Perhaps you have some basis for your take on Luis. It's a big paint brush that you use as a "part-time outsider". Care to support your statements ?Dominican Republic, home of All Inclusive...even political opinions from tourists.
I’ll gladly respond to your request to support my statements. My knowledge of Dominican life and politics extends well beyond that of an AI tourist. Initially I used a residence in an AI resort as my base but moved on to long term stays in my friends houses. I made the effort to explore the North Coast, talk to people in many communities, and see first hand the level of poverty of many people. Through my Canadian expat friends, I became part of extended DR families and met and talked to DR officials, politicians, lawyers, etc. and gained what I think is a good general perspective on DR life and politics. I never passed up the opportunity to speak to expats from other countries to get their perspective on DR life. I’ve been to numerous weddings, funerals, and birthday celebrations. My friends married Dominicans, set up businesses, and donated their time and money to the communities they lived in. I witnessed the positive and negative aspects of their commitment to the DR. Hardly the background of an AI Tourist.
My brush is far from broad. It’s based on my observations and those of my friends. I don’t purport to have the high degree of political expertise of the Dominican Republic. What I do have is a keen interest in DR life and politics, and good observational skills I use to show me the impact of government inaction and corruption on the poor. I’ve had the opportunity to see the impact of the previous and current government on DR life, particularly on DR citizens in the campo.
President Abinader came to power promising change and an end to corrupt practises. His promise to bring the corrupt politicians to justice in the previous administration hasn’t gone well, They are basically untouchable. No fault of his but not unexpected. As his administration progresses, the litany of their corruption is posted daily on DR1 headline news and other DR media outlets. You don’t have to be a political scientist to realize that political corruption in the DR is not going away, regardless of who is in power, and political complacency aids and abets the corruption. All anyone can hope for is that new administrations become less corrupt as time progresses.
I’m certainly not naive enough to believe the DR government is the only corrupt government or the most corrupt. I’ve seen corruption first hand in my government. I’ve seen wasted government funds, nepotism, and coverup, but we have checks and balances to limit corruption in our government and they work for the most part.
An open mind, and an interest in the culture, combined with good observational skills can do a lot for anyone, regardless of where they live. The ability to not only look but see is a wonderful thing if we choose to exercise it.
