Trump meets with Caribbean leaders at Mar-a-Lago
Claro Internet went dark on Thursday
IMF mission visits Medina
Punta Catalina continues to increase output
Appointment only at the Migration Agency
Minerd says evaluations are being studied
Water scarcity gets worse in Greater Santo Domingo
Drought will oblige authorities to act against carwashes
Most reservoirs are low; drinking water assured: Olgo Fernandez
EDUCA study reveals problems in education
Ministry of Environment: Laguna Bavaro fire is perhaps arson
Domínguez Brito burns PLD cap, draws attention
Manuel Jimenez joins PRM
90% of Venezuelans in DR are illegal
Convicted pedophile priest was teaching English to children in Punta Cana
Fugitive Frenchman arrested in Cabarete, will be deported
Maid and her boyfriend suspected of murder at luxury apartment
Luguelin Santos and his brother return to train in the DR
Cattle-rancher and farmer fair at Feria Ganadera
Trump meets with Caribbean leaders at Mar-a-Lago
President Danilo Medina participated in a gathering of Caribbean heads of state with US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach, Florida on Friday, 22 March 2019. First Lady Melania Trump also served as hostess to the Caribbean leaders who accepted Trump’s unofficial invitation to the private residence of the US President.
President Medina flew to Florida for the meeting with leaders from The Bahamas, Haiti, Jamaica and St. Lucia. Participating in the meeting were the President of Haiti Jovenel Moise, and prime ministers Hubert Minnis of The Bahamas, Andrew Holness of Jamaica and Allen Chastanet of St. Lucia. Prior to the meeting, President Danilo Medina hosted a luncheon for the Caribbean heads of government for an exchange of views on matters of mutual interest.
Upon returning to Santo Domingo on Saturday, 23 March 2019, President Medina said he was pleased in the interest the US President had shown in Caribbean countries and the Dominican Republic in particular. He said the situation in Venezuela was not a central issue of the talks and Trump did not ask his opinion on the issue.
He said President Trump is very interested in collaborating with the Dominican Republic in matters of trade, energy, combating international crime, and natural disaster mitigation, among other topics.
An editorial in Diario Libre reports that despite this was not announced by President Medina in his review of the trip, Trump had said during the meeting that he had given instructions to the US government Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to give priority status for the financing of US businesses in the convened countries. OPIC provides financial products such as loans and guaranties, political risk insurance, and support for investment funds, all of which help American businesses expand into emerging markets.
Medina said he took advantage of the opportunity to make several requests of the US President. He asked that the Dominican Republic be favored with the elimination of the tariffs on steel exports to Puerto Rico. He requested that companies in the DR be allowed to export boots for the military to the US, tariff-free. He asked the US travel advisory alert on visiting the Dominican Republic to be revised. He requested a low interest and long-term financing fund be created that could be accessed in the case of a natural disaster.
Medina said the issue of China’s advances in the Caribbean was not brought up.
Accompanying President Medina on the visit was Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas, Administrative Minister of the Presidency Jose Ramon Peralta, legal advisor to the President, Flavio Darío Espinal, and businessmen José Miguel González Cuadra and Pepe Fanjul Jr.
In its coverage of the meeting, the Guardian of Trinidad and Tobago said that the countries represented at the meeting were part of the Lima Group that has as objective a regime change in Venezuela and have supported opposition leader Juan Guaidó against embattled President Nicolás Maduro. Trinidad and Tobago was not invited.
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...onald-trump-en-cooperar-con-el-caribe-destaca
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...a-republica-dominicana-esta-dispuesta-hacerlo
https://www.diariolibre.com/opinion/editorial/se-hizo-pero-no-se-dijo-HH12406221
http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/pm-dismisses-trump-meeting-snub-talk-6.2.806635.61190ca06c
https://dailycaller.com/2019/03/22/melania-orange-black-print-dress/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-...-at-mar-a-lago-today-2019-03-22-live-updates/
Claro Internet went dark on Thursday
Millions lost “the other part of their brain” when their smartphones and computers went blank in the Dominican Republic on Thursday, 21 March 2019. The loss of service upset many businesses, including lottery sales points and banking activity. Billings and credit card purchases were also affected.
Later in the afternoon, Claro Dominicana telecommunications confirmed there had been a “nationwide interruption” that day starting at around 11am. Claro says the service was restored in 1:49 minutes. The telecom said the outage affected 4.2 million Internet users.
The company sent out a note on its Twitter account at 2:41 p.m. on Thursday, 21 March saying: “We report to our clients that Internet service has been reestablished. Initially, there might be some slowness in the connections. Thank you for your understanding.”
Claro reported that excavations on the highway expansion project between Puerto Plata and Santiago had accidentally cut two fiber optic lines causing the Internet collapse. The cuts occurred on the stretches Navarrete-Puerto Plata and Puerto Plata-Nagua.
Claro social media posts indicated that the second line cut represented redundancy circuits, and was the final cause of the interruption of service.
Users of Altice Internet service were also affected by the outage.
https://elnacional.com.do/usuarios-de-claro-se-quedan-sin-internet-a-nivel-nacional/
https://elnacional.com.do/claro-informa-servicio-de-internet-ya-fue-restablecido/
IMF mission visits Medina
The delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that had been visiting the Dominican Republic finished their work with a meeting with President Danilo Medina on Thursday, 21 March 2019. The delegation was received by the President and his economic cabinet, including the governor of the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic Hector Valdez Albizu and Hacienda Minister Donald Guerrero, as well as the Dominican representative to the IMF, Frank Fuentes, and the deputy manager for Monetary, Exchange and Financial Policy of the Central Bank, Joel Tejeda. Members of the IMF mission included Javier Arze, Julia Faltermeier, Joel Okwuokei and Olga Bespalova.
The Central Bank reported that during the conversation with the President, the chief of the IMF mission, Aliona Cebotari, who is deputy division chief in the IMF's Western Hemisphere Department, stressed the solid macroeconomic foundations of the country, with growth exceeding forecasts, low inflation and high international reserves.
Cebotari also praised the nation’s advances in education and health system infrastructure, the rule of law, financial supervision, stock market breadth, among other areas, says the Central Bank press release.
The IMF will be publishing a summary on the outcome of the meetings.
https://www.bancentral.gov.do/a/d/4...blica-concluye-consultas-sobre-el-articulo-iv
Punta Catalina continues to increase output
Unit #1 of the Punta Catalina coal-fired generation facility has continued to increase its electricity production, going from 36 MW on 27 February 2019 to 80 MW this past week, according to data posted on the webpage of the Coordinating Agency for the Interconnected Electrical System (Sistema Eléctrico Interconectado - SENI), the national electricity grid.
President Danilo Medina said during his annual government performance reveiw on 27 February 2019 that this unit would be fully online in March and that the second unit would enter service in May. Combined, the two units will provide around 700MW to the national grid.
The Punta Catalina power thermoelectric complex is the biggest single investment carried out by the Medina administration. It is under construction by a consortium led by Odebrecht-Technimont.
https://www.diariolibre.com/economi...a-con-mas-de-80-megavatios-al-seni-EI12383744
Appointment only at the Migration Agency
The Migration Agency (DGM) announces that as of 1 April 2019 all those requesting services at the offices of the Agency will need to have previously obtained an appointment in order to be received by a migration officer. The DGM says appointments are mandatory for matters of filing for residency, renewals and document losses, among other matters. The DGM says that those missing an appointment need to make request another date.
https://www.migracion.gob.do/
Minerd says evaluations are being studied
Education Minister Antonio Peña Mirabal told reporters that the results of the nationwide public school teacher assessment are being reviewed. Peña, a former financial deputy minister, was named to the post on 24 February 2019. Education Minister Andrés Navarro had resigned to seek the presidential candidacy for the ruling party. ”We are still in the phase of reviewing the results and working out the plan that will benefit those teachers that showed some type of deficiency,” said Peña Mirabal.
At the same time, Peña Mirabal indicated that the Ministry of Education (Minerd) is preparing the technological platform through which each teacher can access their performance evaluation.
When the minister was asked about the recent spate of firings of administrative staff, he responded by saying that since the beginning of his appointment to head the ministry, he has focused on reducing what he called “surplus personnel” in order to “focus more resources on teaching, which is the aim of the system.” As an example, he said that it was not feasible to have five persons appointed as governors (or administrators of the physical plant) at one school. He said that “if this is being a “steamroller” then he was indeed a steamroller. (A political term generally used when a new administration takes over and makes major personnel changes.)
Peña also said the Ministry of Education seeks to improve maintenance in many or most school buildings. He noted that the previous minister, architect Andres Navarro, had created a unit parallel to the existing maintenance organization called School Infrastructure Maintenance.
https://eldia.com.do/ministro-de-ed...acion-de-desempeno-se-estan-conociendo-ahora/
Water scarcity gets worse in Greater Santo Domingo
The director of the Water and Sewer Corporation of Santo Domingo (CAASD), Alejandro Montas reports that Greater Santo Domingo has a deficit of some 51,000.000 gallons of water a day due to the prolonged drought affecting the country. He explained that four of the systems providing water to the aqueduct are working at very minimum levels.
Late last week the area was receiving 369 million gallons rather than the 420 million gallons that are normal. Montás made the remarks at a meeting of Evangelicals on the topic of water conservation and proper use.
He explained that Haina-Manoguayabo is only using three of its 10 pumps and the others are only providing one cubic meter of water per second, representing a deficit of 70%.
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...omingo-con-baja-en-la-distribucion-LI12380083
Drought will oblige authorities to act against carwashes
An operation designed to put a halt to improper use of water began late last week, under the auspices of the Prosecutor for the Defense of the Environment and Natural Resources, together with the Santo Domingo Water and Sewer Corporation (CAASD). The program includes the shutdown of improvised car wash businesses and a program to motivate Greater Santo Domingo residents to ration water. Another part of the program is the supervision of the car wash establishments and farms that have been connected illegally to CAASD water lines. The CAASD leader was energetic in announcing the pursuit and prosecution of those persons who tap into the water supply illegally.
The press communiqué also said that the educational program is aimed at neighborhood boards and driver’s associations (the concho drivers).
As if that did not suffice, Montas revealed that Dominicans on average consume more than double the global standards of potable water consumption. The norm is 150 liters per day per person (about 40 U.S. gallons) and consumption in Greater Santo Domingo is pegged at 400 liters per day.
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...provisados-de-vehiculos-por-sequia-NI12383529
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...-que-el-promedio-de-otras-personas-GI12381979
Most reservoirs are low; drinking water assured: Olgo Fernandez
The head of the National Institute for Hydraulic Resources (INDRHI), Olgo Fernández, announces that 32 of the nation’s 34 reservoirs are at “critical levels” and this will have a negative impact on farming and cattle ranching. He added that according to international forecasts, the drought could well last another 60 days.
Fernández noted that this is the worst drought recorded over the past 60 years. He told reporters from El Dia that the only reservoirs that are at a normal level for irrigation and human consumption are Hatillo and Valdesia.
He assured the public that water for human consumption is assured and that water would not be diverted to farming or generation.
According to the INDRHI boss, the agency began to “administer” water back in August 2018, thus assuring the rice, tomato and bean crops of the fall of 2018.
In 2018, the INDRHI drilled 2,066 wells in the areas of greatest need, and currently are drilling wells in Santiago Rodriguez, Montecristi and Dajabón.
https://eldia.com.do/presas-estan-en-estado-critico-por-sequia-extrema/
https://eldia.com.do/de-cumplirse-los-pronosticos-la-sequia-sera-grave-y-extendida/
EDUCA study reveals problems in education
Unemployment levels of young people between the ages of 15 and 29 remain high and seem to be stuck at 14% over the past 10 years. At the same time, the average salary is RD$10,000 per month. As a result, of the 2.7 million young people between 15 and 29 in the country, more than 750,000 are without jobs and somewhere close to a million are neither studying nor working—the famous “NINI.” This information is part of the results from a study entitled: “Young Dominicans; those unknown” carried out by the group known as Business Action for Education (EDUCA) under the auspices of five institutions, including the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development.
The study surveyed the population between 2000 and 2016. One of the conclusions is that the young people face challenges that work against their quality of life. Some of these are low levels of education, high rates of unemployment and exposure to risky and vulnerable situations.
In 2016, 422 young people were homicide victims, representing 44.3% of all homicide victims. Many of the youth that were interviewed said that their future was selling drugs: “because those that do have more than one woman, money and live well.”
Analyzing the study, the executive director of EDUCA, Darwin Caraballo said that if this situation is not corrected, in 10 or 15 years there would be an enormous risk to public safety. He said: “When the illicit becomes the model to follow, there is an enormous risk because the young people are joining in criminal activities and the system is not providing any answers.”
Another of the barriers facing the young is the high dropout rate from schools and universities now at 37.7%, together with the conditions of vulnerability and inequality with respect to education and employment, which particularly affect women.
Of the unemployed, 56% do not have a high school degree. Those that do finish high school have 10% more income, averaging RD$12,500. Of the young people that do have jobs, about half are involved in low-paying areas such as services, commerce and basic manufacturing, where the minimum wage is RD$10,000.
The study recommends the creation of a support system that would prevent dropouts and focus on preventing adolescent pregnancies. They also suggest creating programs to promote job training and bring young people from the poorest strata up to levels of training that would lead to employment.
In an editorial commenting on the Educa study, Diario Libre executive editor Adriano Miguel Tejada says the findings reveal what happens when aspirations of youths meet reality. “As long as the education system does not offer short-term outlets, the economic system does not create jobs with adequate salaries, and there is no real social policy aimed at youth, this situation will not change,” wrote Tejada
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...-afectan-a-los-jovenes-dominicanos-FI12387130
https://eldia.com.do/el-73-de-los-jovenes-entre-15-y-18-anos-trabajan-en-informalidad/
https://www.diariolibre.com/opinion/am/juventud-situacion-conocida-II12386358
Ministry of Environment: Laguna Bavaro fire is perhaps arson
Technicians from the Ministry of the Environment have opened an investigation into the origins of the fire in the protected area of Laguna Bavaro, in Verón, Punta Cana. In a report to the Presidency, Environment Minister Angel Estevez says the fire is suspected to have been intentionally set, since it began in wetlands next to a hotel complex.
Fortunately, the fire was controlled and extinguished. The Fire Chief of Verón-Punta Cana told Diario Libre that everything indicates criminal hands were involved in the series of fires in the area of Cabeza de Toro.
As reported, over a period of 18 hours, firemen from Punta Cana, Higuey and San Rafael de Yuma and a Air Force helicopter participated in the intense effort to stop the fire.
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...en-area-protegida-de-laguna-bavaro-PI12380719
https://eldia.com.do/incendios-forestales-afectan-varias-zonas-en-punta-cana/
Domínguez Brito burns PLD cap, draws attention
The former attorney general, senator for Santiago, and Minister of Environment, Francisco Dominguez Brito called attention to his bid for the ruling PLD party candidacy when on Thursday, 21 March 2019, he made a video where he burns a PLD cap in a symbolic protest to all the bad within the party.
“To turn to dust what is not working, into ashes all that is corrupt, and build a new one with firm hand and transparency,” he says in the campaign spot.
He says: “I have been 35 years in the PLD. I have been in all processes. I know the good and the bad and I think this is what we should do with all the bad things we have. Turn to dust what is not working, turn to ashes all that is corrupt and build a new one with a firm hand and transparency.”
The politician argued that the action seeks to “ignite the flame that is needed to build a better Dominican Republic.”
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...ide-sacar-todo-lo-malo-del-partido-DI12385372
Manuel Jimenez joins PRM
Singer and composer-turned politician, Manuel Jiménez, announced he has joined the Revolutionary Modern Party (PRM) and seeks to run on that party’s ticket for mayor for Santo Domingo East. In 2016 he was a pre-candidate for the ruling PLD.
Jiménez is best known for his composition “Derroche de Amor” (sung by Ana Belen, Julio Iglesias and Lupita D’Alessio) but his heart is in being city mayor. He had run for the post on the ticket of a coalition of minority parties. Previously he served for three consecutive terms as deputy for the ruling PLD. His campaign spot urges the organization to rid itself of “all that is bad” and those corrupt within the party to build a better country.
https://alertard.com.do/2019/03/22/manuel-jimenez-oficializara-el-domingo-su-paso-al-prm/
90% of Venezuelans in DR are illegal
An International Organization for Migration (IOM) survey reveals that 90% of Venezuelans living in the Dominican Republic have irregular status. The Venezuelans have arrived here as tourists and have stayed. Their irregular status is a major impediment to them finding better jobs, despite the high education levels of the Venezuelans, says Josue Gastelbondo, on behalf of IOM, as reported on 22 March 2019 in El Día newspaper.
IOM says that an estimated 25,872 Venezuelans live in the Dominican Republic. Since 2012, coinciding with the worsening of the economic, social and political situation in Venezuela, migration has increased 635%, from 3,434 estimated in 2012 to 25,872 by 2017, according to the survey. For the survey, 761 interviews were carried out in 12 Dominican provinces.
The study, “Perfil Migratorio del Venezolano en la República Dominicana,” reveals that 70% of the migrants are 18 to 35 years old. Migrants are 54% women and 46% men. Of these, 89.8% have irregular status. 7.9% have an unexpired tourist status, and 0.4% have received a work visa.
Venezuelan migrant defense groups have urged the Dominican Republic to grant special programs to the Venezuelan immigrants similar to those authorized for Haitian migrants.
The IOM works with the government of the Dominican Republic, migrants and civil society to promote the protection and care of vulnerable migrants. Programs include the regularization of irregular migrants and the assisted voluntary return and reintegration of migrants to their countries of origin.
https://eldia.com.do/el-90-de-los-venezolanos-estan-en-republica-dominicana-son-ilegales/
https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/dicen-que-25-872-venezolanos-viven-en-nuestro-pais-EI12382745
Convicted pedophile priest was teaching English to children in Punta Cana
After the story broke on NBC News on Friday, 22 March 2019, 47-year old former priest Hadmel Frías Gatón (Hadmels DeFrias) found himself without a job by the following Monday. He had been teaching English at a private school, Colegio del Caribe, in Pueblo Bávaro, a residential area in Punta Cana since February 2018. Frías is a Dominican by birth who migrated to New Jersey, where he studied religion at Seton Hall University in 1995. He had been ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1999.
The school director and community would find out the grim background of their employee when the story was carried on local media.
Gatón (DeFrías) had been arrested when he was 31 years after the mother of two brothers under 14 walked in on him one time and complained to church officials. Gatón (DeFrías) subsequently would be convicted for fondling the two brothers that worked at the rectory of St. Mary’s of the Assumption in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 2001 and 2002. He was removed from the parish and eventually defrocked from the Roman Catholic Church. The man was first arrested in 2003 when he was living in Maryland. As part of his conviction in 2004, he was ordered to not take a job where he would work in any way with minors in the state of New Jersey.
In February 2019, leaders of the Catholic Church in New Jersey had published the names of 186 members that had been sanctioned by the church, charged with a crime or both. Hadmel Frias Gatón (DeFrias) is on the list. The publishing of the list was to help victims heal as more revelations have been made in recent months.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino...olested-boys-now-teaches-kids-english-n980716
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...ado-por-pedofilia-y-que-impartia-clases-en-rd
https://www.eltiempo.com.do/punta-c...ondenado-por-pedofilia-en-los-estados-unidos/
http://hoy.com.do/colegio-desconocia-antecedentes-de-pedofilia-de-un-excura/
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/na...0190322-bzfapvi7pzbrjps2bhshuddeum-story.html
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news3/2003_08_13_AP_PriestAccused_Hadmels_DeFrias_1.htm
https://nypost.com/2019/03/22/defro...-teaching-children-in-the-dominican-republic/
Fugitive Frenchman arrested in Cabarete, will be deported
48-year old Frenchman Sebastien Fabrice Derriot was arrested in Puerto Plata. He was detained at Calle Almendra in Residencial Procab in Cabarete. The arrest came after the Supreme Court of Justice issued an arrest order in response to a request from a court in France. The Frenchman is accused in France of money laundering, criminal association and other crimes.
The DNCD said the order of arrest had been issued for months and it was only now that he was located. He will be soon be extradited based on Law 284-04, which does not admit to Dominican territory foreigners with criminal records.
https://eldia.com.do/extranjero-buscado-en-francia-por-blanqueo-de-capitales-y-otros-delitos/
http://dncd.gob.do/index.php/notici...-blanqueo-de-capitales-estafa-y-otros-delitos
Maid and her boyfriend suspected of murder at luxury apartment
National District prosecutor Rosalba Ramos says that the lead suspect in the murder of 40-year old Cristina García Torne on Friday, 22 March 2019 is her maid, 31-year old Fatin Leonarda Falcón Alvino. Falcón was arrested by the police hours after the corpse of García was found in her apartment on the 12th floor of Torre Pedro Henríquez Ureña, La Esperilla, National District. She was ordered to serve three months preventive custody.
As reported, the maid has admitted to killing her boss using a kitchen knife after García had caught her trying to steal RD$500,000 in cash and two Rolex watches. She is suspect of having fled with her boyfriend, 24-year old Juan Gabriel Germán Cabrera (La Garza, Gaviota) from the scene of the crime.
Falcón was arrested by the police hours after the corpse of García was found in her apartment on the 12th floor of Torre Pedro Henríquez Ureña, La Esperilla, National District. In a press conference on Sunday, 24 March 2019, Police spokesman Frank Félix Durán said the Police is hunting for Germán Cabrera, who is suspect to be her accomplice and on the run with the cash and the stolen watches.
García lived in the apartment with her husband and their son. García was the sister-in-law of financial consultant Luis Alvarez Renta and a Spanish citizen.
The Police have distributed a photograph of Germán asking for information to be shared by calling 809 682-2151, ext 2471 and 2188.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...na-garcia-le-robo-500-mil-pesos-y-dos-relojes
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...-rueda-de-prensa-para-este-domingo-JH12402319
http://hoy.com.do/mp-solicitara-med...-empleada-que-mato-a-su-jefa-en-la-esperilla/
https://elnacional.com.do/apresan-e...ristina-garcia-buscan-pareja-de-la-implicada/
https://eldia.com.do/una-domestica-mato-mujer-enviada-prision/
Luguelin Santos and his brother return to train in the DR
The Dominican Republic’s London Olympic Games silver medalist and 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games gold medalist, Luguelín Santos, and his brother Juan Santos announced they will be continuing their training for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the Dominican Republic. They announced their breakup with their long-time trainer, José Ludwig Rubio, who had relocated from Puerto Rico to Bahrain in the Middle East where he is in charge of preparing the Bahrain team for the Olympics.
The brothers said they are returning for personal reasons. They gave credit to Rubio for all their athletics success until now. They said they will resume their training in Santo Domingo under Felix Sánchez, the Dominican Republic’s two-time Olympic gold medal winner (Athens 2004 and London 2012).
They announced their next important competitions are the Lima, Peru Pan Americans in July 2019 and the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha in September 2019.
https://alertard.com.do/2019/03/22/...-rompen-con-el-entrenador-jose-ludwing-rubio/
Cattle-rancher and farmer fair at Feria Ganadera
It’s an opportunity to learn about livestock and farm products and meet the producers. But it’s also an opportunity to buy fresh products at bargain prices from the producers themselves. This includes products not normally available in supermarkets, such as a variety of mushrooms and sweets from all around the country. A great variety of local products are available for bargain prices, including essential oils and beauty products made with natural ingredients.
The Feria Agropecuaria Nacional opened on Saturday, 23 March 2019 at the grounds of the Ciudad Ganadera on the Malecón in the National District through 31 March 2019.
https://listindiario.com/economia/2...cuaria-exhibe-lo-mejor-del-campo-en-la-ciudad
Claro Internet went dark on Thursday
IMF mission visits Medina
Punta Catalina continues to increase output
Appointment only at the Migration Agency
Minerd says evaluations are being studied
Water scarcity gets worse in Greater Santo Domingo
Drought will oblige authorities to act against carwashes
Most reservoirs are low; drinking water assured: Olgo Fernandez
EDUCA study reveals problems in education
Ministry of Environment: Laguna Bavaro fire is perhaps arson
Domínguez Brito burns PLD cap, draws attention
Manuel Jimenez joins PRM
90% of Venezuelans in DR are illegal
Convicted pedophile priest was teaching English to children in Punta Cana
Fugitive Frenchman arrested in Cabarete, will be deported
Maid and her boyfriend suspected of murder at luxury apartment
Luguelin Santos and his brother return to train in the DR
Cattle-rancher and farmer fair at Feria Ganadera
Trump meets with Caribbean leaders at Mar-a-Lago
President Danilo Medina participated in a gathering of Caribbean heads of state with US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach, Florida on Friday, 22 March 2019. First Lady Melania Trump also served as hostess to the Caribbean leaders who accepted Trump’s unofficial invitation to the private residence of the US President.
President Medina flew to Florida for the meeting with leaders from The Bahamas, Haiti, Jamaica and St. Lucia. Participating in the meeting were the President of Haiti Jovenel Moise, and prime ministers Hubert Minnis of The Bahamas, Andrew Holness of Jamaica and Allen Chastanet of St. Lucia. Prior to the meeting, President Danilo Medina hosted a luncheon for the Caribbean heads of government for an exchange of views on matters of mutual interest.
Upon returning to Santo Domingo on Saturday, 23 March 2019, President Medina said he was pleased in the interest the US President had shown in Caribbean countries and the Dominican Republic in particular. He said the situation in Venezuela was not a central issue of the talks and Trump did not ask his opinion on the issue.
He said President Trump is very interested in collaborating with the Dominican Republic in matters of trade, energy, combating international crime, and natural disaster mitigation, among other topics.
An editorial in Diario Libre reports that despite this was not announced by President Medina in his review of the trip, Trump had said during the meeting that he had given instructions to the US government Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to give priority status for the financing of US businesses in the convened countries. OPIC provides financial products such as loans and guaranties, political risk insurance, and support for investment funds, all of which help American businesses expand into emerging markets.
Medina said he took advantage of the opportunity to make several requests of the US President. He asked that the Dominican Republic be favored with the elimination of the tariffs on steel exports to Puerto Rico. He requested that companies in the DR be allowed to export boots for the military to the US, tariff-free. He asked the US travel advisory alert on visiting the Dominican Republic to be revised. He requested a low interest and long-term financing fund be created that could be accessed in the case of a natural disaster.
Medina said the issue of China’s advances in the Caribbean was not brought up.
Accompanying President Medina on the visit was Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas, Administrative Minister of the Presidency Jose Ramon Peralta, legal advisor to the President, Flavio Darío Espinal, and businessmen José Miguel González Cuadra and Pepe Fanjul Jr.
In its coverage of the meeting, the Guardian of Trinidad and Tobago said that the countries represented at the meeting were part of the Lima Group that has as objective a regime change in Venezuela and have supported opposition leader Juan Guaidó against embattled President Nicolás Maduro. Trinidad and Tobago was not invited.
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...onald-trump-en-cooperar-con-el-caribe-destaca
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...a-republica-dominicana-esta-dispuesta-hacerlo
https://www.diariolibre.com/opinion/editorial/se-hizo-pero-no-se-dijo-HH12406221
http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/pm-dismisses-trump-meeting-snub-talk-6.2.806635.61190ca06c
https://dailycaller.com/2019/03/22/melania-orange-black-print-dress/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-...-at-mar-a-lago-today-2019-03-22-live-updates/
Claro Internet went dark on Thursday
Millions lost “the other part of their brain” when their smartphones and computers went blank in the Dominican Republic on Thursday, 21 March 2019. The loss of service upset many businesses, including lottery sales points and banking activity. Billings and credit card purchases were also affected.
Later in the afternoon, Claro Dominicana telecommunications confirmed there had been a “nationwide interruption” that day starting at around 11am. Claro says the service was restored in 1:49 minutes. The telecom said the outage affected 4.2 million Internet users.
The company sent out a note on its Twitter account at 2:41 p.m. on Thursday, 21 March saying: “We report to our clients that Internet service has been reestablished. Initially, there might be some slowness in the connections. Thank you for your understanding.”
Claro reported that excavations on the highway expansion project between Puerto Plata and Santiago had accidentally cut two fiber optic lines causing the Internet collapse. The cuts occurred on the stretches Navarrete-Puerto Plata and Puerto Plata-Nagua.
Claro social media posts indicated that the second line cut represented redundancy circuits, and was the final cause of the interruption of service.
Users of Altice Internet service were also affected by the outage.
https://elnacional.com.do/usuarios-de-claro-se-quedan-sin-internet-a-nivel-nacional/
https://elnacional.com.do/claro-informa-servicio-de-internet-ya-fue-restablecido/
IMF mission visits Medina
The delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that had been visiting the Dominican Republic finished their work with a meeting with President Danilo Medina on Thursday, 21 March 2019. The delegation was received by the President and his economic cabinet, including the governor of the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic Hector Valdez Albizu and Hacienda Minister Donald Guerrero, as well as the Dominican representative to the IMF, Frank Fuentes, and the deputy manager for Monetary, Exchange and Financial Policy of the Central Bank, Joel Tejeda. Members of the IMF mission included Javier Arze, Julia Faltermeier, Joel Okwuokei and Olga Bespalova.
The Central Bank reported that during the conversation with the President, the chief of the IMF mission, Aliona Cebotari, who is deputy division chief in the IMF's Western Hemisphere Department, stressed the solid macroeconomic foundations of the country, with growth exceeding forecasts, low inflation and high international reserves.
Cebotari also praised the nation’s advances in education and health system infrastructure, the rule of law, financial supervision, stock market breadth, among other areas, says the Central Bank press release.
The IMF will be publishing a summary on the outcome of the meetings.
https://www.bancentral.gov.do/a/d/4...blica-concluye-consultas-sobre-el-articulo-iv
Punta Catalina continues to increase output
Unit #1 of the Punta Catalina coal-fired generation facility has continued to increase its electricity production, going from 36 MW on 27 February 2019 to 80 MW this past week, according to data posted on the webpage of the Coordinating Agency for the Interconnected Electrical System (Sistema Eléctrico Interconectado - SENI), the national electricity grid.
President Danilo Medina said during his annual government performance reveiw on 27 February 2019 that this unit would be fully online in March and that the second unit would enter service in May. Combined, the two units will provide around 700MW to the national grid.
The Punta Catalina power thermoelectric complex is the biggest single investment carried out by the Medina administration. It is under construction by a consortium led by Odebrecht-Technimont.
https://www.diariolibre.com/economi...a-con-mas-de-80-megavatios-al-seni-EI12383744
Appointment only at the Migration Agency
The Migration Agency (DGM) announces that as of 1 April 2019 all those requesting services at the offices of the Agency will need to have previously obtained an appointment in order to be received by a migration officer. The DGM says appointments are mandatory for matters of filing for residency, renewals and document losses, among other matters. The DGM says that those missing an appointment need to make request another date.
https://www.migracion.gob.do/
Minerd says evaluations are being studied
Education Minister Antonio Peña Mirabal told reporters that the results of the nationwide public school teacher assessment are being reviewed. Peña, a former financial deputy minister, was named to the post on 24 February 2019. Education Minister Andrés Navarro had resigned to seek the presidential candidacy for the ruling party. ”We are still in the phase of reviewing the results and working out the plan that will benefit those teachers that showed some type of deficiency,” said Peña Mirabal.
At the same time, Peña Mirabal indicated that the Ministry of Education (Minerd) is preparing the technological platform through which each teacher can access their performance evaluation.
When the minister was asked about the recent spate of firings of administrative staff, he responded by saying that since the beginning of his appointment to head the ministry, he has focused on reducing what he called “surplus personnel” in order to “focus more resources on teaching, which is the aim of the system.” As an example, he said that it was not feasible to have five persons appointed as governors (or administrators of the physical plant) at one school. He said that “if this is being a “steamroller” then he was indeed a steamroller. (A political term generally used when a new administration takes over and makes major personnel changes.)
Peña also said the Ministry of Education seeks to improve maintenance in many or most school buildings. He noted that the previous minister, architect Andres Navarro, had created a unit parallel to the existing maintenance organization called School Infrastructure Maintenance.
https://eldia.com.do/ministro-de-ed...acion-de-desempeno-se-estan-conociendo-ahora/
Water scarcity gets worse in Greater Santo Domingo
The director of the Water and Sewer Corporation of Santo Domingo (CAASD), Alejandro Montas reports that Greater Santo Domingo has a deficit of some 51,000.000 gallons of water a day due to the prolonged drought affecting the country. He explained that four of the systems providing water to the aqueduct are working at very minimum levels.
Late last week the area was receiving 369 million gallons rather than the 420 million gallons that are normal. Montás made the remarks at a meeting of Evangelicals on the topic of water conservation and proper use.
He explained that Haina-Manoguayabo is only using three of its 10 pumps and the others are only providing one cubic meter of water per second, representing a deficit of 70%.
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...omingo-con-baja-en-la-distribucion-LI12380083
Drought will oblige authorities to act against carwashes
An operation designed to put a halt to improper use of water began late last week, under the auspices of the Prosecutor for the Defense of the Environment and Natural Resources, together with the Santo Domingo Water and Sewer Corporation (CAASD). The program includes the shutdown of improvised car wash businesses and a program to motivate Greater Santo Domingo residents to ration water. Another part of the program is the supervision of the car wash establishments and farms that have been connected illegally to CAASD water lines. The CAASD leader was energetic in announcing the pursuit and prosecution of those persons who tap into the water supply illegally.
The press communiqué also said that the educational program is aimed at neighborhood boards and driver’s associations (the concho drivers).
As if that did not suffice, Montas revealed that Dominicans on average consume more than double the global standards of potable water consumption. The norm is 150 liters per day per person (about 40 U.S. gallons) and consumption in Greater Santo Domingo is pegged at 400 liters per day.
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...provisados-de-vehiculos-por-sequia-NI12383529
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...-que-el-promedio-de-otras-personas-GI12381979
Most reservoirs are low; drinking water assured: Olgo Fernandez
The head of the National Institute for Hydraulic Resources (INDRHI), Olgo Fernández, announces that 32 of the nation’s 34 reservoirs are at “critical levels” and this will have a negative impact on farming and cattle ranching. He added that according to international forecasts, the drought could well last another 60 days.
Fernández noted that this is the worst drought recorded over the past 60 years. He told reporters from El Dia that the only reservoirs that are at a normal level for irrigation and human consumption are Hatillo and Valdesia.
He assured the public that water for human consumption is assured and that water would not be diverted to farming or generation.
According to the INDRHI boss, the agency began to “administer” water back in August 2018, thus assuring the rice, tomato and bean crops of the fall of 2018.
In 2018, the INDRHI drilled 2,066 wells in the areas of greatest need, and currently are drilling wells in Santiago Rodriguez, Montecristi and Dajabón.
https://eldia.com.do/presas-estan-en-estado-critico-por-sequia-extrema/
https://eldia.com.do/de-cumplirse-los-pronosticos-la-sequia-sera-grave-y-extendida/
EDUCA study reveals problems in education
Unemployment levels of young people between the ages of 15 and 29 remain high and seem to be stuck at 14% over the past 10 years. At the same time, the average salary is RD$10,000 per month. As a result, of the 2.7 million young people between 15 and 29 in the country, more than 750,000 are without jobs and somewhere close to a million are neither studying nor working—the famous “NINI.” This information is part of the results from a study entitled: “Young Dominicans; those unknown” carried out by the group known as Business Action for Education (EDUCA) under the auspices of five institutions, including the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development.
The study surveyed the population between 2000 and 2016. One of the conclusions is that the young people face challenges that work against their quality of life. Some of these are low levels of education, high rates of unemployment and exposure to risky and vulnerable situations.
In 2016, 422 young people were homicide victims, representing 44.3% of all homicide victims. Many of the youth that were interviewed said that their future was selling drugs: “because those that do have more than one woman, money and live well.”
Analyzing the study, the executive director of EDUCA, Darwin Caraballo said that if this situation is not corrected, in 10 or 15 years there would be an enormous risk to public safety. He said: “When the illicit becomes the model to follow, there is an enormous risk because the young people are joining in criminal activities and the system is not providing any answers.”
Another of the barriers facing the young is the high dropout rate from schools and universities now at 37.7%, together with the conditions of vulnerability and inequality with respect to education and employment, which particularly affect women.
Of the unemployed, 56% do not have a high school degree. Those that do finish high school have 10% more income, averaging RD$12,500. Of the young people that do have jobs, about half are involved in low-paying areas such as services, commerce and basic manufacturing, where the minimum wage is RD$10,000.
The study recommends the creation of a support system that would prevent dropouts and focus on preventing adolescent pregnancies. They also suggest creating programs to promote job training and bring young people from the poorest strata up to levels of training that would lead to employment.
In an editorial commenting on the Educa study, Diario Libre executive editor Adriano Miguel Tejada says the findings reveal what happens when aspirations of youths meet reality. “As long as the education system does not offer short-term outlets, the economic system does not create jobs with adequate salaries, and there is no real social policy aimed at youth, this situation will not change,” wrote Tejada
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...-afectan-a-los-jovenes-dominicanos-FI12387130
https://eldia.com.do/el-73-de-los-jovenes-entre-15-y-18-anos-trabajan-en-informalidad/
https://www.diariolibre.com/opinion/am/juventud-situacion-conocida-II12386358
Ministry of Environment: Laguna Bavaro fire is perhaps arson
Technicians from the Ministry of the Environment have opened an investigation into the origins of the fire in the protected area of Laguna Bavaro, in Verón, Punta Cana. In a report to the Presidency, Environment Minister Angel Estevez says the fire is suspected to have been intentionally set, since it began in wetlands next to a hotel complex.
Fortunately, the fire was controlled and extinguished. The Fire Chief of Verón-Punta Cana told Diario Libre that everything indicates criminal hands were involved in the series of fires in the area of Cabeza de Toro.
As reported, over a period of 18 hours, firemen from Punta Cana, Higuey and San Rafael de Yuma and a Air Force helicopter participated in the intense effort to stop the fire.
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...en-area-protegida-de-laguna-bavaro-PI12380719
https://eldia.com.do/incendios-forestales-afectan-varias-zonas-en-punta-cana/
Domínguez Brito burns PLD cap, draws attention
The former attorney general, senator for Santiago, and Minister of Environment, Francisco Dominguez Brito called attention to his bid for the ruling PLD party candidacy when on Thursday, 21 March 2019, he made a video where he burns a PLD cap in a symbolic protest to all the bad within the party.
“To turn to dust what is not working, into ashes all that is corrupt, and build a new one with firm hand and transparency,” he says in the campaign spot.
He says: “I have been 35 years in the PLD. I have been in all processes. I know the good and the bad and I think this is what we should do with all the bad things we have. Turn to dust what is not working, turn to ashes all that is corrupt and build a new one with a firm hand and transparency.”
The politician argued that the action seeks to “ignite the flame that is needed to build a better Dominican Republic.”
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...ide-sacar-todo-lo-malo-del-partido-DI12385372
Manuel Jimenez joins PRM
Singer and composer-turned politician, Manuel Jiménez, announced he has joined the Revolutionary Modern Party (PRM) and seeks to run on that party’s ticket for mayor for Santo Domingo East. In 2016 he was a pre-candidate for the ruling PLD.
Jiménez is best known for his composition “Derroche de Amor” (sung by Ana Belen, Julio Iglesias and Lupita D’Alessio) but his heart is in being city mayor. He had run for the post on the ticket of a coalition of minority parties. Previously he served for three consecutive terms as deputy for the ruling PLD. His campaign spot urges the organization to rid itself of “all that is bad” and those corrupt within the party to build a better country.
https://alertard.com.do/2019/03/22/manuel-jimenez-oficializara-el-domingo-su-paso-al-prm/
90% of Venezuelans in DR are illegal
An International Organization for Migration (IOM) survey reveals that 90% of Venezuelans living in the Dominican Republic have irregular status. The Venezuelans have arrived here as tourists and have stayed. Their irregular status is a major impediment to them finding better jobs, despite the high education levels of the Venezuelans, says Josue Gastelbondo, on behalf of IOM, as reported on 22 March 2019 in El Día newspaper.
IOM says that an estimated 25,872 Venezuelans live in the Dominican Republic. Since 2012, coinciding with the worsening of the economic, social and political situation in Venezuela, migration has increased 635%, from 3,434 estimated in 2012 to 25,872 by 2017, according to the survey. For the survey, 761 interviews were carried out in 12 Dominican provinces.
The study, “Perfil Migratorio del Venezolano en la República Dominicana,” reveals that 70% of the migrants are 18 to 35 years old. Migrants are 54% women and 46% men. Of these, 89.8% have irregular status. 7.9% have an unexpired tourist status, and 0.4% have received a work visa.
Venezuelan migrant defense groups have urged the Dominican Republic to grant special programs to the Venezuelan immigrants similar to those authorized for Haitian migrants.
The IOM works with the government of the Dominican Republic, migrants and civil society to promote the protection and care of vulnerable migrants. Programs include the regularization of irregular migrants and the assisted voluntary return and reintegration of migrants to their countries of origin.
https://eldia.com.do/el-90-de-los-venezolanos-estan-en-republica-dominicana-son-ilegales/
https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/dicen-que-25-872-venezolanos-viven-en-nuestro-pais-EI12382745
Convicted pedophile priest was teaching English to children in Punta Cana
After the story broke on NBC News on Friday, 22 March 2019, 47-year old former priest Hadmel Frías Gatón (Hadmels DeFrias) found himself without a job by the following Monday. He had been teaching English at a private school, Colegio del Caribe, in Pueblo Bávaro, a residential area in Punta Cana since February 2018. Frías is a Dominican by birth who migrated to New Jersey, where he studied religion at Seton Hall University in 1995. He had been ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1999.
The school director and community would find out the grim background of their employee when the story was carried on local media.
Gatón (DeFrías) had been arrested when he was 31 years after the mother of two brothers under 14 walked in on him one time and complained to church officials. Gatón (DeFrías) subsequently would be convicted for fondling the two brothers that worked at the rectory of St. Mary’s of the Assumption in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 2001 and 2002. He was removed from the parish and eventually defrocked from the Roman Catholic Church. The man was first arrested in 2003 when he was living in Maryland. As part of his conviction in 2004, he was ordered to not take a job where he would work in any way with minors in the state of New Jersey.
In February 2019, leaders of the Catholic Church in New Jersey had published the names of 186 members that had been sanctioned by the church, charged with a crime or both. Hadmel Frias Gatón (DeFrias) is on the list. The publishing of the list was to help victims heal as more revelations have been made in recent months.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino...olested-boys-now-teaches-kids-english-n980716
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...ado-por-pedofilia-y-que-impartia-clases-en-rd
https://www.eltiempo.com.do/punta-c...ondenado-por-pedofilia-en-los-estados-unidos/
http://hoy.com.do/colegio-desconocia-antecedentes-de-pedofilia-de-un-excura/
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/na...0190322-bzfapvi7pzbrjps2bhshuddeum-story.html
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news3/2003_08_13_AP_PriestAccused_Hadmels_DeFrias_1.htm
https://nypost.com/2019/03/22/defro...-teaching-children-in-the-dominican-republic/
Fugitive Frenchman arrested in Cabarete, will be deported
48-year old Frenchman Sebastien Fabrice Derriot was arrested in Puerto Plata. He was detained at Calle Almendra in Residencial Procab in Cabarete. The arrest came after the Supreme Court of Justice issued an arrest order in response to a request from a court in France. The Frenchman is accused in France of money laundering, criminal association and other crimes.
The DNCD said the order of arrest had been issued for months and it was only now that he was located. He will be soon be extradited based on Law 284-04, which does not admit to Dominican territory foreigners with criminal records.
https://eldia.com.do/extranjero-buscado-en-francia-por-blanqueo-de-capitales-y-otros-delitos/
http://dncd.gob.do/index.php/notici...-blanqueo-de-capitales-estafa-y-otros-delitos
Maid and her boyfriend suspected of murder at luxury apartment
National District prosecutor Rosalba Ramos says that the lead suspect in the murder of 40-year old Cristina García Torne on Friday, 22 March 2019 is her maid, 31-year old Fatin Leonarda Falcón Alvino. Falcón was arrested by the police hours after the corpse of García was found in her apartment on the 12th floor of Torre Pedro Henríquez Ureña, La Esperilla, National District. She was ordered to serve three months preventive custody.
As reported, the maid has admitted to killing her boss using a kitchen knife after García had caught her trying to steal RD$500,000 in cash and two Rolex watches. She is suspect of having fled with her boyfriend, 24-year old Juan Gabriel Germán Cabrera (La Garza, Gaviota) from the scene of the crime.
Falcón was arrested by the police hours after the corpse of García was found in her apartment on the 12th floor of Torre Pedro Henríquez Ureña, La Esperilla, National District. In a press conference on Sunday, 24 March 2019, Police spokesman Frank Félix Durán said the Police is hunting for Germán Cabrera, who is suspect to be her accomplice and on the run with the cash and the stolen watches.
García lived in the apartment with her husband and their son. García was the sister-in-law of financial consultant Luis Alvarez Renta and a Spanish citizen.
The Police have distributed a photograph of Germán asking for information to be shared by calling 809 682-2151, ext 2471 and 2188.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...na-garcia-le-robo-500-mil-pesos-y-dos-relojes
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...-rueda-de-prensa-para-este-domingo-JH12402319
http://hoy.com.do/mp-solicitara-med...-empleada-que-mato-a-su-jefa-en-la-esperilla/
https://elnacional.com.do/apresan-e...ristina-garcia-buscan-pareja-de-la-implicada/
https://eldia.com.do/una-domestica-mato-mujer-enviada-prision/
Luguelin Santos and his brother return to train in the DR
The Dominican Republic’s London Olympic Games silver medalist and 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games gold medalist, Luguelín Santos, and his brother Juan Santos announced they will be continuing their training for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the Dominican Republic. They announced their breakup with their long-time trainer, José Ludwig Rubio, who had relocated from Puerto Rico to Bahrain in the Middle East where he is in charge of preparing the Bahrain team for the Olympics.
The brothers said they are returning for personal reasons. They gave credit to Rubio for all their athletics success until now. They said they will resume their training in Santo Domingo under Felix Sánchez, the Dominican Republic’s two-time Olympic gold medal winner (Athens 2004 and London 2012).
They announced their next important competitions are the Lima, Peru Pan Americans in July 2019 and the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha in September 2019.
https://alertard.com.do/2019/03/22/...-rompen-con-el-entrenador-jose-ludwing-rubio/
Cattle-rancher and farmer fair at Feria Ganadera
It’s an opportunity to learn about livestock and farm products and meet the producers. But it’s also an opportunity to buy fresh products at bargain prices from the producers themselves. This includes products not normally available in supermarkets, such as a variety of mushrooms and sweets from all around the country. A great variety of local products are available for bargain prices, including essential oils and beauty products made with natural ingredients.
The Feria Agropecuaria Nacional opened on Saturday, 23 March 2019 at the grounds of the Ciudad Ganadera on the Malecón in the National District through 31 March 2019.
https://listindiario.com/economia/2...cuaria-exhibe-lo-mejor-del-campo-en-la-ciudad
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