DR1 Daily News - Tuesday, 2 July 2019

D

Dolores

Guest
RD$5 billion more to stimulate the economy
Constitutional Court removes financial constraint to foreigners suing here
Many Naco streets change direction
Domingo Contreras vs. Roberto Salcedo again for capital city mayor candidacy
DR named to represent Latin America in FAO Council
Dauhajre explains Odebrecht payments he received
Should Gregory Salcedo resign his post at the Dominican Stock Market?
Adriano Espaillat expected to delve into tourist death media hype
FBI toxicology reports due soon
Major cocaine and arms haul
Canadian visa fraudster arrested
First details on the Barahona plane crash
Check to see if your phone will support WhatsApp
Al Horford passes to the Philadelphia 76ers
J Balvin to come for Verano Presidente
Hot temperatures get hotter
Manny Cruz at Hard Rock Live



RD$5 billion more to stimulate the economy
The Central Bank authorized the release of RD$5,154.9 million from legal reserves to be channeled by multiple banks and savings and loans associations to finance interim loans for housing project developments. Loans must be granted at an interest rate of up to 9.0% per annum, with a fixed term of two years that is renewable.

The Monetary Board, through the Ninth Resolution of 30 May 2019, had already authorized the release of resources from legal reserves for an amount of up to RD$29,209.7 million to be channeled by financial intermediaries in loans to productive sectors such as export, manufacturing, agriculture, housing, consumption, commerce and SMEs. With the additional release of RD$5,154.9 million, an overall total of RD$34,364.6 million has been released from the legal reserves to stimulate the economy.

The Central Bank also recently ordered a reduction of the reference interest rate that had been unchanged since July 2018. The Monetary Board approved a reduction of 50 points bringing this to 5%.

https://www.bancentral.gov.do/a/d/4...s-interinos-para-la-construccion-de-viviendas
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/07...istribucion-de-los-recursos-del-encaje-legal/
https://acento.com.do/2019/actualid...ca-monetaria-en-50-puntos-llegando-a-5-anual/
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/07...-mueve-su-tasa-de-interes-hacia-el-incentivo/


Constitutional Court removes financial constraint to foreigners suing here
The Constitutional Court ruled that the articles of the Civil Code and the Code of Civil Procedure that impose restrictions on foreigners to sue or be part of a judicial process are null and void. These had forced many foreigners who did not own real estate here to post bond to litigate. The cost of the bond or real estate was pegged to the amount of what was being disputed in the legal case.

The Constitutional Court declared the provisions contained in articles 16 of the Civil Code and 166 and 167 of the Code of Civil Procedure to be inconsistent with the Constitution. It stated that these violated articles 39, 40, paragraph 15 and 69 of the Constitution of the Republic, which establish the right to equality, liberty and personal security and adequate judicial protection and due process.

With the ruling, the Constitutional Court upheld a direct action of unconstitutionality filed on 26 December 2000 by the Fundacion Fesore, Inc.

https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2019/07/02/572304/tc-anula-textos-obligan-a-pago-fianzas


Many Naco streets change direction
When driving through Naco neighborhood be extra cautious these days. The city government of Santo Domingo has altered the course of many roads in the high-density city area, and traffic is slower than before. It is that the city government is giving commuters 90 days to learn the new road directions.

The city government ruled the new direction of many roads in the mixed residential-commercial neighborhood. The new directions are:
West-East: Tetelo Vargas, Presidente Gonzalez, Salvador Sturla, Auro Paulino and Octavio del Pozo
East-West: Carlos Sánchez, Orlando Martinez
North-South: Gracita Alvarez, Manuel Perdomo
South-North: Sócrates Nolasco.

No changes were made to Av. Gustavo Mejia Ricart or Fantino Falco street. Other streets that remain the same are the Dr. Heriberto Pieter, Santa Kasse Acta, Emil Kasse Acta, Jaycees, Ing. Juan P. Bonilla, Alberto Larancuent, General Cambiazo, Rafael Augusto Sánchez, Roberto Pastoriza, General Frank Felix Miranda, Luis Alberti.

https://eldia.com.do/cambio-vial-en-naco-empezo-a-surtir-sus-efectos-positivos/


Domingo Contreras vs. Roberto Salcedo again for capital city mayor candidacy?
Domingo Contreras will compete against former National District Roberto Salcedo for the PLD candidacy for mayor in the National District. Both registered their pre-candidacies at the deadline for legislative and municipal hopefuls.

In the 2016 general election, Roberto Salcedo defeated Domingo Contreras for the PLD candidacy to mayor of the National District. Salcedo then lost to David Collado who ran for the PRM party in the general election. The PRM has said Collado is most likely to be their candidate again in the 2020 municipal election.

The Central Electoral Board (JCE) opens the campaign for the PLD pre-candidates on Sunday, 7 July 2019. The party candidates for the PLD will be chosen in the 6 October 2019 primary.
In the same race, Carlos Castillo, Dominican consul in New York, flew in to register his pre-candidacy for San José de Ocoa province. Entertainment stars Bolivar Valera (El Boli), Santiago Matías (Alofoke) and Aquiles Correa submitted their pre-candidacies to deputy positions for the ruling party.

Infamous senator for San Juan de la Maguana, Felix Bautista, also registered his pre-candidacy to repeat as the senator for the province. He is opposed in the party by Lucia Medina, the deputy who is President Medina’s sister and who now aspires to be the senator for the province. Bautista was named one of the most corrupt persons in the world by Transparency International. His visa was removed as part of the Global Magnitsky Act of the US government.

Another PLD pre-candidate who made headlines when registering was Donni Santana, who is being tried for the sexual abuse of his stepdaughter.

San Cristobal senator Tommy Galán seeks to be reelected in the position. He is being tried in the Odebrecht bribes corruption case.

As reported, 6,952 pre-candidacies were registered to councilors, deputies, senators, mayors and city government officer positions by ruling PLD party members. The party expects the number to increase to around 7,000 when the reserved positions are added to the final list of aspirants to elective positions in the country’s 31 provinces and the National District, and the 158 municipalities nationwide.

In 2020, the municipal elections will take place on 16 February, while the legislative and presidential election is scheduled for 17 May. The primaries for the two opposition political parties, the PLD and the PRM, are scheduled for 6 October 2019.

https://elnacional.com.do/domingo-contreras-inscribe-precandidatura-a-alcalde-del-dn/
https://hoy.com.do/el-boli-alofoke-...ento-que-quieren-ser-diputados-que-le-parece/
https://n.com.do/2019/07/01/diputad...ecandidaturas-de-donni-santana-y-tommy-galan/
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...ia-precampana-sin-su-candidatura-presidencial
https://do.usembassy.gov/treasury-global-magnitsky/
https://n.com.do/2019/07/01/prelimi...itos-en-el-pld-y-se-proyectan-a-mas-de-7-mil/


DR named to represent Latin America in FAO Council
Agriculture Minister Osmar Benítez announced the Dominican Republic was designated to be part of the Food and Agriculture Organization Council. The Dominican Republic will represent Latin America and the Caribbean. This is a first for the country in the 74 years since the founding of the organization. The FAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger, sets international food standards and leads the UN system in handling matters involving agriculture, food, forestry, fisheries and pesticides.

Benítez says the privilege is given to countries that meet all the institutional commitments of the organization. He made the announcement after participating in the 41st FAO Conference in Rome, Italy from 22 to 29 June 2019. It gathers 193 member states.

The board membership falls to the Minister of Agriculture and in his absence the permanent representative to the FAO, ambassador Mario Arvelo, who is based in Rome.

During the same conference, Qu Dongyu of China was elected director general of the FAO.

http://www.fao.org/about/meetings/conference/c2019/en/
https://listindiario.com/economia/2...ntara-por-primera-vez-a-la-region-ante-la-fao


Dauhajre explains Odebrecht payments he received
Economist Andrés Dauhajre states that the payments made by Odebrecht, the Brazilian construction company, to his company, Baker Street Financial, were for his professional services. He said that at the time he provided these services, he was not a public servant nor had he been for the past 18 years. He said that nothing prevented him from offering consultancy services to a global construction company.

Dauhajre explained that in January 2014, two months after the bidding process had come to an end, Odebrecht executives asked him for financial consultancy to put together options for the restructuring of the original financing agreement that the Odebrecht-Technimont-Estrella (OTE) consortium had presented during the bidding process. The contract for his services was signed at the end of January 2014, and he provided the consultancy during that year and in 2015.

He made the comments in response to the findings presented by Alicia Ortega in “El Informe con Alicia Ortega” on his company Baker Street Financial is one of the beneficiaries of so-called secret payments made by Odebrecht.

https://listindiario.com/la-republi...resa-recibio-pagos-de-odebrecht-por-servicios


Should Gregory Salcedo resign his post at the Dominican Stock Market?
Somos Pueblo online news service says that the chairman of the board of the Dominican Stock Market Board, José Gregorio (Gregory) Salcedo Llibre, is the president of the Value Added Finance Incorporated (codename Tigres) company that, according to an investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, received secret payments from the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht in the Americas. Value Added Finance is on the list of companies included in the files leaked and reportedly received US$500,000 in transactions from the Structured Operations Division of Odebrecht handling bribe payments, as revealed by a New York Court case.

In a feature, the Somos Pueblo online news service asks if Salcedo Llibre should follow the example of the deputy administrator for governmental business at BanReservas, Jose Manuel Guzmán Ibarra, who resigned his position. Guzman Ibarra is on the same list as owner of Grupo Sophus Lanx, another company associated to covert payments by Odebrecht.

Prior to his position at the Stock Market Board, Gregory Salcedo was external financial advisor to the Public Electricity Corporation (CDEEE) for the Punta Catalina thermoelectric power plant bidding progress, together with Magín Díaz, Carlos Contreras, Carmen Zaida Díaz, Danilo Santos and Manuel Rodríguez, from 18 June 2013 to the awarding of the contract to Odebrecht on 18 November 2013, reports Somos Pueblo.

Somos Pueblo reports that once the commission authorized the deal, the current president of the Dominican Stock Market received a secret payment of US$500,000.

Previously, Salcedo Llibre was vice-president of Corporate Finance & Capital Markets of Citigroup Dominican Republic, where he was handling deals such as mergers and acquisitions, securitizations and structured financing.

https://somospueblo.com/odebrecht-p...como-hizo-el-subadministrador-de-banreservas/
https://elinformeconaliciaortega.co...sperado-con-pagos-asociados-a-punta-catalina/
https://elinformeconaliciaortega.co...millones-en-pagos-asociados-a-punta-catalina/


Adriano Espaillat expected to delve into tourist death media hype
United States congressman Dominican Adriano Espaillat arrived in Santo Domingo yesterday afternoon, Monday 1 July 2019, to interview businesses and authorities about the recent deaths of US tourists in the resorts of the country, and to show his support to Dominican tourism. A recent report in CNN revealed that a clear-headed analysis of data indicates that US tourists are more likely to die of unnatural death in the United States than in the Dominican Republic. Nevertheless, media in the US continue to report on single tourist deaths, most that have been for natural causes, according to the autopsies. This has created the fake perception that deaths are unexplained and increasing in the country, affecting US travel to the Dominican Republic.

The New York congressman is programmed to meet with US Ambassador Robin Bernstein, representatives of the Hotel and Tourism Association (Asonahores), Public Ministry and other government officers.

Last week, Espaillat explained that he was concerned about the deaths of the tourists, but that he also considered that there was an unfair media campaign against the Dominican tourism industry.

Upon his arrival, Espaillat said that he is aware the US State Department has indicated there has not been an increase in US tourist deaths in the country this year, and instead, there has been a decline.

https://noticiassin.com/congresista...de-a-rd-para-tratar-caso-muertes-de-turistas/
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/06/25/americas/dominican-republic-american-deaths-context/index.html
https://hoy.com.do/adriano-espaillat-dice-rd-es-un-destino-seguro/


FBI toxicology reports due soon
The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has announced that in the next few days they should be able to divulge the results of the toxicology tests carried out on the three tourists who died within a week at a single Dominican Republic tourist complex.

Autopsies carried out in the Dominican Republic maintain the tourists all died of natural causes, but the families have their doubts.

The FBI became involved in the investigations after the Ministry of Tourism requested the US law agency cooperation after the three tourists died at the same compound in May-June 2019.

The families of Miranda Schaup Werner, aged 41, Nathaniel Holmes, 63, and Cynthia Ann Day, 49, have ordered their own private autopsies and the latter two will also have toxicology tests. The US tourists were staying at resorts within the Playa Nueva Romana complex in San Pedro de Macoris. The autopsies carried out in the Dominican Republic stated that the three died of pulmonary edema, which was questioned by the families.

https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...s-de-turistas-en-los-proximos-dias-LE13244179


Major cocaine and arms haul
Agents from the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) have confiscated more than 444 packages of a powdery substance that is suspect of being cocaine, together with an arsenal of arms, in raids in Miches in eastern El Seibo province.

At the house located at Calle María Trinidad Sánchez in Miches, the drugs were found along with six rifles, an AK-47, five M-16 rifles, two Glock pistols and more than 400 bullets along with other evidence.

In another raid on Calle Padre A. Morel street in the Santa Cruz sector, five vehicles, two buggies, four motorcycle and two jet skis were confiscated along with other property.

Two people were arrested and the DNCD and Public Prosecution Service are looking for others belonging to same drug trafficking gang.

https://eldia.com.do/banda-con-444-kilos-de-cocaina-tenia-armas-de-alto-calibre/
http://z101digital.com/dncd-ocupa-444-paquetes-presumiblemente-de-cocaina-en-el-seibo/


Canadian visa fraudster arrested
The Police have arrested a woman in Samaná who had been sought for three months for 18 arrest warrants. She is accused of defrauding 21 people of nearly half a million pesos, promising them visas to travel to Canada. A preliminary report reveals that 36-year-old Ana Luisa Liriano Espino, was arrested in her home in the center of Samaná by agents of the Department of Investigations (DNI), who had been looking for her since the beginning of April.

She posed as a travel agent and friend of someone who supposedly worked as an official in the Canadian consulate. Her clients paid her from RD$15,000 up to RD$40,000 for passports with the Canadian visa. She promised to deliver the passports with visa in 20 days.

The woman is believed to have defrauded around 100 people. Those who she scammed include an entire family for RD$66,000 and residents of Higuey, La Otra Banda, San Rafael del Yuma, Verón, La Malena, Mamá Tingó, San Francisco, Villa Cristal Juan Pablo, Santana, Sajuí, Los Rosales, Chilo Poueriet and San Pedro de Macorís. She was arrested and taken to Higuey.

https://eldia.com.do/mujer-estafo-a...n-de-pesos-prometiendoles-visas-hacia-canada/


First details on the Barahona plane crash
The Dominican Civil Aviation Institute (IDAC) reported that the four persons who died in a small plane (Piper PA-28) crash in Barahona were Giuseppe Lubrano (pilot), Enrique Grullón (co-pilot), Raquel Cordova and businessman José Elpidio Carbonell. The plane crashed into a mountain north of La Ciénaga in Barahona. Carbonell was the owner of Ascensores del Caribe, and had been learning how to fly over the past months. He had only hours to go to complete the required hours to obtain his piloting license.

IDAC is investigating the cause of the accident. The airplane had taken off from the Maria Montés International Airport in Barahona and crashed halfway to its destination in Cabo Rojo, Pedernales, a half hour trip.

https://eldia.com.do/uno-de-los-tripulantes-de-aeronave-que-se-accidento-en-barahona/


Check to see if your phone will support WhatsApp
WhatsApp, the messaging platform has announced that they will withdraw service from several models of cell phones from 1 July 2019. The application will no longer be available on Blackberry, Windows Phone and those with a version before Android 2.3.3, Windows Phone 7 and iOS 7. Besides, phones with Blackberry OS, Blackberry 10, and Windows Phone 8 will only have service until the end of this year. Those phones with a version of Android 2.3.7 up to Android 4 will continue to receive assistance until February 2020.

https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...s-que-les-queda-ocho-meses-de-vida-GE13244543


Al Horford passes to the Philadelphia 76ers
Five-time NBA All Star center Al Horford is leaving the Boston Celtics. He has agreed to a four-year US$109 million with the Philadelphia 76ers. 33-year old Horford had spent the first nine years of his career with the Atlanta Hawks before signing with the Celtics in 2016.

Sports Illustrated focuses on whether the Dominican-born player will make Philly the Eastern Conference favorite.

The contract includes US$97 million in guaranteed money and US$12 million in bonuses tied to championships.

Horford has also played on the Dominican national basketball team. He is married to former Dominican Miss Universe Amelia Vega.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27092669/horford-leaves-celtics-join-sixers-109m
https://www.sbnation.com/2019/7/1/20677528/al-horford-76ers-signs-free-agency-2019-reaction
https://www.si.com/nba/2019/07/01/o...s-celtics-joel-embiid-ben-simmons-free-agency


J Balvin to come for Verano Presidente
Colombian reggaeton singer J Balvin has included the DR in his Arcoiris Tour 2019. J Balvin will perform this summer as part of Verano Presidente, a PAV Events production. J Balvin has over 50 million Spotify listeners. The chart-topping recording artist recently launched the album “Oasis” in collaboration with Bad Bunny.

Arcoiris Tour takes off in Puerto Rico, and then moves on to Santo Domingo on 31 August. The tour continues in Orlando, Atlanta, Miami, Detroit, Boston, Nueva York, Las Vegas, and Los Ángeles in the United States and a final stop in Toronto, Canada.

Tickets are for sale at tuboleta.com.do, at La Sirena stores and Supermercados Pola.

https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/07...ve-rd-con-su-gira-mundial-arcoiris-tour-2019/


Hot temperatures get hotter
The National Meteorology Office (Onamet) forecasts highs of 38C in some provinces in the north and southwest of the Dominican Republic. Rainfall will continue to be scarce, with isolated showers only forecast for the central mountain range and the border area.

Onamet attributes the high temperatures to an anti-cyclonic circulation in the Caribbean region, the concentration of African dust, the warm east/southeast wind flow and the time of year. Nevertheless, Onamet says this is the first time in many years that temperatures reach such highs.

The weather office recommends all to stay hydrated, wear light clothes and out of the sun from 11am to 4pm.

https://hoy.com.do/temperaturas-alcanzaran-38-grados/


Manny Cruz at Hard Rock Live
Merengue singer Manny Cruz is booked for a performance on Friday, 30 August 2019 at the Hard Rock Live Santo Domingo. The singer-composer of “Bailando Contigo” says he will share the stage with famous international artists. He promises an evening of merengues, ballads, pop, urban music and lots of fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns_CBsORRTY
https://listindiario.com/entretenimiento/2019/07/02/572271/manny-cruz-va-a-hard-rock-live