DR1 Daily News - Wednesday, 15 May 2019

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Dominican Republic maintains GDP growth leadership in Latin America
Drag vote debate heats up
Vote to remove drag vote signing posts in Change.org
DR backs international decision on plastic waste
Student levels improve little after mega investment in education
Elías Serulle resigns congressional seat to become ambassador in Turkey
Dominican fruit entrepreneurs sell essential oils
Time to remove abandoned planes
Pilots arrested in Puerto Plata
Trending topic: Relatives of government officers have high-paying jobs in government
Fire affects traffic through Las Americas Expressway tunnel
Hearing on coercive measures for drug dealer delayed
Venezuelan villa raided in Cap Cana
Drug manufacture point closed and Serbians arrested
Juan Puello Herrera stays at the helm of the Caribbean Baseball Confederation
White Marlin Fishing Tournament
Vacaciones CTN Expo Feria 2019 at Sambil


Dominican Republic maintains GDP growth leadership in Latin America
According to the governor of the Central Bank, Héctor Valdez Albizu, the economy grew by 5.7% in the first three months of the year. He said that despite the complicated international situation, the Dominican Republic continues as the economic leader in Latin America sustained by the strengths of its macroeconomic fundamentals.

During the first three months of the year the country’s growth was the highest in the region, followed by Panama (3.7 %), Honduras (2,.8 %), Guatemala (2.7 %), Colombia (2.6 %), El Salvador (2.4 %), Costa Rica (2.2 %) and the rest of the Latin American economies, which were all below 2.0%.

The sectors that contributed most to the growth were construction (12.5 %), energy and water (11.7 %), financial intermediaries (9.5 %), mining (6.3 %), transport and warehousing (6.2 %), public administration (5.7 %) and hotels, bars and restaurants (5.0 %).

Valdez Albizu said that in the first three months of the year inflation was 0.86% and the annual rate from March 2018 to March this year was 1.47%. Direct foreign investment reached US$803.7 million for an increase of 28.2% over the same time period last year. Tourism continued to play a major role with hotel occupancy at 85.4% for the first trimester of the year.

https://www.bancentral.gov.do/a/d/4...omarzo-de-2019-manteniendo-su-liderazgo-en-al


Drag vote debate heats up
The political opposition almost unanimously has opposed the recent decision of the Central Electoral Board (JCE) to eliminate the allocating of votes for deputies to senators in 26 provinces. The JCE, nevertheless, decided to keep the drag vote for the National District and the provinces of La Santo Domingo, Santiago, San Cristobal, La Vega and Puerto Plata, where 58% of the vote is concentrated.

The Central Electoral Board (JCE) published Resolution 08/2019 explaining the reasoning behind its decision to differentiate who could vote directly for a senator and who could not. This is based on the provinces that had established electoral districts. The congressional election is scheduled for 17 May 2020. The resolution can be read in the free newspapers El Dia and Diario Libre on 15 May 2019. Resolution 08/2019 can also be read on the JCE website at jce.org.do

The JCE decision to only partially eliminate the drag vote was rejected by almost all political parties, including the ruling PLD and the leading opposition party, the PRM. The PLD wants the drag vote to be maintained for all electoral districts, while the PRM, as most opposition parties, rejects the divide and says the drag vote should be eliminated for all electoral districts.

The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) will be hearing motions submitted by political parties starting on Wednesday, 15 May 2019.

Political analyst Nelson Espinal Báez, in an op-ed article in Diario Libre, observes that the resolution is contrary to the position the JCE had maintained in the law bills it had drafted over the years, prior to the approval of the Political Parties Law and the Electoral Regime Law.

https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...a-celebracion-de-comicios-del-2020-EC12762798
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...a-credibilidad-de-la-junta-central-EC12762420
https://www.diariolibre.com/opinion...-versus-incoherencia-institucional-LC12765097


Vote to remove drag vote signing posts in Change.org
The civil society group, Centro Juan XXIII is collecting signatures on Change.org to request the Central Electoral Board (JCE) entirely eliminate the “drag vote” in the 17 May 2020 congressional election. The drag vote for 26 provinces. Nevertheless, the JCE excluded the National District (capital city of Santo Domingo) and five provinces – San Cristóbal, Santiago, Santo Domingo, La Vega and Puerto Plata that represent almost 59% of the total number of voters.

This means that in the National District and the five provinces voters when casting their vote for deputies will be allocating these same votes to the senator of the same political party of the chosen deputy, regardless of whether the voter favors that senatorial candidate. In the other 26 provinces, the voters can cast their votes separately for the senators and deputies of their choice.

The separation of the deputies and senator votes has been ruled in the Dominican Constitution and was incorporated into the Electoral Regime Law 15-19, but there was some ambiguity. In interpreting the law, the JCE decided to go halfway, exempting 26 provinces from the drag vote.
Of the nine judges of the JCE, only Roberto Saladín Selín signed the JCE resolution, but publicly shared a document where he expressed he had internally voted against the decision. In the document he explained his dissident vote, saying the drag vote was contrary to the spirit of democracy, the Constitution and the law.

http://z101digital.com/centro-juan-...en-change-org-para-eliminar-voto-de-arrastre/
https://www.change.org/p/por-una-pa...rece-no-al-voto-de-arrastre-centro-juan-xxiii
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...ia-al-voto-de-arrastre-para-no-danar-a-la-jce
http://www.opd.org.do/index.php/mar...s/ley-organica-de-regimen-electoral-num-15-19
https://acento.com.do/2019/politica...-del-arrastre-y-devolver-el-sufragio-directo/


DR backs international decision on plastic waste
The Dominican Republic was one of 180 governments that on Friday, 10 May 2019, agreed to amend the annexes of the Basel Convention that regulates international trade in waste to create new controls on plastic waste. At the meeting adopting the decision the Dominican Republic hailed it as “a triumph of the Basel Convention.”

Adopted in 1989, the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal is the most comprehensive international environmental agreement on hazardous and other wastes and is almost universal, with 187 parties. Only East Timor, Fiji, Grenada, Haiti, Soloman Islands, South Sudan, Tuvalu and the United States are not parties to the Convention (Haiti and the US signed but never ratified).
The Basel Convention bans parties from waste exports to, and waste imports from, non-parties unless covered by a specific agreement that does not detract from the Convention. The Dominican Republic became a party in 2000.

The biennial meeting of the Convention’s decision-making body, the Conference of the Parties (COP), decided in Geneva last week to amend Annexes II (waste requiring special consideration), VIII (hazardous waste) and IX (non-hazardous waste) of the Convention. The move essentially designates certain plastic waste as non-hazardous and thus exempt from the prior informed consent (PIC) procedure for waste shipments under the Convention, while declaring others as either hazardous or requiring “special consideration,” i.e., special notice, permissions and documentation.

The latter category will capture most plastic waste shipments destined for recycling in another country (such as Dominican plastics collected and exported to the US or elsewhere for recycling). In the past, some countries and environment groups have claimed that hazardous plastic waste was being dumped in developing countries while entering designated as plastics intended for recycling.

The COP decision came after 12 days of negotiation and discussion. Rolph Payet, executive secretary of the Basel Convention, explains the decision addresses “one of the world’s most pressing environmental issues” by enabling the development of a transparent and traceable system for export and import of plastic waste.

The COP also agreed to create a new Partnership on Plastic Waste to mobilize business, government, academic and civil society resources, interests and expertise to assist in implementing the new measures, to provide a set of practical supports – including tools, best practices, technical and financial assistance. The COP further agreed to update existing Basel Convention technical guidelines on the identification and environmentally sound management of plastic waste and their disposal.

The United Nations has stated that pollution from plastic waste has reached epidemic proportions with an estimated 100 million tonnes of plastic now found in the oceans, 80-90% of which comes from land-based sources.

https://www.unenvironment.org/news-...-landmark-decisions-protect-people-and-planet
https://www.unenvironment.org/news-...single-use-plastics-shows-widespread-momentum
https://www.wfla.com/national/almos...-plastic-waste-agreement-except-us/1996720142


Student levels improve little after mega investment in education
The findings of the recent assessment of sixth grade students nationwide reveal that the Ministry of Education has little to show for the billions received after at the start of the first Medina administration in 2012. At the time, the Medina administration implemented the law that requires that 4% of the National Budget be allotted to public education.

The assessment of the results of education continues to show there is a big divide between the knowledge shown by the students of public and those of private schools, despite the enormous investment. Today, most public school teachers make higher wages and have better benefits than teachers in the private system.

The assessment revealed that the students of sixth grade had only 18% of the mathematics knowledge for the grade. The assessment also reveals that there is no difference in the learning levels achieved by students in the new extended public school system, where students are kept in school up to 4 pm, and those that go to school for from 8 to noon.

https://listindiario.com/la-republi...an-mejores-notas-que-los-de-escuelas-publicas
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...nda-tienen-el-mismo-desempeno-en-evaluaciones
https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2019/05/15/565499/estudiantes-muestran-fallas-en-matematicas
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...rrados-en-las-metas-de-aprendizaje-CB12759469


Elías Serulle resigns congressional seat to become ambassador in Turkey
Legislator Elias Serulle (PLD-National District), with 17 years in the Chamber of Deputies resigned the position to serve as the Dominican Republic’s ambassador in Turkey. He served the terms from 2002-2006, 2006-2010, 2010-2016, 2016-2020 for the Electoral District No. 2 of the National District.

He had been nominated ambassador to Turkey by President Danilo Medina on 13 November 2018 by Decree 418-18.

Serulle had served as spokesman for the PLD in the Chamber of Deputies. At the time of his resignation, he was president of the permanent commission for the Armed Forces. He is a graduate in naval sciences and served on the commissions of drugs, asset laundering, telecommunications, ethics, and penitentiary affairs.

http://hoy.com.do/serulle-renuncia-a-diputacion-va-como-embajador-a-turquia/


Dominican fruit entrepreneurs sell essential oils
Dominican fruit is being used for international cosmetics and pharmacology. This was unveiled at the AgroAlimentaria 2019, the seventh international food, tobacco and beverages fair, as reported in Fresh Plaza.

One of the examples of this is a Dominican company that buys rotten mangoes and avocados to grind them and extract their essential oils. Then these oils are exported to Genoa, Italy, where they are used in the cosmetic industry for the production of shampoo, moisturizers, and soaps.

At the event held last week, Agriculture Minister Osmar Benitez praised the entrepreneurial work that this company does giving value to fruit rejects. He encouraged the fair's attendees not to throw away fruit or orange seeds, as they could be given to companies that extract essential oils from those residues.

Benitez added that the country currently exports sour oranges to France, where their skins are used to make liquor. Other Dominican products that are also used in this type of industry are aloe, vetiver, patchouli, lemongrass leaves, avocado, eucalyptus, and soursop for infusions or tea.

https://www.freshplaza.com/article/...ential-oils-with-avocados-and-rotten-mangoes/


Time to remove abandoned planes
The Dominican Civil Aviation Institute (IDAC) has given a 30-day timeframe to the owners of-14 airplanes that are stationed at the La Americas and La Isabela international airports to either take them away or they will be confiscated by the state and declared as abandoned. IDAC issued a publication as laid down in Law 491-06 on Civil Aviation that outlines the process to be undertaken to confiscate aircraft that are not collected by their owner with 30 days of notice.

At Las Americas International there are eight apparently abandoned aircraft, which are N94CF/CV-240 registration CU-C298, L-1049 registration HI-393 CT, Beech Craft registration N2778, NA-265-40 registration YV120T, Jet Stream 31 registration HI817, Boeing 737-247 registration XAUJC, Learjet 25D registration YV544T, and Aero-commander 500 registration N100PV.

At the La Isabela International airport there are six aircraft, which are R44 registration HI-921, C172 registration 268, AA-5 registration HI-1018 and three aircraft C421, C150 y C172 with no registration on their fuselages.

https://listindiario.com/la-republi...aves-si-no-las-retiran-en-un-plazo-de-30-dias


Pilots arrested in Puerto Plata
Two foreign pilots were arrested by agents from the Specialized Corps of Airport Security and Civil Aviation (CESAC) when trying to leave Gregorio Luperon International Airport in Puerto Plata. They were leaving illegally and planning to fly to Grenada, which is a Caribbean island off the coast of Venezuela. The arrested pilots were Venezuelan Oswaldo Enrique Blislick Weeden and Mexican Daniel González Moreno, who were both remanded in custody for three months at the San Felipe jail in Puerto Plata.

The aircraft, a Cessna, registration N-920Va, made in the United States, was confiscated by the authorities, having been at the airport since 15 April 2019.

According to CESAC director general, Brigadier General Aracenis Castillo de la Cruz, the two pilots were using several forged documents trying to hoodwink the authorities.

http://hoy.com.do/lo-que-le-paso-a-...aban-llevarse-ilegalmente-avioneta-a-granada/
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...ian-a-una-isla-cercana-a-venezuela-GB12758529


Trending topic: Relatives of government officers have high-paying jobs in government
Social media is flooded with posts after Somos Pueblo news portal and the Nuria Piera investigative TV show have been researching government payrolls and finding red flags of possible irregularities. The irregularities focus on thousands of relatives of key officers in the government appointed in government offices with wages up more than RD$50,000, with too many receiving RD$150,000+ when they are not known to hold a real job. The focus is also on the bundle of people in the arts that benefit from the high wages. When journalist Nuria Piera questioned the government personnel minister, Ventura Camejo, he stated that advances were being made to avoid this situation and he would “investigate and make corrections.”

http://somospueblo.com/hija-de-miem...nco-central-cobra-rd161mil-en-el-mismo-banco/
http://somospueblo.com/hijo-de-felucho-jimenez-cobra-rd440000-mensual-como-intendente-de-valores/
http://somospueblo.com/otro-hijo-de...rd260000-como-viceministro-de-la-presidencia/
http://somospueblo.com/merenguero-pochy-familia-cobra-rd125-mil-como-embajador/
http://somospueblo.com/merenguera-milly-quezada-cobra-rd50000-como-embajadora/
http://somospueblo.com/el-superinte...n-al-estado-rd-1-05-millones-de-pesos-al-mes/
http://somospueblo.com/merenguero-sergio-vargas-cobra-rd100000-como-embajador/
http://somospueblo.com/comunicadora-selinee-mendez-cobra-rd60550-como-embajadora/
http://somospueblo.com/periodista-guarionex-rosa-cobra-rd100000-como-embajador/
http://somospueblo.com/sobrino-de-a...-indotel-desde-que-henry-molina-era-director/
http://somospueblo.com/henry-molina...avinon-en-indotel-por-orden-de-danilo-medina/
https://n.com.do/2019/05/05/mas-cas...rios-que-cobran-sueldos-exorbitantes-parte-1/
https://n.com.do/2019/05/05/mas-cas...rios-que-cobran-sueldos-exorbitantes-parte-2/


Fire affects traffic through Las Americas Expressway tunnel
A vehicle caught on fire on Tuesday, 14 May 2019 in the afternoon causing the shutdown of the important tunnel that connects east and west Santo Domingo. Personal injuries were not reported. Other vehicles inside the tunnel at the time suffered smoke damages only. The owners of these vehicles abandoned these in the tunnel and rain for safety.

The fire did cause a major bottleneck on the Las Americas Expressway. The firemen arrived and put out the fire, but the tunnel remained closed for hours due to the extensive smoke.

https://elnacional.com.do/se-incendia-vehiculo-en-el-tunel-de-las-americas-sin-reporte-de-victimas/
https://n.com.do/2019/05/14/se-incendia-vehiculo-en-tunel-las-americas-cerrado-direccion-oe/


Hearing on coercive measures for drug dealer delayed
A court hearing in the National District to review the coercive measures imposed on accused drug dealer Sidney Rafael Matías Pérez has been postponed until 21 May as Matías Pérez did not have any lawyers to represent him. The Public Prosecution service asked for him to be assigned a Public Defender immediately.

The hearing concerned a request by the Prosecutors to change the coercive measures applied to Matías Pérez, which currently consist solely of periodic presentation. They are seeking preventive custody, as not only is he a repeat offender, but it also thought to be head of a drug gang from whom 365 kilos of cocaine were confiscated by the authorities.

Matías Pérez is also accused of threatening journalist Teresa Casado, who has denounced she has received two life-threatening emails, following a home robbery. Matías Pérez states it had nothing to do with him.

Dressed in a Hugo Boss suit, he said that he was being painted as a vile criminal that he was not.
In January, Matías Pérez completed four years in jail and having been released, began a period of another four years under a conditional sentence. He was arrested on 19 March this year in Santiago accused of being linked to a shipment of 365 kilos of drugs.

https://eldia.com.do/tribunal-del-d...udiencia-de-narco-sidney-rafael-matias-perez/


Venezuelan villa raided in Cap Cana
On Sunday, 12 May 2019, drug and money-laundering investigators joined by US federal agents raided the luxury villa in Cap Cana linked to one of Venezuela's richest men, 44-year old billionaire Samark López Bello. López Bello wasn’t present at the time.

Samark López Bello was recently indicted by federal prosecutors in New York for allegedly violating sanctions on Venezuela. He is said to have close ties to former Venezuelan Vice President Tareck Zaidan El Aissami Maddah, who is accused by the US government for his ties to the Iranian-sponsored, internationally sanctioned terrorist group Hezbollah and drug traffickers.

López Bello is also thought to be linked to illegal flights from Caracas to Moscow and Istanbul, and suspected of using his planes for illegal activities from Venezuela to the UAE to avoid US sanctions. In addition, it is said that the plane that had landed in Punta Cana on 30 April 2019 was taking Lopez Bello and associates from Russia to Venezuela and then came to the Dominican Republic. Local National Investigations Agency (DNI) director, Sigfrido Pared Perez, had stated that the recent Turkish plane that landed at Punta Cana International Airport was just transporting crew.

The raid at the villa in Cap Cana in the Punta Cana area resulted in the confiscation of two villas estimated to be worth US$30 million and US$18 million, and more than 30 luxury watches, valued between US$50,000 and US$300,000 each, three sport-utility vehicles, more than US$43,000 in cash and other property. Also confiscated was jewelry belonging to his wife in two safety deposit boxes that also contained numerous documents detailing commercial transaction, including transfers of large quantities of cash from Venezuela to Russia.

In the operation, the authorities arrested Armando J. Leiva and Carmen J. Pinto de Leiva, a Venezuelan couple, and María Eugenia Rojas and Karol V. Gutiérrez Nieve, both Dominicans.

https://eldia.com.do/venezolano-bus...ve-en-caso-contra-vicepresidente-de-ese-pais/
https://www.miamiherald.com/latest-news/article230353369.html
https://eldia.com.do/autoridades-haran-levantamiento-de-bienes-empresario/
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...los-hombres-mas-ricos-de-venezuela-IC12762219


Drug manufacture point closed and Serbians arrested
The National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) has dismantled a center for the preparation and distribution of synthetic marijuana in Bani, in southcentral Peravia province. The raids were carried out in the Santa Elena residential complex and in a home between the sectors of Angostura and Honduras in Bani. Five men were arrested, all were Serbians with ages between 27 and 47 years. More than six pounds of marijuana was confiscated. Also confiscated during the raids were liquid drugs, weighing scales, four laptops, eleven cell phones, a car, a motorcycle.

According to the authorities, the drugs were prepared for sale in Greater Santo Domingo and the eastern part of the country, hence they are looking for other gang members.

https://www.dncd.gob.do/index.php/n...-distribucion-de-presunta-marihuana-sintetica


Juan Puello Herrera stays at the helm of the Caribbean Baseball Confederation
The Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation (CBPC) decided that Dominican commissioner Juan Francisco Puello Herrera will continue for another two years at the helm of the organization. The terms are usually for four years. Puello has been the commissioner since 1991.

The presidents of the national leagues in Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Mexico and the Dominican Republic met for the Ordinary General Assembly of the organization at the Museo del Deporte in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Tuesday, 14 May 2019.

Puello had the backing of Puerto Rico and Venezuela. The Dominican Republic and Mexico league representatives had opposed Puello continuing. The difference came after the problems caused by the CBPC decision to host the 2019 Caribbean Series in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, despite the political crisis in that country. As had been warned beforehand, the situation erupted to such a point that an alternate site had to be found in a matter of days. This resulted in higher spending by the teams that ended the series in debt. The Caribbean Series is the most important event organized by the CBPC and is held every year in February.

Puello Herrera had said that he wanted to remain in the position for another term of four years in order to finish some tasks he says he has pending.

The leagues of Panama and Cuba are part of the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation but have non-voting status and play as guest teams not eligible for championship titles.

https://eldia.com.do/puello-herrera...cion-de-beisbol-del-caribe-solo-por-dos-anos/
https://www.metrord.do/do/deportes/...e-la-mira-puesta-juan-fco-puello-herrera.html
https://www.diariohispaniola.com/no...co-con-la-mira-puesta-en-su-comisionado-.html


White Marlin Fishing Tournament
The Santo Domingo Yacht Club announces the 44th International White Marlin Fishing Tournament from 15-18 May 2019 from its installations at Cabeza de Toro in the Punta Cana area. Anglers from Puerto Rico, Venezuela, United States, Brazil and the Dominican Republic have registered to participate. Even though the tournament is dedicated to the white marlin, those catching blue marlin, sailfish and spearfish will also be awarded points in the tournament. The tournament is a catch and release event.


Vacaciones CTN Expo Feria 2019 at Sambil
Check out deals and what’s popular for summer vacations at the 19th Vacaciones CTN Expo Feria 2019. The event will be Friday, 17 May to Sunday, 19 May at the Centro Comercial Sambil on Av. John F. Kennedy. The event this year is dedicated to the United States. Admission is RD$100 adults and RD$50 children.
 
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