whats going on in La Ciénaga today???

[bellakins]

In many cases there are disputes over land ownership, that can take years or decades to play out in the courts. Once it is settled, the rightful owner wants to take possession.

Really? This land and surrounding Laguna, aquifer, park...belong to all the people of the Republica Dominicans as a “buffer zone” and large National Park to protect natural resources and enhance biodiversity.
To have allowed such utter disregard for the public environment to continue for so many years with disastrous display is complete lunacy. I really hope that the citizens can start respecting their special connection to their own shared land and legacy. Demand that everyone knows NO More illegal squatters will be tolerated. FIRE their crap💥
Also, these TEN government agencies that were involved in this particular “show of force” should be available to hear and acknowledge many other problems with squatters, polluters and disease-prone idiotas...all over the country
What is the phone number for the Environmental Agency here on the North coast?
Or the National Environmental Commission in Santo Domingo?
Let everyone know that their is a will and a way, from NOW on.

 

[bellakins]

When I volunteered in Cabarete, the majority of the children lived in La Ciénaga. This was inevitable eventually, but it’s still very sad for the little ones. Many people there would give the shirt off their back without hesitating.

Shirt off their back for whom? Or what?

Yeah, I've never had to provide any title or anything when making contracts with Edenorte (of course I'm not a homeowner, always lived renting an apartment) Just any kind of ID and that's it.
But that's what I'm saying about the owner's suddenly reacting, be it the government or a private owner. why now? Because it's not only the people living there that are going to "suffer", all the utilities would also have to be removed, and the roads removed, something that most of the time the local municipal have paid for. Which even makes it stranger if it's the government, that they would have allowed the local politicians to build roads and give "authority" to for example Edenorte to put poles and stuff, to now force the residents away.

You obviously have not been back there to see what “roads” exist...much less “Authority “

 

[bellakins]

Exactly. If these owners pretend they had no knowledge then they should be arrested or have charges brought against them for being complicit in illegal building. Of course they knew. If you haven't visited your property in 20 years nor had someone watching for you, or you did but allowed poor people to squat, or more likely scammed, then you should no longer have rights to the land. You were a delinquent owner.
It's a scam as real owners wait then swoop in and claim structures as their own and sell the better ones or charge the residents outrageous prices for lots they built a house on.
It's a repeated scam but there is a lot of this scamming being done now on the North Coast right now.
Not sure what roll Abinader's government plays?

No scam here... Just squatters taking what they can for as long as possible

 

[windeguy]

I can't help thinking of the double standards of some people who believe that it's fine to stay forever on a 30-day tourist card and "how dare the government think of enforcing the rules" but when it comes to local living illegally on someone else's land they are practically driving the bulldozers.

You and me both on that point.

 

[windeguy]

There's a reason the barrio is called

In that particular case, the houses were built within the 60m setback, no?

As for the houses taken down near the ocean some years ago along the main road near Kite Beach and across from Costa Azul, some were within the 60 meter setback. The primary reason is that they were squatters and the land owners somehow had the removal done. El Rocon was removed because someone else owned the land.

 

[windeguy]

Really? This land and surrounding Laguna, aquifer, park...belong to all the people of the Republica Dominicans as a “buffer zone” and large National Park to protect natural resources and enhance biodiversity.
To have allowed such utter disregard for the public environment to continue for so many years with disastrous display is complete lunacy. I really hope that the citizens can start respecting their special connection to their own shared land and legacy. Demand that everyone knows NO More illegal squatters will be tolerated. FIRE their crap💥
Also, these TEN government agencies that were involved in this particular “show of force” should be available to hear and acknowledge many other problems with squatters, polluters and disease-prone idiotas...all over the country
What is the phone number for the Environmental Agency here on the North coast?
Or the National Environmental Commission in Santo Domingo?
Let everyone know that their is a will and a way, from NOW on.

This is precisely the point. Thousands of people were sold "title" to this protected wetland and public park by a very corrupt mayor of Cabarete.
It was out of site and out of mind while the PLD were in charge. Hundreds if not thousands of truck loads of fill went down La Cianaga road to reclaim the swamp for this construction. The trucks were probably owned and operated by that same mayor...

As for the environmental agency:

Inicio

ambiente.gob.do

My question going forward is this: Those people removed in the past couple of days were over some arbitrary line.
What about the hundreds of other houses in La Cienaga? Will the government redraw the lines and let them stay?

 

[chico bill]

Knowingly squatting is one thing, but many poor people with dreams of their own place are sold pieces of land that the seller claims to hold title to. Yes they are likely not going through an attorney nor getting a deslinde. But they are scraping money together, often borrowing from family, for the land then bit by bit build very modest homes, all the while thinking (maybe naively) they are legal and building a future and a place to raise families and they are proud.
These are not all squatters that some commenters point out (these comments come from people who don't have friends in these places).
Many are simply victims of fraud and often times the real owner may be in cahoots, letting an unscrupulous person, or brother-in-law sell the parcels before swooping in to make a larger profit after a community springs up and more value can be realized.
I know a few of these people who have been tricked. It is devastating to them and the families

 

[windeguy]

Knowingly squatting is one thing, but many poor people with dreams of their own place are sold pieces of land that the seller claims to hold title to. Yes they are likely not going through an attorney nor getting a deslinde. But they are scraping money together, often borrowing from family, for the land then bit by bit build very modest homes, all the while thinking (maybe naively) they are legal and building a future and a place to raise families and they are proud.
These are not all squatters that some commenters point out (these comments come from people who don't have friends in these places).
Many are simply victims of fraud and often times the real owner may be in cahoots, letting an unscrupulous person, or brother-in-law sell the parcels before swooping in to make a larger profit after a community springs up and more value can be realized.
I know a few of these people who have been tricked. It is devastating to them and the families

In this case the former mayor of Cabarete was acting as the "owner" of the protected wetlands, allowing people to build there for a fee and filling in more and more of the swamp, in what is a public park. It isn't complicated in this case as to what happened, just extremely corrupt during the times of the PLD.

Any more that happens can be extremely complicated. Time will tell.

 

[windeguy]

I just heard a rumor: "It ain't over yet for what is going to happen in La Cienaga".

Just that . Nothing else. Just a rumor.

 

[NanSanPedro]

In this case the former mayor of Cabarete was acting as the "owner" of the protected wetlands, allowing people to build there for a fee and filling in more and more of the swamp, in what is a public park. It isn't complicated in this case as to what happened, just extremely corrupt during the times of the PLD.

Any more that happens can be extremely complicated. Time will tell.

Didn't someone say the ex mayor is in jail now?

 

[windeguy]

Didn't someone say the ex mayor is in jail now?

The ex mayor was in jail for embezzling about $3 Million US from government funds. Not sure where he is at the moment.
It took a long time to get him into jail because his buddies were very influential. Then some story about health issues.

 

[AlterEgo]

The ex mayor was in jail for embezzling about $3 Million US from government funds. Not sure where he is at the moment.
It took a long time to get him into jail because his buddies were very influential. Then some story about health issues.

What’s his name?

 

[Abuela]

What’s his name?

Canoa...https://dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2018/08/21/cabarete-ex-mayors-get-2-years-for-embezzling-us3-7m/

 

[cavok]

What happened to the video of the shacks being taken down?

 

[windeguy]

What’s his name?

Canoa...https://dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2018/08/21/cabarete-ex-mayors-get-2-years-for-embezzling-us3-7m/

Thanks Abuela!

 

[windeguy]

What happened to the video of the shacks being taken down?

Only "The Shadow" knows.
I suspect the large military force on site kept videos to a minimum.
But one might pop up.

 

[cavok]

Only "The Shadow" knows.
I suspect the large military force on site kept videos to a minimum.
But one might pop up.

The video I was looking for was in the other thread.

 

[Auryn]

I just heard a rumor: "It ain't over yet for what is going to happen in La Cienaga".

Just that . Nothing else. Just a rumor.

I highly doubt they’d finally go to all this trouble unless there was money to be made.

“Protected wetlands”, “natural habitat”, “biodiversity”...my left foot.

 

[Auryn]

Knowingly squatting is one thing, but many poor people with dreams of their own place are sold pieces of land that the seller claims to hold title to. Yes they are likely not going through an attorney nor getting a deslinde. But they are scraping money together, often borrowing from family, for the land then bit by bit build very modest homes, all the while thinking (maybe naively) they are legal and building a future and a place to raise families and they are proud.
These are not all squatters that some commenters point out (these comments come from people who don't have friends in these places).
Many are simply victims of fraud and often times the real owner may be in cahoots, letting an unscrupulous person, or brother-in-law sell the parcels before swooping in to make a larger profit after a community springs up and more value can be realized.
I know a few of these people who have been tricked. It is devastating to them and the families

There are always those who do it intentionally. There is another side to it as Bill mentioned above.
Poor families get blamed for it but they aren’t always the true culprits. They make very easy targets when one has the inclination to get sanctimonious.
Many shady business men and lawyers get fat off of this type of thing.

 

[Big]

Here is a few sanctimonious words. All of these people knew deep down that they were just buying into a temporary living arrangement. None truly believed that they were the actually owners of real property. Their skill in collectively showing outrage at the government is all in their script. Living and squatting anywhere under those conditions and circumstances has a expiration date. Build a house or shack on vacant land and maybe you can squeeze a few years out or a few months. Using children and the elderly as a tool for sympathy is a specialty here.