Medina to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago for Caribbean mini-summit
Young entrepreneurs invited to Presidency to meet Medina
Coca Cola installs most modern plant in Latin America
Will President Medina seek reelection?
Pre-construction works begin on Puerto Plata mixed port
Study shows new Dominican diet is unsustainable
Is your bariatric surgeon certified?
Dominicans are not so happy
Major fire affects bush area in Punta Cana
Hope for the northwest, it could rain
The light side of the Soberano Awards
Good France: Enjoy French cooking in Santo Domingo
Next DR1 Daily News update: Monday, 25 March 2019
The next DR1 Daily News update will be published on Monday, 25 March 2019. The Monday issue will compile headline news for the previous Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Breaking news can be followed 24/7 in the Forums. See DR1 Forum at http://www.dr1.com
Medina to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago for Caribbean mini-summit
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders says that US President Donald Trump has invited the heads of state of the Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Haiti, Jamaica and St. Lucia to Mar-a-Lago, the President’s Florida resort that is referred to as “the winter White House.” The Venezuelan crisis and business relations with the People’s Republic of China are said to top the meeting agenda.
The Dominican Presidency confirmed the participation of President Medina in the Friday, 22 March 2019 meeting. He is scheduled to return Saturday at noon. The Presidency says Medina will travel to Florida on a private plane departing in the morning from the San Isidro Air Base. He will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas Maldonado; Administrative Minister of the Presidency José Ramón Peralta, Minister of the Presidency Gustavo Montalvo. Also, businessmen José Miguel González Cuadra and Pepe Fanjul Jr.
He will be meeting with President Donald Trump and the leaders of Bahamas, Perry Gladstone; Haiti, Jovenel Moise; St. Lucia, Allen Chastanet; and Jamaica, Andrew Holness.
As reported, the meeting would be to discuss what the White House describes as China’s predatory economic practices and the Venezuela crisis. The meeting will also discuss matters of security cooperation and potential opportunities for energy investment.
Sanders went on record stating that the United States remains “a good friend to the Caribbean and seeks to build on a proud legacy as the region’s partner of choice.”
Recently, the Dominican Republic reversed years of backing the Chavez-Maduro regime in Venezuela by becoming one of a handful of nations to recognize ambassadors for the acting presidency of Juan Guaidó.
The meeting with the five Caribbean area leaders will follow that of Trump with President Jair Bolsanaro of Brazil on 20 March 2019.
A report in Diario Libre quotes former Dominican ambassador to the Organization of American States, Roberto Alvarez saying that the meeting was called due to the concern within the Trump administration with the Chinese business advances in the region, mainly in the Dominican Republic. He observed that Chinese companies are the leaders in 5G communications technology, the ultrafast new wireless network. A race for 5G is now said to present a new theatre for geopolitical competition. Alvarez says that who controls this new technology will control the future.
http://hoy.com.do/donald-trump-reci...sidentes-del-caribe-para-hablar-de-venezuela/
https://elnacional.com.do/confirman-danilo-va-reunion-con-trump/
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...zuela-dominara-el-dialogo-con-eeuu-GH12373423
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...ilo-medina-partira-este-viernes-hacia-florida
Young entrepreneurs invited to Presidency to meet Medina
The board of the Young Entrepreneurs Association (ANJE) met at the Presidency with President Danilo Medina on 20 March 2019. The Presidency announced that the president of ANJE, Guillermo Julián, had described the meeting as “very productive and positive.” Also attending the meeting was Administrative Minister of the Presidency José Ramón Peralta.
On Wednesday, ANJE published the results of the study “Perception of the Young Entrepreneurs on the socioeconomic climate in the Dominican Republic.” The study highlighted socioeconomic aspects that merit the most concern among the young business community. The study showed the key areas are the political system, education, citizen security and health, the quality of the judicial system and taxes and the labor system.
The young executives are promoting the participation of political candidates for the 2020 presidential, congressional and municipal elections in public debates.
There is marked interest in the development of a citizen security plan to prevent and combat crime. Security is regarded as the most deficient public service.
ANJE favors the signing of an electricity pact to bring new order to the electricity service, the second most deficient in the country.
ANJE members are interested in improvements in the health system and strengthening the social security system.
The organization’s members call for creating awareness of the negative impact the bad use of natural resources such as water has, and call for sustainability and transparency in priority initiatives for restoration and conservation of the service.
They want a start to the Fondo Confie funds, authorized by Law 688-16 and Decree 168-18.
They call for an independent judiciary, acting according to the law to raise the trust in the judicial system.
Actions to reform the Labor Code and modernize the labor market in the country are requested.
There is a call for a simple and reasonable taxation structure to facilitate compliance with tax obligations and to encourage more companies to enter the formal sector, reducing unfair competition.
That there be an elimination of the steep gap between what universities are graduating and the skills business requires to increase company productivity.
In addition to Guillermo Julian, Anje members participating in the meeting included Radhamés Martínez, Susana Martínez, Luis Pellerano, Manuel Alejandro Grullón, Christian Cabral, Karina Mancebo, José González, Jaime Senior.
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...-para-fortalecer-alianzas-en-favor-de-jovenes
Coca Cola installs most modern plant in Latin America
Local Coca Cola manufacturing capacity has been expanded to produce 50,000 12oz bottles per hour in Santo Domingo. President Danilo Medina was present for the 19 March 2019 inauguration of new production lines on Tuesday, 19 March 2019. The high tech equipment is designed to operate 24/7 and can also produce 1.25- liter and 2.5-liter bottles of the Coca Cola brands sold in the country.
Speaking for Bepensa, the Mexican owners of the Coca Cola brand in the country, Juan Manuel Ponce said that the new plant is part of the commitment of the Mexican group to continue contributing to the development of industry in the Dominican Republic. The company has invested over US$350 million in the past 12 years.
Coca Cola markets eight brands in the Dominican Republic and has more than 70,000 customers nationwide and 12 distribution centers.
The company says the new line will facilitate the local operations’ participation in the global ‘World Without Waste’ campaign. Coca Cola Company has pledged to collect and recycle the equivalent of 100 percent of its packaging worldwide, and manufacture its bottles using at least 50 percent recycled plastic, by 2030.
Roberto Mercadé, president of the Coca Cola Company’s Latin America business division, said that the company contributed 0.3% to the Gross Domestic Product last year. He said the Coca Cola system creates 17,000 direct and indirect jobs or 0.4% of the total employment in the country.
A bill to tax soft drinks for the negative effects of the beverage on health was rejected last year in Congress.
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...eva-linea-de-produccion-de-bebidas-de-bepensa
Will President Medina seek reelection?
As the days pass by and President Danilo Medina has not yet stated whether or not he will seek reelection in the 2020 general elections, speculation mounts. He has a July 2019 deadline to make the announcement.
This week the former president of the Chamber of Deputies Lucia Medina revved government employees to campaign for the reelection of her brother and defend their jobs. Lucia Medina seeks to be elected senator for their province of San Juan de la Maguana.
Ruling party pre-candidate Carlos Amarante Baret urged former President Leonel Fernandez to desist from seeking a fourth term in office. Fernandez was President from 1996-2000, 2004-2008 and 2012 to 2016. Polls show Fernández has the highest popularity among eligible PLD pre-candidates.
A Fernandez supporter, former president of the Chamber of Deputies Ruben Maldonado responded to Amarante saying that it is President Danilo Medina who should not be considering running in order to comply with the mandate of the Constitution. Maldonado argued that Medina’s aspirations to a third term are the main threat to unity within the ruling party.
Medina’s re-election is banned by the 2015 Constitution that had been passed to enable him to seek reelection in 2016. Yet, the reality is that Medina needs only the votes of a majority of PLD party members to reform the Constitution to make his reelection legal. In 2016, he secured the votes of the opposition party, the PRD. PLD deputy Elpidio Báez told El Caribe on 20 March 2019 that the party has the votes to pass the needed amendment to the Constitution.
Meanwhile, Amarante supports those who say that neither Medina nor Fernandez should be the ruling party candidate, that it is time for another to run for the party. Aside from Medina and Fernandez, the third most popular candidate is Vice President Margarita Cedeño. Cedeño is the wife of Fernández and has said the time is right for a woman President. But there is a long list of government and former PLD government officers who are campaigning to be on the PLD ticket for President.
The president of Alianza País, Guillermo Moreno said that the re-election is a "creature born of the ambition of Danilo Medina who has come to believe he is indispensable.” In a press release, Moreno said that the audio by deputy Lucia Medina confirms the full throttle to the reelection push. “They use state money, they take loans abroad to finance the reelection, they use the ministries to promote it and pressure public employees and those who receive social assistance from the state to support it,” he wrote. "We are in the political and moral obligation to mobilize all national awareness and citizen commitment against this new attack against democracy. If we do not act today to stop reelection, it is certain that tomorrow we will cry tears of blood," he emphasized.
Luis Abinader, a leading pre-candidate for the PRM opposition party, has said the party will vote as a block against the change of the reelection ban in the Constitution.
Campos de Moya, a high-ranking executive of the Vicini family business group, the largest business conglomerate in the country, made a stir when he announced that personally, he backs the reelection of President Danilo Medina because Medina has been good for business. "The business community is very happy because there are a series of measures that are being contemplated to facilitate business, to facilitate exports, to make innovation, to promote new business in the Dominican Republic," said De Moya.
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...de-que-le-mande-esa-carta-a-danilo-KF12359245
http://z101digital.com/guillermo-mo...-un-engendro-nacido-de-la-ambicion-de-danilo/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EsUEfq8n7E
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/03...-dice-estan-los-votos-para-hacer-una-reforma/
https://eldia.com.do/el-carrusel-de-la-vida-1409/
https://www.diariolibre.com/opinion/no-respondo/lo-de-danilo-va-pa-largo-KH12375078
Pre-construction works begin on Puerto Plata mixed port
Land and structural studies for the construction of a multimodal port in Puerto Plata city began this week, announced Julio Martínez of the Grupo ITM in charge of the construction. The port is scheduled to be in operation by the end of 2020 and will primarily serve the tourism sector. A Mexican company won the tender for the construction of the north coast port. Dominican engineer Miguel Angel Jiménez Messón (Chío) says the construction contemplates the construction of a trap for sediments from the San Marcos River.
The port is contemplated for cargo and cruise ship traffic.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...-trabajos-construccion-puerto-de-puerto-plata
Study shows new Dominican diet is unsustainable
The word is finally out. Dominicans have switched from a mostly plant-based healthy diet based on tubers and fresh fruit to one where fast food prevails. A recent study “Unhealthy food in the Dominican Republic” reveals there now are 3.5 million persons suffering from high blood pressure in the country. A third of these cases could have been prevented with a better diet. The Alianza por la Comida Saludable carried out the study that was presented yesterday, as reported in Diario Libre.
The study reveals the poor and children are the most likely to consume the unhealthy fast food diet. Researcher Celeste Solano mentions recent increases in obesity among the Dominican population. She says heart attacks and stroke are now the cause of 25% of all registered deaths. She attributes up to 55% of the heart attacks to a poor diet where canned food, pre-cooked foods, cereals, snacks, processed juices and sweets prevail. She points out that the consumption of sugar in the country has increased by 47% in the past 15 years.
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...ais-lo-provoca-la-comida-procesada-KH12374079
Is your bariatric surgeon certified?
An estimated 1,800 bariatric surgery operations are carried out in the Dominican Republic a year, according to a story in Listín Diario.
The report reveals that follow up shows that 30% of these patients will recover their weight.
Physicians members of the Dominican Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and the Dominican Surgeons Guild says that of these, around 10% are being carried out by physicians without the adequate professional background and in facilities that are not properly equipped. This is leading to complications and death of patients. The physicians call for more regulation and protocols for the safety of the patients.
According to Rafael González García, president Dominican Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and José Ramón Domínguez Cabral, president of the Dominican Surgeons Guild there are 29 bariatric surgeons that are duly accredited, but another 10 are operating without the correct certifications.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...an-realizado-1800-cirugias-bariatricas-al-ano
https://www.sodocimeb.com.do/
http://colegiodominicanodecirujanos.com/
Dominicans are not so happy
The Dominican Republic is ranked 77th in the world of 157 participating countries in the Happiness Index published as part of the World Happiness Report 2019, with United Nations collaboration. In Latin America, the Dominican Republic is ranked only above Venezuela (108th) and Haiti (14th). Costa Rica is the happiest Latin American country, with a ranking of 12th in the world.
The top ten countries on the Happiness League Table are Finland, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand, Canada and Austria. The United States is ranked 19th.
The social scientists say that the research for the study has shown there is a strong empirical linkage between government quality and national happiness.
The rankings for the World Happiness Report 2019 use data that come from the Gallup World Poll. The report this year focuses on happiness and community: how happiness has been changing over the past dozen years, and how information technology, governance and social norms influence communities.
http://worldhappiness.report/
https://listindiario.com/la-vida/20...do-no-republica-dominicana-no-es-uno-de-ellos
https://s3.amazonaws.com/happiness-report/2019/WHR19.pdf
Major fire affects bush area in Punta Cana
Tourists in Punta Cana on 20 March 2019 were able to see a large smoke trail after a blaze engulfed a bush area in Cabeza de Toro. Dozens of fire engines were sent to put out the fire that had begun in the afternoon and continued into the evening.
There is speculation the fire could have been started in an area where garbage had been dumped, but Ministry of Environment specialists were at the site to determine if this had been caused by the intense dry spell or was the result of human imprudence. The difficult access to the area delayed the fire fighting efforts.
Diario Libre reported that this was not the first time that the firemen had to put out a forest fire in the area.
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...l-y-centro-comercial-en-punta-cana-FH12375022
Hope for the northwest, it could rain
The National Meteorological Office (Onamet) is forecasting rain showers for the north coast, from Montecristi to Puerto Plata. A trough is forecast to bring the most welcome showers. Rains are also forecast for the border provinces and areas in the Central Mountain Range.
Sunny skies with scant showers is the forecast for the rest of the nation, that is, for the east, southeast and southwest.
The good old days of the Dominican “winter” seem to be coming to an end. Onamet forecasts warm temperatures of 34-36C for the border and northwest.
https://elnacional.com.do/aguaceros-podrian-aliviar-la-sequia-desde-el-viernes-en-noroeste/
The light side of the Soberano Awards
Dominicans are good at turning out quick memes on almost any subject. The 19 March 2019 Soberano Awards were not the exception. Hoy compiles a list of memes that were circulating on social media on the same evening of the awards. Enjoy!
http://hoy.com.do/para-que-rias-un-poco-los-memes-mas-destacados-de-premios-soberano/
Good France: Enjoy French cooking in Santo Domingo
The Dominican Republic is part of Goût de France / Good France / Sabores de Francia, the gastronomical event whereby on Thursday, 21 March 2019, over 5,000 chefs across five continents celebrate French cooking.
The event is described as “the biggest French dinner in the world.” This international event was first launched in 2015, following the inclusion of the “Gastronomic Meal of the French” in the UNESCO World Intangible Heritage list. The objective is to celebrate French cuisine, its traditions, and its values during a grand gastronomic evening on the same date, all over the world.
Participating restaurants are located in Santo Domingo, Samaná, Punta Cana and Santiago. 18 restaurants will be offering special French cuisine menus for the event.
These are:
Santo Domingo: Café Casabe, Santo Domingo Sheraton; Nabu, Santo Domingo Crowne Plaza; El Jardín, El Embajador Hotel; Filigrana, Catalonia Hotel; 1502, Hostal Nicolas de Ovando. Also, La Cassina, La Dolcerie, Nipau, Danielle, Dou Restaurant; La Moricette, Mitre, and Turo RD.
Samana: In Las Terrenas, Hotel Atlantis.
Punta Cana: Mediterraneo at Eden Roc in Cap Cana
Santiago: KGB, La Taberna de Pepe, Opera.
Young entrepreneurs invited to Presidency to meet Medina
Coca Cola installs most modern plant in Latin America
Will President Medina seek reelection?
Pre-construction works begin on Puerto Plata mixed port
Study shows new Dominican diet is unsustainable
Is your bariatric surgeon certified?
Dominicans are not so happy
Major fire affects bush area in Punta Cana
Hope for the northwest, it could rain
The light side of the Soberano Awards
Good France: Enjoy French cooking in Santo Domingo
Next DR1 Daily News update: Monday, 25 March 2019
The next DR1 Daily News update will be published on Monday, 25 March 2019. The Monday issue will compile headline news for the previous Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Breaking news can be followed 24/7 in the Forums. See DR1 Forum at http://www.dr1.com
Medina to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago for Caribbean mini-summit
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders says that US President Donald Trump has invited the heads of state of the Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Haiti, Jamaica and St. Lucia to Mar-a-Lago, the President’s Florida resort that is referred to as “the winter White House.” The Venezuelan crisis and business relations with the People’s Republic of China are said to top the meeting agenda.
The Dominican Presidency confirmed the participation of President Medina in the Friday, 22 March 2019 meeting. He is scheduled to return Saturday at noon. The Presidency says Medina will travel to Florida on a private plane departing in the morning from the San Isidro Air Base. He will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas Maldonado; Administrative Minister of the Presidency José Ramón Peralta, Minister of the Presidency Gustavo Montalvo. Also, businessmen José Miguel González Cuadra and Pepe Fanjul Jr.
He will be meeting with President Donald Trump and the leaders of Bahamas, Perry Gladstone; Haiti, Jovenel Moise; St. Lucia, Allen Chastanet; and Jamaica, Andrew Holness.
As reported, the meeting would be to discuss what the White House describes as China’s predatory economic practices and the Venezuela crisis. The meeting will also discuss matters of security cooperation and potential opportunities for energy investment.
Sanders went on record stating that the United States remains “a good friend to the Caribbean and seeks to build on a proud legacy as the region’s partner of choice.”
Recently, the Dominican Republic reversed years of backing the Chavez-Maduro regime in Venezuela by becoming one of a handful of nations to recognize ambassadors for the acting presidency of Juan Guaidó.
The meeting with the five Caribbean area leaders will follow that of Trump with President Jair Bolsanaro of Brazil on 20 March 2019.
A report in Diario Libre quotes former Dominican ambassador to the Organization of American States, Roberto Alvarez saying that the meeting was called due to the concern within the Trump administration with the Chinese business advances in the region, mainly in the Dominican Republic. He observed that Chinese companies are the leaders in 5G communications technology, the ultrafast new wireless network. A race for 5G is now said to present a new theatre for geopolitical competition. Alvarez says that who controls this new technology will control the future.
http://hoy.com.do/donald-trump-reci...sidentes-del-caribe-para-hablar-de-venezuela/
https://elnacional.com.do/confirman-danilo-va-reunion-con-trump/
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...zuela-dominara-el-dialogo-con-eeuu-GH12373423
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...ilo-medina-partira-este-viernes-hacia-florida
Young entrepreneurs invited to Presidency to meet Medina
The board of the Young Entrepreneurs Association (ANJE) met at the Presidency with President Danilo Medina on 20 March 2019. The Presidency announced that the president of ANJE, Guillermo Julián, had described the meeting as “very productive and positive.” Also attending the meeting was Administrative Minister of the Presidency José Ramón Peralta.
On Wednesday, ANJE published the results of the study “Perception of the Young Entrepreneurs on the socioeconomic climate in the Dominican Republic.” The study highlighted socioeconomic aspects that merit the most concern among the young business community. The study showed the key areas are the political system, education, citizen security and health, the quality of the judicial system and taxes and the labor system.
The young executives are promoting the participation of political candidates for the 2020 presidential, congressional and municipal elections in public debates.
There is marked interest in the development of a citizen security plan to prevent and combat crime. Security is regarded as the most deficient public service.
ANJE favors the signing of an electricity pact to bring new order to the electricity service, the second most deficient in the country.
ANJE members are interested in improvements in the health system and strengthening the social security system.
The organization’s members call for creating awareness of the negative impact the bad use of natural resources such as water has, and call for sustainability and transparency in priority initiatives for restoration and conservation of the service.
They want a start to the Fondo Confie funds, authorized by Law 688-16 and Decree 168-18.
They call for an independent judiciary, acting according to the law to raise the trust in the judicial system.
Actions to reform the Labor Code and modernize the labor market in the country are requested.
There is a call for a simple and reasonable taxation structure to facilitate compliance with tax obligations and to encourage more companies to enter the formal sector, reducing unfair competition.
That there be an elimination of the steep gap between what universities are graduating and the skills business requires to increase company productivity.
In addition to Guillermo Julian, Anje members participating in the meeting included Radhamés Martínez, Susana Martínez, Luis Pellerano, Manuel Alejandro Grullón, Christian Cabral, Karina Mancebo, José González, Jaime Senior.
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...-para-fortalecer-alianzas-en-favor-de-jovenes
Coca Cola installs most modern plant in Latin America
Local Coca Cola manufacturing capacity has been expanded to produce 50,000 12oz bottles per hour in Santo Domingo. President Danilo Medina was present for the 19 March 2019 inauguration of new production lines on Tuesday, 19 March 2019. The high tech equipment is designed to operate 24/7 and can also produce 1.25- liter and 2.5-liter bottles of the Coca Cola brands sold in the country.
Speaking for Bepensa, the Mexican owners of the Coca Cola brand in the country, Juan Manuel Ponce said that the new plant is part of the commitment of the Mexican group to continue contributing to the development of industry in the Dominican Republic. The company has invested over US$350 million in the past 12 years.
Coca Cola markets eight brands in the Dominican Republic and has more than 70,000 customers nationwide and 12 distribution centers.
The company says the new line will facilitate the local operations’ participation in the global ‘World Without Waste’ campaign. Coca Cola Company has pledged to collect and recycle the equivalent of 100 percent of its packaging worldwide, and manufacture its bottles using at least 50 percent recycled plastic, by 2030.
Roberto Mercadé, president of the Coca Cola Company’s Latin America business division, said that the company contributed 0.3% to the Gross Domestic Product last year. He said the Coca Cola system creates 17,000 direct and indirect jobs or 0.4% of the total employment in the country.
A bill to tax soft drinks for the negative effects of the beverage on health was rejected last year in Congress.
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...eva-linea-de-produccion-de-bebidas-de-bepensa
Will President Medina seek reelection?
As the days pass by and President Danilo Medina has not yet stated whether or not he will seek reelection in the 2020 general elections, speculation mounts. He has a July 2019 deadline to make the announcement.
This week the former president of the Chamber of Deputies Lucia Medina revved government employees to campaign for the reelection of her brother and defend their jobs. Lucia Medina seeks to be elected senator for their province of San Juan de la Maguana.
Ruling party pre-candidate Carlos Amarante Baret urged former President Leonel Fernandez to desist from seeking a fourth term in office. Fernandez was President from 1996-2000, 2004-2008 and 2012 to 2016. Polls show Fernández has the highest popularity among eligible PLD pre-candidates.
A Fernandez supporter, former president of the Chamber of Deputies Ruben Maldonado responded to Amarante saying that it is President Danilo Medina who should not be considering running in order to comply with the mandate of the Constitution. Maldonado argued that Medina’s aspirations to a third term are the main threat to unity within the ruling party.
Medina’s re-election is banned by the 2015 Constitution that had been passed to enable him to seek reelection in 2016. Yet, the reality is that Medina needs only the votes of a majority of PLD party members to reform the Constitution to make his reelection legal. In 2016, he secured the votes of the opposition party, the PRD. PLD deputy Elpidio Báez told El Caribe on 20 March 2019 that the party has the votes to pass the needed amendment to the Constitution.
Meanwhile, Amarante supports those who say that neither Medina nor Fernandez should be the ruling party candidate, that it is time for another to run for the party. Aside from Medina and Fernandez, the third most popular candidate is Vice President Margarita Cedeño. Cedeño is the wife of Fernández and has said the time is right for a woman President. But there is a long list of government and former PLD government officers who are campaigning to be on the PLD ticket for President.
The president of Alianza País, Guillermo Moreno said that the re-election is a "creature born of the ambition of Danilo Medina who has come to believe he is indispensable.” In a press release, Moreno said that the audio by deputy Lucia Medina confirms the full throttle to the reelection push. “They use state money, they take loans abroad to finance the reelection, they use the ministries to promote it and pressure public employees and those who receive social assistance from the state to support it,” he wrote. "We are in the political and moral obligation to mobilize all national awareness and citizen commitment against this new attack against democracy. If we do not act today to stop reelection, it is certain that tomorrow we will cry tears of blood," he emphasized.
Luis Abinader, a leading pre-candidate for the PRM opposition party, has said the party will vote as a block against the change of the reelection ban in the Constitution.
Campos de Moya, a high-ranking executive of the Vicini family business group, the largest business conglomerate in the country, made a stir when he announced that personally, he backs the reelection of President Danilo Medina because Medina has been good for business. "The business community is very happy because there are a series of measures that are being contemplated to facilitate business, to facilitate exports, to make innovation, to promote new business in the Dominican Republic," said De Moya.
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...de-que-le-mande-esa-carta-a-danilo-KF12359245
http://z101digital.com/guillermo-mo...-un-engendro-nacido-de-la-ambicion-de-danilo/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EsUEfq8n7E
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/03...-dice-estan-los-votos-para-hacer-una-reforma/
https://eldia.com.do/el-carrusel-de-la-vida-1409/
https://www.diariolibre.com/opinion/no-respondo/lo-de-danilo-va-pa-largo-KH12375078
Pre-construction works begin on Puerto Plata mixed port
Land and structural studies for the construction of a multimodal port in Puerto Plata city began this week, announced Julio Martínez of the Grupo ITM in charge of the construction. The port is scheduled to be in operation by the end of 2020 and will primarily serve the tourism sector. A Mexican company won the tender for the construction of the north coast port. Dominican engineer Miguel Angel Jiménez Messón (Chío) says the construction contemplates the construction of a trap for sediments from the San Marcos River.
The port is contemplated for cargo and cruise ship traffic.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...-trabajos-construccion-puerto-de-puerto-plata
Study shows new Dominican diet is unsustainable
The word is finally out. Dominicans have switched from a mostly plant-based healthy diet based on tubers and fresh fruit to one where fast food prevails. A recent study “Unhealthy food in the Dominican Republic” reveals there now are 3.5 million persons suffering from high blood pressure in the country. A third of these cases could have been prevented with a better diet. The Alianza por la Comida Saludable carried out the study that was presented yesterday, as reported in Diario Libre.
The study reveals the poor and children are the most likely to consume the unhealthy fast food diet. Researcher Celeste Solano mentions recent increases in obesity among the Dominican population. She says heart attacks and stroke are now the cause of 25% of all registered deaths. She attributes up to 55% of the heart attacks to a poor diet where canned food, pre-cooked foods, cereals, snacks, processed juices and sweets prevail. She points out that the consumption of sugar in the country has increased by 47% in the past 15 years.
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...ais-lo-provoca-la-comida-procesada-KH12374079
Is your bariatric surgeon certified?
An estimated 1,800 bariatric surgery operations are carried out in the Dominican Republic a year, according to a story in Listín Diario.
The report reveals that follow up shows that 30% of these patients will recover their weight.
Physicians members of the Dominican Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and the Dominican Surgeons Guild says that of these, around 10% are being carried out by physicians without the adequate professional background and in facilities that are not properly equipped. This is leading to complications and death of patients. The physicians call for more regulation and protocols for the safety of the patients.
According to Rafael González García, president Dominican Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and José Ramón Domínguez Cabral, president of the Dominican Surgeons Guild there are 29 bariatric surgeons that are duly accredited, but another 10 are operating without the correct certifications.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...an-realizado-1800-cirugias-bariatricas-al-ano
https://www.sodocimeb.com.do/
http://colegiodominicanodecirujanos.com/
Dominicans are not so happy
The Dominican Republic is ranked 77th in the world of 157 participating countries in the Happiness Index published as part of the World Happiness Report 2019, with United Nations collaboration. In Latin America, the Dominican Republic is ranked only above Venezuela (108th) and Haiti (14th). Costa Rica is the happiest Latin American country, with a ranking of 12th in the world.
The top ten countries on the Happiness League Table are Finland, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand, Canada and Austria. The United States is ranked 19th.
The social scientists say that the research for the study has shown there is a strong empirical linkage between government quality and national happiness.
The rankings for the World Happiness Report 2019 use data that come from the Gallup World Poll. The report this year focuses on happiness and community: how happiness has been changing over the past dozen years, and how information technology, governance and social norms influence communities.
http://worldhappiness.report/
https://listindiario.com/la-vida/20...do-no-republica-dominicana-no-es-uno-de-ellos
https://s3.amazonaws.com/happiness-report/2019/WHR19.pdf
Major fire affects bush area in Punta Cana
Tourists in Punta Cana on 20 March 2019 were able to see a large smoke trail after a blaze engulfed a bush area in Cabeza de Toro. Dozens of fire engines were sent to put out the fire that had begun in the afternoon and continued into the evening.
There is speculation the fire could have been started in an area where garbage had been dumped, but Ministry of Environment specialists were at the site to determine if this had been caused by the intense dry spell or was the result of human imprudence. The difficult access to the area delayed the fire fighting efforts.
Diario Libre reported that this was not the first time that the firemen had to put out a forest fire in the area.
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...l-y-centro-comercial-en-punta-cana-FH12375022
Hope for the northwest, it could rain
The National Meteorological Office (Onamet) is forecasting rain showers for the north coast, from Montecristi to Puerto Plata. A trough is forecast to bring the most welcome showers. Rains are also forecast for the border provinces and areas in the Central Mountain Range.
Sunny skies with scant showers is the forecast for the rest of the nation, that is, for the east, southeast and southwest.
The good old days of the Dominican “winter” seem to be coming to an end. Onamet forecasts warm temperatures of 34-36C for the border and northwest.
https://elnacional.com.do/aguaceros-podrian-aliviar-la-sequia-desde-el-viernes-en-noroeste/
The light side of the Soberano Awards
Dominicans are good at turning out quick memes on almost any subject. The 19 March 2019 Soberano Awards were not the exception. Hoy compiles a list of memes that were circulating on social media on the same evening of the awards. Enjoy!
http://hoy.com.do/para-que-rias-un-poco-los-memes-mas-destacados-de-premios-soberano/
Good France: Enjoy French cooking in Santo Domingo
The Dominican Republic is part of Goût de France / Good France / Sabores de Francia, the gastronomical event whereby on Thursday, 21 March 2019, over 5,000 chefs across five continents celebrate French cooking.
The event is described as “the biggest French dinner in the world.” This international event was first launched in 2015, following the inclusion of the “Gastronomic Meal of the French” in the UNESCO World Intangible Heritage list. The objective is to celebrate French cuisine, its traditions, and its values during a grand gastronomic evening on the same date, all over the world.
Participating restaurants are located in Santo Domingo, Samaná, Punta Cana and Santiago. 18 restaurants will be offering special French cuisine menus for the event.
These are:
Santo Domingo: Café Casabe, Santo Domingo Sheraton; Nabu, Santo Domingo Crowne Plaza; El Jardín, El Embajador Hotel; Filigrana, Catalonia Hotel; 1502, Hostal Nicolas de Ovando. Also, La Cassina, La Dolcerie, Nipau, Danielle, Dou Restaurant; La Moricette, Mitre, and Turo RD.
Samana: In Las Terrenas, Hotel Atlantis.
Punta Cana: Mediterraneo at Eden Roc in Cap Cana
Santiago: KGB, La Taberna de Pepe, Opera.