The current issue of French magazine L'Essentiel des Relations Internationales will be launched at a public function this evening at 7:00 pm at the Eduardo Latorre School of Diplomacy. Diario Libre reports that the activity will be led by Foreign Relations Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso, who will be accompanied by the Dominican Ambassador to France, Guillermo Pena Contreras and other high-level officials. The magazine's October-December edition is dedicated to the DR and has a photograph of President Leonel Fernandez on the front cover with the headline "The Return of Confidence" highlighting the new trend towards economic and social growth in the country.
This afternoon, the Senate will place the controversial and much-debated tax reform bill on its agenda to begin discussion of the legislation. A Chamber of Deputies press release reports that the bill was being sent to the Senate today. El Caribe reports that discussion of the bill in the Senate could be postponed if it is sent to be analyzed by the Finance Commission or a special commission. Senator Tommy Duran, the PRD spokesman in Congress, said the bill would not be modified in the Senate because they will follow the instructions given by the party, whereas Senator Pedro Alegria said that the new tax on diesel was abusive, as it would generate inflation. The government has said that the bill's collection capacity, which was reduced from RD$32 billion to RD$24 billion, is unacceptable.
Fraud against the Dominican state was detected by the General Accounting Department in a contract for the repair and operation of the naval shipyard at Las Calderas, Bani. The case, which was sent to the Attorney General's Department, involves three companies contracted for the repair and operation of the DF-1 floating dock at Las Calderas Naval Base, according to a report in Listin Diario, which obtained copies of the file. The Accounting Department found that there is criminal responsibility on the part of representatives of Ciramar S.A., Ciramar International Trading, Co. LTD, and Anabalca. It ordered the Armed Forces Ministry to cancel the contract signed by the state and the three companies with immediate effect. The Accounting Department is requesting an investigation into activities by Luis Contreras Pena, Luis Contreras Brea, Vanesa Solano and Gerardo Garcia, in their capacities as president, vice president, administrative-financial manager, and comptroller, of CPA Consulting and Anabalca, respectively.
Yesterday, Public Works Minister Freddy Perez said the government would be developing 65 infrastructure projects in different parts of the country until August 2006 with a total investment of RD$1.962 billion. They include the construction and reconstruction of roads, bridges, schools, and street repairs in neighborhoods of Santo Domingo, as reported by Listin Diario. President Leonel Fernandez has already disbursed RD$1.2 billion for several projects, including the first stretch of the highway between Punta Cana and Uvero Alto, the Higuamo River bridge, the Duarte bridge, Jacobo Majluta Avenue, the overpass at the Los Alcarrizos intersection of Duarte Highway, and payments owed to the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo (UASD). Also included are the road from Las Yayas to Padre Las Casas in Azua province, two pedestrian bridges in Santiago, the rehabilitation of a stretch of the Duarte Highway, sports facilities in Monte Plata, rural roads, among others. He pointed out that Duarte bridge in Santo Domingo required a total overhaul. This is a suspension bridge, the third of its kind in the world to have its cables replaced - which is expected to extend its function for another 50 years. It is also possible that by August, the roads and streets of Las Terrenas, Samana will have been completed.
Former Attorney General, Victor Cespedes, who served under the Hipolito Mejia administration, has been indicted together with a group of people by District Attorney Jose Manuel Hernandez, who accuses them of bribery, prevarication, criminal association, and fraud against a group of inmates who were promised Presidential pardons to be released from prison in exchange for money. According to a report in Listin Diario, the DA explained that after one year of investigations his department has collected sufficient documentary and testimonial evidence to indict the group. "The evidence allows us to identify Mr. Cespedes committing these crimes while he served as Attorney General" stated Hernandez during a press conference in his office. Inmates are said to have paid approximately RD$1.5 million to the former warden of Najayo Prison for their pardons. Individual amounts paid by the inmates are between RD$250,000 and RD$500,000. Some paid US$10,000, EUR8,000 or a combination of dollars and pesos.
Diario Libre indicates that Judge Natividad Ramona Santos was appointed for the case against the former AG, and former Assistant AG Elizabeth Perez Sanchez, former Najayo Prison Warden Oneida Acevedo, former employees of the AG Department and the Prison Department, Maria Marisol Garcia Taveras, Luis Uribe, and Ramon Ogando Alcantara.
US Agency for International Development (USAID) Director Elena Brineman said yesterday that the corruption that exists in the country is impacting the economy, the social system and democracy. According to Listin Diario, she stated that every day there are new media reports about the public demanding transparency in the handling of public funds and an end to corruption. She said that she believed that this was a very healthy signal that Dominicans are becoming concerned about demanding that the authorities tackle acts of corruption.
A mob of Dominicans seeking revenge for the death of a man have lynched and killed a Haitian citizen, as reported by El Caribe. In addition, at least 35 houses were burned down in the "El Encantado" community in Villa Trina, in Espaillat Province. Afterwards, at least one hundred Haitians ran to hide in the mountains. The deceased could not be identified, as he was not carrying identification documents. He was approximately 20 years old. Last Sunday morning, Dominican Apolinar Lopez was murdered, reportedly by a group of Haitians. Yesterday, the National Army and the Migration Department sent out hundreds of armed officers to the streets, looking for the Haitians who had escaped from the wrath of the Dominicans.
Smith & Enron electric generating company has been fined RD$13.2 million by the Superintendence of Electricity for violations of the General Electricity Law and its application regulation. The company repeatedly disobeyed orders from the Energy Control Center and the Coordinating Department and manipulated information related to the availability of energy. Smith & Enron operates 134 MW in Puerto Plata.
A pornographic film showing explicit sex scenes filmed around national historic monuments is being distributed via the Internet. "Puerto Plata Whores" was made without any type of permit or registration by cinema authorities in the country. According to Clave Digital, the Assistant Director of Cinematography in the Ministry of Culture, Felix Manuel Lora, admitted that it is very difficult to stop or control the making of these films as many are done with home video cameras and are clandestine. "Puerto Plata Whores" contains scenes filmed at the Gregorio Luperon monument in Puerto Plata and the Obelisk on George Washington Avenue in Santo Domingo. It also contains explicit sex scenes filmed among bushes in the Malecon at Puerto Plata and Santo Domingo. In addition to porn films made without authorization, the DR has served as location for porn films made with legal permits since 1980, aimed at the adult market. In 1980 the Cinematography Department authorized the filming of "Porno Erotic Love" and "Erotic Nights of Living Dead". Recently-authorized porn films include "Santo Domingo Connection", "When Porn Stars Play 2", "Private Gold 67: Millionaire", among others.
Listin Diario indicates that the new film lasts one hour and 13 minutes and shows Dominican young women, specifically from Santiago, having intercourse with two foreigners in hotels, motels and the Malecon in Puerto Plata.
One of the two surviving quadruplets born on Nov 24, Wendy Estefany, was in critical state yesterday and is not tolerating breastfeeding while her sister, Diana Isabel, is stable as reported by Listin Diario. Two of the four quadruplets born at Hospital de la Mujer Dominicana, Lisa Altagracia and Luis Eduardo, died last week due to brain and lung hemorrhages. They were born prematurely, when their 22-year-old mother, Lisbet Binet, was only 28 weeks pregnant.
Diario Libre reports that Wendy weighs just over one pound and is not absorbing the amount of calories and proteins she is receiving by breastfeeding.
In a related case, Listin Diario reports that Maxima Perez, who is pregnant with sextuplets and is in the same hospital, is in stable condition and there is no date set for the babies' birth.
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