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President Danilo launches school year; teachers announce protest march
Presidency announces cash for Pan Am medalists
Intrant requires taxi drivers to register their cars
NOAA donates Seaglider to track hurricanes
IMF wants to see more taxes
Preparations for primaries pick up the pace
Remittances up 6% from January to June 2019
Counterfeit phones shipped from the Dominican Republic
Court orders 20 years jail in Inversia financial scam
The file on Villa Vasquez drug-planting case
Dominican lawyer Knipping-Díaz killed in NY plane crash
More illegal travelers arrested
Hearing postponed in David Ortiz case
Brenda Castillo operated in the shoulder
Big bonuses do not mean success in baseball
Basketball player Frank Prats player dies young
Festecom: Comedy for equality at Teatro Guloya
Onamet: More rains are coming
President Danilo launches school year; teachers announce protest march
President Danilo Medina kicked off the beginning of the school year with the inauguration of the Special Education Center of Eustacia Marte de Fernández. The new school is an elementary school in the Cuesta Colorada area of the city of Santiago. 630 students are enrolled for the extended school day.
The center also has two classes for children 0-5 years, one classroom for students with visual impairment and another for those who are hearing impaired.
President Medina was accompanied by: First Lady Cándida Montilla de Medina, Education Minister Antonio Peña Mirabal, Presidency Minister Gustavo Montalvo, Administrative Minister of the Presidency José Ramón Peralta, provincial governor Ana María Domínguez, and senator Julio César Valentín.
Also present were Youth Minister Robianny Balcácer, Sports Minister Danilo Díaz, Higher Education Minister Alejandrina Germán, and Culture Minister Eduardo Selman, among other officials and guests.
On the same day of the start of school, the president of the Dominican Public School Teachers Guild (ADP), Xiomara Guante announced a teacher protest for Thursday, 22 August 2019. Teachers are convened to the protest in front of the Ministry of Education in Santo Domingo.
The guild disputes a recent teacher skills assessment carried out by the Ministry. Most public school teachers failed the test. The guild also protests the lack of maintenance works to prepare the schools for the start of the school year.
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...res-millones-de-estudiantes-presidente-danilo
https://www.metrord.do/do/destacado...rcha-coincidiendo-inicio-del-ano-escolar.html
Presidency announces cash for Pan Am medalists
Sports Minister Danilo Diaz announced cash prizes for the best Dominican national team members. He spoke during the visit of Pan Am medal-winning athletes to the Presidential Palace. President Danilo Medina personally congratulated the athletes.
The winners of individual gold medal winners will get RD$300,000 pesos. Those who won a team gold medal, such as women's volleyball, will receive an incentive of RD$200,000 each. Silver medalists get RD$150,000 for individual medaling and RD$125,000 for the team medals.
The individual bronze medalists get a cash prize of RD$100,000 and RD$85,000 per team medal.
The Dominican Republic won 40 medals in the Lima, Peru Pan Am Games. Of these 10 were gold, 13 silver and 17 bronze. The country made the top 10 list of the 2019 regional sports games.
Likewise, Diaz said the National Housing Institute (INVI) will condition the dwellings of the athletes as required.
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...acio-nacional-medallistas-lima-2019-artifices
https://elcaribe.com.do/2019/08/20/...d300-mil-para-los-medallistas-de-oro-en-lima/
Intrant requires taxi drivers to register their cars
The National Ground Transport & Transit Institute (Intrant) is giving taxi drivers, including digital platform drivers, through 17 September 2019 to register. Registration is done on the Intrant platform at intrant.gob.do
The drivers are ordered to comply with Art. 83 of Ground Transport Law 63-17 that establishes that taxis need to be bear a front window sticker with the registration number.
https://z101digital.com/intrant-otorga-plazo-de-30-dias-a-taxistas-para-que-registren-sus-datos/
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...ero-objetan-el-precio-de-licencias-AL13813223
NOAA donates Seaglider to track hurricanes
The National Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States donated a Seaglider to the Dominican Navy. The equipment is used to follow the path of hurricanes.
The equipment was delivered on Thursday, 15 August 2019, to the Navy head office in Santo Domingo (Base Naval 27 de Febrero) located at Av. España in eastern Santo Domingo.
The Seaglider will be used to track hurricanes in the Caribbean Sea. The underwater device moves through the ocean and communicates with satellites to transmit data and determine its global position. It uses changes in buoyancy for thrust and a stable hydrodynamic shape to achieve flight in the water. External sensors are constantly scanning the ocean to determine water properties.
Present at the ceremony were US Ambassador Robin Bernstein, Pascual Prota, national director of the National Authority for Maritime Affairs (Anamar), Navy Captain Benny H. Batista Castillo, representing the General Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Emilio Recio Segura, and oceanographer Gustavo Jorge Gori from NOAA.
https://eldia.com.do/ee-uu-presenta...dispositivo-para-dar-seguimiento-a-huracanes/
http://www.apl.washington.edu/project/project.php?id=seaglider_auv
IMF wants to see more taxes
The International Monetary Fund acknowledges that the “upcoming elections in 2020 are likely to dominate the near-term policy landscape.” In its 15 August 2019 country report, the international financial entity highlights that the country’s external position is in line with fundamentals. “The strong economic and policy performance has strengthened resilience to downside risks, but vulnerabilities remain,” states the IMF.
Nevertheless, the IMF wants to see more taxes. “The fiscal position is under moderate sustainability and affordability pressures; key structural bottlenecks have not been addressed; and social outcomes can be further strengthened,” says the entity.
The IMF points out that the Dominican economy has enjoyed strong growth since 2014 (6.6%, the highest in the Western Hemisphere). This has been supported by stable macroeconomic and financial policies, and a favorable external environment, states the organization. The entity points out that growth in the country “has generally been above potential, but inflation remains muted.”
https://www.imf.org/en/Publications...s-Release-Staff-Report-and-Statement-by-48592
https://elnuevodiario.com.do/fmi-re...levar-a-cabo-reformas-tributarias-ambiciosas/
Preparations for primaries pick up the pace
The Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) and Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) have begun an intense program of pre-electoral campaigning in preparation for the primaries on 6 October 2019.
The PLD has opened its primary to all of the voters in the country. Nevertheless, they have handed to the Central Electoral Board (JCE) a list of their 2,795,306 members to comply with the Political Parties Law 33-18.
The presidential pre-candidates for the PLD are Leonel Fernández, Reinaldo Pared, Gonzalo Castillo, Francisco Domínguez Brito, Andrés Navarro, Carlos Amarante, Maritza Hernández, Temístocles Montás, Radhamés Segura, Manuel Crespo and Melanio Paredes.
The list of members for the PRM stands at 1,303,779. In the case of the PRM, only those on this list are allowed to vote in the 6 October primary.
The JCE reported that membership lists of the four major parties contain 4,249,942 members. This includes the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), with 45,142, and the Social Christian Reform Party (PRSC), with 105,715. The official list of pre-candidates has to be handed into the JCE by 22 August.
According to the JCE, at the municipal level there are a total of 6,952 seeking nominations that are 540 for the position of mayor, 3,336 councilors, 1,689 spokespersons and 644 for the city directors’ positions.
At the congressional level, there are 108 pre-candidates and 635 for deputy.
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...-entre-sus-dirigentes-y-militantes-MK13800387
Remittances up 6% from January to June 2019
Remittances, the donations that expats send to their families and friends in the Dominican Republic, are up this year. This is the third year in a row that an increase has been registered.
According to preliminary statistics from the Central Bank, during the first semester of 2019 remittances had grown 6.1% over those sent in 2018. From January to June 2019, remittances are US$3.4 billion. The forecast is for these to end the year at around US$ 6.5 billion.
78% of the payments come from the United States. Second is Spain, with 9.9%. This is down from 10.6% in 2018. Next is Haiti (1.5%), Italy (1.1%). Other sources for remittances include Switzerland, Puerto Rico, Panama, Germany, France and Canada.
Geographically, 31.1% of the remittances was received by someone in Greater Santo Domingo and 15.1% by a person in Santiago.
https://www.diariolibre.com/economi...e-un-6-entre-enero-y-junio-de-2019-DM13799857
Counterfeit phones shipped from the Dominican Republic
Nearly 4,500 counterfeit LG and Asus smartphones shipped from the Dominican Republic were seized by US Customs and Border Protection in Philadelphia, USA.
Officers seized the first shipment of 2,043 LG phones on 26 July, and the second shipment of 1,926 LG and 480 Asus phones on 9 August. Both shipments had traveled from China through the Dominican Republic before arriving to the United States.
Both shipments were manifested as “used cell phones” and will now be destroyed.
https://www.securingindustry.com/el...zed-in-philadelphia/s105/a10565/#.XVqsluhKhPY
Court orders 20 years jail in Inversia financial scam
The Fourth Collegiate Court of the National District sentenced Teodoro Hidalgo Mendez and Michell Evertz to 20 years in prison on 19 August 2019. They were charged with defrauding dozens of former employees of the Dominican National Brewery with RD$1.21 billion through Financiera Inversia.
The convicted were ordered to pay a fine of 200 public sector minimum wages. They must also return the amount defrauded to the victims and make payments of 10% of the amount that was deposited by each saver to compensate for moral damages.
Both Hidalgo and Evertz were found guilty of criminal association, money laundering, fraud, abuse of trust and for violating the Monetary and Financial Law to the detriment of more than 230 people.
The full reading of the sentence is scheduled for 16 September.
https://elnuevodiario.com.do/tribun...ecutivos-de-financiera-por-estafa-millonaria/
https://eldia.com.do/ejecutivo-de-financiera-inversia-es-condenado-a-20-anos-de-carcel-por-estafa/
The file on Villa Vasquez drug-planting case
The Public Prosecution Agency has charged agents of the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) and the former prosecutor of the area with the planting of drugs and subsequent raid on the barbershop in Villa Vasquez in Montecristi on Wednesday 31 July 2019.
The Public Prosecution Agency seeks a year of pre-trial custody against former prosecutor Carmen Lisset Núñez, and DNCD agents, Víctor Ignacio Encarnación, Juan de Dios Heredia, Adán Mauricio Rodríguez Pichardo and Juan Antonio Arias.
The file details that on that Wednesday, two days before the raid, the former prosecutor, Carmen Lisset Núñez, Police Major Víctor Ignacio Encarnación Cuevas and Carlos Daniel Estévez (Mendañito) had met with Juan Daniel Disla to plan the raid on the El Maná barbershop. The meeting took place in a vehicle. Mendañito is fugitive of justice.
In the vehicle, Carlos Daniel Estévez was in charge of pointing out the employee known as Odabel Rodríguez, so that Disla could identify him. Following this Disla received RD$200 from Carmen Lisset Núñez and Police Major Víctor Ignacio Encarnación Cuevas to go into the shop on the pretense of having a haircut, and then make contact with Odabel.
The following day, Lisset Núñez asked for a warrant to carry out a raid on the barbershop. The warrant identified those who would be arrested as arrested as Odabel, El Menor and Jorlin.
The day of the raid, Disla and Carlos Daniel bought two portions of marijuana, which they put into a matchbox, together with a RD$100 note.
Disla went into the barbershop at around 8:30pm on Friday, 2 August and asked Odabel to cut his hair, while Carlos Daniel called the prosecutor who arrived shortly after with the members of the DNCD.
When agents Adan Mauricio Rodríguez Pichardo and Juan Antonio Arias Peguero arrived, Disla threw the matchbox onto the floor and at that moment the prosecutor and the National Police Major arrived.
The file also reveals that the prosecutor attempted to leave the country knowing that the investigation required her presence. Her husband was allowed to depart, nevertheless.
The actual raid was captured in a surveillance video that the owner of the barber uploaded to YouTube in his defense.
Local media, including Edith Febles on her La Cosa Como Es Talk Show reported on statements by Interior & Police Minister Monchi Fadul questioning the “luxury” of the barbershop and its air-conditioning. The owner of the barbershop would upload a video showing the “air conditioning” was really three fans. On the show, Febles reported on other cases in which the prosecutor had acted.
Pre-trial custody measures were not heard as scheduled on 19 August after the judge Javielka Antonia Gómez removed herself from the case on grounds of being a teacher of one of the barbershop owners. The judge was the same who had issued the warrant.
https://youtu.be/wS5w2JsSpA0?list=PLQcEXoqcB1G448bFz8YUhENIiqv3zb5UC
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5GKmA3QDLnPKK--pUZY8uA
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...ias-contra-la-exfiscal-que-allano-la-barberia
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...-para-barberia-dos-dias-antes-de-allanamiento
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...l-y-miembros-dncd-implicados-en-caso-barberia
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...o-de-prision-preventiva-en-caso-villa-vasquez
https://hoy.com.do/como-habrian-obt...a-dncd-y-fiscal-en-barberia-de-villa-vasquez/
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...-vergenza-para-la-sociedad-y-para-la-juventud
Dominican lawyer Knipping-Díaz killed in NY plane crash
Francisco (“Frank”) Knipping-Díaz, a prominent Dominican-American lawyer, serving the Dominican community in Upper Manhattan, New York, died on Saturday afternoon, 18 August 2019. The Cessna 303 airplane he was piloting crashed into a house in Dutchess County in upstate New York.
At the time, 61-year old Knipping-Díaz was accompanied by 50-year old Eduardo Tió and 52-year old Teofilo Antonio Díaz Pratt, both from the Dominican Republic, who survived with non-life threatening injuries.
Also killed in the accident was the owner of the Dutchess County house they crashed into, 61-year-old Gerard Bocker. His daughter, 21-year old Hannah Bocker suffered serious injuries. Her sister, 30-year old Sarah Bocker, suffered non-life threatening injuries.
According to Peter Knudson, spokesman of the National Transport Safety Board, the plane took off from the Orange County airport, heading towards Republic Airport in Farmingdale. After takeoff, the plane had landed in Sky Acres Airport in Grangeville to refuel and having left there, it had engine trouble and crashed.
The police said the home was engulfed in flames following the crash. The crash is being investigated by state police, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
http://www.liherald.com/stories/woo...z-dies-in-upstate-new-york-plane-crash,117327
https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com...ms-identified-woodemere-man-pilot/2048996001/
https://nypost.com/2019/08/19/police-identify-pilot-and-resident-killed-in-upstate-plane-crash/
More illegal travelers arrested
The Dominican Armada arrested 13 on Sunday 18 August 2019. They are charged with attempting to travel illegally to Puerto Rico in two boats that were discovered in Macao, Higuey and El Valle in Samana.
All of those arrested were taken to the Head Office of Naval Intelligence in Santo Domingo for interrogation.
In another operation, naval units rescued four Venezuelan citizens who were found off the coast of Catalina island in a boat.
https://hoy.com.do/armada-detiene13...erto-rico-en-yola-rescata-cuatro-venezolanos/
Hearing postponed in David Ortiz case
A Santo Domingo court has postponed the hearing to review coercive measures against one of those implicated in the case of the shooting of retired baseball player David Ortiz, who was supposedly shot in a case of mistaken identity, in Bar Dial on 9 June 2019.
The court took the decision to delay the hearing until 26 August as the accused, Eddy Vladimir Feliz García (El Nata), was not brought to the court. Instead, another of those accused was taken to court by mistake, Reinaldo Rodríguez Valenzuela.
The defense for Féliz Garcia, seeing that it was not their client at the court, asked for the postponement.
“El Nata” was the person who was driving the motorcycle to the bar that carried the passenger, Rolfi Ferreira Cruz, who was the one who actually shot David Ortiz, and, according to the file, was supposed to shoot Sixto David Fernández.
As well as Félix García, others in jail on remand for a year, in different jails around the country, are Rolfi Ferreras Cruz o Ramón Martínez Pérez (Rolfi); Oliver Moisés Mirabal, Joel Rodríguez de la Cruz (Calamardo), Porfirio Ayendi Dechamps Vásquez (Nene), Reynaldo Rodríguez Valenzuela, Gabriel Alexander Pérez Vizcaíno, Lanny Estefanny Pérez Reyes, José Eduardo Ciprián (Chuki), Carlos Rafael Álvarez (Carlos Nike), Franklin Junior Merán (Rubirosa), Víctor Hugo Gómez Vásquez and Alberto Miguel Rodríguez Mota.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...oercion-porque-llevaron-al-recluso-que-no-era
Brenda Castillo operated in the shoulder
Dominican volleyball team member, 27-year old Brenda Castillo was operated on Monday, 19 August in her left shoulder related to a fracture in her left arm. Orthopedist Cesar Roque says the operation was carried out to accelerate the athlete’s recovery from the car accident on Sunday, 18 August 2019 in Samaná. He estimated a recovery period of four months. Castillo is a world class libero. She was on vacation after the team won gold in the Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru.
https://proceso.com.do/2019/08/19/operan-a-libero-brenda-castillo-en-centro-medico-uce/
https://listindiario.com/el-deporte...-hice-lo-que-cualquier-ortopeda-hubiese-hecho
https://www.diariolibre.com/deportes/olimpismo/exitosa-la-operacion-de-brenda-castillo-EL13814404
Big bonuses do not mean success in baseball
Dozens of young Dominican baseball hopefuls have signed for very large sums of money, but as the years passed, most have never made it to the Big Leagues. The large bonus is no guarantee of success. Josephang Bernhart received a US$1.1 million bonus in January 1997 from the Toronto Blue Jays, and Ricardo Arambolas also received US$1.5 million that same year from the New York Yankees. These signings were big news back then because of the very large sums involved. For many major league teams (MLB), the failures seemed to stem from the fact that such huge bonuses killed the drive needed to succeed in baseball, and failure resulted.
In contrast, there is a pretty long list of players that signed for “pennies” and became stars for their various teams: Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz, Vladimir Guerrero, Sammy Sosa and Damaso Garcia are just a few that come to mind. Garcia signed for US$7,500 with the Yankees and went on to play for the Yankees, Toronto and Atlanta.
Bernhart, however, while projected to be the next Alex Rodriguez, never got out of the minor leagues.
While the failures are somewhat newsworthy, the successes are also important: Nomar Mazara (US$5.0 M); Miguel Sano (US$3.15 M) and Gary Sanchez (US$3.0 M) are three who have certainly earned their big bonuses. There is Ronald Guzman, who signed the same day as Nomar Mazara, and for US$3.5 million, played in 123 games for the Texas Rangers last year, but has only appeared in 68 this year, after going on the Disabled List with a pulled hamstring early on. Yet another player in the Forgotten Drawer is Eliar Hernandez, who signed for US$3.0 million with the Kansas City Royals in 2011; and Wander Mateo, who signed with St Louis for US$3.1 million in 2009, had the contract annulled because of physical issues. He was later signed for US$512,000 by the Arizona Diamondbacks and threw 8.0 innings in 2013, 14.1 in 2014 and is currently working in the minor league teams of the Diamondbacks.
And, of course the list goes on and on: Ariel Ovando ($2.6 M with Houston); Joel Guzman ($2.2 M with the Dodgers); Rafael Rodriguez ($2.5 M with the Giants) and never got out of A class baseball.
https://www.diariolibre.com/deporte...lones-y-no-avanzaron-en-el-beisbol-DN13789318
Basketball player Frank Prats player dies young
Francisco Adolfo Prats Ceara, died at 64 at Plaza de la Salud in Santo Domingo. He was not able to survive the complications of colon cancer. He was a member of the legendary national team that won gold in Centrobasket 1977 in Panama. After retiring from the sport, he continued on as a sports newscaster on CDN Sportsmax with Onfalia Morillo. The wake will be at Funeraria Blandino of Av. Abraham Lincoln.
https://elcaribe.com.do/2019/08/20/...e-frank-prats-sus-restos-seran-expuestos-hoy/
https://eldia.com.do/el-inmortal-frank-prats-murio-ayer/
Festecom: Comedy for equality at Teatro Guloya
Actor and producer Noel Ventura is producing the First Comic Theater Festival at the Teatro Guloya. Teatro Guloya is an Off-Broadway style small theater located on Arzobispo Portes Street in the Colonial City.
Ventura says the first year of the festival is dedicated to promoting more women entering the field of comedy. He said men and women can both make good comedy. The festival opened with “Circulo Violeta,” from 16-18 August 2019.
It continues with “Tartufo,” from 23-25 August 2019. On 30 August to 1 September, “75 puñaladas.”
Tickets are RD$300. Showings are Friday and Saturday at 8:30pm and Sundays at 6:30pm.
https://hoy.com.do/el-festecom-festival-del-teatro-comico/
Onamet: More rains are coming
The National Meteorological Office (Onamet) is forecasting rains and thunderstorms will continue. A passing trough combining with remnants of a tropical wave has created the conditions for heavy rains. Onamet declared a green alert for the provinces of Monte Plata, Sánchez Ramírez, Duarte, María Trinidad Sánchez, Samaná and Hato Mayor. Residents in high-risk areas need to take precautions to avoid damages from flooding. Highs will be from 33-35ºC, and lows from 24-26ºC.
Presidency announces cash for Pan Am medalists
Intrant requires taxi drivers to register their cars
NOAA donates Seaglider to track hurricanes
IMF wants to see more taxes
Preparations for primaries pick up the pace
Remittances up 6% from January to June 2019
Counterfeit phones shipped from the Dominican Republic
Court orders 20 years jail in Inversia financial scam
The file on Villa Vasquez drug-planting case
Dominican lawyer Knipping-Díaz killed in NY plane crash
More illegal travelers arrested
Hearing postponed in David Ortiz case
Brenda Castillo operated in the shoulder
Big bonuses do not mean success in baseball
Basketball player Frank Prats player dies young
Festecom: Comedy for equality at Teatro Guloya
Onamet: More rains are coming
President Danilo launches school year; teachers announce protest march
President Danilo Medina kicked off the beginning of the school year with the inauguration of the Special Education Center of Eustacia Marte de Fernández. The new school is an elementary school in the Cuesta Colorada area of the city of Santiago. 630 students are enrolled for the extended school day.
The center also has two classes for children 0-5 years, one classroom for students with visual impairment and another for those who are hearing impaired.
President Medina was accompanied by: First Lady Cándida Montilla de Medina, Education Minister Antonio Peña Mirabal, Presidency Minister Gustavo Montalvo, Administrative Minister of the Presidency José Ramón Peralta, provincial governor Ana María Domínguez, and senator Julio César Valentín.
Also present were Youth Minister Robianny Balcácer, Sports Minister Danilo Díaz, Higher Education Minister Alejandrina Germán, and Culture Minister Eduardo Selman, among other officials and guests.
On the same day of the start of school, the president of the Dominican Public School Teachers Guild (ADP), Xiomara Guante announced a teacher protest for Thursday, 22 August 2019. Teachers are convened to the protest in front of the Ministry of Education in Santo Domingo.
The guild disputes a recent teacher skills assessment carried out by the Ministry. Most public school teachers failed the test. The guild also protests the lack of maintenance works to prepare the schools for the start of the school year.
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...res-millones-de-estudiantes-presidente-danilo
https://www.metrord.do/do/destacado...rcha-coincidiendo-inicio-del-ano-escolar.html
Presidency announces cash for Pan Am medalists
Sports Minister Danilo Diaz announced cash prizes for the best Dominican national team members. He spoke during the visit of Pan Am medal-winning athletes to the Presidential Palace. President Danilo Medina personally congratulated the athletes.
The winners of individual gold medal winners will get RD$300,000 pesos. Those who won a team gold medal, such as women's volleyball, will receive an incentive of RD$200,000 each. Silver medalists get RD$150,000 for individual medaling and RD$125,000 for the team medals.
The individual bronze medalists get a cash prize of RD$100,000 and RD$85,000 per team medal.
The Dominican Republic won 40 medals in the Lima, Peru Pan Am Games. Of these 10 were gold, 13 silver and 17 bronze. The country made the top 10 list of the 2019 regional sports games.
Likewise, Diaz said the National Housing Institute (INVI) will condition the dwellings of the athletes as required.
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...acio-nacional-medallistas-lima-2019-artifices
https://elcaribe.com.do/2019/08/20/...d300-mil-para-los-medallistas-de-oro-en-lima/
Intrant requires taxi drivers to register their cars
The National Ground Transport & Transit Institute (Intrant) is giving taxi drivers, including digital platform drivers, through 17 September 2019 to register. Registration is done on the Intrant platform at intrant.gob.do
The drivers are ordered to comply with Art. 83 of Ground Transport Law 63-17 that establishes that taxis need to be bear a front window sticker with the registration number.
https://z101digital.com/intrant-otorga-plazo-de-30-dias-a-taxistas-para-que-registren-sus-datos/
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...ero-objetan-el-precio-de-licencias-AL13813223
NOAA donates Seaglider to track hurricanes
The National Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States donated a Seaglider to the Dominican Navy. The equipment is used to follow the path of hurricanes.
The equipment was delivered on Thursday, 15 August 2019, to the Navy head office in Santo Domingo (Base Naval 27 de Febrero) located at Av. España in eastern Santo Domingo.
The Seaglider will be used to track hurricanes in the Caribbean Sea. The underwater device moves through the ocean and communicates with satellites to transmit data and determine its global position. It uses changes in buoyancy for thrust and a stable hydrodynamic shape to achieve flight in the water. External sensors are constantly scanning the ocean to determine water properties.
Present at the ceremony were US Ambassador Robin Bernstein, Pascual Prota, national director of the National Authority for Maritime Affairs (Anamar), Navy Captain Benny H. Batista Castillo, representing the General Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Emilio Recio Segura, and oceanographer Gustavo Jorge Gori from NOAA.
https://eldia.com.do/ee-uu-presenta...dispositivo-para-dar-seguimiento-a-huracanes/
http://www.apl.washington.edu/project/project.php?id=seaglider_auv
IMF wants to see more taxes
The International Monetary Fund acknowledges that the “upcoming elections in 2020 are likely to dominate the near-term policy landscape.” In its 15 August 2019 country report, the international financial entity highlights that the country’s external position is in line with fundamentals. “The strong economic and policy performance has strengthened resilience to downside risks, but vulnerabilities remain,” states the IMF.
Nevertheless, the IMF wants to see more taxes. “The fiscal position is under moderate sustainability and affordability pressures; key structural bottlenecks have not been addressed; and social outcomes can be further strengthened,” says the entity.
The IMF points out that the Dominican economy has enjoyed strong growth since 2014 (6.6%, the highest in the Western Hemisphere). This has been supported by stable macroeconomic and financial policies, and a favorable external environment, states the organization. The entity points out that growth in the country “has generally been above potential, but inflation remains muted.”
https://www.imf.org/en/Publications...s-Release-Staff-Report-and-Statement-by-48592
https://elnuevodiario.com.do/fmi-re...levar-a-cabo-reformas-tributarias-ambiciosas/
Preparations for primaries pick up the pace
The Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) and Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) have begun an intense program of pre-electoral campaigning in preparation for the primaries on 6 October 2019.
The PLD has opened its primary to all of the voters in the country. Nevertheless, they have handed to the Central Electoral Board (JCE) a list of their 2,795,306 members to comply with the Political Parties Law 33-18.
The presidential pre-candidates for the PLD are Leonel Fernández, Reinaldo Pared, Gonzalo Castillo, Francisco Domínguez Brito, Andrés Navarro, Carlos Amarante, Maritza Hernández, Temístocles Montás, Radhamés Segura, Manuel Crespo and Melanio Paredes.
The list of members for the PRM stands at 1,303,779. In the case of the PRM, only those on this list are allowed to vote in the 6 October primary.
The JCE reported that membership lists of the four major parties contain 4,249,942 members. This includes the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), with 45,142, and the Social Christian Reform Party (PRSC), with 105,715. The official list of pre-candidates has to be handed into the JCE by 22 August.
According to the JCE, at the municipal level there are a total of 6,952 seeking nominations that are 540 for the position of mayor, 3,336 councilors, 1,689 spokespersons and 644 for the city directors’ positions.
At the congressional level, there are 108 pre-candidates and 635 for deputy.
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...-entre-sus-dirigentes-y-militantes-MK13800387
Remittances up 6% from January to June 2019
Remittances, the donations that expats send to their families and friends in the Dominican Republic, are up this year. This is the third year in a row that an increase has been registered.
According to preliminary statistics from the Central Bank, during the first semester of 2019 remittances had grown 6.1% over those sent in 2018. From January to June 2019, remittances are US$3.4 billion. The forecast is for these to end the year at around US$ 6.5 billion.
78% of the payments come from the United States. Second is Spain, with 9.9%. This is down from 10.6% in 2018. Next is Haiti (1.5%), Italy (1.1%). Other sources for remittances include Switzerland, Puerto Rico, Panama, Germany, France and Canada.
Geographically, 31.1% of the remittances was received by someone in Greater Santo Domingo and 15.1% by a person in Santiago.
https://www.diariolibre.com/economi...e-un-6-entre-enero-y-junio-de-2019-DM13799857
Counterfeit phones shipped from the Dominican Republic
Nearly 4,500 counterfeit LG and Asus smartphones shipped from the Dominican Republic were seized by US Customs and Border Protection in Philadelphia, USA.
Officers seized the first shipment of 2,043 LG phones on 26 July, and the second shipment of 1,926 LG and 480 Asus phones on 9 August. Both shipments had traveled from China through the Dominican Republic before arriving to the United States.
Both shipments were manifested as “used cell phones” and will now be destroyed.
https://www.securingindustry.com/el...zed-in-philadelphia/s105/a10565/#.XVqsluhKhPY
Court orders 20 years jail in Inversia financial scam
The Fourth Collegiate Court of the National District sentenced Teodoro Hidalgo Mendez and Michell Evertz to 20 years in prison on 19 August 2019. They were charged with defrauding dozens of former employees of the Dominican National Brewery with RD$1.21 billion through Financiera Inversia.
The convicted were ordered to pay a fine of 200 public sector minimum wages. They must also return the amount defrauded to the victims and make payments of 10% of the amount that was deposited by each saver to compensate for moral damages.
Both Hidalgo and Evertz were found guilty of criminal association, money laundering, fraud, abuse of trust and for violating the Monetary and Financial Law to the detriment of more than 230 people.
The full reading of the sentence is scheduled for 16 September.
https://elnuevodiario.com.do/tribun...ecutivos-de-financiera-por-estafa-millonaria/
https://eldia.com.do/ejecutivo-de-financiera-inversia-es-condenado-a-20-anos-de-carcel-por-estafa/
The file on Villa Vasquez drug-planting case
The Public Prosecution Agency has charged agents of the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) and the former prosecutor of the area with the planting of drugs and subsequent raid on the barbershop in Villa Vasquez in Montecristi on Wednesday 31 July 2019.
The Public Prosecution Agency seeks a year of pre-trial custody against former prosecutor Carmen Lisset Núñez, and DNCD agents, Víctor Ignacio Encarnación, Juan de Dios Heredia, Adán Mauricio Rodríguez Pichardo and Juan Antonio Arias.
The file details that on that Wednesday, two days before the raid, the former prosecutor, Carmen Lisset Núñez, Police Major Víctor Ignacio Encarnación Cuevas and Carlos Daniel Estévez (Mendañito) had met with Juan Daniel Disla to plan the raid on the El Maná barbershop. The meeting took place in a vehicle. Mendañito is fugitive of justice.
In the vehicle, Carlos Daniel Estévez was in charge of pointing out the employee known as Odabel Rodríguez, so that Disla could identify him. Following this Disla received RD$200 from Carmen Lisset Núñez and Police Major Víctor Ignacio Encarnación Cuevas to go into the shop on the pretense of having a haircut, and then make contact with Odabel.
The following day, Lisset Núñez asked for a warrant to carry out a raid on the barbershop. The warrant identified those who would be arrested as arrested as Odabel, El Menor and Jorlin.
The day of the raid, Disla and Carlos Daniel bought two portions of marijuana, which they put into a matchbox, together with a RD$100 note.
Disla went into the barbershop at around 8:30pm on Friday, 2 August and asked Odabel to cut his hair, while Carlos Daniel called the prosecutor who arrived shortly after with the members of the DNCD.
When agents Adan Mauricio Rodríguez Pichardo and Juan Antonio Arias Peguero arrived, Disla threw the matchbox onto the floor and at that moment the prosecutor and the National Police Major arrived.
The file also reveals that the prosecutor attempted to leave the country knowing that the investigation required her presence. Her husband was allowed to depart, nevertheless.
The actual raid was captured in a surveillance video that the owner of the barber uploaded to YouTube in his defense.
Local media, including Edith Febles on her La Cosa Como Es Talk Show reported on statements by Interior & Police Minister Monchi Fadul questioning the “luxury” of the barbershop and its air-conditioning. The owner of the barbershop would upload a video showing the “air conditioning” was really three fans. On the show, Febles reported on other cases in which the prosecutor had acted.
Pre-trial custody measures were not heard as scheduled on 19 August after the judge Javielka Antonia Gómez removed herself from the case on grounds of being a teacher of one of the barbershop owners. The judge was the same who had issued the warrant.
https://youtu.be/wS5w2JsSpA0?list=PLQcEXoqcB1G448bFz8YUhENIiqv3zb5UC
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5GKmA3QDLnPKK--pUZY8uA
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...ias-contra-la-exfiscal-que-allano-la-barberia
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...-para-barberia-dos-dias-antes-de-allanamiento
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...l-y-miembros-dncd-implicados-en-caso-barberia
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...o-de-prision-preventiva-en-caso-villa-vasquez
https://hoy.com.do/como-habrian-obt...a-dncd-y-fiscal-en-barberia-de-villa-vasquez/
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...-vergenza-para-la-sociedad-y-para-la-juventud
Dominican lawyer Knipping-Díaz killed in NY plane crash
Francisco (“Frank”) Knipping-Díaz, a prominent Dominican-American lawyer, serving the Dominican community in Upper Manhattan, New York, died on Saturday afternoon, 18 August 2019. The Cessna 303 airplane he was piloting crashed into a house in Dutchess County in upstate New York.
At the time, 61-year old Knipping-Díaz was accompanied by 50-year old Eduardo Tió and 52-year old Teofilo Antonio Díaz Pratt, both from the Dominican Republic, who survived with non-life threatening injuries.
Also killed in the accident was the owner of the Dutchess County house they crashed into, 61-year-old Gerard Bocker. His daughter, 21-year old Hannah Bocker suffered serious injuries. Her sister, 30-year old Sarah Bocker, suffered non-life threatening injuries.
According to Peter Knudson, spokesman of the National Transport Safety Board, the plane took off from the Orange County airport, heading towards Republic Airport in Farmingdale. After takeoff, the plane had landed in Sky Acres Airport in Grangeville to refuel and having left there, it had engine trouble and crashed.
The police said the home was engulfed in flames following the crash. The crash is being investigated by state police, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
http://www.liherald.com/stories/woo...z-dies-in-upstate-new-york-plane-crash,117327
https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com...ms-identified-woodemere-man-pilot/2048996001/
https://nypost.com/2019/08/19/police-identify-pilot-and-resident-killed-in-upstate-plane-crash/
More illegal travelers arrested
The Dominican Armada arrested 13 on Sunday 18 August 2019. They are charged with attempting to travel illegally to Puerto Rico in two boats that were discovered in Macao, Higuey and El Valle in Samana.
All of those arrested were taken to the Head Office of Naval Intelligence in Santo Domingo for interrogation.
In another operation, naval units rescued four Venezuelan citizens who were found off the coast of Catalina island in a boat.
https://hoy.com.do/armada-detiene13...erto-rico-en-yola-rescata-cuatro-venezolanos/
Hearing postponed in David Ortiz case
A Santo Domingo court has postponed the hearing to review coercive measures against one of those implicated in the case of the shooting of retired baseball player David Ortiz, who was supposedly shot in a case of mistaken identity, in Bar Dial on 9 June 2019.
The court took the decision to delay the hearing until 26 August as the accused, Eddy Vladimir Feliz García (El Nata), was not brought to the court. Instead, another of those accused was taken to court by mistake, Reinaldo Rodríguez Valenzuela.
The defense for Féliz Garcia, seeing that it was not their client at the court, asked for the postponement.
“El Nata” was the person who was driving the motorcycle to the bar that carried the passenger, Rolfi Ferreira Cruz, who was the one who actually shot David Ortiz, and, according to the file, was supposed to shoot Sixto David Fernández.
As well as Félix García, others in jail on remand for a year, in different jails around the country, are Rolfi Ferreras Cruz o Ramón Martínez Pérez (Rolfi); Oliver Moisés Mirabal, Joel Rodríguez de la Cruz (Calamardo), Porfirio Ayendi Dechamps Vásquez (Nene), Reynaldo Rodríguez Valenzuela, Gabriel Alexander Pérez Vizcaíno, Lanny Estefanny Pérez Reyes, José Eduardo Ciprián (Chuki), Carlos Rafael Álvarez (Carlos Nike), Franklin Junior Merán (Rubirosa), Víctor Hugo Gómez Vásquez and Alberto Miguel Rodríguez Mota.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...oercion-porque-llevaron-al-recluso-que-no-era
Brenda Castillo operated in the shoulder
Dominican volleyball team member, 27-year old Brenda Castillo was operated on Monday, 19 August in her left shoulder related to a fracture in her left arm. Orthopedist Cesar Roque says the operation was carried out to accelerate the athlete’s recovery from the car accident on Sunday, 18 August 2019 in Samaná. He estimated a recovery period of four months. Castillo is a world class libero. She was on vacation after the team won gold in the Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru.
https://proceso.com.do/2019/08/19/operan-a-libero-brenda-castillo-en-centro-medico-uce/
https://listindiario.com/el-deporte...-hice-lo-que-cualquier-ortopeda-hubiese-hecho
https://www.diariolibre.com/deportes/olimpismo/exitosa-la-operacion-de-brenda-castillo-EL13814404
Big bonuses do not mean success in baseball
Dozens of young Dominican baseball hopefuls have signed for very large sums of money, but as the years passed, most have never made it to the Big Leagues. The large bonus is no guarantee of success. Josephang Bernhart received a US$1.1 million bonus in January 1997 from the Toronto Blue Jays, and Ricardo Arambolas also received US$1.5 million that same year from the New York Yankees. These signings were big news back then because of the very large sums involved. For many major league teams (MLB), the failures seemed to stem from the fact that such huge bonuses killed the drive needed to succeed in baseball, and failure resulted.
In contrast, there is a pretty long list of players that signed for “pennies” and became stars for their various teams: Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz, Vladimir Guerrero, Sammy Sosa and Damaso Garcia are just a few that come to mind. Garcia signed for US$7,500 with the Yankees and went on to play for the Yankees, Toronto and Atlanta.
Bernhart, however, while projected to be the next Alex Rodriguez, never got out of the minor leagues.
While the failures are somewhat newsworthy, the successes are also important: Nomar Mazara (US$5.0 M); Miguel Sano (US$3.15 M) and Gary Sanchez (US$3.0 M) are three who have certainly earned their big bonuses. There is Ronald Guzman, who signed the same day as Nomar Mazara, and for US$3.5 million, played in 123 games for the Texas Rangers last year, but has only appeared in 68 this year, after going on the Disabled List with a pulled hamstring early on. Yet another player in the Forgotten Drawer is Eliar Hernandez, who signed for US$3.0 million with the Kansas City Royals in 2011; and Wander Mateo, who signed with St Louis for US$3.1 million in 2009, had the contract annulled because of physical issues. He was later signed for US$512,000 by the Arizona Diamondbacks and threw 8.0 innings in 2013, 14.1 in 2014 and is currently working in the minor league teams of the Diamondbacks.
And, of course the list goes on and on: Ariel Ovando ($2.6 M with Houston); Joel Guzman ($2.2 M with the Dodgers); Rafael Rodriguez ($2.5 M with the Giants) and never got out of A class baseball.
https://www.diariolibre.com/deporte...lones-y-no-avanzaron-en-el-beisbol-DN13789318
Basketball player Frank Prats player dies young
Francisco Adolfo Prats Ceara, died at 64 at Plaza de la Salud in Santo Domingo. He was not able to survive the complications of colon cancer. He was a member of the legendary national team that won gold in Centrobasket 1977 in Panama. After retiring from the sport, he continued on as a sports newscaster on CDN Sportsmax with Onfalia Morillo. The wake will be at Funeraria Blandino of Av. Abraham Lincoln.
https://elcaribe.com.do/2019/08/20/...e-frank-prats-sus-restos-seran-expuestos-hoy/
https://eldia.com.do/el-inmortal-frank-prats-murio-ayer/
Festecom: Comedy for equality at Teatro Guloya
Actor and producer Noel Ventura is producing the First Comic Theater Festival at the Teatro Guloya. Teatro Guloya is an Off-Broadway style small theater located on Arzobispo Portes Street in the Colonial City.
Ventura says the first year of the festival is dedicated to promoting more women entering the field of comedy. He said men and women can both make good comedy. The festival opened with “Circulo Violeta,” from 16-18 August 2019.
It continues with “Tartufo,” from 23-25 August 2019. On 30 August to 1 September, “75 puñaladas.”
Tickets are RD$300. Showings are Friday and Saturday at 8:30pm and Sundays at 6:30pm.
https://hoy.com.do/el-festecom-festival-del-teatro-comico/
Onamet: More rains are coming
The National Meteorological Office (Onamet) is forecasting rains and thunderstorms will continue. A passing trough combining with remnants of a tropical wave has created the conditions for heavy rains. Onamet declared a green alert for the provinces of Monte Plata, Sánchez Ramírez, Duarte, María Trinidad Sánchez, Samaná and Hato Mayor. Residents in high-risk areas need to take precautions to avoid damages from flooding. Highs will be from 33-35ºC, and lows from 24-26ºC.