Senior military intervene so businesses can sell booze after curfew

[Dolores]

Roberto Antonio Silverio Castillo / N Digital

The commander of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Program (COBA) of the Ministry of the Interior and Police in La Altagracia, Roberto Antonio Silverio Castillo, denounced higher up military officers are making life impossible for his patrols. He said that generals, colonels and other high-ranking military officials allow businesses to stay open after curfew to continue to sell alcoholic beverages to their customers.

As reported in N Digital, Silverio Castillo denounced the situation when meeting with the governor of La Altagracia, Martina Pepén Santana. He said that in Bavaro, the COBA agents that patrol the commercial, touristic and residential district have clashed with officers that authorize that certain businesses stay open.

Silverio Castillo said that the enforcement of alcohol-vending hours is the task of the...

Continue reading...

 

[JD Jones]

Another opportunity for the President to show who's in charge.

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

Another opportunity for the President to show who's in charge.

Follow the money...

 

[CristoRey]

The fact that this fella had the courage to speak up
about this says a lot. This would have never happened
6 months ago. For better a worse, things are definitely
changing down here and those from the "old guard" are
not going to be happy.

 

[Caonabo]

The fact that this fella had the courage to speak up
about this says a lot. This would have never happened
6 months ago. For better a worse, things are definitely
changing down here and those from the "old guard" are
not going to be happy.

Seems like he did not get an envelope.

 

[Caonabo]

It will be VERY interesting to see how this plays out.
A situation worth monitoring very closely, to see how future hands are played.

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

Fair is fair. If one colmado has to shut down, they should all be made to shut down. Reclassifying a colmado as an essential service to allow it remain open just isn't fair. Kind of like that resort in east Sosua that is operating not so much as a resort these days but as a social club. Seems anyone can get a permit to do just about anything during the curfew if they try hard enough. The money apparently trumps social responsibility for both the officials and the establishments and that is no great surprise. Clearly many are ok with being part of the problem and not part of the solution - individuals and businesses. The virus marches on... If these little tourist towns actually had robust testing we might be surprised at the level of spread in these communities. The majority of tourists in these little towns have a singular focus of interest and they pursue that with fervor and dedication to the detriment of the population both here and back home when the tourists eventually leave. And of course everyone else on that airplane with them.

 

[CristoRey]

It will be VERY interesting to see how this plays out.
A situation worth monitoring very closely, to see how future hands are played.

My guess.
In the press/ public they will come to a "understanding" and in private things will continue as they always do.

 

[CristoRey]

Fair is fair. If one colmado has to shut down, they should all be made to shut down. Reclassifying a colmado as an essential service to allow it remain open just isn't fair. Kind of like that resort in east Sosua that is operating not so much as a resort these days but as a social club. Seems anyone can get a permit to do just about anything during the curfew if they try hard enough. The money apparently trumps social responsibility for both the officials and the establishments and that is no great surprise. Clearly many are ok with being part of the problem and not part of the solution - individuals and businesses. The virus marches on... If these little tourist towns actually had robust testing we might be surprised at the level of spread in these communities. The majority of tourists in these little towns have a singular focus of interest and they pursue that with fervor and dedication to the detriment of the population both here and back home when the tourists eventually leave. And of course everyone else on that airplane with them.

No. Nothing else needs to be "classified" or shut down. The colmado should be required to operate the normal curfew hours.

 

[MikeFisher]

his is not about just Colamados.
there is a number of businesses, none a colmado or such, which are "open", as such high ranked officers get paid for allowing that.
in Bavaro you can actually go out after curfew hours and hit a nice bar full of working girls and have some good drinks.
unless such cops ofRank get thrown into jail for their corrupt actions and the specific businesses really closed without any reopening date set,
so long the big talks about fighting corruption will stay just a bad Joke.
such corruptstuff can not be done by just one or a few "bad cops",
such thing does only work because very most/if not all of the force in the area are involved.
and of course each get's his/her share of the lil profit.

 

[Caonabo]

My guess.
In the press/ public they will come to a "understanding" and in private things will continue as they always do.

Let us see if he gets transferred shortly.

 

[CristoRey]

his is not about just Colamados.
there is a number of businesses, none a colmado or such, which are "open", as such high ranked officers get paid for allowing that.
in Bavaro you can actually go out after curfew hours and hit a nice bar full of working girls and have some good drinks.
unless such cops ofRank get thrown into jail for their corrupt actions and the specific businesses really closed without any reopening date set,
so long the big talks about fighting corruption will stay just a bad Joke.
such corruptstuff can not be done by just one or a few "bad cops",
such thing does only work because very most/if not all of the force in the area are involved.
and of course each get's his/her share of the lil profit.

During my last visit to Sosua I was told it basically
works the same with certain establishments as the
PN know better than to bite and harrass the hand(s)
that feed them.

 

[rubio_higuey]

People, the "essential services" keep operating even during curfew hours. I was staying in Crowne Plaza in SD for most of the past week and the first night I went downstairs to a bar to get some ice and a prepago was just registering in... It was almost 11 pm. You knew it from the looks, classy but prepago... As I walked by the reception area, the receptionist was just handing her back her cédula and told her the security guy will accompany her to the room. My first thought was, HTF did she get there at this hour.

 

[MikeFisher]

in your home turf Higuey and here in the Punta Cana/Bavaro area some things will change drasticlly the next days,
or the government will loose any credibility on their case of fighting corruption.

 

[JD Jones]

in your home turf Higuey and here in the Punta Cana/Bavaro area some things will change drasticlly the next days,
or the government will loose any credibility on their case of fighting corruption.

I was just thinking the same thing.

 

[CristoRey]

People, the "essential services" keep operating even during curfew hours. I was staying in Crowne Plaza in SD for most of the past week and the first night I went downstairs to a bar to get some ice and a prepago was just registering in... It was almost 11 pm. You knew it from the looks, classy but prepago... As I walked by the reception area, the receptionist was just handing her back her cédula and told her the security guy will accompany her to the room. My first thought was, HTF did she get there at this hour.

Cash is still King.

 

[william webster]

People, the "essential services" keep operating even during curfew hours. I was staying in Crowne Plaza in SD for most of the past week and the first night I went downstairs to a bar to get some ice and a prepago was just registering in... It was almost 11 pm. You knew it from the looks, classy but prepago... As I walked by the reception area, the receptionist was just handing her back her cédula and told her the security guy will accompany her to the room. My first thought was, HTF did she get there at this hour.

Arriving from the airport ??
Perfectly legit

 

[sayanora]

In Santiago there are restaurants that completely ignore the curfew and have been eating inside until 11pm every night. Included in the people eating are the generals and their families and governors .. who is going to force them to go home when they are the people that enforce the law?

The funniest thing is one of the biggest offenders to this has a government position of Director of Nightlife/Restaurant operations for Covid-19.. it's a joke.

 

[MikeFisher]

send a camera team of one of your local online TV stations.
let them walk in with running camera 1hrs after the curfew started, maybe broadcasting it Life.
that seem's todays to be the only way to work when it comes to pushing authorities on their duty.

 

[sayanora]

That method works with normal people mostly, with high profile folks they will be arrested, phones confiscated, and a coverup story of how a rogue press member was trying to record a high profile government meeting without permission. Not worth my time unfortunately, maybe someone else will start climbing that mountain.