress and businessmen to put aside their personal interests when voting on the the tax reform bill, because the Dominican Republic cannot stay out of DR-CAFTA. According to a report in El Caribe, the leader of the Catholic Church spoke at a public function where he was being honored by over 500 personalities, and public and private institutions at Club Naco. He considers that if all Central America joins DR-CAFTA, the DR cannot stay out of it, and remain isolated. He said he hopes the impasse over the approval of the reform is overcome.
Hoy reports that the Cardinal thought that the approval of the bill would be easier, and declared that "whenever a possible solution arises, it is immediately complicated by other elements".
Attorney General Francisco Dominguez Brito said there are corruption cases that have been stalled in the courts and yet others that have not been indicted, but he warned that the will of the Justice Department is that none of them should remain unpunished, no matter who the accused may be. Listin Diario reports that according to the AG, all sectors of society must play their role in a responsible manner and the cases before the courts must receive appropriate punishment. Dominguez Brito was speaking during the anniversary function of Institutionality and Justice Foundation (FINJUS). In Santiago, the AG had said he was not pleased with the treatment given by the courts in many administrative corruption cases and said that the situation must be tackled more strongly and with stronger punishments. He specifically mentioned his displeasure about the cases of Deputy Ramos Garcia, the greenhouses, and Plan Renove.
Hoy reports that the AG stated that corruption has no party colors, and that neither should the fight against it. He added that all officials of this or previous administrations who have acted incorrectly should be sent to court.
The government will contribute RD$10 billion to the money in circulation during this month, which is expected to stimulate the economy. Diario Libre reports that this does not include money to be paid out by the public sector in Christmas bonuses to employees. Finance Minister Vicente Bengoa said this month would be historic in economic terms. Public sector Christmas bonuses amounting to RD$3.7 billion will be paid out 12 December. Also, RD$1.2 billion and RD$800 million have been allocated to the Ministry of Public Works and the Office of State Works Supervisors. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) authorized the government to disburse an additional RD$1.4 million to these to institutions. Banco de Reservas has paid approximately RD$2.9 billion to internal bondholders which matured last month.
According to El Caribe, the Ministry of Finance has ordered the payment of bonuses corresponding to Law 172-03 for a total of RD$577.8 million which will be used to pay the debts that several public institutions owe to other state departments and private companies.
There is between US$611 and US$944 million available for the DR in 2006 within the Inter-American Development Bank funding program. According to Listin Diario, the exact amount will depend on the performance of the economy. This information was provided by IDB representative Moises Pineda, who said that the bank's information indicates that there are good perspectives for next year. On Thursday, the IDB announced the approval of a US$10 million loan for the support of a national employment scheme, labor training courses for youngsters and the strengthening of mechanisms to channel social assistance to the needy.
Presidential Administrative Secretary Luis Manuel Bonnetti has announced a National Technology Fair "My First PC" which is intended to provide government employees with computer equipment for use in their homes. According to a report in Listin Diario, the fair will take place from December 9th to the 18th in the Conservatory of Music Plaza and is being coordinated by the Presidential Office for Information Technology and Communications. The equipment will be sold to employees of government institutions at low prices and with soft financing conditions. The fair will be open from 9:00am to 9:00pm.
The Attorney General's Department will indict 42 individuals in connection with the fraudulent passport scandal that shook the country two months ago. According to El Caribe, those due for indictment include mayors and false council members. They are accused of illegal trafficking of migrants. According to Assistant AG Frank Soto, they are only waiting for the Ministry of Foreign Relations and the Migration Department to confirm exactly how many people received official passports irregularly.
The regulation approved by the National Migration Council is not unconstitutional according to Interior and Police Minister Franklin Almeyda, as reported in Listin Diario. Almeyda thus refutes deputy Pelegrin Castillo (see DR1 Daily News 1 December 2005) by saying that the regulation only mentions the protocol between Haiti and the DR, which is meant to repatriate Haitians. The minister said that he was surprised to hear Castillo's statements as he had been invited by the commission that wrote up the regulation to present his viewpoint, and did so in writing. According to Almeyda, the deputy never mentioned his objection to issuing residency to Haitians living in the DR for over 10 years. Castillo suggested that this should be done according to a fixed quota, and suggested a maximum of 300,000 people. He was told that a census had to be performed to determine how many Haitians have lived in the country for more than 10 years.
Joselito Hernandez, the boy who was blinded by a stray bullet (see DR1 Daily News 26 August and 13 September 2005) is now learning to read and write in Braille, and demonstrated his new skills at the Presidential Palace during a function commemorating the International Day of the Handicapped in the presence of Vice President Rafael Alburquerque, as reported by Listin Diario. The Vice President said that Joselito is a symbol of self-improvement and demonstrates that handicaps should not hinder the achievement of success in life. Alburquerque chairs the National Handicap Council (CONADIS) and reported that when he took over the department it had 600 employees and was abandoned and inoperative. Today the payroll has been reduced to 60 employees and it is working efficiently. The event at the Palace was attended by the Dominican Foundation for the Blind, a string and song ensemble from the Rehabilitation Society's Special Education School, a percussion group from the National Board of Trustees for the Blind and a folkloric dance group from the Santa Rosa Deaf-Mute Institute. Also present were the Presidential Administrative Secretary, Luis Manuel Bonnetti, Director of the Rehabilitation Institute, Mary Perez de Marranzini, CONADIS Director Rosa Pena Paula, and Ediletta Sobrello from the Cibao Rehabilitation Board of Trustees.
Diario Libre describes how Joselito became the star attraction during the ceremony at the Presidential Palace. It is now three months since the boy was blinded by a stray bullet. In his short address written in Braille, Joselito thanked President Leonel Fernandez and all other people who are helping him regain his independence.
In a related case, Listin Diario reports that a nine-month-old girl was hit by a stray bullet in Los Guaricanos last Monday, and is recovering from surgery carried out at Robert Reid Cabral hospital in Santo Domingo. Esmarlin Castillo Suero is the daughter of Mariveily Suero and Rafael Castillo. She was hit on the left side of her head while sleeping at home.
One of the quadruplets born last week (see DR1 Daily News 25 November 2005), Lisa Altagracia Canario Binet, has died of a lung and brain hemorrhage. Diario Libre reports that she weighed just one pound and eight ounces at birth. The only boy, Luis Eduardo, is in critical condition. The other two girls are relatively stable, according to Dr. Leonora D'Esposito of Hospital Dominicano de la Mujer.
Santo Domingo's Roberto Pastoriza street will be closed to traffic between 11 and 18 December from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, as reported in Diario Libre. The Retailers Association is organizing a program of activities related to the Christmas holidays, which will include music bands, university choir performances, firework displays and extreme sports.
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