Medina gets acceptable favorable rating of 5.5 on scale of 10
Poll says Leonel Fernández would win presidency
Crime is top issue in the Dominican Republic
US ambassador returns to US with her family after a day on the job
Manuel Rivas, suspect in Yuniol Ramirez murder, hospitalized in Cedimat
Electricity blackouts continue to be an issue
Teachers on strike in Hermanas Mirabal and Duarte
First co-op fair
Blogger Kyrzayda Rodriguez dies from cancer
Travel plan changes made easier by airlines for hurricane season
Hurricane Isaac is not a threat for Dominican Republic, so far
Large drug haul on Air France flight
Amateur theater festival at the Centro Cultural Narciso González
DR basketball matches Chile in Americas Qualifier
Medina gets acceptable favorable rating of 5.5 on scale of 10
Asisa Research Group poll voters gave President Danilo Medina an acceptable favorable rating of 5.5 on a scale of 1 to 10. Nevertheless, 56% of those polled told the pollsters that the country was headed on the wrong path. 42.4% says the country is on the right track. This compares to 57% saying the country was on the wrong path in the Asisa poll carried out in March 2018.
The Medina administration maintains a satisfactory assessment in general, with a 52% approval rate. By regions, there are significant variations. The government is especially strong in the north region with 65% giving a favorable rating to the President Danilo Medina administration. In Greater Santo Domingo and the National District, approval of how the government is leading the country drops to 47%. In the East, approval is even lower at 42% and 43% in the southern region.
58% of those polled say the most important accomplishment of the government is the improvements in public education, now being allotted 4% of the GDP. The second most important accomplishment is the continuing of the Santo Domingo metro (4.8%). Medina’s much publicized “surprise visits” gets only 4.3%, and government construction works 4.2%.
Those polled are critical about the lack of job creation with 21.6% and corruption in government 21.4%. Rising crime is the top issue with a 15.5 rating, while weak migratory policy is also a concern, with 15.6% of the mentions.
As to government efforts to control corruption, 8 out of every 10 polled (81%) considers little or nothing to check corruption in government in the past six years of the Medina administration.
The poll was carried out 1-3 September 2018, with 1,207 eligible Dominican voters nationwide.
The error margin is +/- 3.0%.
Asisa Research Group describes itself as being the main research partner for several political parties in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Panama and Puerto Rico since 1994. During the last five years, Asisa has carried out over 300,000 Political/Electoral surveys in six countries all across the Americas.
Poll says Leonel Fernández would win presidency
According to the results of an Asisa Research Group poll, announced on Tuesday, 11 September 2018, former President Leonel Fernández of the ruling PLD political party would win the 2020 presidential elections with 48.2% over Luis Abinader of the Revolutionary Modern Party (PRM) with 40.2% if they were held on the day of the poll. Abinader was the PRM presidential candidacy in the 2016 presidential election.
The poll was carried out between 1 and 3 September 2018 with 5.9% of those polled saying they would vote for neither and 5.6% refusing to answer of 1,207 persons polled nationwide. The results were revealed by the director general of Asisa, Lilian Pagán, and Mildred Pimentel, who acted as head of the polling project. 1,207 Dominican voters were polled across the country.
The potential voters were asked who they thought was most likely to win the presidential election. The top answer was 88% saying Leonel Fernandez, followed by Danilo Medina and Luis Abinader who each had 19%. The 2015 Constitution bans President Danilo Medina from running again for office.
Among PLD partisan voters, Leonel Fernandez has 62% of voters’ preference, President Danilo Medina 17%; Vice President Margarita Cedeño 14%; National District senator Reinaldo Pared Pérez 1%, with 7% of those polled abstaining from answering. Among PRM followers, former PRM presidential candidate Luis Abinader had 74% of the preferences; National District Mayor David Collado 10%; Carolina Mejía 7%, her father, former President Hipólito Mejía 6%, and 2% did not answer.
75.4% of those polled said they are aware the present Constitution does not allow for President Danilo Medina to run for President in 2020. 77% of eligible voters are contrary to amending the 2015 Constitution so that President Danilo Medina can run for a third consecutive term. This compares to 71% that opposed the amendment in the Asisa March 2018 poll.
70% of those polled understand that the amending of the Constitution to accommodate President Danilo Medina’s aspirations to a third term would be negative for the country.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...ecciones-con-un-48-8--segun-la-encuesta-asisa
http://hoy.com.do/70-cree-seria-neg...-la-constitucion-para-reelegirse-segun-asisa/
https://www.metrord.do/do/destacado...lta-elecciones-2020-segun-encuesta-asisa.html
https://asisaresearch.com/encuesta-...ntiene-preferencias-para-elecciones-del-2020/
Crime is top issue in the Dominican Republic
When asked “What do you think is the most important problem facing this country today?”, 42% of Dominican voters named crime and delinquency. Second is unemployment (28%), then the high cost of goods and first necessity items (28%) and corruption (25%), according to findings of the 1-3 September 2018 Asisa Research Group poll of 1,207 eligible voters.
Most of those polled understand the greatest accomplishments of government are in the education sector. 81% of those polled understand the government has done little to check corruption in government in the past six years. 71% of those polled say they have little or no trust in Dominican justice in the Odebrecht bribes corruption case. 60% stated that the case has been poorly managed by the Attorney General Office. 48% considers the Marcha Verde movement has grown in the past months.
US ambassador returns to US with her family after a day on the job
US Ambassador Robin Bernstein returned to the United States with family a day after she had presented credentials to President Danilo Medina at the Presidential Palace. She had just presented credentials on 6 September 2018, after arriving on the previous 30 August 2018.
She was summoned by the US government for consultations that coincided with El Salvador having switched diplomatic relations from Taiwan to China. The consultations would be with the US mission chiefs in El Salvador and Panama. Costa Rica is the other Central American country to have signed with China, but the US ambassador in Costa Rica was not summoned.
News reports indicate that Bernstein returned to the United States in an American Airlines flight to Miami, Florida early on Sunday, 9 September accompanied by her husband Richard Bernstein and her daughter, Julia.
What to read into the abrupt departure? Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas says that all is well regarding Dominican and United States relations, calling these “excellent”. He described the recalling as “normal procedure.” On Saturday, 8 September 2018, Foreign Minister Vargas and his wife Angelita García had hosted the new ambassadors and their daughter in a welcome dinner at their home in Santo Domingo.
http://www.mirex.gob.do/medios/noti...ca-dominicana-y-estados-unidos-son-excelentes
http://www.mirex.gob.do/medios/noti...as-ofrece-cena-en-honor-a-embajadora-de-ee-uu
https://listindiario.com/las-mundiales/2018/09/11/532639/bernstein-viaja-hacia-ee-uu-
Manuel Rivas, suspect in Yuniol Ramirez murder, hospitalized in Cedimat
Manuel Rivas, former director of the Metropolitan Bus Services Office (Omsa) was admitted to Cedimat medical center in Santo Domingo on Sunday, 9 September 2018, as reported in Listin Diario. The reasons for his hospitalization were not mentioned. Rivas is serving a year of preventive custody at the Najayo Jail as a suspect in the murder of lawyer and university professor Yuniol Ramírez on 11 October 2018. His defense lawyer has requested his release on grounds that he suffers from prostate cancer.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...rivas-en-centro-medico-por-problemas-de-salud
Electricity blackouts continue to be an issue
According to the Superintendence of Electricity stats during the first seven months of this year, on average Dominicans did not have power for 77.87 hours a month, or the equivalent of 3.2 days a month without electricity.
The power service reliability depends on where you live, with the worst provider being EdeEste in the eastern part of Greater Santo Domingo and to the East. EdeEste customers suffered an average 109.24 hours without electricity per month between January and July. It appears that the situation is getting worse with an average of 106.97 hours without electricity in January that by July had risen to 115.25 hours.
Over the same time period, in the case of EdeNorte the average was 48.23 hours a month with no electricity although in May it was 71.84 hours and in March inflicted 17.51 hours of blackouts on average.
Edesur left its clients with 3.17 days a month with no electricity.
According to the Regional Center for Sustainable Economic Strategies (CREES), the reason for the blackouts is the poor financial management of the distributors. The think tank observes that while the power distributors may have enough capacity to meet the demand, they decide not to. This is the case in 75% of the lack of provision of electricity with 10% being for ‘other operational causes’ such as overcharging of the system, breakdowns of the generators. In 9% of the cases it is because of maintenance and in 6% of the cases it is due to protection of the distribution equipment when the supply is turned off.
https://www.diariolibre.com/economia/dominicanos-pasan-mas-de-tres-dias-al-mes-sin-luz-GD10757045
Teachers on strike in Hermanas Mirabal and Duarte
The teachers and administrators for the public schools in the provinces of Hermanas Mirabal and Duarte, are on strike once again, affecting more than 600 schools and around 81,000 students. The three-day strike was called by the Teachers’ Union (ADP) demanding that teacher Maximo Mercedes be reinstated. He was the director of the schools of Los Chiringos, Villa Riva, and Hanoi Gutiérrez.
The striking teachers are also demanding the rebuilding of the schools Cruce de los Basilios, Eusebio Manzueta Cueva, Julio Plata de la Rosa, Gran Parada, La Jíbara, Yaiba Abajo, and the construction of a meals room in the schools Juana Díaz, El Carmen and Olimpia de Castillo.
Another demand is that the incentives be paid to those teachers who were part of the recent assessment, stop the discounts that several educators are making and in rejection of the declarations of Education Minister, Andres Navarro, who accused the ADP members of using the students as cannon fodder.
http://elnacional.com.do/adp-paraliza-otra-vez-docencia-en-escuelas-de-dos-provincias/
First co-op fair
The Dominican Republic’s National Council of Cooperatives is hosting the country’s first co-op fair from 15 through18 November. The event, Expo Coop 2018, will bring more than 100 of the country’s leading co-ops together for a program of workshops, talks, presentations and networking and will promote awareness of cooperativism and encourage trade between co-ops.
Professor Julito Fulcar Encarnación, president of the National Council of Cooperatives, said the event was born of a need for integration and for co-ops to combine resources and efforts.
“In an economic situation characterized by the opening of large economic spaces, technological innovation, the concentration of business and a knowledge-based society, the co-operative movement of this country inevitably has to react through integration,” he said.
Professor Fulcar announced the event at a press conference, accompanied by the members of National Council of Cooperatives’ board of directors and the presidents of trade federations from throughout the country.
https://www.thenews.coop/131327/sec...ican-republic-hold-first-national-co-op-fair/
Blogger Kyrzayda Rodriguez dies from cancer
Popular Instagram blogger, with almost half a million followers, Dominican Kyrzayda Rodriguez has died from stomach cancer, aged 40. She died less than a year following her diagnosis and candidly shared her battle with her followers.
From the time Rodriguez, who is survived by her adult daughter, first announced her Stage 4 stomach cancer diagnosis in November 2017, the style blogger kept her followers in the loop while she underwent treatment posting about her first chemo session and losing her hair. Despite the battle Rodriguez was fighting each and every day, she still managed to put out daily posts filled with fashion, style, and wellness inspiration.
When she began to lose her hair the influencer chose not to wear a wig, embracing her bald head and body in many of her inspirational posts. In August, she announced to her followers that she would be ending her chemo treatments, while still maintaining her positive outlook on the situation.
At the end of the post, Rodriguez encouraged her followers to support her difficult decision, telling them it’s “one of the best things they can do for someone going through something like this” and reassured them that she “would never give up on my fight.”
Since her passing, fans have paid tribute to Rodriguez on social media, with many thanking her for sharing her journey candidly and “inspiring thousands.”
https://people.com/health/instagram-blogger-kyrzayda-rodriguez-dies-stomach-cancer/
https://hollywoodlife.com/2018/09/1...-blogger-dead-cancer-fashion-influencer-dies/
Travel plan changes made easier by airlines for hurricane season
Airlines are allowing passengers to change their travel plans as Hurricane Florence spins closer to the US East Coast and as Hurricane Isaac approaches the Caribbean and the Dominican Republic. While the Dominican Republic is far from the danger path of the storm, travelers headed this way could be temporarily affected.
It is always best to double check with the airline, especially in September, the peak time for the Caribbean of the Atlantic Hurricane Season. The airlines are cooperating with flexibility in changing itineraries and travel days.
So far, it is known that Hurricane Florence, currently a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 130 miles per hour, could hit the southeastern US or mid-Atlantic region by the end of the week, according to the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). While the storm is not expected to make landfall until the end of the week, airlines regularly issue waivers early to avoid travelers getting stuck at the airport.
During big storms, airlines also may cancel flights ahead of time so that crews are not out of place when operations resume. They will also routinely keep aircraft away from affected airports.
American Airlines said travelers whose plans could be affected by the storm can change their travel dates without paying change fees, which can cost US$200 plus a difference in fare, if they can travel between 10-19 September 2018.
The waivers for Hurricane Florence cover 23 airports, including Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, American Airline's second-largest hub, where it has about 670 flights a day. So far, American Airlines flights have not been canceled due to the storm, the carrier said.
Delta Air Lines says it will cap airfares in several airports that could be affected by the storm and that it won't charge change fees for travelers booked to and from those destinations. United Airlines says it will waive date-change fees as well as fare differences for travelers booked to or from 16 area airports if they can fly from 10 to16 September.
Southwest Airlines said travelers booked into six cities in South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia can rebook their flights within 14 days of their original dates with no additional cost. Southwest does not charge a fee to change travel dates but it usually will charge passengers the difference in fare.
American Airlines is extending change-fee waivers for travelers traveling to or from 14 airports in the Caribbean ahead of Hurricane Isaac that is making its way towards the Caribbean. That storm, currently a Category 1 hurricane, is expected to move eastward, south of Puerto Rico, Haiti and the Dominican Republic by Friday, according to NOAA.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/10/hurricane-florence-airlines-offer-travel-waivers-as-storm-nears.html
Hurricane Isaac is not a threat for Dominican Republic, so far
The wind speed of Hurricane Isaac has dropped from 120 kilometers an hour to 110 kph that means it has currently been downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm. However the National Meteorological Office (Onamet) is projecting that it will regain wind speed and return to being a Category 1 hurricane. Onamet says the storm is not a threat to the Dominican Republic but still needs to be followed.
Isaac is currently moving to the west at 22 kilometers an hour and is projected to be off the south coast of the Dominican Republic on Friday, 14 September. DR1 Forums forecaster MikeFisher says the storm will continue tracking west, well south of the Dominican Republic.
https://dr1.com/forums/showthread.php/171769-2018-Hurricane-Season?p=1911207#post1911207
https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2018/09/11/532679/isaac-se-degrada-a-tormenta-tropical
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/115517.shtml?cone#contents
Large drug haul on Air France flight
The National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) has confiscated 91 packages of presumably cocaine or heroin at Las Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo. The drugs were found on an Air France flight to Paris. The substance was discovered by DNCD agents in three blue suitcases in passengers’ luggage in the hold. An investigation revealed that they had been placed there via the cargo terminal.
Preliminary reports say that several people, including military who worked in the cargo terminal where the drugs came from are under investigation. So far no arrests have been made.
https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...n-avion-en-aeropuerto-las-americas-FA10761370
http://hoy.com.do/decomisan-91-paquetes-de-droga-en-avion-que-iba-para-paris/
Amateur theater festival at the Centro Cultural Narciso González
The Ministry of Culture is sponsoring the 18th National Amateur Theater Festival in honor this year of theater promoter Emilio Aparicio. 18 theater groups will be performing at the Sala Teatro Monina Solá at the Centro Cultural Narciso González on Calle Américo Lugo corner Marcos Adón in Villa Juana, Santo Domingo. Plays will be performed from Wednesday, 12 September 2018 through Saturday, 22 September. The schedules are 10:30am, 2:30pm and 7pm.
Theater groups from Puerto Plata, San Francisco de Macorís, Moca, San Juan de la Maguana, Santiago and the National District and province of Santo Domingo will be competing for the best play awards.
http://cultura.gob.do/index.php/not...nal-de-teatro-aficionado-emilio-aparicio-2018
DR basketball matches Chile in Americas Qualifier
The Dominican national basketball team plays team Chile as it continues in its quest for an Americas region slot in the 2019 World Basketball Cup in China. Team general manager Francisco García and coach Melvyn Lopez has announced the final roster for the second round Group F game will be chosen from the pre-selection of Edgar Sosa, Angel Delgado, Eulis Baez, Victor Liz, Luis David Montero, Eloy Vargas, Ronald Ramon, Rigoberto Mendoza, Gelvis Solano, Manny Quezada, Dagoberto Peña, Juan Miguel Suero, Gerardo Suero, Jhonatan Araujo, Edward Santana, Orlando Sanchez, Sadiel Rojas, Robert Glenn and M.J. Rhett.
The game will be played on Thursday, 13 September 2018 starting at 8:30pm at the Palacio de los Deportes at the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center in Santo Domingo.
Tickets are available online at:
https://uepatickets.com/Tickets.aspx?id=8917
Poll says Leonel Fernández would win presidency
Crime is top issue in the Dominican Republic
US ambassador returns to US with her family after a day on the job
Manuel Rivas, suspect in Yuniol Ramirez murder, hospitalized in Cedimat
Electricity blackouts continue to be an issue
Teachers on strike in Hermanas Mirabal and Duarte
First co-op fair
Blogger Kyrzayda Rodriguez dies from cancer
Travel plan changes made easier by airlines for hurricane season
Hurricane Isaac is not a threat for Dominican Republic, so far
Large drug haul on Air France flight
Amateur theater festival at the Centro Cultural Narciso González
DR basketball matches Chile in Americas Qualifier
Medina gets acceptable favorable rating of 5.5 on scale of 10
Asisa Research Group poll voters gave President Danilo Medina an acceptable favorable rating of 5.5 on a scale of 1 to 10. Nevertheless, 56% of those polled told the pollsters that the country was headed on the wrong path. 42.4% says the country is on the right track. This compares to 57% saying the country was on the wrong path in the Asisa poll carried out in March 2018.
The Medina administration maintains a satisfactory assessment in general, with a 52% approval rate. By regions, there are significant variations. The government is especially strong in the north region with 65% giving a favorable rating to the President Danilo Medina administration. In Greater Santo Domingo and the National District, approval of how the government is leading the country drops to 47%. In the East, approval is even lower at 42% and 43% in the southern region.
58% of those polled say the most important accomplishment of the government is the improvements in public education, now being allotted 4% of the GDP. The second most important accomplishment is the continuing of the Santo Domingo metro (4.8%). Medina’s much publicized “surprise visits” gets only 4.3%, and government construction works 4.2%.
Those polled are critical about the lack of job creation with 21.6% and corruption in government 21.4%. Rising crime is the top issue with a 15.5 rating, while weak migratory policy is also a concern, with 15.6% of the mentions.
As to government efforts to control corruption, 8 out of every 10 polled (81%) considers little or nothing to check corruption in government in the past six years of the Medina administration.
The poll was carried out 1-3 September 2018, with 1,207 eligible Dominican voters nationwide.
The error margin is +/- 3.0%.
Asisa Research Group describes itself as being the main research partner for several political parties in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Panama and Puerto Rico since 1994. During the last five years, Asisa has carried out over 300,000 Political/Electoral surveys in six countries all across the Americas.
Poll says Leonel Fernández would win presidency
According to the results of an Asisa Research Group poll, announced on Tuesday, 11 September 2018, former President Leonel Fernández of the ruling PLD political party would win the 2020 presidential elections with 48.2% over Luis Abinader of the Revolutionary Modern Party (PRM) with 40.2% if they were held on the day of the poll. Abinader was the PRM presidential candidacy in the 2016 presidential election.
The poll was carried out between 1 and 3 September 2018 with 5.9% of those polled saying they would vote for neither and 5.6% refusing to answer of 1,207 persons polled nationwide. The results were revealed by the director general of Asisa, Lilian Pagán, and Mildred Pimentel, who acted as head of the polling project. 1,207 Dominican voters were polled across the country.
The potential voters were asked who they thought was most likely to win the presidential election. The top answer was 88% saying Leonel Fernandez, followed by Danilo Medina and Luis Abinader who each had 19%. The 2015 Constitution bans President Danilo Medina from running again for office.
Among PLD partisan voters, Leonel Fernandez has 62% of voters’ preference, President Danilo Medina 17%; Vice President Margarita Cedeño 14%; National District senator Reinaldo Pared Pérez 1%, with 7% of those polled abstaining from answering. Among PRM followers, former PRM presidential candidate Luis Abinader had 74% of the preferences; National District Mayor David Collado 10%; Carolina Mejía 7%, her father, former President Hipólito Mejía 6%, and 2% did not answer.
75.4% of those polled said they are aware the present Constitution does not allow for President Danilo Medina to run for President in 2020. 77% of eligible voters are contrary to amending the 2015 Constitution so that President Danilo Medina can run for a third consecutive term. This compares to 71% that opposed the amendment in the Asisa March 2018 poll.
70% of those polled understand that the amending of the Constitution to accommodate President Danilo Medina’s aspirations to a third term would be negative for the country.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...ecciones-con-un-48-8--segun-la-encuesta-asisa
http://hoy.com.do/70-cree-seria-neg...-la-constitucion-para-reelegirse-segun-asisa/
https://www.metrord.do/do/destacado...lta-elecciones-2020-segun-encuesta-asisa.html
https://asisaresearch.com/encuesta-...ntiene-preferencias-para-elecciones-del-2020/
Crime is top issue in the Dominican Republic
When asked “What do you think is the most important problem facing this country today?”, 42% of Dominican voters named crime and delinquency. Second is unemployment (28%), then the high cost of goods and first necessity items (28%) and corruption (25%), according to findings of the 1-3 September 2018 Asisa Research Group poll of 1,207 eligible voters.
Most of those polled understand the greatest accomplishments of government are in the education sector. 81% of those polled understand the government has done little to check corruption in government in the past six years. 71% of those polled say they have little or no trust in Dominican justice in the Odebrecht bribes corruption case. 60% stated that the case has been poorly managed by the Attorney General Office. 48% considers the Marcha Verde movement has grown in the past months.
US ambassador returns to US with her family after a day on the job
US Ambassador Robin Bernstein returned to the United States with family a day after she had presented credentials to President Danilo Medina at the Presidential Palace. She had just presented credentials on 6 September 2018, after arriving on the previous 30 August 2018.
She was summoned by the US government for consultations that coincided with El Salvador having switched diplomatic relations from Taiwan to China. The consultations would be with the US mission chiefs in El Salvador and Panama. Costa Rica is the other Central American country to have signed with China, but the US ambassador in Costa Rica was not summoned.
News reports indicate that Bernstein returned to the United States in an American Airlines flight to Miami, Florida early on Sunday, 9 September accompanied by her husband Richard Bernstein and her daughter, Julia.
What to read into the abrupt departure? Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas says that all is well regarding Dominican and United States relations, calling these “excellent”. He described the recalling as “normal procedure.” On Saturday, 8 September 2018, Foreign Minister Vargas and his wife Angelita García had hosted the new ambassadors and their daughter in a welcome dinner at their home in Santo Domingo.
http://www.mirex.gob.do/medios/noti...ca-dominicana-y-estados-unidos-son-excelentes
http://www.mirex.gob.do/medios/noti...as-ofrece-cena-en-honor-a-embajadora-de-ee-uu
https://listindiario.com/las-mundiales/2018/09/11/532639/bernstein-viaja-hacia-ee-uu-
Manuel Rivas, suspect in Yuniol Ramirez murder, hospitalized in Cedimat
Manuel Rivas, former director of the Metropolitan Bus Services Office (Omsa) was admitted to Cedimat medical center in Santo Domingo on Sunday, 9 September 2018, as reported in Listin Diario. The reasons for his hospitalization were not mentioned. Rivas is serving a year of preventive custody at the Najayo Jail as a suspect in the murder of lawyer and university professor Yuniol Ramírez on 11 October 2018. His defense lawyer has requested his release on grounds that he suffers from prostate cancer.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...rivas-en-centro-medico-por-problemas-de-salud
Electricity blackouts continue to be an issue
According to the Superintendence of Electricity stats during the first seven months of this year, on average Dominicans did not have power for 77.87 hours a month, or the equivalent of 3.2 days a month without electricity.
The power service reliability depends on where you live, with the worst provider being EdeEste in the eastern part of Greater Santo Domingo and to the East. EdeEste customers suffered an average 109.24 hours without electricity per month between January and July. It appears that the situation is getting worse with an average of 106.97 hours without electricity in January that by July had risen to 115.25 hours.
Over the same time period, in the case of EdeNorte the average was 48.23 hours a month with no electricity although in May it was 71.84 hours and in March inflicted 17.51 hours of blackouts on average.
Edesur left its clients with 3.17 days a month with no electricity.
According to the Regional Center for Sustainable Economic Strategies (CREES), the reason for the blackouts is the poor financial management of the distributors. The think tank observes that while the power distributors may have enough capacity to meet the demand, they decide not to. This is the case in 75% of the lack of provision of electricity with 10% being for ‘other operational causes’ such as overcharging of the system, breakdowns of the generators. In 9% of the cases it is because of maintenance and in 6% of the cases it is due to protection of the distribution equipment when the supply is turned off.
https://www.diariolibre.com/economia/dominicanos-pasan-mas-de-tres-dias-al-mes-sin-luz-GD10757045
Teachers on strike in Hermanas Mirabal and Duarte
The teachers and administrators for the public schools in the provinces of Hermanas Mirabal and Duarte, are on strike once again, affecting more than 600 schools and around 81,000 students. The three-day strike was called by the Teachers’ Union (ADP) demanding that teacher Maximo Mercedes be reinstated. He was the director of the schools of Los Chiringos, Villa Riva, and Hanoi Gutiérrez.
The striking teachers are also demanding the rebuilding of the schools Cruce de los Basilios, Eusebio Manzueta Cueva, Julio Plata de la Rosa, Gran Parada, La Jíbara, Yaiba Abajo, and the construction of a meals room in the schools Juana Díaz, El Carmen and Olimpia de Castillo.
Another demand is that the incentives be paid to those teachers who were part of the recent assessment, stop the discounts that several educators are making and in rejection of the declarations of Education Minister, Andres Navarro, who accused the ADP members of using the students as cannon fodder.
http://elnacional.com.do/adp-paraliza-otra-vez-docencia-en-escuelas-de-dos-provincias/
First co-op fair
The Dominican Republic’s National Council of Cooperatives is hosting the country’s first co-op fair from 15 through18 November. The event, Expo Coop 2018, will bring more than 100 of the country’s leading co-ops together for a program of workshops, talks, presentations and networking and will promote awareness of cooperativism and encourage trade between co-ops.
Professor Julito Fulcar Encarnación, president of the National Council of Cooperatives, said the event was born of a need for integration and for co-ops to combine resources and efforts.
“In an economic situation characterized by the opening of large economic spaces, technological innovation, the concentration of business and a knowledge-based society, the co-operative movement of this country inevitably has to react through integration,” he said.
Professor Fulcar announced the event at a press conference, accompanied by the members of National Council of Cooperatives’ board of directors and the presidents of trade federations from throughout the country.
https://www.thenews.coop/131327/sec...ican-republic-hold-first-national-co-op-fair/
Blogger Kyrzayda Rodriguez dies from cancer
Popular Instagram blogger, with almost half a million followers, Dominican Kyrzayda Rodriguez has died from stomach cancer, aged 40. She died less than a year following her diagnosis and candidly shared her battle with her followers.
From the time Rodriguez, who is survived by her adult daughter, first announced her Stage 4 stomach cancer diagnosis in November 2017, the style blogger kept her followers in the loop while she underwent treatment posting about her first chemo session and losing her hair. Despite the battle Rodriguez was fighting each and every day, she still managed to put out daily posts filled with fashion, style, and wellness inspiration.
When she began to lose her hair the influencer chose not to wear a wig, embracing her bald head and body in many of her inspirational posts. In August, she announced to her followers that she would be ending her chemo treatments, while still maintaining her positive outlook on the situation.
At the end of the post, Rodriguez encouraged her followers to support her difficult decision, telling them it’s “one of the best things they can do for someone going through something like this” and reassured them that she “would never give up on my fight.”
Since her passing, fans have paid tribute to Rodriguez on social media, with many thanking her for sharing her journey candidly and “inspiring thousands.”
https://people.com/health/instagram-blogger-kyrzayda-rodriguez-dies-stomach-cancer/
https://hollywoodlife.com/2018/09/1...-blogger-dead-cancer-fashion-influencer-dies/
Travel plan changes made easier by airlines for hurricane season
Airlines are allowing passengers to change their travel plans as Hurricane Florence spins closer to the US East Coast and as Hurricane Isaac approaches the Caribbean and the Dominican Republic. While the Dominican Republic is far from the danger path of the storm, travelers headed this way could be temporarily affected.
It is always best to double check with the airline, especially in September, the peak time for the Caribbean of the Atlantic Hurricane Season. The airlines are cooperating with flexibility in changing itineraries and travel days.
So far, it is known that Hurricane Florence, currently a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 130 miles per hour, could hit the southeastern US or mid-Atlantic region by the end of the week, according to the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). While the storm is not expected to make landfall until the end of the week, airlines regularly issue waivers early to avoid travelers getting stuck at the airport.
During big storms, airlines also may cancel flights ahead of time so that crews are not out of place when operations resume. They will also routinely keep aircraft away from affected airports.
American Airlines said travelers whose plans could be affected by the storm can change their travel dates without paying change fees, which can cost US$200 plus a difference in fare, if they can travel between 10-19 September 2018.
The waivers for Hurricane Florence cover 23 airports, including Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, American Airline's second-largest hub, where it has about 670 flights a day. So far, American Airlines flights have not been canceled due to the storm, the carrier said.
Delta Air Lines says it will cap airfares in several airports that could be affected by the storm and that it won't charge change fees for travelers booked to and from those destinations. United Airlines says it will waive date-change fees as well as fare differences for travelers booked to or from 16 area airports if they can fly from 10 to16 September.
Southwest Airlines said travelers booked into six cities in South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia can rebook their flights within 14 days of their original dates with no additional cost. Southwest does not charge a fee to change travel dates but it usually will charge passengers the difference in fare.
American Airlines is extending change-fee waivers for travelers traveling to or from 14 airports in the Caribbean ahead of Hurricane Isaac that is making its way towards the Caribbean. That storm, currently a Category 1 hurricane, is expected to move eastward, south of Puerto Rico, Haiti and the Dominican Republic by Friday, according to NOAA.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/10/hurricane-florence-airlines-offer-travel-waivers-as-storm-nears.html
Hurricane Isaac is not a threat for Dominican Republic, so far
The wind speed of Hurricane Isaac has dropped from 120 kilometers an hour to 110 kph that means it has currently been downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm. However the National Meteorological Office (Onamet) is projecting that it will regain wind speed and return to being a Category 1 hurricane. Onamet says the storm is not a threat to the Dominican Republic but still needs to be followed.
Isaac is currently moving to the west at 22 kilometers an hour and is projected to be off the south coast of the Dominican Republic on Friday, 14 September. DR1 Forums forecaster MikeFisher says the storm will continue tracking west, well south of the Dominican Republic.
https://dr1.com/forums/showthread.php/171769-2018-Hurricane-Season?p=1911207#post1911207
https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2018/09/11/532679/isaac-se-degrada-a-tormenta-tropical
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/115517.shtml?cone#contents
Large drug haul on Air France flight
The National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) has confiscated 91 packages of presumably cocaine or heroin at Las Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo. The drugs were found on an Air France flight to Paris. The substance was discovered by DNCD agents in three blue suitcases in passengers’ luggage in the hold. An investigation revealed that they had been placed there via the cargo terminal.
Preliminary reports say that several people, including military who worked in the cargo terminal where the drugs came from are under investigation. So far no arrests have been made.
https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...n-avion-en-aeropuerto-las-americas-FA10761370
http://hoy.com.do/decomisan-91-paquetes-de-droga-en-avion-que-iba-para-paris/
Amateur theater festival at the Centro Cultural Narciso González
The Ministry of Culture is sponsoring the 18th National Amateur Theater Festival in honor this year of theater promoter Emilio Aparicio. 18 theater groups will be performing at the Sala Teatro Monina Solá at the Centro Cultural Narciso González on Calle Américo Lugo corner Marcos Adón in Villa Juana, Santo Domingo. Plays will be performed from Wednesday, 12 September 2018 through Saturday, 22 September. The schedules are 10:30am, 2:30pm and 7pm.
Theater groups from Puerto Plata, San Francisco de Macorís, Moca, San Juan de la Maguana, Santiago and the National District and province of Santo Domingo will be competing for the best play awards.
http://cultura.gob.do/index.php/not...nal-de-teatro-aficionado-emilio-aparicio-2018
DR basketball matches Chile in Americas Qualifier
The Dominican national basketball team plays team Chile as it continues in its quest for an Americas region slot in the 2019 World Basketball Cup in China. Team general manager Francisco García and coach Melvyn Lopez has announced the final roster for the second round Group F game will be chosen from the pre-selection of Edgar Sosa, Angel Delgado, Eulis Baez, Victor Liz, Luis David Montero, Eloy Vargas, Ronald Ramon, Rigoberto Mendoza, Gelvis Solano, Manny Quezada, Dagoberto Peña, Juan Miguel Suero, Gerardo Suero, Jhonatan Araujo, Edward Santana, Orlando Sanchez, Sadiel Rojas, Robert Glenn and M.J. Rhett.
The game will be played on Thursday, 13 September 2018 starting at 8:30pm at the Palacio de los Deportes at the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center in Santo Domingo.
Tickets are available online at:
https://uepatickets.com/Tickets.aspx?id=8917