DR1 Daily News - Tuesday, 20 June 2017

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Government focuses on orphanages 
No interference in Venezuela
National District barrios invaded by military
Catholic Church not allowed to check on Odebrecht privileges
Catholic Church lobbies against abortion in Chamber of Deputies
Super Tucano bribe case again in the media
Odebrecht appeals to begin
Tropical Depression forms
DR qualifies for U17 Basketball World Cup 2018
Dominicans defeat Canada in Pan Am Volleyball Cup
Nathalie Hazim at Hard Rock Live



Government focuses on orphanages 
The Administrative Ministry of the Presidency (MAPRE) via the Vice Ministry of Interinstitutional Relations and NGOs seeks to make a greater positive impact on the orphanages throughout the country. The government initiative will begin with a pilot project in the 20 orphanages managed by MAPRE in the municipalities of Greater Santo Domingo, Santiago and the South region. It will then be rolled out to the rest of the country.

The objective is to increase the quantity and quality of the services provided to the thousands of children within the orphanages, including programs of health, food, sports, culture and psychological counseling, among others. 

The announcement was made by Maximo de Soto, the Deputy Minister of Interinstitutional Relations and NGOs, following a coordination meeting at the Presidential Palace on Sunday, 18 June 2017.

Among the organizations that will be involved in the program are the Ministries of Sport and Public Heath; the National Health Insurance (SENASA), Social Plan Social, Attorney General’s Office, the Dominican Telecommunications’ Institute, Central Electoral Court (JCE) and the National Childhood Council (CONANI). 

http://hoy.com.do/ministerio-admini...-anuncia-programa-de-mejoras-en-orfanatos-rd/


No interference in Venezuela
The Ministry of Foreign Relations (Mirex) has reiterated the conciliatory position of the Dominican government in regards to the political crisis in Venezuela, warning that the country “will never intervene in the internal affairs of a friendly nation”. Vargas said that the administration of President Danilo Medina would continue with this position until a solution is found. 

The Ministry said the government’s position was sent in an official communication to the chargé d’affaires of the US Embassy in the Dominican Republic, Patrick Dunn. Dunn had published an article in Diario Libre on Saturday, 17 June 2017 requesting that the Dominican Republic take the side of democracy in the conflict.

Vargas responded to reporters’ questions from Cancún, Mexico where he is taking part in a meeting of the ministers of foreign affairs of the Organization of American States (OAS). The OAS consultation was suspended when the needed 23 votes to approve a resolution on the Venezuelan crisis were not achieved. 

The Dominican Republic abstained from voting and proposed creating a commission to work closely with the sides in conflict. Minister Miguel Vargas maintained the Dominican government position that Venezuela resort to its own democratic mechanisms to solve the conflict.

An editorial in El Dia criticizes the position of the Dominican government calling it a showing of a lack of responsibility. 

http://hoy.com.do/rd-reitera-posicion-conciliatoria-en-la-crisis-venezuela/
https://www.diariolibre.com/opinion...ocracia-con-diplomacia-en-venezuela-BB7399737
http://eldia.com.do/la-irresponsable-abstencion-de-rd/


National District barrios invaded by military
Troops from the Ministry of Defense have continued to militarize various sectors of the National District that are considered to have high crime rates. Taking part are soldiers from the Army, Armada and Air Force.

Yesterday, Monday 19 June 2017, from 3am, the military personnel were in Guachupita, where several people were arrested for investigation, and vehicles and motorcycles with suspicious profiles were checked.

The Ministry of Defense has said that the previous Saturday the troops were in El Café de Herrera, Los Americanos in Los Alcarrizos, El Ponce in Los Guarícanos but Guachupita was left till Monday so as not to affect the Green March activity scheduled for that barrio.

Today, 20 June, the troops will move to Gualey, La Ciénagas, and Los Guandules, and Espaillat, and then later to 24 Abril, Simón Bolívar, 27 de Febrero, Espaillat, Capotillo, La Zurza, Luperón, along with others in the north of the capital.

At the same time as the military action, the government is carrying out public works such as fixing electricity, repairing roads, construction and repair of schools, churches and others in the barrios. 

http://elnacional.com.do/militares-ocupan-barrio-guachupita/


Catholic Church not allowed to check on Odebrecht privileges
According to Monsignor Francisco Ozoria, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Santo Domingo, the Catholic Church has been prevented from investigating the alleged privileges being given to those individuals accused of wrongdoing in the Odebrecht scandal being housed in the Najayo Men’s Prison. Ozoria said that the Pastoral Penitentiary Board was not allowed to pursue an inquiry into their situation and was not given access to the area where the men are being kept. 

Ozoria says that the privileges allowed to those detained in the Odebrecht case would put the new prison model in jeopardy as one of the ideas of the system is for all detainees to be treated equally and receive no special privileges.

The media reported that key suspect in the bribe’s case, Angel Rondón was taken to the Najayo Jail in a luxury Chevrolet Tahoe SUV to start his preventive custody period. 

http://eldia.com.do/impiden-a-la-ig...legados-privilegios-apresados-caso-odebrecht/
http://hoy.com.do/por-que-angel-ron...as-que-otros-implicados-odebrecht-en-autobus/


Catholic Church lobbies against abortion in Chamber of Deputies
Yesterday, Monday 19 June 2017, a high level commission from the Roman Catholic Church was at the National Congress to lobby legislators to approve the amendment of the Penal Code passed in the Senate. The Senate amendment outlaws abortion even in the case of incest, rape or malformation of the fetus. 

Visiting Congress were Archbishop of Santo Domingo, Francisco Osoria, the vice president of Dominican Episcopal Conference, José Dolores Grullón Estrella; the Bishop of Bani, Víctor Masalles, and the episcopal curate of Santo Domingo East, Benito Ángeles. The representatives of the Roman Catholic Church met with the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Lucia Medina. 

In addition, members of the Coalition for the Lives of Women, supported by several women’s groups, called upon the deputies not to penalize abortion when the life of the mother is in danger, when the fetus had malformations incompatible with life, or in the cases of incest or rape. 

The bill was sent to the Permanent Justice Commission of the Chamber of Deputies for review. The commission voted to reject the amendments made to the articles on abortion in the Senate. If the deputies assume this position and vote against the Penal Code as received from the Senate, the code will need to be presented again in the next legislative period that opens on 16 August. 

http://almomento.net/comision-de-al...ue-a-la-camara-de-diputados-este-lunes/327294
http://eldia.com.do/comision-de-justicia-de-diputados-aprueba-rechazar-observaciones/


Super Tucano bribe case again in the media
The Attorney General’s office has announced inquiries in regards to the US$3.5 million paid in bribes by the Brazilian company Embraer for the contract to buy eight Super Tucano planes will continue this week.

Dominican Air Force Colonel, Carlos Piccini was interviewed yesterday, Monday 19 June 2017, by the head of the Specialized Persecution of Administration Corruption Prosecution Service (PEPCA), Laura Guerrero Pelletier. But news reports say that following counsel from his lawyer, Piccini had no comments to make to the questions posed by Guerrero regarding the Super Tucano bribes.

Others mentioned in the case are Major General Pedro Rafael Peña Antonio, and businessmen Daniel Aquino Hernández and Daniel Aquino Méndez, all of whom have had coercive measures imposed but Piccini is the only one in jail and his lawyers have filed several appeals seeding a revision to his detainment.

http://listindiario.com/la-republic...o-previo-interrogatorio-por-caso-super-tucano
http://listindiario.com/la-republica/2017/06/19/470718/sigue-hoy-el-caso-aviones-tucano


Odebrecht appeals to begin
Those involved in the Odebrecht bribe case have until 29 June 2017, to appeal their preventive custodial sentences handed down by Supreme Court Judge Francisco Ortega. The men are accused of taking bribes, illegal enrichment, money laundering and criminal association. 

The defense attorneys of former Minister of Industry and Commerce Temístocles Montás; former Minister of Public Works Víctor Díaz Rúa; attorney Conrad Pittaluga; former president of the Senate, Andrés Bautista; former deputy Ruddy González, former administrator of the Dominican Public Electricity Corporation (CDEEE) César Sánchez; and the former administrator of the Dominican Hydroelectricity Generation Company (Egehid) Máximo De Óleo, if they wish to appeal, will deposit their requests with the secretary’s office of the Supreme Court.

As the appeals will be filed individually, even though the preventive custody measures were handed down at one single hearing, these can be heard on an individual basis. 

Carlos Salcedo, lawyer for Bautista, said that his appeal is ready for submission. As reported, the lawyers for Temístocles Montás said they will file this week, citing a lack of proof and violation of the law that states you are presumed innocent until proven guilty as well as the principle of the proportionality of the coercive measures. 

The former administrator of the CDEEE César Sánchez is still in hospital at the Centro Médico Dominicano, having been admitted on Sunday, 18 June 2017 with a 40 degree fever and blood in his urine. He was referred there by the prison doctor, Xiomara Reyes, following deterioration in his condition in Najayo jail. 

https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...elacion-coercion-por-caso-odebrecht-FC7411878


Tropical Depression forms
The National Meteorological Office (Onamet) has announced that tropical depression number two of this hurricane season has formed in the Atlantic Ocean and continues to intensify, although at this time there is no danger for the country.

The depression is located around 890 kilometers to the east/southeast of the Lesser Antilles with sustained winds of 65 kilometers an hour. 

Onamet have said that due to a medium and high-level weather front in the area, there is a chance of thunderstorms and rain while the high temperatures will continue.

The rain will be mostly in the provinces of Elías Piña, Hato Mayor, Monte Plata, Dajabón, Peravia, San Cristóbal, La Romana, La Altagracia, San Pedro de Macorís, El Seibo and Greater Santo Domingo.

http://listindiario.com/la-republic...ortalece-sobre-aguas-del-atlantico-occidental


DR qualifies for U17 Basketball World Cup 2018
The Dominican U-16 men’s basketball team came in 5th place in the U-16 Americas Championship, winning one of four slots available to represent the region in the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2018. Argentina had already pre-qualified as host of the event in Formosa, Argentina. 

The Dominican team defeated Mexico 71-51 on Sunday, 18 June 2017 in the tournament. The winners of the Americas Cup were United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Argentina was 4th, Dominican Republic 5th and Mexico 6th. Other participants were Paraguay and Venezuela. The tournament took place 14-18 June 2017. 

Diario Libre highlighted this is only the fourth time in Dominican history that a Dominican team qualifies for a world cup. The qualification is being compared to other highs of Dominican basketball -- playing at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in 2015 for the first time since 1983 and participating in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2014 for the first time since 1978.

See the final Mexico-DR game at https://www.youtube.com/embed/tx1MV4VkISk
http://www.fiba.com/americas/u16/2017/groups


Dominicans defeat Canada in Pan Am Volleyball Cup
The Dominican national women’s volleyball team has won its first three games in straight sets against Trinidad & Tobago, Chile and Canada in the XVI Women’s Volleyball Pan American Cup by Movistar taking place in Lima, Peru. Defending champions Dominican Republic defeated Canada on Monday, 19 June 2017, 25-19, 25-11 and 25-18. 

Brayelin Martinez scored 13 points as the top scorer for the winners followed by Bethania de la Cruz and Jineiry Martínez who finished with 11 points apiece. The Dominican team has yet to face its toughest opponents in Pool A – Peru and Cuba. 

Lucille Charuk, captain of Canada said: “To win against a strong team like Dominican Republic we have to play at our best level and that was not the case today. We need to minimize errors and today we made too many.”
Marcos Kwiek, coach of Dominican Republic: “Our serve, which is one of the strongest part of our game worked better today. We have to improve our blocking and defense. Today I had the chance to use different formations to test some players.”

The teams in Pool A are the Dominican Republic, Peru, Canada, Chile, Cuba and Trinidad & Tobago. The teams in Pool B are Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, United States and Venezuela.

https://www.norceca.net/Dominicans stay undefeated in Pool B.htm


Nathalie Hazim at Hard Rock Live
Nathalie Hazim will be performing on 29 July 2017 as of 9pm at the Hard Rock Live Blue Mall. The concert, “Te Cuento: Mis Historias” will serve as platform for the launching of her second album, a production with Kiko Cibrián. She will be accompanied by a band with Yulimer Almonte, piano, Manuel Matos, guitar, Fernando Maca, bass and Rainnel Okeil drums, metals Raymer Espino, Yohenry Jorge and Yonatan Jorge. Tickets are on sale at Upea Tickets, the Hard Rock Lie Blue Mall box office and Supermercados Nacional and Jumbo. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SivDoQ45rw