Here is a peek into the Dominican political parties from the eyes of AZB.
Being a foreigner in this country I tend to stay away from the political climate, which is ever so increasingly affecting the lives of Dominicans. It seems as if everyone is involved in their political parties and doing whatever to push their candidate to win. Naturally I was thinking, what these ordinary people have to win even if their candidate wins? What the hell they would gain? Why would a politician would spend hundreds of thousands of pesos (if not millions) to fight for a job that only pays 60k a month? Why do folks (here) are so loyal to their parties when there is so little to go around for everyone?
Well, here is what I am being exposed to lately:
It all started out as fun when I let a deputado (congressman) candidate friend put his campaign sticker on my car?s bumper. I thought nothing of it and kept socializing with my friends in a bar, until my best friend came in with 12 o clock on his face. He seemed very upset and furious. He pulled me outside and asked me to pull off the PLD sticker from my car right away. I was a bit confused at his reaction but I complied. He then asked me to not get involved in PLD party as he is a very strong supporter of the PRD party (the current governing party). I tried to explain to him that I belong to no party and can care less who wins. Well, that was the turning point of my knowledge to the Dominicans political parties.
This friend of mine asked me to join in the campaign efforts for his PRD senator?s candidate. At first I tried to tell him that I am not useful since I can?t even vote etc but he kept insisting that I should join in with him. So I agreed to play along with him and expose myself to the inner circle of the Santiago PRD party.
At first I started out at the chopo level politics. They invited me to join in the street campaign for the candidate which included a car caravan of the candidate, handing out posters, flags, stickers etc but in reality we were just making a lot of noise in public. I really didn?t go along with this non-sense so to attract my attention they upgraded me to attend small parties in discos / bars for the young crowd to win their vote. This was fun as the drinks were free and I got to rub shoulders with young university girls all over Santiago. This led me to the next stage: the upper class strong-hold circle. Lately I have been invited, by my friend, to attend parties in classy restaurants (with suit & tie) and actually get to socialize with the big shots.
Let me tell you how it goes from little that I have seen. The big shots of Santiago of the PRD party gather in expensive restaurants and spend thousands of pesos worth of party for rich businessmen and politicians. They all come in late model Mercedes but most come in late model SUVs with their personal body guards (so AZB parks his old Toyota far away from anyone?s eyes). The crowd ranges from newly rich chopos to wealthy stylish politicians. They come in with their entourage and greet each other like Italian mobsters. The drinks served are all top notch, black label to expensive wines. The food is usually seafood type appetizers. All the rich and powerful get together for media shoot and then sit down (away from everyone) to discuss their campaign strategy. Decisions are made and people are chosen to get the job done. Everyone has their interest and everyone gets to keep a small portion of the pie while the head honchos get the biggest bite. The big fish include, the governor, senator, mayor etc. These guys spend money from their own pocket and partly from the party that they serve to promote themselves. These guys spend hundreds of thousands of pesos in posters and stickers which you see all over the city. Large billboard advertisement costs thousands of pesos per pop but you see them all over the city. These candidates offer free parties to university student to win their vote. They usually throw parties in bars and discos and offer an open bars to everyone. You get to drink for free if you wear the candidate?s T-shirt. Free T shirt and free booze?.seems like a win win type situation. Now as the election date is nearing, the few chosen candidates are really flowing the money into the public.
So what do you get in return for the efforts that you put in?
It?s like a secret society but only when your party is in power you win everything.
Let me give you what I can get for participating in the campaign: I am offered to buy a brand new apartment (3 bedrooms) in a decent neighborhood at (like TW says) ?dead meat? prices. I will pay only half of the cost of the original value and when I deposit 50K as a down payment the government will throw in 100 k pesos (free) towards my down payment. Now this alone got my attention in a new york second. The customs chief of the north coast insisted that I should always call him when I come into the country. I will be received as a VIP and no one will touch my baggage. The newly, soon to be chosen, ambassador from DR to who knows where is a personal friend of mine. He has offered me free plane ticket to where ever he will be posted and offered girls and free stay at his residence. Can you ask for more? The police coronal has given me his signed card and assured me that I will never touch the floor of any jail as long as I don?t get myself into any serious trouble. This mean any police man off the street cannot touch me for any small reason. AMET coronal is a personal friend of mine, so good bye to all the traffic violation tickets. I can get a dominical passport just for the asking. If I have any legal matters to be solved, all I do is make a phone call.
Just imagine, I am a foreigner and I can get all these benefits imagine when you are one of the big shots in the party? You get to live a life of a royalty. These senators, governors have operating budget of millions of pesos annually which they spent without reporting to anyone. No wonder they always drive the most expensive SUVs and Mercedes that money can buy. They live in mansions which they have bought for peanuts in prime neighborhoods. They get top notch medical care for themselves and for their families and fly all over the world for free. They spend their holidays in the most expensive hotels in DR and pay nothing form their own pockets. The PRD supporting construction companies and engineers get the prime contracts and make millions. Many officials get promoted to important positions and make big buck for not even being in the office. I can go on and on.
If you like to join the party you may have to start from the bottom, if you are not connected. I met a dentist who left her clinic to work full time with the governor for mere 7k pesos / month (about 300 plus dollars); mind you she is from a wealthy family herself so 7k pesos / month means nothing to her. All she wants to do is to get into the political circle.
There is so much to write but, unfortunately, I have to work L
Remember, if you think all Dominicans are poor, think again. I have seen and met Dominicans who can buy a whole airlines with cash money.
Cheers
Being a foreigner in this country I tend to stay away from the political climate, which is ever so increasingly affecting the lives of Dominicans. It seems as if everyone is involved in their political parties and doing whatever to push their candidate to win. Naturally I was thinking, what these ordinary people have to win even if their candidate wins? What the hell they would gain? Why would a politician would spend hundreds of thousands of pesos (if not millions) to fight for a job that only pays 60k a month? Why do folks (here) are so loyal to their parties when there is so little to go around for everyone?
Well, here is what I am being exposed to lately:
It all started out as fun when I let a deputado (congressman) candidate friend put his campaign sticker on my car?s bumper. I thought nothing of it and kept socializing with my friends in a bar, until my best friend came in with 12 o clock on his face. He seemed very upset and furious. He pulled me outside and asked me to pull off the PLD sticker from my car right away. I was a bit confused at his reaction but I complied. He then asked me to not get involved in PLD party as he is a very strong supporter of the PRD party (the current governing party). I tried to explain to him that I belong to no party and can care less who wins. Well, that was the turning point of my knowledge to the Dominicans political parties.
This friend of mine asked me to join in the campaign efforts for his PRD senator?s candidate. At first I tried to tell him that I am not useful since I can?t even vote etc but he kept insisting that I should join in with him. So I agreed to play along with him and expose myself to the inner circle of the Santiago PRD party.
At first I started out at the chopo level politics. They invited me to join in the street campaign for the candidate which included a car caravan of the candidate, handing out posters, flags, stickers etc but in reality we were just making a lot of noise in public. I really didn?t go along with this non-sense so to attract my attention they upgraded me to attend small parties in discos / bars for the young crowd to win their vote. This was fun as the drinks were free and I got to rub shoulders with young university girls all over Santiago. This led me to the next stage: the upper class strong-hold circle. Lately I have been invited, by my friend, to attend parties in classy restaurants (with suit & tie) and actually get to socialize with the big shots.
Let me tell you how it goes from little that I have seen. The big shots of Santiago of the PRD party gather in expensive restaurants and spend thousands of pesos worth of party for rich businessmen and politicians. They all come in late model Mercedes but most come in late model SUVs with their personal body guards (so AZB parks his old Toyota far away from anyone?s eyes). The crowd ranges from newly rich chopos to wealthy stylish politicians. They come in with their entourage and greet each other like Italian mobsters. The drinks served are all top notch, black label to expensive wines. The food is usually seafood type appetizers. All the rich and powerful get together for media shoot and then sit down (away from everyone) to discuss their campaign strategy. Decisions are made and people are chosen to get the job done. Everyone has their interest and everyone gets to keep a small portion of the pie while the head honchos get the biggest bite. The big fish include, the governor, senator, mayor etc. These guys spend money from their own pocket and partly from the party that they serve to promote themselves. These guys spend hundreds of thousands of pesos in posters and stickers which you see all over the city. Large billboard advertisement costs thousands of pesos per pop but you see them all over the city. These candidates offer free parties to university student to win their vote. They usually throw parties in bars and discos and offer an open bars to everyone. You get to drink for free if you wear the candidate?s T-shirt. Free T shirt and free booze?.seems like a win win type situation. Now as the election date is nearing, the few chosen candidates are really flowing the money into the public.
So what do you get in return for the efforts that you put in?
It?s like a secret society but only when your party is in power you win everything.
Let me give you what I can get for participating in the campaign: I am offered to buy a brand new apartment (3 bedrooms) in a decent neighborhood at (like TW says) ?dead meat? prices. I will pay only half of the cost of the original value and when I deposit 50K as a down payment the government will throw in 100 k pesos (free) towards my down payment. Now this alone got my attention in a new york second. The customs chief of the north coast insisted that I should always call him when I come into the country. I will be received as a VIP and no one will touch my baggage. The newly, soon to be chosen, ambassador from DR to who knows where is a personal friend of mine. He has offered me free plane ticket to where ever he will be posted and offered girls and free stay at his residence. Can you ask for more? The police coronal has given me his signed card and assured me that I will never touch the floor of any jail as long as I don?t get myself into any serious trouble. This mean any police man off the street cannot touch me for any small reason. AMET coronal is a personal friend of mine, so good bye to all the traffic violation tickets. I can get a dominical passport just for the asking. If I have any legal matters to be solved, all I do is make a phone call.
Just imagine, I am a foreigner and I can get all these benefits imagine when you are one of the big shots in the party? You get to live a life of a royalty. These senators, governors have operating budget of millions of pesos annually which they spent without reporting to anyone. No wonder they always drive the most expensive SUVs and Mercedes that money can buy. They live in mansions which they have bought for peanuts in prime neighborhoods. They get top notch medical care for themselves and for their families and fly all over the world for free. They spend their holidays in the most expensive hotels in DR and pay nothing form their own pockets. The PRD supporting construction companies and engineers get the prime contracts and make millions. Many officials get promoted to important positions and make big buck for not even being in the office. I can go on and on.
If you like to join the party you may have to start from the bottom, if you are not connected. I met a dentist who left her clinic to work full time with the governor for mere 7k pesos / month (about 300 plus dollars); mind you she is from a wealthy family herself so 7k pesos / month means nothing to her. All she wants to do is to get into the political circle.
There is so much to write but, unfortunately, I have to work L
Remember, if you think all Dominicans are poor, think again. I have seen and met Dominicans who can buy a whole airlines with cash money.
Cheers
