Dos Pinos and La Granja to be made in the Dominican Republic
Fidelio Despradel criticizes President’s bill to amend Social Security Law
Puerto Plata announces definite solution to its garbage
CSIS says stability in DR made difference compared to Haiti
Free Trade Agreement with Haiti would solve many mutual problems
Poll shows Fernandez in the lead
Police protest about lack of promotions
It wasn’t Superman, it was Guillermo Peña
Preliminary hearing in case of death of young Rumanian
Man arrested with liquid cocaine
Shot Canadian was involved in organized crime
Rains bring welcome relief
“The Price” opens at the National Theater
Memory lane: Niní Caffaro and Rafael Solano at the Jaragua
Sweets festival at the Barceló Santo Domingo
Dos Pinos and La Granja products to be made in the Dominican Republic
President Danilo Medina was present when the Lácteo del Caribe Group inaugurated their new plant Tuesday, 26 March 2019. The initial investment in the plant is over US$30 million. The factory will manufacture Dos Pinos and La Granja brands. The new plant will produce milk products, juices, nectars and sodas, with 50 varieties in the first phase targeted especially for the Caribbean consumer. Dos Pinos is a leading Costa Rican food brand.
The plant has a capacity of bottling 250,000 liters a day and is located on 31,314 square meters of land, with 8,500 square meters of construction. Its manufacturing technology is described as of the most advanced of its type in operation in the country.
According to plant director, Alvaro Solano, Lácteo del Caribe sees the potential for important growth in the country.
The plant is located at Km. 22 of Duarte Highway in the Parque Industrial Duarte.
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...nto-planta-con-inversion-superior-30-millones
Fidelio Despradel criticizes President’s bill to amend Social Security Law
Deputy Fidelio Despradel (Al País-National Deputy) alerted that the bill to amend Social Security Law 87-01 recently submitted by President Danilo Medina to Congress would not accomplish the stated objective of improving pension yield for system contributors. On the contrary, he said it would increase the already inflated earnings by the financial companies that serve as middlemen for the pension plans, the Pension Fund Administrators (Administradoras de Fondos de Pensiones - AFPs).
In a letter sent to the bicameral commission that is studying the bill, Despradel said that the revision would increase earnings received by the AFPs in 2019 to RD$8.17 billion, or RD$1.13 billion more than 2017 yield. He cited findings in a recent Fundación Juan Bosch study that revealed that the earnings of the intermediaries would grow at a 14.3% pace, reaching RD$35.5 billion by 2030.
Despradel said the President has sent a bill to better the situation of the financial pension plan intermediaries at a time when it is well known that the pension plan model in place in the country has collapsed worldwide. He said that if the present situation continues, Dominican workers will receive at most 25% of their present income during their retirement years.
The Social Security Law 87-01 mandates pensions for most Dominicans in the system. But it included an exception (Art. 41) that enables hundreds of thousands of officers at government institutions to receive pensions that are similar to their wages at retirement. Most of these employees that benefit from the positive discrimination clause make over RD$50,000 a month and are employed at centralized and decentralized government institutions.
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/03...enviado-por-danilo-aumenta-ganancias-de-afps/
http://www.juanbosch.org/index.php?route=publicacion/publicacion&publicacion_id=16
https://oig.cepal.org/sites/default/files/rep._dominicana_ley_87_2001.pdf
Puerto Plata announces definite solution to its garbage
The Municipality of Puerto Plata, the Dominican Municipal League and Dominicana Limpia reached an agreement for the technical closure of the current garbage dump and the construction of a sanitary landfill in Puerto Plata.
As reported, the initiative will be funded by RD$250 million from the central government and will be carried out in different phases over the next eight months. It is being described as an integral definitive solution.
Mayor Walter Musa said that the chosen site meets technical recommendations. He admitted that delays in reaching a solution to garbage treatment had resulted in that cruise ships avoiding docking at the Amber Cove cruise ship port in Puerto Plata.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...on-de-nuevo-relleno-sanitario-en-puerto-plata
CSIS says stability in DR made a difference compared to Haiti
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has highlighted that development in the Dominican Republic is due to the democratic stability over the last 50 years. In a report presented recently in Washington DC about trade on the Dominican-Haitian border, CSIS experts reminded that the Dominican Republic and Haiti once had the same level of development, but while the former had experienced political, social and economic stability, with elections held over the last 50 years, Haiti had been affected by political instability, natural catastrophes such as the 2010 earthquake, and substantial deforestation throughout the territory.
The report goes on to say that the stability in the Dominican Republic had allowed it to attract foreign investment, develop manufacturing industries and establish a tourism sector. On the other hand, the instability of Haiti has led to limited development and economic growth indices along with challenges such as ensuring citizen safety and weak institutions.
The study was presented by Michael Matera, director of the Americas Program of CSIS and Mary Speck, consultant and writer of the report.
The presentation was attended by officials from the United States State Department, the International Development Agency (USAID), as well as businessmen, personnel from the Haitian embassy in Washington, the Dominican ambassador in Haiti, Alberto Despradel, and officials from the Dominican Embassy in Washington.
https://almomento.net/informe-del-c...dominicana-gracias-a-estabilidad-democratica/
https://www.csis.org/analysis/report-roll-out-illicit-trade-and-haiti-dominican-republic-border
Free Trade Agreement with Haiti would solve many mutual problems
Caribbean specialists meeting for the presentation of the Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. looked into corruption, lack of political will, and absence of trust between the two countries as factors for the tense situation between both countries in trade and social issues, as Mark Schneider, former assistant administrator for USAID’s Latin American and Caribbean bureau, highlighted during the presentations on a study of transborder trade between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
The specialists looked into the solutions that could serve as a catalyst for economic and social development on the premise that what is good for Haiti, is good for the Dominican Republic.
During the presentations, consultant David Lewis of Manchester Trade, advocated for Haiti and the Dominican Republic to organize trade relations between the DR and Haiti so as to lead to signing a bilateral free trade agreement in the near future. “The best way to fix this up is to set up the rule of law of a free trade agreement to actually get everything on the table, and then you implement it through all the institutionalities and procedures, and so on,” observed Lewis when presenting his views during the CSIS report rollout.
During the same event, Gabriel Verret, a former economic counselor to the President of Haiti, favored the signing of the FTA with the Dominican Republic. He said this should include sanitary and phytosanitary considerations, but would primarily open up both markets. “Just about anybody who produces anything wants to import it into the Dominican Republic, they could do it. And at year 10, Haiti will have to have reduced or removed its tariffs on such-and-such a thing. Those are things left to experts who negotiate free trade agreements. They know how to do this. You know, Ok, year five, year 10, year 15 and year 20,” he said during the meeting.
Verret explained that the best part, in addition to regularizing the issue of trade, would be that the FTA would be an incentive for investors to come and invest in Haiti. He forecast the zero tariffs on imports, for example, would increase the number of Dominican investors in Haiti.
Stephan Coles, co-owner of the Coles Group of companies and a leading businessman in Haiti, also favored the FTA between both countries. He made the point that Haiti is part of CARICOM and the Dominican Republic is part of CARIFORUM. “The Dominican Republic has bilateral agreements with most of the Caribbean countries, but it’s not part of CARICOM,” he explained. Furthermore he said that CARICOM countries import over US$42 billion a year. “It’s a huge market and they import from outside of CARICOM,” he said.
Coles added: “Companies in the Dominican Republic that go to invest in Haiti, assuming that this works and this is underway, will immediately have access to that market. And Dominican companies have the ability and the technical know-how to invest and to produce these goods.
“Secondly, Haiti has GSP, the Generalized System of Preferences, free access to the American market. I mean, the Dominican Republic does not have that now because the Dominican Republic is a developing nation. Haiti is a Least Developed Country. There are many ways to market Haiti as an investment destination; and not only for Dominican companies, but also for American companies as well. For any company in the world.”
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/03...a-dominicana-gracias-estabilidad-democratica/
https://www.csis.org/analysis/report-roll-out-illicit-trade-and-haiti-dominican-republic-border
Poll shows Fernandez in the lead
ASISA Research Group released findings of a March poll on Tuesday 26 March that shows that former President Leonel Fernández of the PLD leads in popularity with 47% acceptance, followed by Luis Abinader, from the Revolutionary Modern Party (PRM), who would garner 39% if the elections scheduled for May 2020 were held on the day of the survey. Of the 1, 205 respondents who were polled between 15 and 17 March 2019, 6% said they would not vote for any candidate and 5% abstained from answering.
The question they were asked was open: they were simply asked which candidate they would vote for, without being given a list. In the case of the PRM, among those who said they were party members, Abinader was the favorite with 79%, followed by former President Hipólito Mejía with 15%, his daughter Carolina Mejía with 4%, and National District Mayor David Collado with 2%.
Those who said they would vote in the PLD primaries, 56% said they would vote, another 20% said probably not but maybe yes, and 24% said they would not vote.
Of those who said they would vote in the 6 October 2019 primaries, 36% said they would vote for Leonel Fernández, 29% for President Danilo Medina, 14% for Vice President Margarita Cedeño, and 2% for Santiago Mayor Abel Martínez. Other PLD pre-candidates, senate president Reynaldo Pared Pérez, former Environment Minister Francisco Domínguez Brito, former Education Minister Andrés Navarro, former Economy Minister Temístocles Montas, and former Interior & Police Minister Carlos Amarante Baret, each had 1%. 22% did not respond to pollsters.
Looking at other issues, 54% felt that the country was going in the wrong direction, with 42% saying it was going in the right direction and 6% did not answer.
Corruption was seen as the main problem in the country with 36%, followed by citizen safety 17%, unemployment 12%, high prices for essential products 5%, and control of Haitian immigration with 5%.
When it comes to the current government, 44% approved and 54% did not. The most negative perception came from Greater Santo Domingo, with 59% disapproval and the East with 57%.
President Medina was seen as positive by 56%. The most positive acts by the current government were seen as education with 59%, 911 system with 18%, surprise visits 9%, and new construction works 5%.
The negative aspects were seen as corruption within the government with 26%, following by inefficient officials staying being kept in their posts with 20%, lack of control of the cost of the consumer family basket with 13%, out of control crime with 10%, and immigration policy 9%.
73% of those polled rejected that the 2015 Constitution be amended to enable the second reelection of President Danilo Medina. 23% favored doing this. 4% did not respond to the question.
The poll has a plus/minus 3% margin of error.
https://asisaresearch.com/encuesta-...-permitir-repostulacion-presidencial/?lang=es
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...onel-fernandez-sobre-luis-abinader-AG12419911
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/03...-36-prefiere-leonel-29-danilo-y-14-margarita/
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...a-modificacion-constitucional-para-reeleccion
http://hoy.com.do/si-las-elecciones...ganaria-a-luis-abinader-segun-encuesta-asisa/
Police protest about lack of promotions
National Police spokesman Colonel Frank Durán said in a press conference that there are around 12,000 police officers ready to be promoted but there are insufficient vacancies for all of them. He said that there were 4,000 vacancies originally, but thanks to efforts by director Ney Aldrin Bautista, that could increase to almost 7,000.
On Tuesday, 26 March 2019, dozens of police officers went to the Police headquarters to complain that they had not been promoted, according to the promotion list published last Friday, 22 March. This was an extraordinary occurrence because police agents have not been known to confront their authorities in a collective way in the past.
Duran said that he understood their concern, but that they had to understand that nothing could be done about the situation, pointing out that he himself had been a colonel for 16 years.
Recently, 53-year old second lieutenant Bernardo Alberto Paredes, who had seven years in the rank, committed suicide and his family attributed this to his frustrations at not being included in the recent wage raises.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...ieron-promover-a-la-mitad-por-falta-de-plazas
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...cia-exigen-ser-ascendidos-de-rango-DF12420388
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...suicidado-porque-no-lo-ascendieron-NH12403824
It wasn’t Superman, it was Guillermo Peña
Guillermo Peña was on his way on his Passola motorbike when life dealt him the card that turned him into a hero. He would not think twice when jumping into the choppy Caribbean to save two persons who fell into the sea when the dump truck they were riding fell Monday, 25 March 2019 afternoon into the sea at Km 19 of the Las Americas Expressway.
Peña told Hoy newspaper that he was able to determine that one of the men was dead, the other unconscious. He said he was able to rescue the unconscious person, and then a third person who had also jumped in to also help only to find himself drowning, too.
Peña says he also drives trucks and recognizes this is a difficult job.
Brigades of the firemen, Civil Defense, Dominican Armada and 911 Emergency assisted in the operation to lift the truck out of the water and back onto the ground on Tuesday, 26 March.
The toll of the accident was the death of the driver, 64-year old Juan García. Two injured persons were taken to the Darío Contreras Trauma Hospital, where one was left hospitalized. Of the two, one was a man who jumped into the sea to help rescue the truck victims.
http://hoy.com.do/guillermo-pena-el...ato-a-los-que-cayeron-al-mar-en-las-americas/
https://elnacional.com.do/video-sacan-camion-cayo-al-mar-y-murio-conductor/
Preliminary hearing in case of death of young Rumanian
On Tuesday 26 March, a National District court held the preliminary hearing for Gabriel Villanueva, accused of the death of the young Rumanian woman, Andreea Celea. Villanueva has been serving a year of pre-trial custody in the San Pedro de Macoris jail. He maintains his innocence.
Villanueva’s lawyer, Plutarco Jacquez, said that the prosecution had not wanted to show the security camera evidence from the hotel where the incident took place, because if they did they would not be able to convict the accused and would have to release him for lack of evidence and witnesses.
He also complained that the prosecution had concealed the list of phone calls and text messages, which show that the accused was not pursuing the victim, but the reverse as when the event happened, the victim had called the accused more than eight times.
Jacquez then accused the victim’s sister, whom he said wanted to blackmail and extort the defense and that she had sent requests to the lawyers asking for RD$100,000 million.
The hearing was postponed for 2 April 2019 as requested by Villanueva’s lawyer, Sonia Marlenis Guerrero, to give her time to study the accusations presented by the defense of 21-year-old Andreea Celea, who died on 1 September last year after falling from the window of a hotel located in Bella Vista in Santo Domingo.
The lawyer concluded in the presentation that this was a suicide and not a homicide.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...abriel-villanueva-por-muerte-de-andreea-celea
http://hoy.com.do/conocen-audiencia...nisterio-publico-no-quiere-presentar-pruebas/
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...-varios-hechos-violentos-contra-andreea-celea
Man arrested with liquid cocaine
Agents of the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) and the specialized Corps of Airport Security (CESAC) have arrested a 60-year-old man who was trying to take liquid cocaine out of the country in bottles that appeared to be beauty products.
The as-yet unidentified man was trying to board a flight to Brussels.
The suspected drugs were sent to the INACIF for confirmation. The arrested man has been taken to DNCD headquarters to discover if he was acting as a mule or if he is part of a group of drug traffickers.
The bottles containing the substance suspect to be liquid cocaine were detected by officials in a suitcase with a double bottom, mixed with supposed beauty products.
http://dncd.gob.do/index.php/notici...-a-bruselas-envases-llenos-de-cocaina-liquida
Shot Canadian was involved in organized crime
According to the press in Canada, Mike Di Battista, the Canadian shot and killed in his vehicle in Sosúa on the evening of Sunday, 24 March 2019, had connections with several international criminal organizations linked to drug-trafficking. The Dominican police said inside the car in which he was murdered were two passports, one Italian and one Canadian.
On 4 February 2015, CTV news in Montreal had reported that Mike Battista and Mathieu Bouchard were fugitives from the law in connection with the dismantling of a mafia group who used a sophisticated method of mixing drugs in asphalt, known as molecular pairing.
Those involved were known as the Silvano cell and were also linked to the Bastone and De Vito groups, some of whom were arrested in 2014 in an operation called Clemenza Project.
In 2015 Mike Di Battista was arrested by Interpol and the National Police and was handed over the Canadian authorities in the terminal of El Catey airport in Samana.
It appears that, according to TVA Nouvelles in Canada, Di Battista was released from jail in March 2017 together with the others arrested back in 2015.
It is thought that Di Battista was using his home in the Dominican Republic as a transition point for the drugs.
It is not known how Di Battista was able to return to the country following his deportation.
https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2019/03/25/un-montrealais-tue-en-republique-dominicaine
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...is-habia-sido-deportado-por-trafico-de-drogas
Rains bring welcome relief
On Monday, 25 March 2019, it rained heavily in Santiago and different areas of the Cibao, leading to some flooding. This was the first heavy rainfall for some time, bringing relief to the population and agriculture.
In the province of Valverde (Mao) there has been the highest amount of rainfall, although the drought is not thought to be over.
According to the National Meteorological Office (Onamet), the rains are expected to continue in several provinces of the northwest, north, northeast, Caribbean coast as well as the border zone and the central mountain area.
Rains were felt also in Greater Santo Domingo in the early morning of 26 March.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...guira-provocando-aguaceros-en-varias-regiones
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...ran-aguaceros-en-santiago-y-lugares-del-cibao
http://onamet.gob.do/
“The Price” opens at the National Theater
The Sala Ravelo of the National Theater will be staging the play, “El Precio,” the local version of the Arthur Miller classic tells the story of two brothers, one a surgeon, the other a policeman, who meet again after 16 years of not talking to each other. They are brought together because the family home, their inheritance, will be demolished and the brothers need to agree on a price for the estate. Starring Mario Lebrón, Elvita Taveras, José Roberto Díaz García and Omar Ramírez, directed by Indiana Brito and produced by Dunia de Windt. Performances are 4, 5, 6 and 11, 12, 13 April 2019. On Friday and Saturday the play opens at 8:30pm and on Sundays at 6:30pm. Tickets are RD$800 and for sale at the National Theater box office.
Memory lane: Niní Caffaro and Rafael Solano at the Jaragua
“Romance sobre el Jaragua” in the voices of Niní Cáffaro and Rafael Solano is a memorable concert produced by Skypro Entertainment Group for the Hotel Renaissance Jaragua. The concert is danceable and is booked for Friday, 31 May 2019 at the Teatro La Fiesta of the Jaragua Renaissance starting at 9pm. A Big Band of 18 musicians, “The Moon Band” directed by Amaury Sánchez, will accompany singers Caffaro and Solano.
SkyPro says this is a first of a series of romantic songs concerts that are being scheduled for the Jaragua every month and a half. In a press release, SkyPro explains the idea is to revive a musical era and where people can dance, sing and remember boleros, merengues and other genre.
Tickets are for sale online at Uepa Tickets and Ticket Express, and CCN Servicios, Supermercados Nacional and Jumbo stores.
Sweets festival at the Barceló Santo Domingo
The Dominican pastry-making community will be meeting for the Festival Gastronómico Azúcar, Canela y Sal at the Barceló Santo Domingo Hotel (former Lina) on Av. Máximo Gómez. The event will be held Thursday, 11 April 2019 starting from 7pm. It is in its 7th year.
Fidelio Despradel criticizes President’s bill to amend Social Security Law
Puerto Plata announces definite solution to its garbage
CSIS says stability in DR made difference compared to Haiti
Free Trade Agreement with Haiti would solve many mutual problems
Poll shows Fernandez in the lead
Police protest about lack of promotions
It wasn’t Superman, it was Guillermo Peña
Preliminary hearing in case of death of young Rumanian
Man arrested with liquid cocaine
Shot Canadian was involved in organized crime
Rains bring welcome relief
“The Price” opens at the National Theater
Memory lane: Niní Caffaro and Rafael Solano at the Jaragua
Sweets festival at the Barceló Santo Domingo
Dos Pinos and La Granja products to be made in the Dominican Republic
President Danilo Medina was present when the Lácteo del Caribe Group inaugurated their new plant Tuesday, 26 March 2019. The initial investment in the plant is over US$30 million. The factory will manufacture Dos Pinos and La Granja brands. The new plant will produce milk products, juices, nectars and sodas, with 50 varieties in the first phase targeted especially for the Caribbean consumer. Dos Pinos is a leading Costa Rican food brand.
The plant has a capacity of bottling 250,000 liters a day and is located on 31,314 square meters of land, with 8,500 square meters of construction. Its manufacturing technology is described as of the most advanced of its type in operation in the country.
According to plant director, Alvaro Solano, Lácteo del Caribe sees the potential for important growth in the country.
The plant is located at Km. 22 of Duarte Highway in the Parque Industrial Duarte.
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...nto-planta-con-inversion-superior-30-millones
Fidelio Despradel criticizes President’s bill to amend Social Security Law
Deputy Fidelio Despradel (Al País-National Deputy) alerted that the bill to amend Social Security Law 87-01 recently submitted by President Danilo Medina to Congress would not accomplish the stated objective of improving pension yield for system contributors. On the contrary, he said it would increase the already inflated earnings by the financial companies that serve as middlemen for the pension plans, the Pension Fund Administrators (Administradoras de Fondos de Pensiones - AFPs).
In a letter sent to the bicameral commission that is studying the bill, Despradel said that the revision would increase earnings received by the AFPs in 2019 to RD$8.17 billion, or RD$1.13 billion more than 2017 yield. He cited findings in a recent Fundación Juan Bosch study that revealed that the earnings of the intermediaries would grow at a 14.3% pace, reaching RD$35.5 billion by 2030.
Despradel said the President has sent a bill to better the situation of the financial pension plan intermediaries at a time when it is well known that the pension plan model in place in the country has collapsed worldwide. He said that if the present situation continues, Dominican workers will receive at most 25% of their present income during their retirement years.
The Social Security Law 87-01 mandates pensions for most Dominicans in the system. But it included an exception (Art. 41) that enables hundreds of thousands of officers at government institutions to receive pensions that are similar to their wages at retirement. Most of these employees that benefit from the positive discrimination clause make over RD$50,000 a month and are employed at centralized and decentralized government institutions.
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/03...enviado-por-danilo-aumenta-ganancias-de-afps/
http://www.juanbosch.org/index.php?route=publicacion/publicacion&publicacion_id=16
https://oig.cepal.org/sites/default/files/rep._dominicana_ley_87_2001.pdf
Puerto Plata announces definite solution to its garbage
The Municipality of Puerto Plata, the Dominican Municipal League and Dominicana Limpia reached an agreement for the technical closure of the current garbage dump and the construction of a sanitary landfill in Puerto Plata.
As reported, the initiative will be funded by RD$250 million from the central government and will be carried out in different phases over the next eight months. It is being described as an integral definitive solution.
Mayor Walter Musa said that the chosen site meets technical recommendations. He admitted that delays in reaching a solution to garbage treatment had resulted in that cruise ships avoiding docking at the Amber Cove cruise ship port in Puerto Plata.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...on-de-nuevo-relleno-sanitario-en-puerto-plata
CSIS says stability in DR made a difference compared to Haiti
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has highlighted that development in the Dominican Republic is due to the democratic stability over the last 50 years. In a report presented recently in Washington DC about trade on the Dominican-Haitian border, CSIS experts reminded that the Dominican Republic and Haiti once had the same level of development, but while the former had experienced political, social and economic stability, with elections held over the last 50 years, Haiti had been affected by political instability, natural catastrophes such as the 2010 earthquake, and substantial deforestation throughout the territory.
The report goes on to say that the stability in the Dominican Republic had allowed it to attract foreign investment, develop manufacturing industries and establish a tourism sector. On the other hand, the instability of Haiti has led to limited development and economic growth indices along with challenges such as ensuring citizen safety and weak institutions.
The study was presented by Michael Matera, director of the Americas Program of CSIS and Mary Speck, consultant and writer of the report.
The presentation was attended by officials from the United States State Department, the International Development Agency (USAID), as well as businessmen, personnel from the Haitian embassy in Washington, the Dominican ambassador in Haiti, Alberto Despradel, and officials from the Dominican Embassy in Washington.
https://almomento.net/informe-del-c...dominicana-gracias-a-estabilidad-democratica/
https://www.csis.org/analysis/report-roll-out-illicit-trade-and-haiti-dominican-republic-border
Free Trade Agreement with Haiti would solve many mutual problems
Caribbean specialists meeting for the presentation of the Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. looked into corruption, lack of political will, and absence of trust between the two countries as factors for the tense situation between both countries in trade and social issues, as Mark Schneider, former assistant administrator for USAID’s Latin American and Caribbean bureau, highlighted during the presentations on a study of transborder trade between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
The specialists looked into the solutions that could serve as a catalyst for economic and social development on the premise that what is good for Haiti, is good for the Dominican Republic.
During the presentations, consultant David Lewis of Manchester Trade, advocated for Haiti and the Dominican Republic to organize trade relations between the DR and Haiti so as to lead to signing a bilateral free trade agreement in the near future. “The best way to fix this up is to set up the rule of law of a free trade agreement to actually get everything on the table, and then you implement it through all the institutionalities and procedures, and so on,” observed Lewis when presenting his views during the CSIS report rollout.
During the same event, Gabriel Verret, a former economic counselor to the President of Haiti, favored the signing of the FTA with the Dominican Republic. He said this should include sanitary and phytosanitary considerations, but would primarily open up both markets. “Just about anybody who produces anything wants to import it into the Dominican Republic, they could do it. And at year 10, Haiti will have to have reduced or removed its tariffs on such-and-such a thing. Those are things left to experts who negotiate free trade agreements. They know how to do this. You know, Ok, year five, year 10, year 15 and year 20,” he said during the meeting.
Verret explained that the best part, in addition to regularizing the issue of trade, would be that the FTA would be an incentive for investors to come and invest in Haiti. He forecast the zero tariffs on imports, for example, would increase the number of Dominican investors in Haiti.
Stephan Coles, co-owner of the Coles Group of companies and a leading businessman in Haiti, also favored the FTA between both countries. He made the point that Haiti is part of CARICOM and the Dominican Republic is part of CARIFORUM. “The Dominican Republic has bilateral agreements with most of the Caribbean countries, but it’s not part of CARICOM,” he explained. Furthermore he said that CARICOM countries import over US$42 billion a year. “It’s a huge market and they import from outside of CARICOM,” he said.
Coles added: “Companies in the Dominican Republic that go to invest in Haiti, assuming that this works and this is underway, will immediately have access to that market. And Dominican companies have the ability and the technical know-how to invest and to produce these goods.
“Secondly, Haiti has GSP, the Generalized System of Preferences, free access to the American market. I mean, the Dominican Republic does not have that now because the Dominican Republic is a developing nation. Haiti is a Least Developed Country. There are many ways to market Haiti as an investment destination; and not only for Dominican companies, but also for American companies as well. For any company in the world.”
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/03...a-dominicana-gracias-estabilidad-democratica/
https://www.csis.org/analysis/report-roll-out-illicit-trade-and-haiti-dominican-republic-border
Poll shows Fernandez in the lead
ASISA Research Group released findings of a March poll on Tuesday 26 March that shows that former President Leonel Fernández of the PLD leads in popularity with 47% acceptance, followed by Luis Abinader, from the Revolutionary Modern Party (PRM), who would garner 39% if the elections scheduled for May 2020 were held on the day of the survey. Of the 1, 205 respondents who were polled between 15 and 17 March 2019, 6% said they would not vote for any candidate and 5% abstained from answering.
The question they were asked was open: they were simply asked which candidate they would vote for, without being given a list. In the case of the PRM, among those who said they were party members, Abinader was the favorite with 79%, followed by former President Hipólito Mejía with 15%, his daughter Carolina Mejía with 4%, and National District Mayor David Collado with 2%.
Those who said they would vote in the PLD primaries, 56% said they would vote, another 20% said probably not but maybe yes, and 24% said they would not vote.
Of those who said they would vote in the 6 October 2019 primaries, 36% said they would vote for Leonel Fernández, 29% for President Danilo Medina, 14% for Vice President Margarita Cedeño, and 2% for Santiago Mayor Abel Martínez. Other PLD pre-candidates, senate president Reynaldo Pared Pérez, former Environment Minister Francisco Domínguez Brito, former Education Minister Andrés Navarro, former Economy Minister Temístocles Montas, and former Interior & Police Minister Carlos Amarante Baret, each had 1%. 22% did not respond to pollsters.
Looking at other issues, 54% felt that the country was going in the wrong direction, with 42% saying it was going in the right direction and 6% did not answer.
Corruption was seen as the main problem in the country with 36%, followed by citizen safety 17%, unemployment 12%, high prices for essential products 5%, and control of Haitian immigration with 5%.
When it comes to the current government, 44% approved and 54% did not. The most negative perception came from Greater Santo Domingo, with 59% disapproval and the East with 57%.
President Medina was seen as positive by 56%. The most positive acts by the current government were seen as education with 59%, 911 system with 18%, surprise visits 9%, and new construction works 5%.
The negative aspects were seen as corruption within the government with 26%, following by inefficient officials staying being kept in their posts with 20%, lack of control of the cost of the consumer family basket with 13%, out of control crime with 10%, and immigration policy 9%.
73% of those polled rejected that the 2015 Constitution be amended to enable the second reelection of President Danilo Medina. 23% favored doing this. 4% did not respond to the question.
The poll has a plus/minus 3% margin of error.
https://asisaresearch.com/encuesta-...-permitir-repostulacion-presidencial/?lang=es
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...onel-fernandez-sobre-luis-abinader-AG12419911
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/03...-36-prefiere-leonel-29-danilo-y-14-margarita/
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...a-modificacion-constitucional-para-reeleccion
http://hoy.com.do/si-las-elecciones...ganaria-a-luis-abinader-segun-encuesta-asisa/
Police protest about lack of promotions
National Police spokesman Colonel Frank Durán said in a press conference that there are around 12,000 police officers ready to be promoted but there are insufficient vacancies for all of them. He said that there were 4,000 vacancies originally, but thanks to efforts by director Ney Aldrin Bautista, that could increase to almost 7,000.
On Tuesday, 26 March 2019, dozens of police officers went to the Police headquarters to complain that they had not been promoted, according to the promotion list published last Friday, 22 March. This was an extraordinary occurrence because police agents have not been known to confront their authorities in a collective way in the past.
Duran said that he understood their concern, but that they had to understand that nothing could be done about the situation, pointing out that he himself had been a colonel for 16 years.
Recently, 53-year old second lieutenant Bernardo Alberto Paredes, who had seven years in the rank, committed suicide and his family attributed this to his frustrations at not being included in the recent wage raises.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...ieron-promover-a-la-mitad-por-falta-de-plazas
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...cia-exigen-ser-ascendidos-de-rango-DF12420388
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...suicidado-porque-no-lo-ascendieron-NH12403824
It wasn’t Superman, it was Guillermo Peña
Guillermo Peña was on his way on his Passola motorbike when life dealt him the card that turned him into a hero. He would not think twice when jumping into the choppy Caribbean to save two persons who fell into the sea when the dump truck they were riding fell Monday, 25 March 2019 afternoon into the sea at Km 19 of the Las Americas Expressway.
Peña told Hoy newspaper that he was able to determine that one of the men was dead, the other unconscious. He said he was able to rescue the unconscious person, and then a third person who had also jumped in to also help only to find himself drowning, too.
Peña says he also drives trucks and recognizes this is a difficult job.
Brigades of the firemen, Civil Defense, Dominican Armada and 911 Emergency assisted in the operation to lift the truck out of the water and back onto the ground on Tuesday, 26 March.
The toll of the accident was the death of the driver, 64-year old Juan García. Two injured persons were taken to the Darío Contreras Trauma Hospital, where one was left hospitalized. Of the two, one was a man who jumped into the sea to help rescue the truck victims.
http://hoy.com.do/guillermo-pena-el...ato-a-los-que-cayeron-al-mar-en-las-americas/
https://elnacional.com.do/video-sacan-camion-cayo-al-mar-y-murio-conductor/
Preliminary hearing in case of death of young Rumanian
On Tuesday 26 March, a National District court held the preliminary hearing for Gabriel Villanueva, accused of the death of the young Rumanian woman, Andreea Celea. Villanueva has been serving a year of pre-trial custody in the San Pedro de Macoris jail. He maintains his innocence.
Villanueva’s lawyer, Plutarco Jacquez, said that the prosecution had not wanted to show the security camera evidence from the hotel where the incident took place, because if they did they would not be able to convict the accused and would have to release him for lack of evidence and witnesses.
He also complained that the prosecution had concealed the list of phone calls and text messages, which show that the accused was not pursuing the victim, but the reverse as when the event happened, the victim had called the accused more than eight times.
Jacquez then accused the victim’s sister, whom he said wanted to blackmail and extort the defense and that she had sent requests to the lawyers asking for RD$100,000 million.
The hearing was postponed for 2 April 2019 as requested by Villanueva’s lawyer, Sonia Marlenis Guerrero, to give her time to study the accusations presented by the defense of 21-year-old Andreea Celea, who died on 1 September last year after falling from the window of a hotel located in Bella Vista in Santo Domingo.
The lawyer concluded in the presentation that this was a suicide and not a homicide.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...abriel-villanueva-por-muerte-de-andreea-celea
http://hoy.com.do/conocen-audiencia...nisterio-publico-no-quiere-presentar-pruebas/
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...-varios-hechos-violentos-contra-andreea-celea
Man arrested with liquid cocaine
Agents of the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) and the specialized Corps of Airport Security (CESAC) have arrested a 60-year-old man who was trying to take liquid cocaine out of the country in bottles that appeared to be beauty products.
The as-yet unidentified man was trying to board a flight to Brussels.
The suspected drugs were sent to the INACIF for confirmation. The arrested man has been taken to DNCD headquarters to discover if he was acting as a mule or if he is part of a group of drug traffickers.
The bottles containing the substance suspect to be liquid cocaine were detected by officials in a suitcase with a double bottom, mixed with supposed beauty products.
http://dncd.gob.do/index.php/notici...-a-bruselas-envases-llenos-de-cocaina-liquida
Shot Canadian was involved in organized crime
According to the press in Canada, Mike Di Battista, the Canadian shot and killed in his vehicle in Sosúa on the evening of Sunday, 24 March 2019, had connections with several international criminal organizations linked to drug-trafficking. The Dominican police said inside the car in which he was murdered were two passports, one Italian and one Canadian.
On 4 February 2015, CTV news in Montreal had reported that Mike Battista and Mathieu Bouchard were fugitives from the law in connection with the dismantling of a mafia group who used a sophisticated method of mixing drugs in asphalt, known as molecular pairing.
Those involved were known as the Silvano cell and were also linked to the Bastone and De Vito groups, some of whom were arrested in 2014 in an operation called Clemenza Project.
In 2015 Mike Di Battista was arrested by Interpol and the National Police and was handed over the Canadian authorities in the terminal of El Catey airport in Samana.
It appears that, according to TVA Nouvelles in Canada, Di Battista was released from jail in March 2017 together with the others arrested back in 2015.
It is thought that Di Battista was using his home in the Dominican Republic as a transition point for the drugs.
It is not known how Di Battista was able to return to the country following his deportation.
https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2019/03/25/un-montrealais-tue-en-republique-dominicaine
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...is-habia-sido-deportado-por-trafico-de-drogas
Rains bring welcome relief
On Monday, 25 March 2019, it rained heavily in Santiago and different areas of the Cibao, leading to some flooding. This was the first heavy rainfall for some time, bringing relief to the population and agriculture.
In the province of Valverde (Mao) there has been the highest amount of rainfall, although the drought is not thought to be over.
According to the National Meteorological Office (Onamet), the rains are expected to continue in several provinces of the northwest, north, northeast, Caribbean coast as well as the border zone and the central mountain area.
Rains were felt also in Greater Santo Domingo in the early morning of 26 March.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...guira-provocando-aguaceros-en-varias-regiones
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...ran-aguaceros-en-santiago-y-lugares-del-cibao
http://onamet.gob.do/
“The Price” opens at the National Theater
The Sala Ravelo of the National Theater will be staging the play, “El Precio,” the local version of the Arthur Miller classic tells the story of two brothers, one a surgeon, the other a policeman, who meet again after 16 years of not talking to each other. They are brought together because the family home, their inheritance, will be demolished and the brothers need to agree on a price for the estate. Starring Mario Lebrón, Elvita Taveras, José Roberto Díaz García and Omar Ramírez, directed by Indiana Brito and produced by Dunia de Windt. Performances are 4, 5, 6 and 11, 12, 13 April 2019. On Friday and Saturday the play opens at 8:30pm and on Sundays at 6:30pm. Tickets are RD$800 and for sale at the National Theater box office.
Memory lane: Niní Caffaro and Rafael Solano at the Jaragua
“Romance sobre el Jaragua” in the voices of Niní Cáffaro and Rafael Solano is a memorable concert produced by Skypro Entertainment Group for the Hotel Renaissance Jaragua. The concert is danceable and is booked for Friday, 31 May 2019 at the Teatro La Fiesta of the Jaragua Renaissance starting at 9pm. A Big Band of 18 musicians, “The Moon Band” directed by Amaury Sánchez, will accompany singers Caffaro and Solano.
SkyPro says this is a first of a series of romantic songs concerts that are being scheduled for the Jaragua every month and a half. In a press release, SkyPro explains the idea is to revive a musical era and where people can dance, sing and remember boleros, merengues and other genre.
Tickets are for sale online at Uepa Tickets and Ticket Express, and CCN Servicios, Supermercados Nacional and Jumbo stores.
Sweets festival at the Barceló Santo Domingo
The Dominican pastry-making community will be meeting for the Festival Gastronómico Azúcar, Canela y Sal at the Barceló Santo Domingo Hotel (former Lina) on Av. Máximo Gómez. The event will be held Thursday, 11 April 2019 starting from 7pm. It is in its 7th year.