DR1 Daily News - Wednesday, 9 January 2019

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May 3, 2000
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JCE contemplates electronic voting for 2019
89% renew their vehicular permits on time
North Santo Domingo sewage treatment ready for June 2019
Academy of Sciences criticizes environment minister and urges protection of national parks
Dominguez Brito asks for intervention of Migration
DR approves new climate change action plan
Punta Catalina coal-fired plant start is delayed
Metro passengers increase
Miguel Vargas in talks with Foreign Minister of Angola
Falpo denies backing of excrement protestors at Supreme Court of Justice
Over 100,000 deported or denied entry last year
Mining clothes in San Cristóbal
Five die in traffic accident in Bani
Freight container causes major bottleneck at Máximo Gómez and JF Kennedy avenues
Man convicted of blinding of Francina Hungria dies
Final hearing of Chaman Chacra
Police colonel shot to death by suspected drug vendor
Chilly temperatures forecast
Andres Cepeda at the National Theater


JCE contemplates electronic voting for 2019
The Central Electoral Board (JCE) told the five political parties that have registered for open primaries (those in which any registered voter can vote to choose the presidential candidate and other elective posts candidates of a specific political party) that electronic voting may be implemented in the 2020 general election to reduce costs. The representatives of the PLD, PRM, PRD, Al País and Opción Democrática met at the JCE on Tuesday, 8 January 2019 to discuss preparations for the open primaries.

These were José Manuel Hernández Peguero, Braulio Frías, Francis Reyes and Víctor Mojica for the ruling PLD; Jose Ignacio Paliza, Carolina Mejía and Orlando Jorge Mera, Dionisio de los Santos and Roberto Arias for the PRM; Tony Peña Guaba, Janet Camilo, Teófilo Rosario, Wenceslao Mendieta and Juan Santiago for the PRD; Guillermo Moreno, Sergio Holguín, Nestor Julio Rodríguez for Al País; Minou Tavares, Jose Horacio Rodríguez and Jaime de la Rosa for Opción Democrática.

The representatives sat through a demonstration of the proposed electronic voting technology lead by Miguel Angel García, technology director of the JCE. The system was created by technical staff of the JCE. The JCE has estimated the open primaries would cost RD$3.1 billion.

https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...s-logistica-y-tecnologia-primarias-HI11805673


89% renew their vehicular permits on time
11% of vehicle owners did not pay the 2019 vehicle circulation tax in time for the 8 January 2019 deadline, as reported by the Tax Agency (DGII). The DGII reports it collected RD$2,003,737,500, an increase of 9% in comparison to the same period last year. The total to be collected for vehicles in circulation is RD$2,144,284,500.

Those that did not renew in time now need to pay a fine of RD$1,500 for the additional month the document will be available, that is through 8 February 2019 at the 30 financial entities that are participating in the process.

At deadline, 1,196,919 vehicles had the “marbete” for circulation (the Impuesto de Circulación Vehicular). Some 149,933 vehicles have pending paying the tax of a total of 1,346,852 vehicles in the DGII system.

http://hoy.com.do/todavia-faltan-149-mil-933-vehiculos-por-renovar-marbete-un-89-lo-obtuvo-a-tiempo/


North Santo Domingo sewage treatment ready for June 2019
Alejandro Montas, director of the Santo Domingo Aqueduct and Sewage Corporation (CAASD), says works are advancing on the construction of the bridge for the sanitary drainage pipes for the directing of sewage from northern National District to the Mirador Norte La Zurza Treatment Plant in northern Santo Domingo. The construction is scheduled to be inaugurated in July 2019 by President Danilo Medina.

The new sewage system will have a positive effect on the lives of 400,000 persons that live in 30 barrios in the area. The bridge is under construction parallel to the Jacinto B Peynado (Villa Mella) bridge and has a length of 240 lineal meters.

Alejandro Montas explained that the sewage system is under construction to resolve sanitary drainage for residents in the districts 2 and 3 of the National District. The system has a cost of RD$6 billion.

http://epaper.diariolibre.com/epaper/viewer.html?publication=diariolibre&date=09_01_2019&tpuid=661


Academy of Sciences blasts environment minister and urges protection of national parks
The Academy of Sciences of the Dominican Republic on 8 January 2019 called attention to the Medina administration and society in general for the dangers watersheds and protected areas are facing because of a lack of enforcement of Dominican environmental laws. The members of the board of the Academy of Sciences maintain that the lack of enforcement of environmental laws in protected areas is a threat to the food security of the country.

The Academy of Sciences has urged the Attorney General of the Republic, Jean Alain Rodríguez, to act swiftly and forcefully to stop activities that endanger vital water resources and biodiversity.

The complaint was offered at a press conference called by the Grupo Jaragua, Acción Verde, SOS Ambiente, Fundación Moscoso Puello, Environmental Commission of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, and the environmental team of the Academy of Sciences and the Ecological Society of Cibao.

Diario Libre reports that during the press conference, Luis Scheker, president of the Academy of Sciences, accused Environment Minister Angel Estevez of complicity with those that are farming in protected areas. “The attitude assumed by the Minister of the Environment, Ángel Estévez, is worrisome, because instead of looking for solutions to solve the environmental problems, he insists on attacking the integrity of environmentalists who denounce the environmental degradation of sensitive watersheds and officially designated protected areas."

They said that Ministry of Environment has undertaken a disinformation campaign in the media, going so far as to deny the veracity of infractions that violate the environmental laws of the country that are finally proven to be true when clear and irrefutable evidence is presented.

A spokesperson for the Academy pointed out that the national parks Sierra de Bahocuro, Jaragua, Los Haitises, Manolo Tavarez, Nalga de Maco, Sierra de Neiba, among others have suffered damage and the situation is aggravated by the indifference of Minister Estévez. Estévez is a former minister of Agriculture and farm businessman who has been supportive of farming in the protected areas.

In an editorial on 9 January 2019, Diario Libre highlights that it used drone technology to ascertain there were plant nurseries installed in Valle Nuevo protected area for future plantings and there was farming operations going on, despite the denials by the Ministry of Environment. The newspaper stresses that someone is saying lies and the drone technology served proofs that the Diario Libre reports carry the truth.

https://elnacional.com.do/advierten-sobre-agresion-a-areas-protegidas-rd/
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...groproductores-de-areas-protegidas-FI11803547
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...y-a-los-que-danan-areas-protegidas-HI11806089
https://www.diariolibre.com/opinion/editorial/alguien-miente-PI11807091
http://eldia.com.do/angel-estevez-defiende-manejo-de-valle-nuevo/
https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2019/01/09/548693/estevez-los-haitianos-estan-fuera-del-parque


Dominguez Brito asks for intervention of Migration
Former Environment Minister, Francisco Domínguez Brito, has asked for the intervention of the Migration Agency (DGA), to stop Haitians continuing to work in the protected areas of the Dominican Republic. He said that there cannot be Haitian day labourers in areas such as Valle Nuevo, Los Haitises or the Sierra de Bahoruco, because they are despoiling the land. He explained that they are sent to work by Dominicans who split the profit with them.

He said that there were now 2,500 to 3,000 Haitians in Valle Nuevo alone, despite the ban on farming in the area. Domínguez Brito said that it is the responsibility of Migration to resolve the issue more than the Ministry of the Environment.

A few days ago members of Migration, arrested 87 Haitians, but only 45 were returned to Haiti and the rest escaped into the fields. The Migration Agency has not focused on sanctioning the Dominicans who are hiring the Haitian laborers.

https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2019/01/08/548575/rechaza-ocupacion-de-areas-protegidas


DR approves new climate change action plan
The Dominican Republic approved on 11 December 2018 a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Action Plan to advance its commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change that had been submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat in 2015.

As reported by SDG Knowledge Hub, the plan will provide for planning, coordination, mobilization of resources and transparency in NDC implementation to advance realization of the Dominican Republic’s development and climate objectives. It identifies the country’s priorities for the 2019-2021 period regarding legislation, finance and budgeting, monitoring and evaluation, and capacity building to strengthen climate action. The plan was launched on the sidelines of the Katowice Climate Change Conference in December 2018.

The NDC Action Plan prioritizes integrated and adaptive watershed management through local systems of sustainable production; initiatives to reduce climate vulnerability in agricultural, tourist and marine coastal areas; incentives to increase energy efficiency and participation of non-conventional renewable energies; and deployment of cleaner transportation alternatives.

As reported, the plan was developed through a consultative process undertaken with support from the NDC Partnership, including an August 2018 national workshop, which brought together more than 100 representatives from 60 State and non-state institutions to discuss the plan.

http://sdg.iisd.org/news/dominican-republic-launches-climate-action-plan-with-ndc-partnership/


Punta Catalina coal-fired plant start is delayed
The first unit of Punta Catalina will begin operation by the end of February 2019, not in January as the government had originally announced. Meanwhile, the government is making progress on the plans to sell a good part of the plant to private investors.

The Ministry of Hacienda has announced that they have chosen the company Guggenheim Securities to work on the design of a potential budget to sell shares in the plant. Guggenheim Securities is the investment banking and capital markets business of Guggenheim Partners. Diario Libre reported in its 9 January 2019 issue that the company will charge 0.9% of the total sales operation.

The first unit of Punta Catalina was due to begin operation at the end of this month but has been delayed while the pipes are checked, as well as the synchronization of the equipment takes place, as reported in Diario Libre.

http://www.hacienda.gob.do/minister...-licitacion-de-venta-acciones-punta-catalina/
https://www.diariolibre.com/economia/inicio-de-punta-catalina-queda-para-fines-de-febrero-DO11799831
https://www.diariolibre.com/economi...e-eventual-venta-de-punta-catalina-MI11800158
https://www.guggenheimpartners.com/services/securities
http://epaper.diariolibre.com/epaper/viewer.html?publication=diariolibre&date=09_01_2019&tpuid=661


Metro passengers increase
According to the Office for the Reorganization of Transport (OPRET), the public transport system in Santo Domingo grew to around 90 million users in 2018. The two lines of the Metro had 87 million seven thousand 934 users last year for an increase of 16.59% over 2017.

The Teleferico, which entered into operation in May 2108, transported 2,133,187 users.

Line 2B of the Metro, which was inaugurated in August, had 3,840,715 users.
The most popular stations in Line One that runs north to south are Mamá Tingo, Centro de Los Héroes, Amín Abel and Los Tainos. All have more than 4 million users.

The most popular stations in the west to east Line 2 are María Montez, Eduardo Brito, Pedro Mir and Ulises Francisco Espaillat.

https://almomento.net/sistema-metro...porto-cerca-de-90-millones-pasajeros-en-2018/


Miguel Vargas in talks with Foreign Minister of Angola
The Angolan Minister of Foreign Affairs Manuel Domingo Augusto met his Dominican counterpart, Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas, on Tuesday 8 January, in Santo Domingo. As reported, they discussed matters relating to the bilateral co-operation and pertinent international issues.

A note issued by the Angolan Foreign Affairs Ministry states that Manuel Augusto manifested Angola's interest to take significant steps in the areas of agriculture, trade, industry, tourism and mining, by making use of the experience of the Dominican Republic. He recognized that in the last two decades the Dominican Republic has been among the fastest growing economies, with an average GDP growth rate of 5.4% between 1992 and 2014.

As reported, Manuel Augusto also analyzed with his Dominican Republic counterpart the present situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), among other topics including the provision of oil and gas from Angola.

https://allafrica.com/stories/201901080573.html
https://almomento.net/republica-dominicana-y-angola-tratan-posibles-acuerdos-en-materia-petrolera/


Falpo denies backing of excrement protestors at Supreme Court of Justice
Members of Falpo denied the organization is behind the recent action by members of the Popular Front (Falpo) members whereby these threw excrement against the Supreme Court of Justice, in a symbolic protest for the weaknesses of Dominican justice. The action took place on occasion of the celebration of the national day of judiciary in the Dominican Republic. On the occasion, the president of the Supreme Court of Justice, Mariano German Mejía defended the actions taken in favor of Dominican justice over his seven-year term.

In a statement signed by Raúl Monegro, national spokesman, and Víctor Romano, national secretary general, Falpo goes on record saying that Gabriel Sanchez, who led the protest action, is a follower of Fidel Santana, the former president of the Falpo who was expelled from the organization in 2010 for negotiating with Miguel Vargas and the PRD candidacies for the elections that differed from the movement’s positions. They said that the radical action seeks to legitimate themselves with the people. A large segment of the population is disgusted with the actions of the judiciary.

Nevertheless, the statement also pointed out: "It is more than evident that in this country justice is but ****, and that all they demand is that the judiciary prosecute the perpetrators of acts of corruption that only promote impunity and political crime.”

Members of the Popular Front (Falpo) protested in front of the Justice Palace demanding that those who were arrested, having thrown excrement against the Supreme Court of Justice, in a symbolic protest for the weaknesses of Dominican justice, should be freed. Estévez, warned that they would call a national strike if their companions were not released shortly.

Those arrested were Manuel Robinson Morillo Martínez, Juan Antonio Martínez Paredes, Jennifer Germosén Rosario, Ángela Carolina Báez Jacobo, Cristian Ismael Jiménez Rosario, Richard Hernández Peralta and Gabriel Sánchez Rosario.

There is now a police cordon around the Palace of Justice to prevent further disturbances.

Meanwhile, the president of the National Commission of Human Rights (CNDH), Manuel María Mercedes requested the Attorney General release the members of the Falpo accused of throwing the feces at the Supreme Court of Justice headquarters in the Centro de los Heroes. He said the case does not merit preventive custody, and a team of lawyers head by himself would defend the accused. He said that it was an accident that the Dominican flag get part of the feces that were thrown by the protestors.

The men are detained at the Palacio de Justicia in Ciudad Nueva pending a court establish coercive measures.

http://eldia.com.do/a-miembros-del-falpo-les-solicitan-coercion/
https://www.metrord.do/do/noticias/2019/01/07/lanzan-excrementos-sede-la-suprema-corte-justicia.html
http://eldia.com.do/miembros-falpo-...companeros-lanzaron-heces-fecales-contra-scj/
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/01...cula-de-lanzamiento-de-excremento-la-suprema/
https://elnacional.com.do/esperan-pedido-coercion-caso-heces-fecales-en-scj/


Over 100,000 deported or denied entry last year
According to the Migration Agency (DGM) in 2018, 57,190 foreigners were deported and 75,132 were denied entry to the country, by land or air. Those deported came from Afghanistan, Albania, Germany, Belgium, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Great Britain, Canada, China, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, France, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Italy, Mali, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United States, Venezuela and Vietnam.

The DGM also reports that 2,170 Dominicans were repatriated during the year, following the completion of jail sentences in 42 countries.

In addition, during 2018, some 16,709 residencies were issued to citizens of 124 countries and 1,165 foreigners returned voluntarily to their country.

https://elnuevodiario.com.do/migrac...on-deportados-y-no-admitidos-durante-el-2018/
https://acento.com.do/2019/actualid...orto-no-admitio-mas-132-000-extranjeros-2018/


Mining clothes in San Cristóbal
Listin Diario reporters revealed the strange incident of freight trucks burying clothing packages in La Mina de Cambelen, a San Cristobal limestone mine, and how residents in the area discovered the operation and have benefited.

Listin Diario reports that hundreds of people have impeded the burial of the used clothing and other materials at the site, preferring to remove the items for their personal use.

Listin Diario reporter Adriana Peguero explains that in mid December, seven freight containers entered the La Mina de Cambelen area. Area residents were curious and after the freight truckers had left went hunting to see what had been buried there. They discovered “a mountain” of clothing and the word got out about the source of free clothes for all.

As reported, on Sunday, 6 January 2019, the residents again heard the cargo trucks driving by at around 2:30am and witnessed how the freight containers were again unloaded. This time the residents told the truckers where they should deposit their load for their own convenience.

"We were naked and clothes arrived,” they told the reporter. “We do not know who is doing the dumping, because they throwing the clothes away, or where they come from, what we know is that it has solved a problem for us. This has come to us like a glove. I only know that I came empty and I'm loaded with clothes without paying a cent for it to anyone," said a woman who did not want her name published. Now in La Mina de Cambelén, instead of limestone, there are thousands of pieces of clothing, a bonus for the residents.

As reported by the community, there have been fine bedspreads, silk sheets of recognized brands, embroidered tablecloths, pillowcases, curtains, carpets, as well as women’s dresses, blouses, pants of all styles and colors, skirts, t-shirt, caps, ties, various socks, underpants and scarves.

Also dumped were coats, men's and women's underwear, gowns, mortarboards, karate uniforms, orthopedic collars, shoes, dolls, toy cars, knee pads and various decorative items for the home.

As reported, the clothing dump has attracted people from all over San Cristobal and Santo Domingo provinces.

https://listindiario.com/la-republi...siete-contenedores-de-ropa-de-paca-en-hatillo


Five die in traffic accident in Bani
Five people died on the night of Monday 7 January when a semi trailer hit a car on the Bani-Azua road at Kilometer five of the Sanchez highway. Among the victims was a three-year old child along with another four persons, presumed to be Haitian, in the car.

https://listindiario.com/la-republi...embiste-carro-y-mueren-cinco-personas-en-bani


Freight container causes major bottleneck at Máximo Gómez and JF Kennedy avenues
A freight container overturned on the Av. Máximo Gómez with Av. John F. Kennedy causing major traffic delays at the already busy intersection on Tuesday, 8 January 2019 in the morning. The east-west lane of the important road was most affected as a crane was brought to the site of the accident to right the container. The driver reportedly was not injured. The vehicle is affiliated to the Fenatrado truck syndicate.


Man convicted of blinding of Francina Hungria dies
One of those sentenced to jail for the assault and shooting of Engineer Francina Hungría, six years ago, has died in the General Pedro Santana jail in El Seibo. José Manuel Arias Mejía (Bacanay), aged 26, was sentence to 20 years in jail for the attack that blinded Hungria who was working on a construction in the area. The cause of the death of Arias has not been revealed.

During the court case, it was revealed that Bacanay, which was his nickname, had two other police records. One in 2002 for robbery and another for the murder of a watchman in the Rabiensa company in La Romana in 2005.

The others jailed for the attack on Hungria are José Manuel Vidal Félix, alias Memín, sentenced to 30 years in jail and Melvin Pérez, convicted to 20 years.

https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...o-por-el-asalto-a-francina-hungria-OI11802297
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...ecluso-implicado-en-atraco-a-francina-hungria


Final hearing for Chaman Chacra
Santo Domingo judges, heard the final hearing in the case against, Víctor Alexander Portorreal “Chaman Chacra”, accused of killing his wife, aged 32 and her three children, aged 6, 11 and 13, in the Enriquillo neighbourhood on the Sanchez Highway.

The bodies were found in a state of decomposition and his wife had been stabbed as well as the two older children and the youngest child had been strangled.

During the hearing two close friends of Chacra told the judges of the Primer Tribunal Colegiado del Distrito Nacional that Portorreal had confessed to them via Whatsapp what he had done and said he would commit suicide, which he eventually did not do.

http://eldia.com.do/tribunal-inicia-juicio-de-fondo-a-chaman-chacra/
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...ificaron-a-favor-del-chaman-chacra-BI11806304


Police colonel shot to death by suspected drug vendor
Police colonel Daniel Ramos Alvarez, who was in charge of the preventive police actions in southern Baní, died of gunshot wound on 8 January 2019 when heading a police intervention of a drug point in Baní. In the case, Rafael Antonio Diaz (Buche) turned himself in as the lead suspect in the case, the Police reported.

According to the director of the South Central Region of the Police, General Juan Geronimo Brown Perez, the deceased officer was attacked by “Buche” when intervening a drug sales point operated by Buche in Santa Cruz, Baní. The Police say that Buche is a well-known drug vendor.

https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/matan-a-tiros-a-coronel-de-la-policia-en-bani-GI11805012
http://eldia.com.do/acusado-matar-coronel-en-bani-se-entrego/


Chilly temperatures forecast
Morning lows of around 21C or less are forecast for Santiago, Puerto Plata, Duarte (San Francisco de Macoris), Peravia (Baní), San Pedro de Macorís, La Romana, La Vega, Monseñor Nouel (Bonao), San Cristobal, Samanaá, San Juan de la Maguana, Barahona as winter days weather continues. The noon time temperatures nevertheless, will be just as warm as usual, with highs ranging from 27 to 30C in these provinces.

Onamet reports weather extremes of 10C for Constanza, in the mountains, with a noontime high of 25C forecast.
http://onamet.gov.do/m/pdto/08w-wprono/01w-wpronostico-general.php


Andres Cepeda at the National Theater
Colombian singer-composer Andrés Cepeda is booked for a concert at the National Theater on 14 February 2019. Cepeda is a winner of the Latin Grammy for Best Album traditional pop vocals. He will be playing his guitar and performing with his band.

He is best known for his hits “Te voy a amar,” “Magia,” Desperado,” “Lo mejor que hay en mi vida,” “Besos usados,” “Esto no se llama amor,” “Bandida,” among others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPq1gr6YXCE
 

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
8,671
1,133
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The more things change the more they stay the same...

Couldn't help but fall off my chair laughing after reading about the DR's commitment to address climate change and the publishing of their strategy proposals that prioritize the management of the country's watersheds. As luck would have it, the very next news story deals with the firing up of a new coal burning power plant.

More of an immediate environmental impact can be easily had by removing vehicles from circulation that lay down a dense smokescreen as they pass by - and by managing the watersheds of course. ¡Viva la cordura del gobierno!
 

CristoRey

Welcome To Wonderland
Apr 1, 2014
11,715
7,976
113
"Academy of Sciences blasts environment minister and urges protection of national parks"

Sounds like someone's asked the fox to watch the hen house.