Barrio Blanco to be evicted? - Juelga/Protest today

windeguy · Dec 16, 2017

Another DR1 poster told me that there is to be a protest today in Cabarete about the eviction of those living in Barrio Blanco in Cabarete.

I had heard some time ago that one of the conditions for Lifestyles to build in Cabaret was the eviction of Barrio Blanco.

There is supposed to be a protest in Cabarete about this today.

So, perhaps this eviction is going go happen. Does anyone have more information?

windeguy · Dec 16, 2017

If there is a protest, it might be wise to avoid that area today.

ramesses · Dec 16, 2017

Is Barrio Blanco a squatter area?

chico bill · Dec 16, 2017

Ever wonder why the poor hate the rich - is because of influence bought and brought by corporations like Lifestyles Holidays Resort

ctrob · Dec 16, 2017

ramesses said:
Is Barrio Blanco a squatter area?

Yes. And they have their own Facebook page. The current post on their page talks about the "traffic slowdown" that is planned.

https://www.facebook.com/BarrioBlancoCabareteDominicanRepublic/

windeguy · Dec 16, 2017

ctrob said:
Yes. And they have their own Facebook page. The current post on their page talks about the "traffic slowdown" that is planned.

https://www.facebook.com/BarrioBlancoCabareteDominicanRepublic/

From a post on the Facebook page here is more detail on the rumor:

PLEASE SHARE: - Notice: There will be a march in Cabarete starting at 4:00 Saturday that will slow traffic through town.
The people marching do not want to inconvenience you. They are asking for your support and don't know how to make everyone aware of a situation that is threatening their homes and their families.
Barrio Blanco, in Cabarete is a community of 350 poor people. They lived in terrible shacks as squatters for 25+ years. They were born desperately poor. Six years ago, the charity I represent, Providing Opportunity adopted this community as a family and we have been working with the residents to build new homes, and new futures through education. We have been very successful so far.
During this past 6 years we have worked with the community to build a new school, clinic, 46 new homes replacing scrap shacks (with septic systems, bathrooms etc. in all), a new water distribution system, and scholarships for 35 students attending private school and university. We will begin graduating our first 2 university students within a year, with many more to follow.... to become their dream....to be professionals to benefit Cabarete's future.
This community is successfully rising from poverty. You can come to see, and you will be welcomed.
The march is because there have been rumors of backroom deals meant to evict the whole community of 350 people to make way for investors to use the area for ?? parking or more hotels?? This would crush the dreams of the whole community who have been rising.
Their voice needs to be heard. These are human beings being threatened with their homes and children.
Please accept the inconvenience with understanding. Please join them. Let us, who enjoy Dominican Republic stand with the Dominicans. Let us respect others' human rights as we want others to respect ours.
Thank you, Ron Zauner, Founder, ProvidingOpportunity.org

windeguy · Dec 16, 2017

A number of years ago, there were squatters on the ocean side of the main highway from where the Kite Hotels are now up to Coconut Palms. Hundreds of people. They were told to leave because they were squatting illegally. They did not head the warning and a bulldozer like those used to mine gold came in and flattened every house including large concrete block and rebar houses within a day. Within a week, the land was cleaned up and no trace was left of the squatters.

The Barrio Blanco discussion just adds some confirmation to what I heard about that location some years ago.

windeguy · Dec 16, 2017

Definitely avoid that area this afternoon.

windeguy · Dec 16, 2017

In related news:

http://cabaretenoticias.com/2017/12...a-principal-de-cabarete-para-la-construccion/

Aside from the fact that Lifestle builds a new building without permission, it has been occupying half of the main runway in Cabarete for several months. Any city council, adhering to the law, does not leave a company with that disorder on the track. Regrettably, Cabarete is not a municipality attached to the law.

We are asking what serves the Syndic and the rulers of Cabarete who have the function of administering Cabarete but to collect their chelitos at the end of the month. We are not talking about a secondary track but of the main track of Cabarete.

You have to ask Raquel Sierra because she is acting out and silent in front of the multitude of violations by that company.

We doubt that the Austrian citizen Markus Winschenbart, owner of the Lifestyle company, can do in his country what he is doing in the Dominican Republic with the number of violations that his projects have.

All that disorder is due to the corruption of the officials that we have in Cabarete, leaving everything to any investors who do not want to follow the rules. What is the counterpart of these officials? I would have to ask them.

Since 20 years, has never been such a mess in Cabarete in the field of construction. It has seen many ministers of environment, tourism during that time but what Lifestyle is doing, nobody managed to do it as they are doing now.

The rumor goes that officials of the province of Puerto Plata will receive a strong sum to be silent for all the violations committed by important investors.

chico bill · Dec 16, 2017

windeguy said:
In related news:

Regrettably, Cabarete is not a municipality attached to the law.

We are asking what serves the Syndic and the rulers of Cabarete who have the function of administering Cabarete but to collect their chelitos at the end of the month.

The rumor goes that officials of the province of Puerto Plata will receive a strong sum to be silent for all the violations committed by important investors.

I appreciate your comments and info on this story and sense of fairness Winde but you might just be shoveling against the tide.
Seems whatever Lifestyles wants, Lifestyles gets.

Bob Boyd · Dec 16, 2017

The photo in posting #9 IS NOT Lifestyles. The photo is the new Cabarete Ayuntamiento which is being built by the same contractor as Lifestyles. (Does anyone smell anything funny, after the 5 story Lifestyles main building?)

windeguy · Dec 16, 2017

chico bill said:
I appreciate your comments and info on this story and sense of fairness Winde but you might just be shoveling against the tide.
Seems whatever Lifestyles wants, Lifestyles gets.

There are consequences to squatting on land when someone else has the wherewithal to remove you. I saw it first hand along the beach in Cabarete. And I smelled the tear gas.

If I were a betting man, I would expect the squatters will be removed from the area in question. Lifestyles has demonstrated, amply, that they have "The Force"$ with them, along with "The Tide"..

windeguy · Dec 16, 2017

Bob Boyd said:
The photo in posting #9 IS NOT Lifestyles. The photo is the new Cabarete Ayuntamiento which is being built by the same contractor as Lifestyles. (Does anyone smell anything funny, after the 5 story Lifestyles main building?)

Good catch and an intriguing question about a "connection".

They could just as easily have posted a picture where Lifestyles is blocking the road.

william webster · Dec 16, 2017

This just happened in Magente...Playa Magente.
With the blessing of the authorities... who flattened the houses.

The reality is... squat elsewhere

chico bill · Dec 16, 2017

I agree squatting is an issue - and not just in DR. Happened to a friend of mine on an ocean lot he bought in Costa Rica.

But we have to see poor people as real people, struggling to survive. As long as they are not thieving to survive I have sympathy for them.

Read DV8's post today on the "Heroes of Burial Road" - gives a whole new appreciation of how we extrajeros have been blessed.

Still Lifestyles does not serve to play outside the law.

windeguy · Dec 16, 2017

william webster said:
This just happened in Magente...Playa Magente.
With the blessing of the authorities... who flattened the houses.

The reality is... squat elsewhere

Yes, I saw that situation a few weeks back. Someone wanted them gone and it happened quickly.

windeguy · Dec 16, 2017

chico bill said:
I agree squatting is an issue - and not just in DR. Happened to a friend of mine on an ocean lot he bought in Costa Rica.

But we have to see poor people as real people, struggling to survive. As long as they are not thieving to survive I have sympathy for them.

Read DV8's post today on the "Heroes of Burial Road" - gives a whole new appreciation of how we extrajeros have been blessed.

Still Lifestyles does not serve to play outside the law.

The reality of having The For$e with them is everything in a $ituation like thi$.

Anyone betting on Barrio Blanco remaining?

bob saunders · Dec 16, 2017

windeguy said:
In related news:

http://cabaretenoticias.com/2017/12...a-principal-de-cabarete-para-la-construccion/

Aside from the fact that Lifestle builds a new building without permission, it has been occupying half of the main runway in Cabarete for several months. Any city council, adhering to the law, does not leave a company with that disorder on the track. Regrettably, Cabarete is not a municipality attached to the law.

We are asking what serves the Syndic and the rulers of Cabarete who have the function of administering Cabarete but to collect their chelitos at the end of the month. We are not talking about a secondary track but of the main track of Cabarete.

You have to ask Raquel Sierra because she is acting out and silent in front of the multitude of violations by that company.

We doubt that the Austrian citizen Markus Winschenbart, owner of the Lifestyle company, can do in his country what he is doing in the Dominican Republic with the number of violations that his projects have.

All that disorder is due to the corruption of the officials that we have in Cabarete, leaving everything to any investors who do not want to follow the rules. What is the counterpart of these officials? I would have to ask them.

Since 20 years, has never been such a mess in Cabarete in the field of construction. It has seen many ministers of environment, tourism during that time but what Lifestyle is doing, nobody managed to do it as they are doing now.

The rumor goes that officials of the province of Puerto Plata will receive a strong sum to be silent for all the violations committed by important investors.[/QUOTE]

Kind of looks like normal construction blackage. See it here in Jarabacoa all the time, residential and commercial.

Cdn_Gringo · Dec 16, 2017

If I was king, I would issue an edict to all of the communities from Sosua Abajo to Sabaneta giving them two years to fix their infrastructure, address the squatter issues, rehabilitate the appearance and functionality of the entire area. If not, then Lifestyles would be allowed to do it for them.

Yeah it's their country and all that, but the apathy of local governments clearly demonstrates that none can be effective in caring for their patch of turf and advancing the lives of those who live there. Many inhabitants would be better off elsewhere, living in conditions that are better even if only marginally so.

Sosua can't seriously claim to be a reborn tourist mecca when they can't keep two traffic lights working or a few palm trees from dying.

As an aside, Lifestyles only took over the Cabarete build site long after the originally approved project failed and stood as an unfinished eyesore. Realistically, can't blame Lifestyles for expecting to be able to make the property useful to themselves in exchange for removing the blight.

As another aside, it's not Lifestyles that owns the property or pays the construction bills - that is a group of offshore foreign investors. Without them and their money, there would still be an uncompleted structure decaying in the sunlight for a long time to come.

Things will get really interesting when Hwy 5 needs to be widened and upgraded so the parade Lifestyle Limos can get there without going off-road through pothole alley. The spilling of cocktails is a sin. The road from the airport passing at least 6 communities will improve significantly and Cabarete may just get that ring road it's been looking for. Certainly not tomorrow but within a year or two those two road issues will much closer to the top of the priority list. That will be good for me (everyone else too) and much faster than waiting for Sosua/Cabarete to do it themselves and really bugger it up.

windeguy · Dec 16, 2017

bob saunders said:
Kind of looks like normal construction blackage. See it here in Jarabacoa all the time, residential and commercial.

Just because "it happens elsewhere" does not make it acceptable. This blockage is on the one main road through Cabarete.

Barrio Blanco to be evicted? - Juelga/Protest today

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