School year begins with low attendance
President Medina inaugurates animal feed plant and oregano and cilantro processing plant
Mark Penn poll: crime and corruption are biggest DR problems
Mark Penn poll shows Medina keeps his popularity, but approval rating is declining
Legislators want people to watch what they say in social media or go to jail
Intrant confiscating LED lights
Tunnels and elevated sections to be closed
Cancer specialist alerts against use of hookah
Customs Agency confiscate contraband
Defense Minister says mob attacked Dominican cement trucks
Fallout from border incident
Marlin Martinez to remain in preventive custody
Coercive measures for José Luis Asilis
School year begins with low attendance
On Monday, 20 August 2018, the school year began and President Danilo Medina celebrated its start by attending the inauguration of the Rosa Duarte Public High School in Hato Mayor. The new school has 28 classrooms for 875 students public school. Medina was accompanied by First Lady Candida Montilla.
Education Minister Andrés Navarro said at the event that almost 70% of the students in the public sector would be attending Extended School Day programs from 8am to 4pm.
News reports say that attendance for the first day of school in the National District was poor. Some directors told Listin Diario reporters that the low attendance was due to confusion over the date. Another reason was that the new uniforms to be used this year had not arrived at some schools and the children had to use their old uniforms.
Education Minister Navarro said that they were going to distribute 3,392,192 polo shirts free of charge for all of the students in the public sector with two each and confirmed that until they arrived the students were allowed to wear their old uniforms.
https://www.listindiario.com/la-rep...ia-de-estudiantes-en-centros-de-santo-domingo
https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...los-estudiantes-en-tanda-extendida-KH10602686
http://hoy.com.do/fotos-presidente-danilo-medina-deja-formalmente-iniciado-el-ano-escolar-2018-2019/
President Medina inaugurates animal feed plant and oregano and cilantro processing plant
On Sunday, 19 August 2018, President Danilo Medina officially turned operations of an animal food processing plant in Puerto Plata over to a local farmers’ organization. Medina also inspected the installations of a government-funded processing plant for oregano and cilantro in Monseñor Nouel province.
The animal food processing plant in Puerto Plata is 15,275 cubic meters in size and will generate 20 direct employments and benefit more than 4,000 farmers.
In Sonador, Monseñor Nouel, the President attended the inauguration of an extraction plant for oil, machines and equipment. The government assistance also included the delivery of a truck for transportation.
http://eldia.com.do/medina-entrega-proyecto-en-puerto-plata/
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias/sonador-bonao-las-visitas-sorpresa-se-llaman-oportunidad
Mark Penn poll: crime and corruption are biggest DR problems
A recent Mark Penn/Noticias SIN poll focuses on the current political situation in the country, the possible presidential candidates, the intention of the vote and the Odebrecht corruption case. The 2-6 August 2018 Mark Penn/Noticias SIN poll revealed that crime, governmental corruption, and unemployment are the three main problems for Dominicans. 39% of those polled say crime is their main concern. 19% say it is governmental corruption. And 14% say it is the lack of jobs. And 11%, the cost of living.
Mark Penn reports that those polled were critical about politicians, with the popularity of all local politicians dropping when compared to October 2017.
Compared to October 2017, in the August 2018 poll, Dominicans are showing more concern about governmental corruption.
Likewise, there was an overall increase in the number of persons who said the country was headed in the wrong direction. 71% of those polled said the country is headed in the wrong direction. In 2016, 52% felt the country was headed in the wrong direction.
The negative perception is higher among followers of the PRM, but it also now was felt by those who back the ruling PLD party. Likewise, among the young people, those ages 18-24 years, of which more than half of this population segment that had expressed optimism in the October 2017, now 75% are pessimistic about where the country is headed.
The poll also showed that now 59% of voters are not affiliated to a political party, and regard themselves as independents. In the past period, the number of independents had never surpassed 10%. Among PLD members, there is a reduction in the membership among women. Among those 35 to 40 years, the women mostly regard themselves as independent. Of those identified as PLD members, 54% said the country was headed in the wrong direction, while 43% said it was headed in the right direction.
Mark Penn poll shows Medina keeps his popularity, but general approval rating is declining
The Mark Penn poll for August 2018 showed President Danilo Medina with a 59% positive rating. 59% of those polled said they are satisfied with his government, 41% said they are unsatisfied and 1%. This is comparative to the 60% vote President Danilo Medina received in May 2016 to win the presidential election. The May 2016 Mark Penn Poll had revealed that President Medina would win the 16 May election with 62%. 63% had voted for Medina in 2012.
Despite the relative high popularity of Medina, the same Mark Penn poll revealed that 71% of those polled said the country is headed in the wrong direction. In 2016, 52% felt the country was headed in the wrong direction.
Likewise, the Mark Penn poll indicates that Medina’s favorability or approval rating has been sharply on decline. Mark Penn polls show sliding from 82, 69, to 51% at present.
Medina has a 43% disapproval rating. The politicians with the highest disapproval rating are Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas (PRD), former President Hipolito Mejia (PRM) and former President Leonel Fernandez (PLD), all with 60% disapproval ratings.
The best regarded politicians are Vice President Margarita Cedeño, President Danilo Medina, former PRM presidential candidate Luis Abinader, and National District Mayor David Collado.
The Mark Penn 2-8 August 2018 poll data was compared to the Mark Penn poll of 1,000 eligible voters in 30 September- 3 October 2017. Both polls showed a margin of error of ±3.1.
https://noticiassin.com/encuesta-mark-penn-criminalidad-y-corrupcion-principal-preocupacion/
https://noticiassin.com/bernardo-vega-resumen-de-resultados-encuesta-mark-penn/
https://acento.com.do/2018/actualidad/8598624-encuesta-mark-penn-71-senala-pais-va-mal-camino/
Legislators want people to watch what they say in social media or go to jail
A clause in the Political Parties Law may be in violation with Art. 49 on Freedom of Speech and Information in the Dominican Constitution. Legislators snuck in wording in the new Political Parties Law that could send government dissenters to jail for “negative comments” on campaigning politicians in social media. This would be a first for Dominican people that have enjoyed freedom of the press so far, or at least in social media. The recently passed Political Parties Bill includes an article that equals negative comments on campaigning politicians to charges of defamation and personal injury and sets penalties of three months to a year for those making these comments in social media.
As reported in El Dia, the legislative clause establishes that the spreading of negative messages through social media that affect the image of candidates will be penalized according to articles 21 and 22 of the Law 53-07 on high tech crimes. Those articles refer to defamation and personal injury by electronic media and establish penalties that run from three months to a year in prison and fines from five to 500 minimum wages.
The bill does not clarify what a negative campaign consists of. El Dia reports that in political marketing, negative campaign is the placing in public evidence of the weaknesses, deficiencies and of a candidate.
As reported in El Dia, lawyer Laura Acosta said that during a political campaign negative messages can not be banned, because in political campaigns each person says negative things of the contender. “This is very different than defamation or personal injury,” she said. She wondered if the intention is that only good things be said about the political candidates.
Art. 49 on Freedom of Speech in the 2015 Constitution establishes:
“All persons have the right to express freely their thoughts, ideas and opinions by any means, without prior censorship.
http://eldia.com.do/comentarios-negativos-contra-candidatos-abre-puerta-carcel-a-ciudadanos/
Intrant confiscating LED lights
The General Security of Transit and Terrestrial Transport Agency (Digesett) has confiscated 761 LED light bars during the beginning of the campaign implemented to prevent this type of headlight being used across the country. The institution began to apply the regulations against their use on Saturday 18 August 2018, and to fine the drivers and confiscate their lights.
Institution spokesman, Colonel Rafael Tejeda Baldera, urged drivers with this type of light to remove them as their use is inconsiderate to other drivers. Several serious accidents have already occurred due to drivers being blinded and losing control of their vehicles.
He clarified that the only exception to the rule are those installed by the vehicle manufacturers for fog or rain. Special permits need to be secured with Intrant for their use.
The Digesett has allowed vehicles for use in farms to keep the lights paying RD$3,000 a year for a special permit. The lights, nevertheless, can only be used in rural roads.
http://almomento.net/autoridades-retienen-cientos-de-luces-led-durante-el-fin-de-semana/
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2018/08...ientos-de-luces-led-durante-el-fin-de-semana/
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2018/08/19/destacado/digesett-incauta-decenas-de-luces-led-en-jarabacoa/
http://eldia.com.do/digesett-retiene-mas-de-700-luces-led-durante-el-fin-de-semana/
Tunnels and elevated sections to be closed
During this week, the Ministry of Public Works will be closing several elevated sections and underpasses for maintenance, cleaning and garbage collection. The closures will be in both directions from 10:30pm to 5am.
On Tuesday, 21 August 2018, the underpass on 27 February with Núñez de Cáceres will be closed as well as the underpass on 27 de Febrero with Av. Presidente Antonio Guzmán (Privada). The latter will also be closed on Wednesday, along with the elevated section on Manoguayabo, on the Duarte Highway. Thursday the elevated section on Luperón with 30 de Mayo highway will be closed and on Friday the Las Americas tunnel.
http://eldia.com.do/obras-publicas-...dos-a-partir-de-esta-noche-por-mantenimiento/
Cancer specialist alerts against use of hookah
Cancer specialist Jazmin García alerted against the health hazards of hookah smoking in closed areas. She says that youths are exposing themselves to toxic substances that are putting people at risk of lung, brain and throat cancer, among others. She says there is an increase in the incidence of lung, throat, larynges and tongue cancer. She said that the hookah pipe is being shared by many at the same time.
Compared to traditional cigarette smoke, hookah smoke has about 6 times more carbon monoxide and 46 times more tar. Additionally, the charcoal that is used to heat the tobacco contains carbon monoxide, metals, and other cancer-causing agents like polyaromatic hydrocarbons, adding another level of danger to smokers.
"Hookah smoking is toxic, because harmful substances are being consumed. The issue is that users are vaporizing those substances and those chemicals are going to damage the respiratory tract," said the specialist.
The main cancers affecting those in the Dominican Republic are breast and cervical cancer in women, and colon and prostate cancer in men. This compares to lung cancer, the most prevalent in the world.
She called for more money to be spent on prevention to avoid the spending of very high sums as people seek cures.
https://www.listindiario.com/la-rep...a-alerta-de-nuevos-peligros-por-uso-de-hookah
Customs Agency confiscate contraband
The Customs Agency detected a contraband of seven million cigarettes as part of a shipment that arrived at the Caucedo Multimodal Port in a container that supposedly contained washing machines.
The cigarettes were found following information exchange with other customs agencies and arrived on a ship from Panama. They were located behind the washing machines and were of the Gold City brand.
In a second case, two crossbows were found in the port at Haina, having been hidden and sent from Florida in the United States to one Joel Peralta in Bonao.
http://elnacional.com.do/dga-incauta-siete-millones-de-cigarrillos/
Defense Minister says mob attacked Dominican cement trucks
Military officials in the Dominican Republic report that a shootout between troops and suspect cement smugglers at the Haitian border near Carrizal in Elías Piña province left three Haitians and one Dominican soldier injured on Saturday, 18 August 2018. The crossing point is unauthorized for commercial traffic.
The Dominican version of what happened was shared by Defense Minister Ruben Paulino Sem and Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas in a press conference that soldiers had tried to stop a contraband load of cement when they came under fire from Haitians on Saturday. Of six trucks loaded with cement, only three had been cleared for crossing.
As reported, a group of Haitians tried to take by force the three trucks that were loaded with cement from the Dominican side of the border, but had not yet passed through customs and immigration. Afterwards, disturbances broke out on the Haitian side.
Defense Minister Ruben Dario Paulino Sem said that security on the border is being reinforced with equipment, weapons and more soldiers after the incident.
He disputed what had been said by the Haitian authorities and clarified that the action took place on Dominican soil. He says this is confirmed by satellite images. "At no time did our agents cross the border line or intervene in the territory of Haiti," said the Defense Minister during the press conference on Sunday, 19 August 2018.
Furthermore, Elías Piña province senator Adriano Sánchez Roa explained: "What happened was that at the time that Cesfront stopped the trucks around 100 and 150 Haitians, many who were armed, caused the problem.”
Defense Minister Paulino Sem explained that the clash occurred on Saturday, 18 August at around 11am when Cesfront members prevented the departure from Dominican territory of three Haitian-registered trucks because their drivers could not present the documents that gave legality to the merchandise. These trucks did not comply with the customs and immigration requirements.
Minutes later, Haitians living in the town of Belladére tried to take the trucks by force and, faced with the resistance of the soldiers, an attack was started with weapons of different types, an action that was repelled by the border agents.
The action of the Haitians created a disorder in the aforementioned town, which lasted about five hours and forced the police of that country to intervene with tear gas bombs to disperse the mob when it acted in their territory.
The Ministry of Defense reiterated that the clash with Dominican soldiers occurred in Dominican territory, in the area known as "La Cadena", where there is no authorized passage for the crossing of vehicles and goods.
The troops protected the warehouses on the Dominican side to avoid further damage, obliging that laws be complied with, despite the mob that had penetrated the country.”
Following the shootout there was a meeting between Dominican authorities and those from Belladere in Haiti. On the Dominican delegation were representatives of the Specialized Corps of Border Security (Cesfront), the Customs Agency, Elías Piña senator Adriano Sánchez Roa and the provincial governor. It was subsequently agreed that there would be a second meeting but it did not take place when the Haitian delegation did not attend.
Haitian President Jovenel Moise had declared that the Haitian authorities had instructions to take the appropriate measures in order to “respect territorial integrity” and deplored the incident in which he said that Dominican soldiers injured four Haitians. In his Twitter account he maintained there was a territorial violation but did not specify which territory was violated.
President Jovenel Moïse had written on his Twitter account: "I regret the incidents that occurred on the border in Belladère, following a territorial violation, during which compatriots were injured [...] I ask the people of Belladère to keep calm and maintain serenity. Instructions have been given to the competent authorities to accompany victims and border residents in general."
On Monday, 20 August 2018, Belladere Mayor Ledoux Macklish admitted that they were not sure Dominican soldiers had violated Haitian territory. He told the Haitian press that the incident had occurred in a neutral zone that is under control of Dominican authorities, as reported in Diario Libre. Macklish admitted to Le Nouvelliste journalists in Haiti that it had been Haitians who had first fired at Dominican soldiers.
http://almomento.net/tras-incidente-cesfront-presidente-haiti-llama-a-defender-territorio/
https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...aran-se-atente-contra-seguridad-rd-CN10598864
https://www.listindiario.com/la-rep...-que-militares-dominicanos-penetraran-a-haiti
https://www.listindiario.com/la-rep...-version-de-haiti-sobre-violacion-territorial
https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...era-reunion-con-haiti-baja-tension-IH10604783
https://lenouvelliste.com/article/1...ldats-dominicains-a-la-frontiere-de-belladere
Fallout from border incident
In Elias Piña, the streets were deserted on Monday, 20 August 2018, after the Haitian authorities refused to allow Haitians to cross the border to take part in the bi-national market day that takes place on Mondays and Fridays.
Usually from 5am on those days, thousands of Haitians cross the border in cars, motorcycles and on foot, via the border post at Carrizal to buy and sell a range of articles and produce.
The decision of the Haitian authorities to prevent the Haitians from entering was due to the shootout that took place between groups of civilians and Cesfront border security soldiers on Saturday, 18 August 2018.
In the area of the border crossing, there were significantly more military members posted, in addition to soldiers from the third army brigade from San Juan de la Maguana.
http://hoy.com.do/autoridades-haiti...teriza-a-participar-en-el-mercado-binacional/
http://hoy.com.do/paulino-sem-advierte-defenderan-seguridad-nacional-en-la-frontera/
http://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-2...ntation-at-the-border-at-least-7-victims.html
Marlin Martinez to remain in preventive custody
Marlín Martínez, accused of being an accomplice in the crime of the murder of pregnant teenager Emely Peguero will remain in preventive custody for another three months. The decision was made yesterday, Monday 20 August 2018, by a court in San Francisco de Macoris.
She has been in jail since September 2017, and the preventive custody has been issued on four occasions, the same happened to her son Marlon, who is accused of Emely’s murder.
The trial begins on 29 August 2018, around a year after the teenager’s disappearance on 23 August 2017. Her body was found on 31 August inside a suitcase.
The Public Prosecution service is asking for 30 years in jail for Marlon and 20 for this mother Marlin.
https://www.listindiario.com/la-rep...ision-otros-tres-meses-por-caso-emely-peguero
Coercive measures for José Luis Asilis
Judge Jose Alejandro Vargas of the National District ordered three months preventive custody measures including house arrest, bail of RD$5 million, use of electronic bracelet and travel abroad ban against businessman Luis Jose Asilis who is accused of tax fraud, criminal association, forgery of documents and money laundering.
Among the most serious of the charges made by the taxation agency, DGII is that of reporting taxes to simulate that he was complying with the law, but in the end he was not paying them. He is also accused of declaring to the DGII the company retentions, and then interrupting commercial operations for tax periods to pretend that there was no tax payable income, which is fraud.
Asilis is a major shareholder in Grupo Metro that includes the Metro bus company, Metro Country Club and of the Metro transport business as well as the Lajun Corporation that ran the Duquesa garbage dump until it was taken over by the Ministry of the Environment. He also supposedly used other of his companies to simulate that he did not have control of those that had tax liabilities thus trying to evade his fiscal responsibilities. In addition Asilis is said to have increased his personal wealth by transferring real estate from the Metro Country Club to himself.
Asilis had been under arrest at the Justice Palace in Ciudad Nueva. His lawyers told Diario Libre that their client had offered to make a payment of RD$357 million to the tax agency (DGII) but this was not accepted. The DGII has stated that the businessman owes more than RD$500 million and in the past year has not paid RD$28.4 million in ITBIS and income tax charges.
https://diariodigital.com.do/2018/0...rcion-contra-empresario-jose-luis-asilis.html
https://elnuevodiario.com.do/fiscalia-del-distrito-pide-prision-preventiva-contra-empresario-asilis/
https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...ectronico-y-fianza-a-luis-j-asilis-BH10607701
President Medina inaugurates animal feed plant and oregano and cilantro processing plant
Mark Penn poll: crime and corruption are biggest DR problems
Mark Penn poll shows Medina keeps his popularity, but approval rating is declining
Legislators want people to watch what they say in social media or go to jail
Intrant confiscating LED lights
Tunnels and elevated sections to be closed
Cancer specialist alerts against use of hookah
Customs Agency confiscate contraband
Defense Minister says mob attacked Dominican cement trucks
Fallout from border incident
Marlin Martinez to remain in preventive custody
Coercive measures for José Luis Asilis
School year begins with low attendance
On Monday, 20 August 2018, the school year began and President Danilo Medina celebrated its start by attending the inauguration of the Rosa Duarte Public High School in Hato Mayor. The new school has 28 classrooms for 875 students public school. Medina was accompanied by First Lady Candida Montilla.
Education Minister Andrés Navarro said at the event that almost 70% of the students in the public sector would be attending Extended School Day programs from 8am to 4pm.
News reports say that attendance for the first day of school in the National District was poor. Some directors told Listin Diario reporters that the low attendance was due to confusion over the date. Another reason was that the new uniforms to be used this year had not arrived at some schools and the children had to use their old uniforms.
Education Minister Navarro said that they were going to distribute 3,392,192 polo shirts free of charge for all of the students in the public sector with two each and confirmed that until they arrived the students were allowed to wear their old uniforms.
https://www.listindiario.com/la-rep...ia-de-estudiantes-en-centros-de-santo-domingo
https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...los-estudiantes-en-tanda-extendida-KH10602686
http://hoy.com.do/fotos-presidente-danilo-medina-deja-formalmente-iniciado-el-ano-escolar-2018-2019/
President Medina inaugurates animal feed plant and oregano and cilantro processing plant
On Sunday, 19 August 2018, President Danilo Medina officially turned operations of an animal food processing plant in Puerto Plata over to a local farmers’ organization. Medina also inspected the installations of a government-funded processing plant for oregano and cilantro in Monseñor Nouel province.
The animal food processing plant in Puerto Plata is 15,275 cubic meters in size and will generate 20 direct employments and benefit more than 4,000 farmers.
In Sonador, Monseñor Nouel, the President attended the inauguration of an extraction plant for oil, machines and equipment. The government assistance also included the delivery of a truck for transportation.
http://eldia.com.do/medina-entrega-proyecto-en-puerto-plata/
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias/sonador-bonao-las-visitas-sorpresa-se-llaman-oportunidad
Mark Penn poll: crime and corruption are biggest DR problems
A recent Mark Penn/Noticias SIN poll focuses on the current political situation in the country, the possible presidential candidates, the intention of the vote and the Odebrecht corruption case. The 2-6 August 2018 Mark Penn/Noticias SIN poll revealed that crime, governmental corruption, and unemployment are the three main problems for Dominicans. 39% of those polled say crime is their main concern. 19% say it is governmental corruption. And 14% say it is the lack of jobs. And 11%, the cost of living.
Mark Penn reports that those polled were critical about politicians, with the popularity of all local politicians dropping when compared to October 2017.
Compared to October 2017, in the August 2018 poll, Dominicans are showing more concern about governmental corruption.
Likewise, there was an overall increase in the number of persons who said the country was headed in the wrong direction. 71% of those polled said the country is headed in the wrong direction. In 2016, 52% felt the country was headed in the wrong direction.
The negative perception is higher among followers of the PRM, but it also now was felt by those who back the ruling PLD party. Likewise, among the young people, those ages 18-24 years, of which more than half of this population segment that had expressed optimism in the October 2017, now 75% are pessimistic about where the country is headed.
The poll also showed that now 59% of voters are not affiliated to a political party, and regard themselves as independents. In the past period, the number of independents had never surpassed 10%. Among PLD members, there is a reduction in the membership among women. Among those 35 to 40 years, the women mostly regard themselves as independent. Of those identified as PLD members, 54% said the country was headed in the wrong direction, while 43% said it was headed in the right direction.
Mark Penn poll shows Medina keeps his popularity, but general approval rating is declining
The Mark Penn poll for August 2018 showed President Danilo Medina with a 59% positive rating. 59% of those polled said they are satisfied with his government, 41% said they are unsatisfied and 1%. This is comparative to the 60% vote President Danilo Medina received in May 2016 to win the presidential election. The May 2016 Mark Penn Poll had revealed that President Medina would win the 16 May election with 62%. 63% had voted for Medina in 2012.
Despite the relative high popularity of Medina, the same Mark Penn poll revealed that 71% of those polled said the country is headed in the wrong direction. In 2016, 52% felt the country was headed in the wrong direction.
Likewise, the Mark Penn poll indicates that Medina’s favorability or approval rating has been sharply on decline. Mark Penn polls show sliding from 82, 69, to 51% at present.
Medina has a 43% disapproval rating. The politicians with the highest disapproval rating are Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas (PRD), former President Hipolito Mejia (PRM) and former President Leonel Fernandez (PLD), all with 60% disapproval ratings.
The best regarded politicians are Vice President Margarita Cedeño, President Danilo Medina, former PRM presidential candidate Luis Abinader, and National District Mayor David Collado.
The Mark Penn 2-8 August 2018 poll data was compared to the Mark Penn poll of 1,000 eligible voters in 30 September- 3 October 2017. Both polls showed a margin of error of ±3.1.
https://noticiassin.com/encuesta-mark-penn-criminalidad-y-corrupcion-principal-preocupacion/
https://noticiassin.com/bernardo-vega-resumen-de-resultados-encuesta-mark-penn/
https://acento.com.do/2018/actualidad/8598624-encuesta-mark-penn-71-senala-pais-va-mal-camino/
Legislators want people to watch what they say in social media or go to jail
A clause in the Political Parties Law may be in violation with Art. 49 on Freedom of Speech and Information in the Dominican Constitution. Legislators snuck in wording in the new Political Parties Law that could send government dissenters to jail for “negative comments” on campaigning politicians in social media. This would be a first for Dominican people that have enjoyed freedom of the press so far, or at least in social media. The recently passed Political Parties Bill includes an article that equals negative comments on campaigning politicians to charges of defamation and personal injury and sets penalties of three months to a year for those making these comments in social media.
As reported in El Dia, the legislative clause establishes that the spreading of negative messages through social media that affect the image of candidates will be penalized according to articles 21 and 22 of the Law 53-07 on high tech crimes. Those articles refer to defamation and personal injury by electronic media and establish penalties that run from three months to a year in prison and fines from five to 500 minimum wages.
The bill does not clarify what a negative campaign consists of. El Dia reports that in political marketing, negative campaign is the placing in public evidence of the weaknesses, deficiencies and of a candidate.
As reported in El Dia, lawyer Laura Acosta said that during a political campaign negative messages can not be banned, because in political campaigns each person says negative things of the contender. “This is very different than defamation or personal injury,” she said. She wondered if the intention is that only good things be said about the political candidates.
Art. 49 on Freedom of Speech in the 2015 Constitution establishes:
“All persons have the right to express freely their thoughts, ideas and opinions by any means, without prior censorship.
http://eldia.com.do/comentarios-negativos-contra-candidatos-abre-puerta-carcel-a-ciudadanos/
Intrant confiscating LED lights
The General Security of Transit and Terrestrial Transport Agency (Digesett) has confiscated 761 LED light bars during the beginning of the campaign implemented to prevent this type of headlight being used across the country. The institution began to apply the regulations against their use on Saturday 18 August 2018, and to fine the drivers and confiscate their lights.
Institution spokesman, Colonel Rafael Tejeda Baldera, urged drivers with this type of light to remove them as their use is inconsiderate to other drivers. Several serious accidents have already occurred due to drivers being blinded and losing control of their vehicles.
He clarified that the only exception to the rule are those installed by the vehicle manufacturers for fog or rain. Special permits need to be secured with Intrant for their use.
The Digesett has allowed vehicles for use in farms to keep the lights paying RD$3,000 a year for a special permit. The lights, nevertheless, can only be used in rural roads.
http://almomento.net/autoridades-retienen-cientos-de-luces-led-durante-el-fin-de-semana/
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2018/08...ientos-de-luces-led-durante-el-fin-de-semana/
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2018/08/19/destacado/digesett-incauta-decenas-de-luces-led-en-jarabacoa/
http://eldia.com.do/digesett-retiene-mas-de-700-luces-led-durante-el-fin-de-semana/
Tunnels and elevated sections to be closed
During this week, the Ministry of Public Works will be closing several elevated sections and underpasses for maintenance, cleaning and garbage collection. The closures will be in both directions from 10:30pm to 5am.
On Tuesday, 21 August 2018, the underpass on 27 February with Núñez de Cáceres will be closed as well as the underpass on 27 de Febrero with Av. Presidente Antonio Guzmán (Privada). The latter will also be closed on Wednesday, along with the elevated section on Manoguayabo, on the Duarte Highway. Thursday the elevated section on Luperón with 30 de Mayo highway will be closed and on Friday the Las Americas tunnel.
http://eldia.com.do/obras-publicas-...dos-a-partir-de-esta-noche-por-mantenimiento/
Cancer specialist alerts against use of hookah
Cancer specialist Jazmin García alerted against the health hazards of hookah smoking in closed areas. She says that youths are exposing themselves to toxic substances that are putting people at risk of lung, brain and throat cancer, among others. She says there is an increase in the incidence of lung, throat, larynges and tongue cancer. She said that the hookah pipe is being shared by many at the same time.
Compared to traditional cigarette smoke, hookah smoke has about 6 times more carbon monoxide and 46 times more tar. Additionally, the charcoal that is used to heat the tobacco contains carbon monoxide, metals, and other cancer-causing agents like polyaromatic hydrocarbons, adding another level of danger to smokers.
"Hookah smoking is toxic, because harmful substances are being consumed. The issue is that users are vaporizing those substances and those chemicals are going to damage the respiratory tract," said the specialist.
The main cancers affecting those in the Dominican Republic are breast and cervical cancer in women, and colon and prostate cancer in men. This compares to lung cancer, the most prevalent in the world.
She called for more money to be spent on prevention to avoid the spending of very high sums as people seek cures.
https://www.listindiario.com/la-rep...a-alerta-de-nuevos-peligros-por-uso-de-hookah
Customs Agency confiscate contraband
The Customs Agency detected a contraband of seven million cigarettes as part of a shipment that arrived at the Caucedo Multimodal Port in a container that supposedly contained washing machines.
The cigarettes were found following information exchange with other customs agencies and arrived on a ship from Panama. They were located behind the washing machines and were of the Gold City brand.
In a second case, two crossbows were found in the port at Haina, having been hidden and sent from Florida in the United States to one Joel Peralta in Bonao.
http://elnacional.com.do/dga-incauta-siete-millones-de-cigarrillos/
Defense Minister says mob attacked Dominican cement trucks
Military officials in the Dominican Republic report that a shootout between troops and suspect cement smugglers at the Haitian border near Carrizal in Elías Piña province left three Haitians and one Dominican soldier injured on Saturday, 18 August 2018. The crossing point is unauthorized for commercial traffic.
The Dominican version of what happened was shared by Defense Minister Ruben Paulino Sem and Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas in a press conference that soldiers had tried to stop a contraband load of cement when they came under fire from Haitians on Saturday. Of six trucks loaded with cement, only three had been cleared for crossing.
As reported, a group of Haitians tried to take by force the three trucks that were loaded with cement from the Dominican side of the border, but had not yet passed through customs and immigration. Afterwards, disturbances broke out on the Haitian side.
Defense Minister Ruben Dario Paulino Sem said that security on the border is being reinforced with equipment, weapons and more soldiers after the incident.
He disputed what had been said by the Haitian authorities and clarified that the action took place on Dominican soil. He says this is confirmed by satellite images. "At no time did our agents cross the border line or intervene in the territory of Haiti," said the Defense Minister during the press conference on Sunday, 19 August 2018.
Furthermore, Elías Piña province senator Adriano Sánchez Roa explained: "What happened was that at the time that Cesfront stopped the trucks around 100 and 150 Haitians, many who were armed, caused the problem.”
Defense Minister Paulino Sem explained that the clash occurred on Saturday, 18 August at around 11am when Cesfront members prevented the departure from Dominican territory of three Haitian-registered trucks because their drivers could not present the documents that gave legality to the merchandise. These trucks did not comply with the customs and immigration requirements.
Minutes later, Haitians living in the town of Belladére tried to take the trucks by force and, faced with the resistance of the soldiers, an attack was started with weapons of different types, an action that was repelled by the border agents.
The action of the Haitians created a disorder in the aforementioned town, which lasted about five hours and forced the police of that country to intervene with tear gas bombs to disperse the mob when it acted in their territory.
The Ministry of Defense reiterated that the clash with Dominican soldiers occurred in Dominican territory, in the area known as "La Cadena", where there is no authorized passage for the crossing of vehicles and goods.
The troops protected the warehouses on the Dominican side to avoid further damage, obliging that laws be complied with, despite the mob that had penetrated the country.”
Following the shootout there was a meeting between Dominican authorities and those from Belladere in Haiti. On the Dominican delegation were representatives of the Specialized Corps of Border Security (Cesfront), the Customs Agency, Elías Piña senator Adriano Sánchez Roa and the provincial governor. It was subsequently agreed that there would be a second meeting but it did not take place when the Haitian delegation did not attend.
Haitian President Jovenel Moise had declared that the Haitian authorities had instructions to take the appropriate measures in order to “respect territorial integrity” and deplored the incident in which he said that Dominican soldiers injured four Haitians. In his Twitter account he maintained there was a territorial violation but did not specify which territory was violated.
President Jovenel Moïse had written on his Twitter account: "I regret the incidents that occurred on the border in Belladère, following a territorial violation, during which compatriots were injured [...] I ask the people of Belladère to keep calm and maintain serenity. Instructions have been given to the competent authorities to accompany victims and border residents in general."
On Monday, 20 August 2018, Belladere Mayor Ledoux Macklish admitted that they were not sure Dominican soldiers had violated Haitian territory. He told the Haitian press that the incident had occurred in a neutral zone that is under control of Dominican authorities, as reported in Diario Libre. Macklish admitted to Le Nouvelliste journalists in Haiti that it had been Haitians who had first fired at Dominican soldiers.
http://almomento.net/tras-incidente-cesfront-presidente-haiti-llama-a-defender-territorio/
https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...aran-se-atente-contra-seguridad-rd-CN10598864
https://www.listindiario.com/la-rep...-que-militares-dominicanos-penetraran-a-haiti
https://www.listindiario.com/la-rep...-version-de-haiti-sobre-violacion-territorial
https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...era-reunion-con-haiti-baja-tension-IH10604783
https://lenouvelliste.com/article/1...ldats-dominicains-a-la-frontiere-de-belladere
Fallout from border incident
In Elias Piña, the streets were deserted on Monday, 20 August 2018, after the Haitian authorities refused to allow Haitians to cross the border to take part in the bi-national market day that takes place on Mondays and Fridays.
Usually from 5am on those days, thousands of Haitians cross the border in cars, motorcycles and on foot, via the border post at Carrizal to buy and sell a range of articles and produce.
The decision of the Haitian authorities to prevent the Haitians from entering was due to the shootout that took place between groups of civilians and Cesfront border security soldiers on Saturday, 18 August 2018.
In the area of the border crossing, there were significantly more military members posted, in addition to soldiers from the third army brigade from San Juan de la Maguana.
http://hoy.com.do/autoridades-haiti...teriza-a-participar-en-el-mercado-binacional/
http://hoy.com.do/paulino-sem-advierte-defenderan-seguridad-nacional-en-la-frontera/
http://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-2...ntation-at-the-border-at-least-7-victims.html
Marlin Martinez to remain in preventive custody
Marlín Martínez, accused of being an accomplice in the crime of the murder of pregnant teenager Emely Peguero will remain in preventive custody for another three months. The decision was made yesterday, Monday 20 August 2018, by a court in San Francisco de Macoris.
She has been in jail since September 2017, and the preventive custody has been issued on four occasions, the same happened to her son Marlon, who is accused of Emely’s murder.
The trial begins on 29 August 2018, around a year after the teenager’s disappearance on 23 August 2017. Her body was found on 31 August inside a suitcase.
The Public Prosecution service is asking for 30 years in jail for Marlon and 20 for this mother Marlin.
https://www.listindiario.com/la-rep...ision-otros-tres-meses-por-caso-emely-peguero
Coercive measures for José Luis Asilis
Judge Jose Alejandro Vargas of the National District ordered three months preventive custody measures including house arrest, bail of RD$5 million, use of electronic bracelet and travel abroad ban against businessman Luis Jose Asilis who is accused of tax fraud, criminal association, forgery of documents and money laundering.
Among the most serious of the charges made by the taxation agency, DGII is that of reporting taxes to simulate that he was complying with the law, but in the end he was not paying them. He is also accused of declaring to the DGII the company retentions, and then interrupting commercial operations for tax periods to pretend that there was no tax payable income, which is fraud.
Asilis is a major shareholder in Grupo Metro that includes the Metro bus company, Metro Country Club and of the Metro transport business as well as the Lajun Corporation that ran the Duquesa garbage dump until it was taken over by the Ministry of the Environment. He also supposedly used other of his companies to simulate that he did not have control of those that had tax liabilities thus trying to evade his fiscal responsibilities. In addition Asilis is said to have increased his personal wealth by transferring real estate from the Metro Country Club to himself.
Asilis had been under arrest at the Justice Palace in Ciudad Nueva. His lawyers told Diario Libre that their client had offered to make a payment of RD$357 million to the tax agency (DGII) but this was not accepted. The DGII has stated that the businessman owes more than RD$500 million and in the past year has not paid RD$28.4 million in ITBIS and income tax charges.
https://diariodigital.com.do/2018/0...rcion-contra-empresario-jose-luis-asilis.html
https://elnuevodiario.com.do/fiscalia-del-distrito-pide-prision-preventiva-contra-empresario-asilis/
https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...ectronico-y-fianza-a-luis-j-asilis-BH10607701