'No Money to Re-Settle Persons Displaced by Lago Enriquillo'

minerva_feliz

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No hay dinero para asentar desplazados Lago Enriquillo : Cuatriboliao.Net

After all of the expensive studies to find the cause of the growth of Lago Enriquillo, 500 families that urgently need to be relocated have been left 'high and dry' by the government.

According to the article, a presidential decree was issued last month that work regarding the clearing and preparation of terrains, and other necessary measures, should be considered an "emergency". But the work has been "paralyzed" because of a lack of funds.


'What there is here is a shame'
Article on the hardships faced during the holidays by residents whose farmland and livelihood has been wiped out by the growing lake:
Lago Enriquillo:

Too bad they couldn't have postponed one of those mega-expensive infrastructure projects in SD to take care of this. It's not like they didn't see it coming (the water).
 

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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Out of sight, out of mind. Santo Domingo "is" the DR. That much is clear to me. That said, is it the governments responsibility to relocate these people who chose to live in a flood plain?
 

minerva_feliz

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That said, is it the governments responsibility to relocate these people who chose to live in a flood plain?

It is. I mean, look at the precedent set by the Rio Ozama. :ermm:

I'm sure it could have been bankrolled already by paying for one less scientific study to find out why it is expanding to begin with. It's only 500 families (for now, anyway). It could have been a unique opportunity to do some innovative rural planning and make some "model" communities, but it's probably just business as usual.

I hope some well-connected member can post some pics about this infrastructure project soon, would be nice to see how progress is defined in that region of the country.
 

Criss Colon

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Maybe "Leonel" will let them come to Santo Domingo,and live in the "Metro" stations!
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minerva_feliz

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Maybe "Leonel" will let them come to Santo Domingo,and live in the "Metro" stations!
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Or they could "occupy" a vacant mall. There isn't one in Barahona, and the "new" municipal market that was built a while back is already occupied by squatters (never even opened), so I guess they'd have to go to one in SD or Santiago.
 

Chirimoya

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I don't believe this applies in this case, JD - is it a flood plain or an area that has been affected by a freak phenomenon that was impossible to predict and not yet scientifically explained?
 

Criss Colon

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They could live in "Leonel's" VERY over priced multi-level parking garage at the "UASD" (University????)
It's empty!
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donP

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Dwelling at the Shore

If I remember correctly there was a time when the lake receded and the shores became desertified.
So, it is 'up and down'.
A study will reveal it's done by 'nature'. :laugh:

But then Dominicans like to settle at waterfronts, although there is a law that forbids this.
So, it happens again and again. The river settlers cry for government help (e.g. to resettle them or give them land somewhere else) whenever the river (or in this case the lake) floods their houses.

My wife knows such people whom were indeed given land but the river dwellers stayed at the river banks and rented out the land... :p

donP
 

minerva_feliz

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This case should probably not be literally compared to Rio Ozama. I mentioned it as a sort of joke as I also see how that has been managed (and managed, and managed).

There are a lot of theories about why the water level is rising, but it is not part of a normal cycle that those living there could have reasonably been aware of or able to prevent with the resources they have. These places have been "settled" by people for a long time (couple hundred years, maybe?), and the lake has never been up this far. None of these towns are "right on" the waterfront of the lake, as it did go up and down. In that flood plane, people wouldn't have even been farming anway because the salt content of the lake water makes it infertile for such crops.

These people cannot reasonably be expected to uproot and relocate on their own. Could better planning have been implemented to prevent this? Yes. But people are currently in a situation that needs to be resolved. I can't cite a specific DR law obligating the government to help them (I'm sure there are several, just not familiar with them like I am about other laws).

Fact is, the government has already assumed the responsibility. The president of the senate said in AUGUST that it was a case of "extreme urgency".

Government will help refugees from Lake Enriquillo - DiarioLibre.com

Guess he meant "extreme urgency" Dominican time...
 

Hillbilly

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All of that land was government land and these people were squatters on it. The fact that they had been there for a long time is neither here nor there.

The same with the people along the riverbanks of the Ozama and Isabela rivers...//

Only human/government kindness has any responsibility in this case, IF the government wants to do something about it. But these are marginal farmers at best so it will have to be 60 tareas and goodbye...

HB
 

PICHARDO

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May 15, 2003
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I hope they don't waste my taxpayer's money relocating these squatters, not matter the problem that pushes them out of there!

They found their way there, let them find their way out as well on their own!
 

minerva_feliz

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All of that land was government land and these people were squatters on it. The fact that they had been there for a long time is neither here nor there.

The same with the people along the riverbanks of the Ozama and Isabela rivers...//

Only human/government kindness has any responsibility in this case, IF the government wants to do something about it. But these are marginal farmers at best so it will have to be 60 tareas and goodbye...

HB

I don't believe that ALL of these people are squatters. What about that small rural village (forget name) that is up in the hills and will essentially get cut off by the water? And another small village where if you dig a hole in the yard, it fills up with water.

I'm sure they'd be fine with a few tareas, if they could get even that. Rural gov't land is given away through less-than-scrupulous processes to people who don't even need them.

And kindness aside, these people vote too.
 

minerva_feliz

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I hope they don't waste my taxpayer's money relocating these squatters, not matter the problem that pushes them out of there!

They found their way there, let them find their way out as well on their own!

PICHARDO, the Dominican 1%.

The people there didn't "find" their way there, they've been there for generations. There are children out there in extreme poverty whose parents' livelihood has been eliminated.

They can use MY taxpayer money to relocate them, no problem on my part. After all, your country did see fit to sign those pesky international human rights treaties, they might want to follow up on them in this case.
 

Criss Colon

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I guess the "Squatters" have not been keeping up with Pichardo's posts on DR1!
They can just re-locate to one of the beautiful new highrise apartments.
Aren't they part of the DR's booming economy too?
The growing "Middle Class"???????????????????????????????
Or,they can all get jobs at the new "Film Studios" near Juan Dolio.
Or,they can work on "Line Three" of the "Metro"!
See how Pichardo wants to help less affluent fellow Dominicans?????
So much for Dominican Nationalism.
Now lets hear how, "It's Worse In The USA"!
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