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Plaza La Trinitaria has a new look
Works 70% completed on Santo Domingo Bypass
Postal stamp commemorates first year of PRC and DR relations
Ministry of Labor: Increase wages or pay the consequences
Altagracia Paulino campaigns for ombudsperson job
Voters in primaries outlawed for participating in other party events
Gonzalo Castillo says he has the backing of 126 city mayors
Miguel Vargas’ challenge
Andres Navarro says has the best profile for President
Alianza Pais and Opción Democrática political parties merge
Guillermo Moreno says Medina does not deserve another term
Super Tucanos colonel freed on bail
Bus intercepted with 26 undocumented Haitians
More information on alleged planted drugs in Montecristi
Drug gang arrested in Azua
Pilot dead in a plane crash in San Francisco de Macorís
Lips sealed on Puerto Plata mayor robbery
Miss DR wins Lebanese Emigrant pageant
A hot summer
Victor Estrella to retire from competing in tennis
Plaza La Trinitaria has a new look
On Sunday, 4 August 2019, Mayor David Collado of the National District reinaugurated the Plaza La Trinitaria. The plaza is located at the entrance to the capital off Las Americas Expressway. A large sign now welcomes people to Santo Domingo.
Collado said the renovation is part of his program to rescue the historical and cultural heritage of the city. He said the Plaza La Trinitaria complements works already carried out on the upgrades of the Montesinos Plaza and the Malecón boulevard public spaces.
The Plaza La Trinitaria was initially built in 1966 and features a masterpiece by Antonio Prats Ventós in honor of the La Trinitaria Secret Society. The Society was the underground movement responsible for the independence of the Dominican Republic from Haiti in 1844.
The height of the Prats Ventós sculpture was elevated as part of the renovations with permission from the Prats Ventós family. Now it looks out to the entrance of the Duarte Bridge, as it used to. The 27 February Avenue overpasses had impeded the view of the iconic plaza.
Plaza La Trinitaria has new lighting and garden landscaping with around 7,000 plants.
The remodeling of the Plaza had the backing of the Ministry of Culture and the division of cultural heritage (Efemérides Patrias) of the Presidency, under Minister Eduardo Selman and historian Juan Daniel Balcácer, respectively.
The leading political opposition party, the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) has announced that Collado is their candidate to run for Mayor in the 16 February 2020 municipal election.
https://eldia.com.do/david-collado-entrega-plaza-la-trinitaria-remozada/
https://hoy.com.do/alcaldia-del-distrito-nacional-entrega-remozada-la-plazoleta-de-la-trinitaria/
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...ece-el-valor-historico-de-plaza-la-trinitaria
http://adn.gob.do/index.php?option=...de-la-trinitaria&catid=77:noticias&Itemid=846
Works 70% completed on Santo Domingo Bypass
The Ministry of Public Works reports that works on the third phase of the Santo Domingo Bypass, with an extension of 20.8 km, will be completed by the end of this year. Deputy Minister of Public Works Ramón Pepín said that the highway is one of the most important works of the Medina administration. Its completion will facilitate cargo traffic and flow traffic connecting the south and the north of the country with the east. The drivers will be able to avoid the congested city of Santo Domingo.
The four-lane road stretch links the Villa Mella-Yamasá road with the Juan Pablo II Highway (the Samaná tolls road), near the crossing of El Naranjo. The construction has required the building of 10 bridges, three underpasses, two traffic distributors and four returns. Most of these works are completed.
In all, the Santo Domingo Bypass (Circunvalación de Santo Domingo) extends around 70 km from Haina in the west to the Multimodal Caucedo Port in eastern Santo Domingo. The first stretch was inaugurated in February 2015, a second in August 2015.
http://www.mopc.gob.do/noticias/mop...-tramo-2b-de-la-circunvalación-santo-domingo/
Postal stamp commemorates first year of PRC and DR relations
The Dominican Postal Institute (Inposdom) and the People’s Republic of China Embassy celebrated the first year of diplomatic relations with the issuing of a postal stamp. Some 25,000 stamps are for sale for RD$75 each. Inposdom director, Modesto Guzmán described the relationship between the DR and China as one filled with opportunities for trade and progress through work, education and innovation.
Ambassador of China Zhang Run was present for the ceremony held at the Eduardo Latorre Auditorium of the Ministry of Foreign Relations.
The Dominican Republic began official full diplomatic relations with China on 1 May 2018.
https://elnacional.com.do/ponen-a-c...las-relaciones-diplomaticas-entre-china-y-rd/
Ministry of Labor: Increase wages or pay the consequences
Labor Minister Winston Santos has warned that the raise in the minimum is obligatory. Those who do not increase salaries as ordered will face the consequences.
He said Ministry of Labor inspectors would be visiting companies and handing out infraction notices to employers who do not implement the increase.
He said that the Labor Code mandates that the National Salaries’ Committee set minimum wages. He said opposition to the increase has come from small companies, not big business.
Nonetheless, the president of the Federation of Shopkeepers, Ivan García asked for the decision to be revoked. He said they would appeal to the Superior Administrative Court (TSA). Small business had called for a company reclassification before the increase in the minimum wage. Labor unions oppose the reclassification. Today many small companies pay the same minimum as big business.
https://eldia.com.do/trabajo-advierte-que-los-patronos-estan-obligados-aplicar-reajuste-salarial/
Altagracia Paulino campaigns for ombudsperson job
Since leaving her job as director of the National Institute for Consumer Rights Protection (Pro-Consumidor) in 2012, Altagracia Paulino has campaigned for the ombudsperson job. The position is still held by Zoila Martinez, whose term ended in May 2019. Martínez has said she is not interested in continuing.
Paulino has the backing of several organizations for her track record at Pro-Consumidor. Nevertheless, neither the Chamber of Deputies or the Supreme Court of Justice have followed the procedures set by the Constitution to replace Martínez.
Articles 190-192 of the 2015 Constitution establish that the ombudsperson is an independent authority with administrative and budgetary autonomy, bound only by the mandate given by the Constitution and the law. The ombudsperson is in charge of safeguarding the rights of individuals and the collective.
The Constitution establishes that the Senate shall appoint the ombudsperson and deputies for six years from lists of three candidates that need to be submitted by the Chamber of Deputies. The Senate then shall appoint the ombudsperson and deputies within 30 days.
The Constitution establishes that if the Chamber of Deputies fails to present the lists, as has happened, the Supreme Court of Justice is then mandated to create the lists and submit these to the Senate. The Supreme Court has not yet acted in this case.
https://proceso.com.do/2019/07/01/altagracia_paulino_favorita_para_la_defensoria_del_pueblo/
http://www.diariode3.com/proponen-a-altagracia-paulino-para-defensora-del-pueblo/
https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2012/12/27/260088/proponen-a-paulino-defensora-del-pueblo
Those voting in primaries should not participate in other party events
The president of the Central Electoral Board (JCE), the government organization in charge of organizing the 2020 general election, says that those who vote in the simultaneous primaries on 6 October 2019 should not vote in events of other parties to choose their candidates. Julio César Castaños Guzmán, president of the JCE, said this is established in the ruling for the celebration of the primaries. He made the observation when participating in a breakfast at the Listin Diario.
The ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) and the largest opposition party, the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRM) agreed to participate in simultaneous primaries on 6 October 2019. Other parties have until 27 October to choose candidates to elective positions by polling, assemblies, national conventions or other authorized methods.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...-del-pld-y-prm-inhabilita-para-otra-modalidad
Gonzalo Castillo says he has the backing of 126 city mayors
Resigning Public Works Minister Gonzalo Castillo says he has the support of 126 mayors and municipal district directors all over the country. In the Dominican Republic, city governments depend on the Ministry of Public Works to stretch their municipal budgets and get costly construction works done.
The city officers say that Castillo ensures the continuing of the Medina government projects.
Castillo resigned the position on 5 August 2019 to seek the PLD presidential nomination. President Danilo Medina has not named Castillo’s successor at the Ministry of Public Works.
In an ad in print media, Castillo says the city officers are backing him for his proven capacity at the Ministry of Public Works and for his unconditional loyalty to President Danilo Medina. Castillo was one of the most outspoken supporters of President Danilo Medina’s aspirations to a third term. When Medina on 22 July 2019 said he would not seek reelection, Castillo went forward with his own aspirations.
https://hoy.com.do/gonzalo-castillo...caldes-y-directores-de-distritos-municipales/
Miguel Vargas’ challenge
On 10 July 2019 Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas Maldonado had stated that the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) he presides would only back the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) if President Danilo Medina were the presidential candidate. When on 22 July Medina announced he would not seek the nomination, Vargas was left without a candidate to back.
Political analyst Ubi Rivas writes in Hoy on 5 August 2019 that Vargas has now the difficult challenge of forging his own political path. Rivas explains that over the years, the PRD has declined in vote count in the national elections. The party reached the Presidency in 2000, with then President Hipólito Mejía accumulating 1,593,231 votes against 796,923 votes of Danilo Medina. In 2004, the PRD would lose to Leonel Fernández of the PLD, with the vote ending 2,115,971 (57.1%) to 1,975,925 (36.7%).
In the 2008 election, Miguel Vargas running for President on the PRD ticket obtained 1,654,066 votes or 40.48% against 2,199,734 votes or 53.85% of Leonel Fernandez of the PLD. In 2012, Hipólito Mejía ran for President again obtaining 2,130,189 votes or 46.45% to Leonel Fernandez’s 2,323,463 or 51.21% of the vote.
But in 2016, the party was divided. A large group of party leaders left to form the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM). The PRD ran allied with the ruling PLD, backing President Danilo Medina and obtained 5% of the vote.
Recent speculations are that President Danilo Medina will appoint Vargas to the Ministry of Public Works in order to ensure his loyalty.
https://hoy.com.do/reto-de-miguel-vargas/
Andres Navarro says he has the best profile for President
Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) presidential pre-candidate Andrés Navarro explained that the idea for him to run for the PLD presidential candidacy came from President Danilo Medina himself. In an interview with El Caribe media group, Navarro explained that Medina encouraged him to run after internal government polls showed he had a good reputation in government.
In the interview, he said that 2020 is not just a time to elect a President. “It is a time to opt for a national development model,” he said. He said he is proposing one that is based on local development and in partnership with the country’s municipalities.
The architect says his 21 years working in government have prepared him for the position. He described himself as a polytechnic. He explained that he is a politician with high qualifications “to guarantee that decisions are assertive.” Navarro has served as technical director and secretary-general in the city government of Santo Domingo under former Mayor Roberto Salcedo from 2008-2014. Next he was appointed the cabinet minister at the Ministry of Public Works. Shortly after he would be named Minister of Foreign Relations and then the Minister of Education, all during six years of the Medina administration. He resigned from the Ministry of Education to seek the PLD presidential nomination.
In a meeting with La Puya-Arroyo Hondo community members, Navarro announced he would organize social programs under a new Ministry of Social Development and Family.
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/08...perfil-que-quiere-la-ciudadania-para-el-2020/
https://n.com.do/2019/08/05/andres-navarro-promete-crear-un-ministerio-de-la-familia/
Alianza Pais and Opción Democrática political parties merge
Minou Tavarez Mirabal of Opción Democrática announced her decision to participate in the 2020 general election under the Alianza País of politician Guillermo Moreno. The two parties held an extraordinary national convention to make official the decision of the party leaders.
Moreno and Tavárez Mirabal announced they are joining forces as "a proactive reaction to the need for a political body with a vocation for power that is not associated with the prevailing system of corruption and impunity; that seeks to express the willingness present in a large part of the people to promote the construction of an alternative proposal to overcome the backward policy that characterizes the traditional parties."
Moreno said that in compliance with the Organic Law of the Electoral System and the Law of Political Parties, in the coming days they will be depositing the merger act with the Central Electoral Board (JCE).
Alliances are crucial for small parties now that electoral law requires a party to receive at least 1% of the municipal and congressional vote to keep party status.
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/08/05/panorama/pais/alianza-pais-y-opcion-democratica-se-fusionan/
Guillermo Moreno says Medina does not deserve another term
Alianza País presidential candidate, former prosecutor Guillermo Moreno writes in Diario Libre that President Danilo Medina is the President that has most increased the national debt, since the days of dictator Ulises Hereaux at the end of the 19th Century. He writes: “Today the debt is over US$42 billion or 53 % of the GDP. In the last seven years, in debt service alone, the country has paid US$14.34 billion. The payment of interest on the debt already represents 24% of tax revenues.”
He said the high levels of corruption inherited from the Leonel Fernández governments have increased during the Medina administration. He writes that because of investigations by the justice in the United States, Brazil and Switzerland the Odebrecht cash for contracts case are being tried in the country. He explains that the case directly involves the Medina government in bribes, overvaluation of works, and illicit financing of electoral campaigns. Moreno writes that the attorney general was named to ensure impunity for the echelons of the ruling PLD party.
According to Moreno, since 2013, the country is allotting 4% of GDP to pre-university education. He writes that the quality of education has not improved. He reports: “To get an idea of the great fiasco that all this public investment in the so-called "educational revolution" has meant, one only has to examine the results of the evaluation that the Ministry of Education made in May 2018 of 159,000 sixth-grade students. In it, students reaching the satisfactory level were only 4.10% in mathematics; 15.63% in Natural Sciences; 17.97% in Social Sciences; and 27.37% in Spanish Language."
He adds: “In reality, the large sum allocated to education represents a new portfolio for corruption in the purchase of plots of land, construction of schools, food suppliers, expendable material, bulging payrolls, among others. It is no coincidence that after the application of 4% of GDP to the Ministry of Education, of its three past incumbents so far, two are running as pre-candidates for the Presidency for the official party.”
Moreno is also critical of Medina administration efforts to improve justice, control migration at the border with Haiti, crime and public health.
He concludes: “The rehabilitation of Danilo Medina, as soon as it would be possible for him to return in 2024, would keep him as the political leader of his faction and of the PLD. In the immediate term, this would strengthen the fact that, in the remaining year of his government, Danilo would use the resources of the state to influence the outcome of his party's primary, and then that of the general elections to back the candidate who most guarantees his return in 2024. The ruler who emerges in these conditions will be a puppet president of Danilo Medina. The Trujillo dictatorship provided several such examples.”
For President Danilo Medina to be rehabilitated, the 2015 Constitution needs to be reformed. To do so, the Medina faction of the PLD needs the vote of the Leonel Fernández faction of the party and that of opposition legislators.
https://www.diariolibre.com/opinion/en-directo/la-rehabilitacion-de-danilo-medina-OA13644082
Super Tucanos colonel freed on bail
On Monday, 5 August 2019, a National District judge allowed Air Force Colonel Carlos Piccini Núñez to post bail for RD$1 million and make periodic appearances at the court while the corruption case is heard. Piccini is accused of taking bribes for the purchase of eight Super Tucano aircraft from Embraer of Brazil. All others accused in the case have been released from pre-trial custody. The colonel had spent three years in preventive custody.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...-nunez-acusado-del-caso-aviones-super-tucanos
https://eldia.com.do/caso-super-tucano-todos-sueltos-tras-liberacion-hoy-de-piccini/
https://acento.com.do/2018/actualid...bornar-dominicano-venta-aviones-super-tucano/
https://n.com.do/2019/08/05/varian-...odica-a-carlos-piccini-por-caso-super-tucano/
https://elnacional.com.do/sin-avances-en-el-caso-super-tucano/
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...-nunez-acusado-del-caso-aviones-super-tucanos
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...iberan-coronel-acusado-en-caso-aviones-tucano
Bus intercepted with 26 undocumented Haitians
The Dominican Navy intercepted a bus with 26 undocumented Haitians on board in Playa Chiquita, Azua. Of these, six were minors. The driver and assistant were arrested by members of the M-2, the Navy intelligence unit. The Haitians were sent to Migration authorities for deporting to Haiti.
https://hoy.com.do/interceptan-en-azua-un-autobus-con-26-nacionales-haitianos-ilegales/
More information on alleged planted drugs in Montecristi
A young man, identified as Juan Daniel Disla, has uploaded a video to YouTube where he explains he was the client in the barbershop that was raided by a prosecutor and several agents from the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) to plant drugs and then press charges. The case became a national trending topic after the owner of the barbershop uploaded a video showing the DNCD inspection of the barbershop.
In this second video on the case, Disla says he was sent to have a haircut, and told to drop the drugs on the floor. He stated that he was called on Friday night, 2 August 2019 and was told to go to the market where he was met by a grey car and inside was the prosecutor, Lisset Núñez, and people from the DNCD. He said that Núñez was an accomplice to everything that went on in the barbershop.
Other young men in the area have stated that planting drugs is a frequent practice on the part of the DNCD agents.
Meanwhile, the DNCD and the Attorney General Office say that the owner of the barbershop could be tried for defamation if he does not produce evidence of the accusations he made in the YouTube video he uploaded to show the inspection raid by the DNCD agents and the Montecristi prosecutor. They say the case is under investigation. The Attorney General Office has confiscated the surveillance videos on the case.
Local news commentators have expressed concern that the president of the DNCD was mostly concerned that the video had affected the “credibility” of the DNCD.
Lawyer Felix Portes announced he would be carrying the case for the barber owner Otoniel Gutiérrez and Odabel Montana.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...acion-de-droga-en-peluqueria-dice-lo-mandaron
https://hoy.com.do/videos-aqui-nos-...-colocan-drogas-en-barberia-de-villa-vasquez/
https://hoy.com.do/suspenden-temporalmente-fiscalizadora-villa-vasquez/
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/08...-niega-agentes-colocaran-droga-en-peluqueria/
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...cd-poniendo-drogas-desata-avispero-en-el-pais
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...acion-de-droga-en-peluqueria-dice-lo-mandaron
https://elnacional.com.do/pgr-hace-experticia-barberia-caso-droga/
https://elnacional.com.do/tecnologi...l-descubierto-abuso-y-extorsion-agentes-dncd/
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/08...y-agentes-dncd-por-asociacion-de-malhechores/
https://domiplay.net/podcast/la-cuestion-radio/super-7/13-00-2019-08-05-Mon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FbwO-6VodA
ttps://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/justicia/duenos-de-peluqueria-y-clientes-se-querellaran-contra-fiscal-y-agentes-dncd-JB13653820
Drug gang arrested in Azua
The National Police has dismantled a band of criminals in Azua and seized 76 kilos of a white powder, thought to be cocaine. The police say the men are members of a dangerous gang called “Los Quik-Silver del Sector Los Prados”, involved in drug dealing. The band allegedly worked by defrauding people.
Those arrested were 29-year-old Eladio Bienvenido Alcántara Noboa; Jairon Yohan Soriano, 30, and Ángel Agramonte Medina, 29; Julio Ángel Noboa Melo, 44; Yeison Vargas Ramírez, 34, and Jeison Díaz Valdez, 18. All six are residents in Azua, and they were arrested following a long investigation by the Investigations Division of the National Police (Dicrim).
At the time of their arrest, as well as the suspected cocaine haul, the police confiscated cell phones, packaging material, RD$11,700.00 in cash, a 9mm pistol and two motorcycles.
The dismantled laboratory was located on the banks of the Via River in the Los Prados sector of Azua city.
https://eldia.com.do/policia-desmantela-banda-tras-ocuparle-76-kilos-de-cocaina/
Pilot dead in small plane crash
Civil aviation authorities have confirmed the death of Octavio Carlo Jr (Tato) in a plane crash in San Francisco de Macorís on Monday, 5 August 2019. The plane (HI979) crashed in the area known as Los Rieles. The plane belonged to the Fumigaciones Aéreas del Caribe (Fumca) fumigation company. Reports are that the pilot died after the plane impacted an electricity transmission tower when on the job of fumigating a farm.
The deceased is brother of Sergio Carlo whose “Anti-Noti” news-entertainment YouTube channel is best known for criticizing the government in a satirical way. Other brothers and sisters are Lucienne, Constantino, and Cristina Carlo.
https://hoy.com.do/1949016-2/
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...do-esta-manana-al-estrellarse-avioneta-en-sfm
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...ermano-de-sergio-carlo-salio-de-la-vega-a-sfm
https://eldia.com.do/muere-piloto-al-accidentarse-avioneta-en-san-francisco-de-macoris/
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/08...n-donde-murio-hermano-de-sergio-carlo-en-sfm/
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...onas-muertas-este-ano-en-republica-dominicana
https://hoy.com.do/el-mensaje-escri...o-carlo-horas-antes-de-accidente-en-avioneta/
https://www.diariolibre.com/revista...-aereo-era-hermano-de-sergio-carlo-OA13648530
Lips sealed on Puerto Plata robbery
The authorities in Puerto Plata province have said nothing about the supposed millionaire robbery at the home of the Puerto Plata Mayor Walter Musa Meyreles, as reported in El Dia.
The robbery was confirmed by Musa Meyreles, who assured that the case was in the hands of the Prosecution Service and the National Police. Musa said he was told not to discuss the matter while investigations are ongoing. There is speculation upwards of US$700,000 would have been stolen.
https://eldia.com.do/roban-700-mil-dolares-de-la-residencia-del-alcalde-walter-musa-de-puerto-plata/
Miss DR wins Lebanese Emigrant pageant
Dominican Ashley Polanco Issa, representing the Dominican Republic in the “Miss Lebanese Emigrant 2019”, won the title on 2 August 2019 in Beirut, Lebanon. She will represent the community of Lebanese migrants around the world in 2019-2020.
The pageant celebrates young women of Lebanese heritage from around the world. The Miss Lebanon Emigrant pageant is produced by the Miss Lebanon Committee and Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International.
The Club Libanés, Sirio, Palestino of the Dominican Republic sponsored her participation in the event. Club president, Alfred Malek announced the win.
Hot summer forecast
The National Weather Office (Onamet) forecasts hot temperatures and scarce rainfall for most of the country from 5 to 7 August 2019. Nevertheless, Onamet indicates that on Tuesday, 6 August, a passing tropical wave could bring downpours to the south coast, the northeast and southern side of the Central Mountain Range, mostly in the afternoon.
Onamet warns of high summer temperatures of up to 36C on the border with Haiti and urges people to stay out of the sun and keep hydrated. Hot summer weather is forecast to intensify as the week advances.
https://elnacional.com.do/vaticinan-temperaturas-de-hasta-35-grados/
Victor Estrella to retire from competing in tennis
Veteran Dominican tennis player Víctor Estrella has officially announced his retirement. He is participating in his fifth participation in the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru this week. The Santiago city native made the announcement via his Instagram account. He said his last competition will be at the Santo Domingo Open to take place in October 2019.
Estrella said that he has been an athlete blessed by God, with many highs and lows. He thanked his supporters, who had encouraged him to keep playing for so many years.
Estrella lost to the favorite for the gold medal, Roberto Quiroz from Ecuador at the Pan American Games.
The Dominican Republic as of Monday, 5 August 2019 was in 10th place of 23 countries that have won medals.
https://www.diariolibre.com/deportes/victor-estrella-anuncia-su-retiro-de-las-canchas-PA13647383
Works 70% completed on Santo Domingo Bypass
Postal stamp commemorates first year of PRC and DR relations
Ministry of Labor: Increase wages or pay the consequences
Altagracia Paulino campaigns for ombudsperson job
Voters in primaries outlawed for participating in other party events
Gonzalo Castillo says he has the backing of 126 city mayors
Miguel Vargas’ challenge
Andres Navarro says has the best profile for President
Alianza Pais and Opción Democrática political parties merge
Guillermo Moreno says Medina does not deserve another term
Super Tucanos colonel freed on bail
Bus intercepted with 26 undocumented Haitians
More information on alleged planted drugs in Montecristi
Drug gang arrested in Azua
Pilot dead in a plane crash in San Francisco de Macorís
Lips sealed on Puerto Plata mayor robbery
Miss DR wins Lebanese Emigrant pageant
A hot summer
Victor Estrella to retire from competing in tennis
Plaza La Trinitaria has a new look
On Sunday, 4 August 2019, Mayor David Collado of the National District reinaugurated the Plaza La Trinitaria. The plaza is located at the entrance to the capital off Las Americas Expressway. A large sign now welcomes people to Santo Domingo.
Collado said the renovation is part of his program to rescue the historical and cultural heritage of the city. He said the Plaza La Trinitaria complements works already carried out on the upgrades of the Montesinos Plaza and the Malecón boulevard public spaces.
The Plaza La Trinitaria was initially built in 1966 and features a masterpiece by Antonio Prats Ventós in honor of the La Trinitaria Secret Society. The Society was the underground movement responsible for the independence of the Dominican Republic from Haiti in 1844.
The height of the Prats Ventós sculpture was elevated as part of the renovations with permission from the Prats Ventós family. Now it looks out to the entrance of the Duarte Bridge, as it used to. The 27 February Avenue overpasses had impeded the view of the iconic plaza.
Plaza La Trinitaria has new lighting and garden landscaping with around 7,000 plants.
The remodeling of the Plaza had the backing of the Ministry of Culture and the division of cultural heritage (Efemérides Patrias) of the Presidency, under Minister Eduardo Selman and historian Juan Daniel Balcácer, respectively.
The leading political opposition party, the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) has announced that Collado is their candidate to run for Mayor in the 16 February 2020 municipal election.
https://eldia.com.do/david-collado-entrega-plaza-la-trinitaria-remozada/
https://hoy.com.do/alcaldia-del-distrito-nacional-entrega-remozada-la-plazoleta-de-la-trinitaria/
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...ece-el-valor-historico-de-plaza-la-trinitaria
http://adn.gob.do/index.php?option=...de-la-trinitaria&catid=77:noticias&Itemid=846
Works 70% completed on Santo Domingo Bypass
The Ministry of Public Works reports that works on the third phase of the Santo Domingo Bypass, with an extension of 20.8 km, will be completed by the end of this year. Deputy Minister of Public Works Ramón Pepín said that the highway is one of the most important works of the Medina administration. Its completion will facilitate cargo traffic and flow traffic connecting the south and the north of the country with the east. The drivers will be able to avoid the congested city of Santo Domingo.
The four-lane road stretch links the Villa Mella-Yamasá road with the Juan Pablo II Highway (the Samaná tolls road), near the crossing of El Naranjo. The construction has required the building of 10 bridges, three underpasses, two traffic distributors and four returns. Most of these works are completed.
In all, the Santo Domingo Bypass (Circunvalación de Santo Domingo) extends around 70 km from Haina in the west to the Multimodal Caucedo Port in eastern Santo Domingo. The first stretch was inaugurated in February 2015, a second in August 2015.
http://www.mopc.gob.do/noticias/mop...-tramo-2b-de-la-circunvalación-santo-domingo/
Postal stamp commemorates first year of PRC and DR relations
The Dominican Postal Institute (Inposdom) and the People’s Republic of China Embassy celebrated the first year of diplomatic relations with the issuing of a postal stamp. Some 25,000 stamps are for sale for RD$75 each. Inposdom director, Modesto Guzmán described the relationship between the DR and China as one filled with opportunities for trade and progress through work, education and innovation.
Ambassador of China Zhang Run was present for the ceremony held at the Eduardo Latorre Auditorium of the Ministry of Foreign Relations.
The Dominican Republic began official full diplomatic relations with China on 1 May 2018.
https://elnacional.com.do/ponen-a-c...las-relaciones-diplomaticas-entre-china-y-rd/
Ministry of Labor: Increase wages or pay the consequences
Labor Minister Winston Santos has warned that the raise in the minimum is obligatory. Those who do not increase salaries as ordered will face the consequences.
He said Ministry of Labor inspectors would be visiting companies and handing out infraction notices to employers who do not implement the increase.
He said that the Labor Code mandates that the National Salaries’ Committee set minimum wages. He said opposition to the increase has come from small companies, not big business.
Nonetheless, the president of the Federation of Shopkeepers, Ivan García asked for the decision to be revoked. He said they would appeal to the Superior Administrative Court (TSA). Small business had called for a company reclassification before the increase in the minimum wage. Labor unions oppose the reclassification. Today many small companies pay the same minimum as big business.
https://eldia.com.do/trabajo-advierte-que-los-patronos-estan-obligados-aplicar-reajuste-salarial/
Altagracia Paulino campaigns for ombudsperson job
Since leaving her job as director of the National Institute for Consumer Rights Protection (Pro-Consumidor) in 2012, Altagracia Paulino has campaigned for the ombudsperson job. The position is still held by Zoila Martinez, whose term ended in May 2019. Martínez has said she is not interested in continuing.
Paulino has the backing of several organizations for her track record at Pro-Consumidor. Nevertheless, neither the Chamber of Deputies or the Supreme Court of Justice have followed the procedures set by the Constitution to replace Martínez.
Articles 190-192 of the 2015 Constitution establish that the ombudsperson is an independent authority with administrative and budgetary autonomy, bound only by the mandate given by the Constitution and the law. The ombudsperson is in charge of safeguarding the rights of individuals and the collective.
The Constitution establishes that the Senate shall appoint the ombudsperson and deputies for six years from lists of three candidates that need to be submitted by the Chamber of Deputies. The Senate then shall appoint the ombudsperson and deputies within 30 days.
The Constitution establishes that if the Chamber of Deputies fails to present the lists, as has happened, the Supreme Court of Justice is then mandated to create the lists and submit these to the Senate. The Supreme Court has not yet acted in this case.
https://proceso.com.do/2019/07/01/altagracia_paulino_favorita_para_la_defensoria_del_pueblo/
http://www.diariode3.com/proponen-a-altagracia-paulino-para-defensora-del-pueblo/
https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2012/12/27/260088/proponen-a-paulino-defensora-del-pueblo
Those voting in primaries should not participate in other party events
The president of the Central Electoral Board (JCE), the government organization in charge of organizing the 2020 general election, says that those who vote in the simultaneous primaries on 6 October 2019 should not vote in events of other parties to choose their candidates. Julio César Castaños Guzmán, president of the JCE, said this is established in the ruling for the celebration of the primaries. He made the observation when participating in a breakfast at the Listin Diario.
The ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) and the largest opposition party, the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRM) agreed to participate in simultaneous primaries on 6 October 2019. Other parties have until 27 October to choose candidates to elective positions by polling, assemblies, national conventions or other authorized methods.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...-del-pld-y-prm-inhabilita-para-otra-modalidad
Gonzalo Castillo says he has the backing of 126 city mayors
Resigning Public Works Minister Gonzalo Castillo says he has the support of 126 mayors and municipal district directors all over the country. In the Dominican Republic, city governments depend on the Ministry of Public Works to stretch their municipal budgets and get costly construction works done.
The city officers say that Castillo ensures the continuing of the Medina government projects.
Castillo resigned the position on 5 August 2019 to seek the PLD presidential nomination. President Danilo Medina has not named Castillo’s successor at the Ministry of Public Works.
In an ad in print media, Castillo says the city officers are backing him for his proven capacity at the Ministry of Public Works and for his unconditional loyalty to President Danilo Medina. Castillo was one of the most outspoken supporters of President Danilo Medina’s aspirations to a third term. When Medina on 22 July 2019 said he would not seek reelection, Castillo went forward with his own aspirations.
https://hoy.com.do/gonzalo-castillo...caldes-y-directores-de-distritos-municipales/
Miguel Vargas’ challenge
On 10 July 2019 Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas Maldonado had stated that the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) he presides would only back the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) if President Danilo Medina were the presidential candidate. When on 22 July Medina announced he would not seek the nomination, Vargas was left without a candidate to back.
Political analyst Ubi Rivas writes in Hoy on 5 August 2019 that Vargas has now the difficult challenge of forging his own political path. Rivas explains that over the years, the PRD has declined in vote count in the national elections. The party reached the Presidency in 2000, with then President Hipólito Mejía accumulating 1,593,231 votes against 796,923 votes of Danilo Medina. In 2004, the PRD would lose to Leonel Fernández of the PLD, with the vote ending 2,115,971 (57.1%) to 1,975,925 (36.7%).
In the 2008 election, Miguel Vargas running for President on the PRD ticket obtained 1,654,066 votes or 40.48% against 2,199,734 votes or 53.85% of Leonel Fernandez of the PLD. In 2012, Hipólito Mejía ran for President again obtaining 2,130,189 votes or 46.45% to Leonel Fernandez’s 2,323,463 or 51.21% of the vote.
But in 2016, the party was divided. A large group of party leaders left to form the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM). The PRD ran allied with the ruling PLD, backing President Danilo Medina and obtained 5% of the vote.
Recent speculations are that President Danilo Medina will appoint Vargas to the Ministry of Public Works in order to ensure his loyalty.
https://hoy.com.do/reto-de-miguel-vargas/
Andres Navarro says he has the best profile for President
Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) presidential pre-candidate Andrés Navarro explained that the idea for him to run for the PLD presidential candidacy came from President Danilo Medina himself. In an interview with El Caribe media group, Navarro explained that Medina encouraged him to run after internal government polls showed he had a good reputation in government.
In the interview, he said that 2020 is not just a time to elect a President. “It is a time to opt for a national development model,” he said. He said he is proposing one that is based on local development and in partnership with the country’s municipalities.
The architect says his 21 years working in government have prepared him for the position. He described himself as a polytechnic. He explained that he is a politician with high qualifications “to guarantee that decisions are assertive.” Navarro has served as technical director and secretary-general in the city government of Santo Domingo under former Mayor Roberto Salcedo from 2008-2014. Next he was appointed the cabinet minister at the Ministry of Public Works. Shortly after he would be named Minister of Foreign Relations and then the Minister of Education, all during six years of the Medina administration. He resigned from the Ministry of Education to seek the PLD presidential nomination.
In a meeting with La Puya-Arroyo Hondo community members, Navarro announced he would organize social programs under a new Ministry of Social Development and Family.
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/08...perfil-que-quiere-la-ciudadania-para-el-2020/
https://n.com.do/2019/08/05/andres-navarro-promete-crear-un-ministerio-de-la-familia/
Alianza Pais and Opción Democrática political parties merge
Minou Tavarez Mirabal of Opción Democrática announced her decision to participate in the 2020 general election under the Alianza País of politician Guillermo Moreno. The two parties held an extraordinary national convention to make official the decision of the party leaders.
Moreno and Tavárez Mirabal announced they are joining forces as "a proactive reaction to the need for a political body with a vocation for power that is not associated with the prevailing system of corruption and impunity; that seeks to express the willingness present in a large part of the people to promote the construction of an alternative proposal to overcome the backward policy that characterizes the traditional parties."
Moreno said that in compliance with the Organic Law of the Electoral System and the Law of Political Parties, in the coming days they will be depositing the merger act with the Central Electoral Board (JCE).
Alliances are crucial for small parties now that electoral law requires a party to receive at least 1% of the municipal and congressional vote to keep party status.
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/08/05/panorama/pais/alianza-pais-y-opcion-democratica-se-fusionan/
Guillermo Moreno says Medina does not deserve another term
Alianza País presidential candidate, former prosecutor Guillermo Moreno writes in Diario Libre that President Danilo Medina is the President that has most increased the national debt, since the days of dictator Ulises Hereaux at the end of the 19th Century. He writes: “Today the debt is over US$42 billion or 53 % of the GDP. In the last seven years, in debt service alone, the country has paid US$14.34 billion. The payment of interest on the debt already represents 24% of tax revenues.”
He said the high levels of corruption inherited from the Leonel Fernández governments have increased during the Medina administration. He writes that because of investigations by the justice in the United States, Brazil and Switzerland the Odebrecht cash for contracts case are being tried in the country. He explains that the case directly involves the Medina government in bribes, overvaluation of works, and illicit financing of electoral campaigns. Moreno writes that the attorney general was named to ensure impunity for the echelons of the ruling PLD party.
According to Moreno, since 2013, the country is allotting 4% of GDP to pre-university education. He writes that the quality of education has not improved. He reports: “To get an idea of the great fiasco that all this public investment in the so-called "educational revolution" has meant, one only has to examine the results of the evaluation that the Ministry of Education made in May 2018 of 159,000 sixth-grade students. In it, students reaching the satisfactory level were only 4.10% in mathematics; 15.63% in Natural Sciences; 17.97% in Social Sciences; and 27.37% in Spanish Language."
He adds: “In reality, the large sum allocated to education represents a new portfolio for corruption in the purchase of plots of land, construction of schools, food suppliers, expendable material, bulging payrolls, among others. It is no coincidence that after the application of 4% of GDP to the Ministry of Education, of its three past incumbents so far, two are running as pre-candidates for the Presidency for the official party.”
Moreno is also critical of Medina administration efforts to improve justice, control migration at the border with Haiti, crime and public health.
He concludes: “The rehabilitation of Danilo Medina, as soon as it would be possible for him to return in 2024, would keep him as the political leader of his faction and of the PLD. In the immediate term, this would strengthen the fact that, in the remaining year of his government, Danilo would use the resources of the state to influence the outcome of his party's primary, and then that of the general elections to back the candidate who most guarantees his return in 2024. The ruler who emerges in these conditions will be a puppet president of Danilo Medina. The Trujillo dictatorship provided several such examples.”
For President Danilo Medina to be rehabilitated, the 2015 Constitution needs to be reformed. To do so, the Medina faction of the PLD needs the vote of the Leonel Fernández faction of the party and that of opposition legislators.
https://www.diariolibre.com/opinion/en-directo/la-rehabilitacion-de-danilo-medina-OA13644082
Super Tucanos colonel freed on bail
On Monday, 5 August 2019, a National District judge allowed Air Force Colonel Carlos Piccini Núñez to post bail for RD$1 million and make periodic appearances at the court while the corruption case is heard. Piccini is accused of taking bribes for the purchase of eight Super Tucano aircraft from Embraer of Brazil. All others accused in the case have been released from pre-trial custody. The colonel had spent three years in preventive custody.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...-nunez-acusado-del-caso-aviones-super-tucanos
https://eldia.com.do/caso-super-tucano-todos-sueltos-tras-liberacion-hoy-de-piccini/
https://acento.com.do/2018/actualid...bornar-dominicano-venta-aviones-super-tucano/
https://n.com.do/2019/08/05/varian-...odica-a-carlos-piccini-por-caso-super-tucano/
https://elnacional.com.do/sin-avances-en-el-caso-super-tucano/
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...-nunez-acusado-del-caso-aviones-super-tucanos
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...iberan-coronel-acusado-en-caso-aviones-tucano
Bus intercepted with 26 undocumented Haitians
The Dominican Navy intercepted a bus with 26 undocumented Haitians on board in Playa Chiquita, Azua. Of these, six were minors. The driver and assistant were arrested by members of the M-2, the Navy intelligence unit. The Haitians were sent to Migration authorities for deporting to Haiti.
https://hoy.com.do/interceptan-en-azua-un-autobus-con-26-nacionales-haitianos-ilegales/
More information on alleged planted drugs in Montecristi
A young man, identified as Juan Daniel Disla, has uploaded a video to YouTube where he explains he was the client in the barbershop that was raided by a prosecutor and several agents from the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) to plant drugs and then press charges. The case became a national trending topic after the owner of the barbershop uploaded a video showing the DNCD inspection of the barbershop.
In this second video on the case, Disla says he was sent to have a haircut, and told to drop the drugs on the floor. He stated that he was called on Friday night, 2 August 2019 and was told to go to the market where he was met by a grey car and inside was the prosecutor, Lisset Núñez, and people from the DNCD. He said that Núñez was an accomplice to everything that went on in the barbershop.
Other young men in the area have stated that planting drugs is a frequent practice on the part of the DNCD agents.
Meanwhile, the DNCD and the Attorney General Office say that the owner of the barbershop could be tried for defamation if he does not produce evidence of the accusations he made in the YouTube video he uploaded to show the inspection raid by the DNCD agents and the Montecristi prosecutor. They say the case is under investigation. The Attorney General Office has confiscated the surveillance videos on the case.
Local news commentators have expressed concern that the president of the DNCD was mostly concerned that the video had affected the “credibility” of the DNCD.
Lawyer Felix Portes announced he would be carrying the case for the barber owner Otoniel Gutiérrez and Odabel Montana.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...acion-de-droga-en-peluqueria-dice-lo-mandaron
https://hoy.com.do/videos-aqui-nos-...-colocan-drogas-en-barberia-de-villa-vasquez/
https://hoy.com.do/suspenden-temporalmente-fiscalizadora-villa-vasquez/
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/08...-niega-agentes-colocaran-droga-en-peluqueria/
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...cd-poniendo-drogas-desata-avispero-en-el-pais
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...acion-de-droga-en-peluqueria-dice-lo-mandaron
https://elnacional.com.do/pgr-hace-experticia-barberia-caso-droga/
https://elnacional.com.do/tecnologi...l-descubierto-abuso-y-extorsion-agentes-dncd/
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/08...y-agentes-dncd-por-asociacion-de-malhechores/
https://domiplay.net/podcast/la-cuestion-radio/super-7/13-00-2019-08-05-Mon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FbwO-6VodA
ttps://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/justicia/duenos-de-peluqueria-y-clientes-se-querellaran-contra-fiscal-y-agentes-dncd-JB13653820
Drug gang arrested in Azua
The National Police has dismantled a band of criminals in Azua and seized 76 kilos of a white powder, thought to be cocaine. The police say the men are members of a dangerous gang called “Los Quik-Silver del Sector Los Prados”, involved in drug dealing. The band allegedly worked by defrauding people.
Those arrested were 29-year-old Eladio Bienvenido Alcántara Noboa; Jairon Yohan Soriano, 30, and Ángel Agramonte Medina, 29; Julio Ángel Noboa Melo, 44; Yeison Vargas Ramírez, 34, and Jeison Díaz Valdez, 18. All six are residents in Azua, and they were arrested following a long investigation by the Investigations Division of the National Police (Dicrim).
At the time of their arrest, as well as the suspected cocaine haul, the police confiscated cell phones, packaging material, RD$11,700.00 in cash, a 9mm pistol and two motorcycles.
The dismantled laboratory was located on the banks of the Via River in the Los Prados sector of Azua city.
https://eldia.com.do/policia-desmantela-banda-tras-ocuparle-76-kilos-de-cocaina/
Pilot dead in small plane crash
Civil aviation authorities have confirmed the death of Octavio Carlo Jr (Tato) in a plane crash in San Francisco de Macorís on Monday, 5 August 2019. The plane (HI979) crashed in the area known as Los Rieles. The plane belonged to the Fumigaciones Aéreas del Caribe (Fumca) fumigation company. Reports are that the pilot died after the plane impacted an electricity transmission tower when on the job of fumigating a farm.
The deceased is brother of Sergio Carlo whose “Anti-Noti” news-entertainment YouTube channel is best known for criticizing the government in a satirical way. Other brothers and sisters are Lucienne, Constantino, and Cristina Carlo.
https://hoy.com.do/1949016-2/
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...do-esta-manana-al-estrellarse-avioneta-en-sfm
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...ermano-de-sergio-carlo-salio-de-la-vega-a-sfm
https://eldia.com.do/muere-piloto-al-accidentarse-avioneta-en-san-francisco-de-macoris/
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/08...n-donde-murio-hermano-de-sergio-carlo-en-sfm/
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...onas-muertas-este-ano-en-republica-dominicana
https://hoy.com.do/el-mensaje-escri...o-carlo-horas-antes-de-accidente-en-avioneta/
https://www.diariolibre.com/revista...-aereo-era-hermano-de-sergio-carlo-OA13648530
Lips sealed on Puerto Plata robbery
The authorities in Puerto Plata province have said nothing about the supposed millionaire robbery at the home of the Puerto Plata Mayor Walter Musa Meyreles, as reported in El Dia.
The robbery was confirmed by Musa Meyreles, who assured that the case was in the hands of the Prosecution Service and the National Police. Musa said he was told not to discuss the matter while investigations are ongoing. There is speculation upwards of US$700,000 would have been stolen.
https://eldia.com.do/roban-700-mil-dolares-de-la-residencia-del-alcalde-walter-musa-de-puerto-plata/
Miss DR wins Lebanese Emigrant pageant
Dominican Ashley Polanco Issa, representing the Dominican Republic in the “Miss Lebanese Emigrant 2019”, won the title on 2 August 2019 in Beirut, Lebanon. She will represent the community of Lebanese migrants around the world in 2019-2020.
The pageant celebrates young women of Lebanese heritage from around the world. The Miss Lebanon Emigrant pageant is produced by the Miss Lebanon Committee and Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International.
The Club Libanés, Sirio, Palestino of the Dominican Republic sponsored her participation in the event. Club president, Alfred Malek announced the win.
Hot summer forecast
The National Weather Office (Onamet) forecasts hot temperatures and scarce rainfall for most of the country from 5 to 7 August 2019. Nevertheless, Onamet indicates that on Tuesday, 6 August, a passing tropical wave could bring downpours to the south coast, the northeast and southern side of the Central Mountain Range, mostly in the afternoon.
Onamet warns of high summer temperatures of up to 36C on the border with Haiti and urges people to stay out of the sun and keep hydrated. Hot summer weather is forecast to intensify as the week advances.
https://elnacional.com.do/vaticinan-temperaturas-de-hasta-35-grados/
Victor Estrella to retire from competing in tennis
Veteran Dominican tennis player Víctor Estrella has officially announced his retirement. He is participating in his fifth participation in the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru this week. The Santiago city native made the announcement via his Instagram account. He said his last competition will be at the Santo Domingo Open to take place in October 2019.
Estrella said that he has been an athlete blessed by God, with many highs and lows. He thanked his supporters, who had encouraged him to keep playing for so many years.
Estrella lost to the favorite for the gold medal, Roberto Quiroz from Ecuador at the Pan American Games.
The Dominican Republic as of Monday, 5 August 2019 was in 10th place of 23 countries that have won medals.
https://www.diariolibre.com/deportes/victor-estrella-anuncia-su-retiro-de-las-canchas-PA13647383