Yes, this is sad news. The prehistoric monuments of Hispaniola rarely get the coverage or protection that they deserve. Perhaps the historian Frank Moya Pons, the new Minister of the Environment, will take the initiative to enact more stringent protection laws of these antiquities. However, even the best laws and personnel to support them cannot always protect these valuable relics. In the Southwest of the U.S.A numerous petroglyphs and pictographs on federal and state lands have been stolen or damaged by robbers hacking them out of the rock for sale on the black market. Many unscrupulous collectors don't care where an item comes from as long as them can get their hands on it. I hope the D.R. works harder to save these resources for future generations.
