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During the weekly press conference on Monday, 18 March 2024, President Luis Abinader said that the Las Parras jail is far from being completed. He said the jail needs RD$1.6 billion and at least another year of construction to be ready to open to remedy drainage as the jail was built in a swamp area. The jail was built to relocate the inmates in the congested La Victoria Jail.
La Victoria Jail made headlines when a fire broke out in one of the inmate areas on Monday, 18 March 2024.
Three inmates died from inhalation of smoke in a fire that broke out on Monday, 18 March 2024 at the La Victoria jail. Of the three one was reported dead after he was taken to the Ney Arias Lora hospital, two others died at the La Victoria jail clinic.
At least six inmates at the La Victoria jail were hospitalized from burns and intoxication after a fire broke out at the over-congested jail. Preliminary reports is that the fire was caused by an electricity short circuit in one of the cells...
Financial Times’ Latin American editor Michael Stott published an article calling President Luis Abinader the star performer in Latin America – “The Simple Idea behind Latam’s star economy”.
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Dominican telecom regulator, Indotel is implementing a program to bring free or low cost broadband connections to residents in 23 municipalities and 44 municipal districts in the country’s southern region.
The US$19.4 million project is funded by the Interamerican Development Bank. It will benefit towns in the provinces of Azua, Bahoruco, Barahona, Elías Piña, Independencia, Pedernales, San Cristóbal, San José de Ocoa and San Juan, Indotel said in a press release.
The regulator estimates that close to 143,000 people will benefit from the new infrastructure.
The project includes providing free internet to 343 public institutions, and a special plan for the most vulnerable population with a 10Mbps download speed at a monthly cost of RD$299 pesos (around US$5).
Nelson Arroyo, president of Indotel stated: “This project is not only an investment in infrastructure, but a commitment to progress, equal opportunities and sustainable development, said Nelson Arroyo.
Read more...
Park rangers at work in Montecristi at the Estero Balsa National Park have removed upwards of a thousand traps for protected birds and released these back to the wild, reports El Nuevo Diario, in its coverage of a Ministry of Environment press release.
Birds rescued by the park rangers include the majestic Black Neck Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus), flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber) and the Roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) that make the park area home.
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The staff of El Nuevo Diario interviewed deputy Omar Fernandez who is running for senator for the National District for the People’s Force (FP) party of his father, three-time President Leonel Fernandez and the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD).
In the interview, Omar Fernandez advocated for the creating of a Ministry of Family to group the many state entities that deal with family issues, such as the Ministry of Women, Ministry of Youth and Conani, the children protection agency. Fernandez is against the passing of the three exceptions to abortion. He said the Ministry of Family would be key to resolving crime that he blamed on the lack of oppotunities for young people.
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The National Association of Young Business People (ANJE) is organizing the presidential debate in the Dominican Republic for 24 April 2024, in time for the 19 May 2024 presidential election. This will be a first time that all presidential candidates from political parties that had won at least 5% of the vote in the previous elections participate.
The participants will be President Luis Abinader who seeks to be reelected, Santiago Mayor Abel Martinez who is running his first time for President. Martinez is running for the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD).
It will also be the first time that former President Leonel Fernandez accepts to participate in a presidential debate. Fernandez previous had said that his contenders did not have his level.
So far, ANJE has not accepted recommendations to include two women candidates, Virginia Antares Rodriguez (Opcion Democratica) and Maria Teresa Cabrera (Frente Amplio) of political parties that have not reached the 5%. The argument is...
Business people of Santiago and other central and northern provinces announced the Pro Cibao 2024 will take place from 10 to12 April 2024 on the UTESA university’s Dominican Culture and Convention Center in Santiago. This is a space to congregate exporters, buyers and investors.
ProCibao is designed to highlight the economic potential of Santiago and the northern region of the country. The event aims to catalyze economic and business growth in the area, opening the doors to new international horizons.
The organizers explain the event will be three intensive days of networking, conferences, panels, exhibitions and unparalleled investment opportunities.
“We wanted to create a space to which international investors and merchants have been invited to appreciate local production aimed at global markets to establish long-term relationships,” said Carlos Iglesias, president of the Santiago Chamber of Commerce and Production.
The event also has the backing of the government’s...
Dominican Miami-resident Maria Jacobo received the Presidents Volunteer Service Award for her efforts to help young adults with autism. Jacobo traveled to the United States when her son Eyrol Martinez finished high school. Her son today is employed at Starbuck corporation and she heads a foundation to help others parents with autism.
In 2023 she published her book, Vestidas de Gloria to help women develop their own style from within.
The President’s Volunteer Service Award was started in 2003 by then President George Busch. It seeks to recognize the important role of volunteers in the United States’ strength and national identify. The award honors individuals whose service positively impacts communities in every corner of the country and inspires others.
The PVSA has continued under each administration, honoring the volunteers who are using their time and talents to solve some of the toughest challenges facing our nation.
Led by the AmeriCorps and managed in...
After returning from the United States where he had traveled for medical treatment, long-time Azua deputy for the Dominican Liberation Party Julio Peña Brito passed away. He had served as deputy for the PLD for four periods, since he was first elected in 2006.
He was a high-ranking member of the Dominican Liberation Party. He was a lawyer with masters studies in electoral politics from the Universidad Catolica de Santo Domingo and Political Sciences from the UNPHU in Santo Domingo.
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Luis Almagro, secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS) posted on his X account that he is again sending former President of Chile Eduardo Frei Ruiz (1994-2000) to head the Organization of American States (OAS) mission to observe the presidential and congressional elections in the Dominican Republic. Frei had led the OAS mission for the controversial municipal election in 2020.
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Members of the Specialized Land Border Security Corps (Cesfront) installed a protective mesh on the border bridge located between Ouanaminth in Haiti and Dajabón in the Dominican Republic on Monday, 18 March 2024. The mesh fencing on the bridge was installed to avoid another tragedy as occurred last week when a Haitian woman merchant making her way in the crowd to the binational market on the Dominican side of the border was pushed by the crowd and fell off the bridge.
The woman was hospitalized in the Dominican Republic and reportedly is recovering from the injuries. Hoy corrected original reports that the woman had died from injuries in the fall.
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Medical authorities report that the toll of the mishandled fireworks during the 10 March 2024 Salcedo carnival is now at five children.
The most recent to die is 11-year old Aquiel Diloné, at the Arturo Grullón Regional Children’s Hospital in Santiago. Previously, the hospital had reported the death of six-year old Yoel Alexander Garcia, 13 year old Angel Santos and 5 year old Andriel Leonardo Abreu..Others who have died in the tragedy are 53-year old Henry Rosario Ortega; six-year old Yoel Alexander Garcia at the burn unit of the Ney Arias Lora Hospital in Santo Domingo.
The deaths occurred after mishandled fireworks caught the highly-flamable costumes of carnival participants on fire.
As reported, the children Cesar Junior Poland, 15, Edwin Arias, 16, and Carlos Blanco, 11, respectively, are in a delicate state, which is why family and friends of Salcedo have called for the population to continue praying for their recovery.
Elvis Santos was ordered to remain in house...
Reports have come in that the 41-year-old Indiana woman who suffered a medical emergency and then was reported dead when the American Airlines flight landed in Turks & Caicos died of natural causes.
Her brother said his sister died of natural causes. Stefanie Smith had previously been on vacation in the Dominican Republic and was on a flight headed back to Charlotte, North Carolina when she convulsed and died.
Stefanie Smith was on a flight headed for Charlotte, North Carolina, when she suffered a medical emergency and died.
Her brother said Stefanie Smith died from carotid artery dissection, according to her brother.
Light manufacturing in export zones, and cigar and rum production, and now medical tourism and sports tourism, good restaurants and bars are key to the continued development of the centrally-located province of Santiago.
President Luis Abinader was in Santiago on Monday, 18 March 2024 for the launching of the city’s Santiago Tourist Bureau and the Visit Santiago promotions.
Speaking during the event to present the Santiago Tourist Bureau and the Visit Santiago promotional campaigns, President Luis Abinader highlighted how the city concentrates “the best private health infrastructure in the country”.
President Luis Abinader spoke of Santiago’s institutional strength as region promoters move forward Santiago’s tourism development strategy. “Tourism today is about telling success stories; there is a lot of wealth to draw from,” said the President about the development of Santiago industries and their history, such as tobacco, rum, and health industries.
Our vision of the...
President Luis Abinader was in La Isabela, west of Puerto Plata, on Sunday, 17 March 2024 to inaugurate the renovation of the Parque Histórico y Arqueológico de La Isabela in Luperón, Puerto Plata province. The historic center, originally built by the Spanish government cooperation agency, tells the story of the first settlement in the Americas, founded by Christopher Columbus in 1494, in his second voyage to the Americas.
The center includes a museum that tells the story of the first settlement, founded more than 530 years ago. The site is where the first Catholic mass in the Americas took place in 1494 and the first exchange between island natives and the Europeans.
The Dominican government has requested the site be included in the UNESCO list of world heritage sites.
Minister of Culture Milagros German spoke of the cultural and historic importance of the park. The government invested RD$170 million in the renovation. A restaurant, new parking, and Atlantic Ocean...
February was another good month for tourist visits with air arrivals up 14% and sea arrivals up 19%.
The Ministry of Tourism reports that 1,057,216 visitors arrived in February 2024, a month with 29 days. The total includes 755,832 non-resident tourists, up 14% compared to 2023.
Cruise ship arrivals in February 2024 are up 19% at 301,384 visitors. Taino Bay was the terminal to receive the most cruise ship visitors with 117,876 passengers, followed by Amber Cove, also in Puerto Plata, with 90,089. La Romana’s Casa de Campo and Isla Catalina ports received 69,136 and 10,153 arrivals. Santo Domingo port received 2,016 visitors. Cruise ship travel was up 19%, compared to 2023.
Punta Cana International Airport received 59% of all air arrivals. Las Americas (Santo Domingo) serviced 21% of air arrivals and El Cibao in Santiago 9.5.%.
The Ministry of Tourism is optimistic if the present trends in visitor arrivals continue, the country will set a record of 11 million tourists...
During the 15 March 2024 working session, the Civil Aviation Board (JAC) approved new air connections with Puerto Rico and Panam (Copa), Canada (Air Transat) and Portugal (Orbest).
Air Transat will be adding new flights to and from Dominican airport to the cities ofToronto, Moncton and Canada’s capital city Ottawa. The new routes are: Toronto/Samaná /Toronto; Moncton/Punta Cana/Moncton and Ottawa/Punta Cana/Ottawa. From January 2023 to January 2024, Air Transat carried 970,037 passengers to and from the DR.
Orbest of Portugal is authorized to fly the Lisbon/La Romana Lisbon route, from 26 June to 11 September 2024, with a frequency of one flight per week, on Wednesdays. From January 2023 to January 2024, the Portuguese airline Orbest transported 28,723 passengers to the DR.
Copa Airlines is authorized to transport cargo and passengers on the Panama/San Juan/Santo Domingo/Panama route on 7, 14, 21 and 28 March 2024, with a frequency of one flight on each date. According to...
President Luis Abinader inaugurated on Sunday, 17 March 2024 the first 4km stretch of the Santiago skylift. The skylift seeks to bring new mobility to the congested center of Santiago city.
The skylift opens to the general public on Monday, 18 March with free transportation to Santiago commuters throughout an adaptation period.
The Presidency reported RD$6.5 billion has been invested in the mass transit system that will directly impact around 74,000 inhabitants who commute to nine of the most populated sectors in the second largest city in the Dominican Republic.
The Santiago Cable Car is part of the Santiago Integrated Transportation System (SIT-Stgo), an initiative that will eventually integrate different modalities of public transport allowing for single fares. The government is incorporating sustainable mobility alternatives that reduce the impact on the...
President Luis Abinader was in Puerto Plata and Maria Trinidad Sanchez provinces on the north coast for several public work inaugurations on Sunday, 17 March 2024.
One of these was the Puerto Plata city ballpark. Now that Puerto Plata has an adequate baseball stadium (Estadio Jose Briceño), the next step of the Puerto Plata development team is to convince the Dominican Professional Baseball League to allow a Puerto Plata team to participate in the Dominican Baseball League (Lidom) winter professional baseball championship that happens from October to February.
The problem has always been that the arguement that it rains too frequently in Puerto Plata, and too many games would have to be rescheduled. The north coast is also more than a three-hour drive from the capital city, yet less than 40 minutes from Santiago. The teams already travel to San...
Recent polls reveal that President Luis Abinader has an unusually wide lead so far in the 19 May 2024 presidential election campaign that opened on 8 March 2024 nationwide.
The most recent Galliup-RCC Media poll revealed that if the presidential election were held on the polling dates (6 to 9 March 2024), President Luis Abinader would win with an extraordinarily high 64%.
The runner-ups are former three-time President Leonel Fernandez from the People’s Force (FP) with 19% of the vote and two-term Santiago Mayor Abel Martinez, with 12% of the vote.
Another reputed poll, that of the Centro Economico del Cibao taken on 7 March 2024, showed President Abinader leading with 63.5% of the vote, followed by Fernandez with 20.6% and Martinez with 9%.
The CID Gallup poll, carried out on 28 February 2024, has revealed President Abinader was leading with 59% of the...
President Luis Abinader has announced that he will take part in the debate organized by the National Association of Young Business People (ANJE), scheduled to be televised on 24 April 2024.
Abinader’s remarks upon making this decision centered on the fact that there is no legal obligation for him to participate in the debate, but considering the effort made by the people at ANJE, he said he will do so to contribute to democracy in the country.
Three-time former President Leonel Fernandez has also said that he will take part in the debate as the candidate for the People’s Force (FP) party. Santiago Mayor Abel Martinez, the candidate from the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), had said he would participate when asked in November 2023. He confirmed he will show at the debate.
The debate will happen at a time when Abinader has at least a 20-point lead over his...
These are times when big companies in the Dominican Republic are investing in solar energy while at the same time they seek governmental restrictions against homeowners installing the systems and a change in the present rules for solar energy. The Ministry of Energy has been listening to the big companies.
Meanwhile, last week 32 ministers from the Western Hemisphere gathered in Punta Cana to talk about energy. The Sixth Meeting of Energy Ministers of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) took place at the Barcelo Bavaro Convention Center in Punta Cana from 14 to 15 March 2024.
The focus of the meeting was Renewable Energy in the Americas: Integration and Innovation.
Dominican Minister of Energy and Mines Antonio Almonte told his colleagues that the Dominican nation has taken large steps forward in the area of renewable energy...
Dennis B. Hankins / Diario Libre
Despite announcements of the forming of a presidential transition council in Haiti, to tell from widespread evacuation efforts, the perception seems that matters will continue to get worse in Haiti.
The situation right now is that with the Port-au-Prince International Airport closed to regular traffic, those with money can still purchase helicopter lift and charter flights to leave the country.
Over the weekend, the Dominican government helped evacuate 27 Dominicans from Haiti. Three Dominican Air Force helicopters transported the Dominicans to the Air Force helicopter landing field in Jimaní.
The media announced a charter flight had departed from the Cap Haitien and landed an a Miami, Florida airport.
Meanwhile, as the exodus of those who can leave continues, Royal Caribbean announced the temporary...
With embassies being ransacked by mobs, the United States Embassy under protection from units of the US Marine Corps, and helicopters evacuating personnel from several embassies in Port-au-Prince to the DR, the need for logistical support and humanitarian assistance is large. Minister for Foreign Relations Roberto Alvarez detailed for reporters how the DR is contributing to an emergency evacuation system. He says that Dominican security agencies have developed the necessary protocols for evacuating personnel from different agencies working in Haiti and diplomatic personnel in general.
Airfields and heliports in Jimani, Barahona, and Santo Domingo (La Isabela International Airport in northern Santo Domingo) are being used.
The same protocol goes for journalists and other international staff that seek to enter Haiti from the Dominican Republic, most of the time by land. In the case...
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) says that the Dominican Republic has a “high” level of human development, and now occupies position 82 on a list of 193 nations. This is a two step improvement from the position on the 2021 human development report.
The UNDP agency evaluates human development on a scale from 0 to 1. The Dominican Republic scored 0.766. A “very high” level of human development is above 0.80, a “high” level is between 0.70 and 0.80, and a medium level is between 0.50 and 0.70.
The UNDP noted that inequities existing in the country somewhat limit the ability of the Dominican Republic to climb even higher in the rankings.
The international organization notes that the Covid-19 pandemic had a negative impact also. The UN agency also noted that there were areas of the country that were much less developed, such as the provinces...
The World Consumer Day in the Dominican Republic was marked by differences of opinion between the National Institute for the Protection of Consumer Rights (ProConsumidor) and different NGOs that argue that prices are just too high across the board.
The National Observatory for Consumer Protection noted the high prices for plantains, rice, and some tuber crops. Minister of Agriculture Limber Cruz Lopez has stated that much farm produce has dropped in price, but the NGO spokespersons say this is not so. The NGOs also call for more local ProConsumidor offices so that complaints can be filed quickly and more efficiently.
Electricity rates were also on the table together with the dangers of Artificial Intelligence in the banking sector. The NGOs said that AI was to blame for a lot of fraudulent actions taken against people’s accounts.
A spokesperson for ProConsumidor noted...
SANTO DOMINGO RD 23/11/14 FACHADA DEL PALACIO DE LA POLICIA NACIONAL,FOTO.JOSE JUSTO FELIZ
In 2023, the National Police spent over a quarter of a billion pesos on crime prevention in the 12 most dangerous places in the country. This vast sum was reported in the State of the Nation address that President Luis Abinader gave to the National Assembly on 27 February 2024. The detailswere not in the speech, but rather in the larger written report given to the National Assembly of Congress.
Diario Libre reports that according to the details, the sum was spent to bolster police patrols in specific areas to reduce criminal activities and lower the index on violence in several provinces.
Accordingly, spending on police patrols were greater in areas in San Cristobal, Monsignor Nouel (Bonao), the province of Maria Trinidad Sanchez (Cabrera, Nagua, Rio San Juan), Santiago, La Vega...
The Ministry of Culture at last minute canceled the National Carnival Parade that would have taken place on Sunday, 17 March 2024 on the Malecon in the capital city. The parade would have been the traditional grand finale of the carnival season in the Dominican Republic. The annual event brings together the best of carnival parades in February and March for a final cultural display of color and movement before thousands of people on the capital city’s sea-bordering Malecon.
Yet, after four children died of the burns received when unauthorized fireworks went off before the Salcedo parade on Sunday, 10 March 2024, the Ministry called off the event in solidarity with the people of Salcedo.
Among those who died is a son of Elvis Miguel Santos de Jesús, the member of the Los Toros carnival group, who is said to be the man who imprudently set off the firework that led to the...
The drivers of the Uber and PedidosYa delivery services have decided to join together in a national strike on 18 and 19 March 2024 to express their demands and concerns. Uber and PedidosYa app users may face difficulties finding available drivers during the strike. Deliveries of food and other products could be delayed due to a lack of delivery drivers.
The work stoppage would be from 4am on 18 March to 4am on 20 March 2024 is to demand better working conditions, including fairer rates and social protection.
The workers say their concerns have not been addressed by the companies’ administration and they are seeking more effective communication and answers.
So far, no official response has been issued from either company.
Drivers hope this strike will draw attention to their concerns and lead to significant improvements in their working conditions.
Read...
An Higuey city court sentenced public school teacher 35-year old John Kelly Martinez to 20 years in jail for the violent sex outing on 12 February 2023 that led to the death of one of his students. His lawyers had expected a five-year sentence for sexual abuse, while the family said they had hoped the judge would order the maximum sentence of 30 years in jail.
The Criminal Chamber of the La Altagracia Judicial Department read its decision on Thursday, 14 March 2024. Teacher John Kelly Martínez had been accused of rape and sexual assault in the case of the 16-year old teenager Esmeralda Richiez, who died when bleeding to death after a brutal sexual relationship.
The defendant’s lawyers had expected a sentence of no more than five years in prison because “we have established that there was consent and that was demonstrated with the arguments of the experts and...
The Central Electoral Board (JCE) told political parties it has sent a second communication to the Ministry of Hacienda urging the disbursing of the full 0.5% of the national income that corresponds to political parties in electoral years, or more than RD$2.5 billion.
The JCE says it has sent communications to Hacienda Minister Jochy Vicente, and Budget director Jose Rijo Presbot for the disbursing of the resources. Politics is funded by taxpayer money in the Dominican Republic.
The JCE says it has responded to the request from the Permanent Forum of Political Parties of the Dominican Republic (Fopppredom) and the opposition parties — Dominican Liberation (PLD), People’s Force (FP), and Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD).
Recent polls by Gallup and Centro Economico del Cibao show the opposition trailing the ruling party presidential candidate. Polls show President Luis Abinader leading by...
The Supreme Court of Justice in the Dominican Republic has been very slow in proceeding with hearing cases involving several ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) legislators with cases in the judiciary. One PRM deputy, Miguel Gutierrez faced trial in the US for asset laundering when he was arrested entering the United States in May 2021.
Now Diario Libre reports that for the 2024 congressional election set for 19 May 2024, the ruling party has named candidates that have been openly accused in cases of sexual abuse, asset laundering, drug trafficking and corruption.
Diario Libre mentions the names of Monte Cristi senator candidate Bernardo Aleman Rodriguez; deputy Nelson Marmolejos running for deputy in Santiago; El Seibo deputy Faustina Guerrero (Grey Maldonado); and Sergio Moya Goris, running for deputy for the National District.
Read more in...
Minister of Foreign Relations Roberto Alvarez says the Dominican Republic has assisted nine embassies to evacuate their staff from Haiti through the land border with the Dominican Republic. One of the most recent to leave were three officials that had been stationed at the Embassy of Switzerland in Haiti.
Foreign Minister Alvarez says that the Dominican mission in Port-au-Prince has coordinated the evacuation of officials of nine embassies, in addition to the officials of the World Bank and European Union.
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CNN publishes statements by Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry who says that his country’s constitution states that only he and his cabinet can appoint a council for the transition of power.
The seven organizations that would name the members of the presidential transition council that reportedly would replace Ariel Henry have not yet published the names of the members to be.
Once in place, the seven-member presidential transition council would decide who will be the interim prime minister and cabinet that will take on the task of dealing with priority security issues, with the assistance of a UN-backed security mission as planned following a US-Caricom Summit held 11 March 2024 in Kingston, Jamaica.
CNN reports that Henry’s special advisor Jean Junior Joseph stated on Wednesday, 13 March 2024: “According to the Haitian constitution, only the prime minister with the...
Foreign Relations Minister Roberto Alvarez stated in an interview on 13 March 2024 with the Corripio Media Group that the Dominican Republic cannot stop the deportation of foreigners illegally in its territory as requested by the United Nations (UN) in a recent statement.
“We contribute to the Haitian population in our country in a considerable way,” he said. He mentioned that 16% of the National Budget’s health allotments are for foreign nationals, mostly Haitians. He added that 36% of the maternity beds are used by Haitians. He said this is an astronomical figure that is increasing and is impossible to sustain.
He specified that, for this reason, the Dominican Republic has no alternative but to continue returning any person who is illegal to its country, respecting human rights and international standards.
Álvarez acknowledged that sometimes situations...
The Medusa corruption case against former Attorney General Jean Alain Rodriguez is moving with the admitting of guilt of several of the accused during the trial. The accused are accepting responsibility for irregular payments for contracts from the Attorney General Office from 2016 to 2020.
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The public hospitals Darío Contreras, in Santo Domingo; Antonio Musa, in San Pedro de Macorís; Juan Pablo Pina, in San Cristóbal and San Vicente de Paul, in San Francisco de Macorís, are those that receive the most cases of people that suffer traffic accidents.
Public Health (SNS) data indicates that from 2021 to 2023, 401,432 persons injured in traffic accidents were assisted at public hospitals. The good news is that the numbers are dropping. The numbers are: 144,309 (2021); 135,933 (2022) and 121,190 (2023).
Read more in Spanish:
The Ministry of Culture organizes every year the National Carnival Parade on the Malecon in Santo Domingo. This year the parade will be on Sunday, 17 March 2024, starting at 2pm through around 6pm.
This year the National Carnival is dedicated to the province of San Cristobal. The carnival parade gathers the best representations of carnival groups from all around the country. The king and queen of this year’s carnival are artist and designer Luis Rivas and communicator Jatna Tavarez.
In preparation for the Sunday parade, the Ministry of Culture has called the shutdown of street stretches on the Malecon and nearby streets from 13 March to 18 March. People line up along the Malecon to watch the parade.
People headed in the East-West or West-East directions are asked to use the alternate routes of the Independencia, Bolivar, 27 de Febrero, Correa y Cidrón, Mexico and the...
An incredible true story about the bonding of man and dog is now a movie soon to open in cinemas around the world. The actual story took place in Ecuador. Arthur was an Ecuadorian dog who attached himself to a Swedish extreme adventure racing team when they were competing in the Adventure Racing World Championship in 2014. The dog eventually accompanied the runner back to Sweden.
Arthur the King, the movie, is an adapted version and tells the story as happening in the Dominican Republic, where it was filmed three years ago.
Lionsgate will release the film in cinemas on 15 March 2024.
The screenplay is based on “Arthur: The Dog who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home”, the book by Swede Mikael Lindnord. The book is for sale on Amazon.
In the movie, Mark Wahlberg stars as Mikael Lindnord, while Helena Lindnord is portrayed by Juliet Rylance. Other actors in the movie...
The international community plan for Haiti agreed during the US-Mexico-Caricom Summit on 11 March 2024 in Kingston, Jamaica is underway. As reported, the members of the seven-member presidential transition council should be named by this Wednesday, 13 March 2024.
Speaking from Puerto Rico, Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced on Tuesday, 12 March that he is stepping aside.
Henry said in a voice message: “After the Council of Ministers, it has been agreed to set up a presidential transition council. Once chosen the council will govern over different sectors of national life. Haiti wants peace, Haiti needs stability, Haiti needs sustainable development, Haiti needs to rebuild democratic institutions. I am asking all Haitians to remain calm and do everything they can for peace and stability to be restored as fast as possible for the good of the country. The 7-member council will...
The Dajabon binational market is operating with certain normalcy, with biometric registration required of those making the crossing from Haiti. Listin Diario reports that there are now two lines for the Haitians crossing over – one for women and another for men.
The market days are an opportunity for Haitians to stock goods.
Read more in Spanish:
Environment Minister Miguel Ceara Hatton toured the Duquesa garbage site with officials of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the cooperation agencies of Spain and Japan on 12 March 2024. Ceara Hatton presented the progress of the first phase of the Technical and Progressive Closure Project of the Duquesa Landfill that involves an investment of US$110 million.
The Ministry of Environment and the IDB have expressed satisfaction in the advances towards the closing of the landfill.
Ceara Hatton hosted the IDB representative in the country, Katharina Falkner-Olmedo, and IDB executive directors who were in the Dominican Republic for the General Assembly of Governors of the IDB and IDB Invest that took place in Punta Cana last week.
Falkner-Olmedo stated: “This was a landfill where it was difficult to walk. I remember the first time I came out with my...
Judge Clara Luz Almonte of the Second Criminal Chamber of the National District sentenced lawyer Johnny Portorreal to five years in prison for defrauding the Rosario family members. Portorreal was found guilty of fraud and violating several articles of the Control and Regulation of Weapons Law 631. Portorreal’s lawyers say they will appeal.
Portorreal encouraged those with the Rosario last name to fund his efforts to secure over US$13 billion in a fortune that would be stashed in banks in Switzerland and Spain. 284 Rosario family members pressed claims encouraged by Portorreal.
The family of the legendary merengue singer Johnny Ventura is on a media tour to sell their home. The family is asking for RD$100 million for the Cuesta Brava family home. The home is located beside the Isabela River in northern Santo Domingo. The family says the house was assessed at RD$80 million, but they have added on another RD$20 million for the nostalgic value.
The family would hope the house be converted into a site to honor merengue and the legendary singer.
Read more in Spanish:
Known for her angelic voice so in consonance with her name, 73-year old Angela Carrasco was recognized with the 2024 Premios Soberano top prize. Angela Carrasco had migrated to Spain with her husband as a young adult and there she developed most of her career.
The highest points of her career are her performances as Maria Magdalena in the Spanish version of the Jesus Christ Superstar Broadway play with Spanish singer the late Camilo Sesto.
The Dominican entertainment industry awards evening took place on 12 March 2024 at the National Theater, with the TV coverage starting with the red carpet parade at 7pm and the actual show lasting three hours at the Carlos Piantini Hall of the National Theater through 11pm.
The Dominican Entertainment Chroniclers (Acroarte) writers chose these other winners, among others:Best Play: Guillermo Cordero – Juana la LocaMusical...
The fifth edition of the PGA Tour Corales Puntacana Championship will soon open at the Corales Golf Club in Puntacana Resort & Club. The PGA Tour event is scheduled for 15 to 21 April 2024 in Punta Cana.
The 18-hole Corales Golf Course is especially attractive to golfers as it has kms of natural cliffs and coralina quarries beside the Caribbean Sea.
More than 120 professional players have registered for the chance at earning points of the FedExCup. The golf tournament will pay the best players US$3.8 million.
The PGA Tour is the most important held in the country, with the greatest global reach, a major plus in promoting tourism and the Dominican brand.
“Through the Corales Puntacana Championship we can continue promoting the best of the Dominican Republic and Punta Cana as one of the leading golf tourist destinations in the Caribbean,” said Manuel Sajour...
Tourism Minister David Collado met with airline executives from Germany and Switzerland for talks to guarantee direct flights between Germany and the Dominican Republic, as part of the strategies to strengthen Dominican tourism in these markets. The meetings took place during the 2024 ITB Berlin trade show in Berlin, Germany.
Condor will operate nine weekly flights from Frankfurt to Punta Cana, Santo Domingo and Puerto Plata international airports. Discover Airlines, the new leisure airline of the Lufthansa Group, will operate five weekly flights from Frankfurt to Punta Cana.
From Switzerland, Edelweiss Air will operate three weekly flights to Puerto Plata and Punta Cana from Zurich.
In 2023 the Dominican Republic received 146,242 visitors from Germany, making it the fourth largest tourist source for the country. Switzerland is ranked seventh as a source market in Europe...
“Katmandu Park Punta Cana is closed effective immediately. The commercial shops and restaurant will remain operative. As we consider future use of the property, we extend our gratitude to all our guests who’ve enjoyed the park this past year,” the company website reports.
Market Watch reports that company owner Falcon’s Beyond Global said it closed the park due to mounting losses at the park. The company, which was owned and operated through a joint venture with Meliá Hotels International, said the park drew fewer visitors than management expected.
The park operated at the grounds of the closed Palma Real Mall in the mid-section of Punta Cana.
As reported, entrance fees were too expensive for the market and the competition of other entertainment parks inside all-inclusive resorts and out was too strong.
There is also a Katmandu Park in operation in Mallorca, Spain.
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To reduce operating costs and be more sustainable and environmentally friendly, the Amber Cove cruise ship port in Maimon, Puerto Plata installed a major solar park on the premises of the Carnival Cruise cruiseship terminal.
Underscoring its commitment to sustainability, Carnival Corporation & plc,. the world’s largest cruise company, said the park’s 1,800-plus solar panels will supply 80% of the port’s energy demand.
At the inauguration of the new solar park, Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said: “As we bring guests to enjoy the beauty and rich culture of the Dominican Republic, we also take our environmental stewardship here and everywhere we visit very seriously.”
“With this new solar park in Amber Cove, we are furthering our commitment to sustainability at our destinations by focusing on renewable energy sources to power the vast majority of...
The Ministry of Tourism is going ahead with the IDB project chapter that calls for renovating the Mercado Modelo fresh food and arts and crafts market in the capital city. The market is located on Av. Mella, the northern border of the historic center of the capital city of Santo Domingo.
The Ministry has called for bids for the improvements to the roof, façade and electrical installations as the project for renovation gets its start.
The IDB’s Programa Integral de Desarrollo Turístico y Urbano de la Ciudad Colonial de Santo Domingo (PIDTUCCSD) was signed in 2019 and calls for a loan of US$90 million for renovations in the historic center of Santo Domingo.
The historic center is under intense renovation. At present most of the works are taking place on in the Calle Las Mercedes, and in the block between Luperon and Padre Billini to the north and south and Jose Reyes to Arz...
Marriott International has announced the rebranding of the Sunrise Miches Beach Resort. The new hotel will reopen in early 2025 as the Marriott Miches Beach, An All-Inclusive Resort by Marriott Bonvoy.
Miches is located an hour north drive from the Punta Cana International Airport, on a paved highway.
The Marriott Miches Beach will have 498 rooms with balconies and terraces and the property has around 300 meters of beachfront.
Miches is the most recent new beach destination in the Dominican Republic. The first hotel to open there was the Miches Club Med.
Major chains are opening all-inclusive resorts after the success of the operations in the Dominican Republic for years. Today, the DR is the leading Caribbean beach destination.
The Dominican government did not participate in the high level Caricom-US-Mexico meeting in Kingston, Jamaica for national security reasons. The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti and receives in full the impact of the violence now affecting the poorest nation in the Americas. In years back, despite the DR having a free trade agreement with Caricom, the organization had not accepted the Dominican Republic being a full member of the organization.
The Ministry of Foreign Relations issued the following statement after the high-level Caricom meeting on Haiti on Monday, 11 March 2024:
“For the Dominican Republic, the political and social stability of Haiti is a matter of national security. We consider it essential that any transition agreement in Haiti facilitate the deployment of a Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti (MSS), as...
Ariel Henry / Official X Page
Who will name the transition presidential council members in Haiti? Criminal gangs are in control and now impede Henry from returning. Their leaders expect to be included in the new government. Former Cap Haitien strongman Guy Philippe understands he is the man. El Salvador’s Bukele says his teams can fix Haiti.
Meanwhile, Guyana President Irfaan Ali, who chaired the Monday, 11 March 2024 Caricom high-level meeting on Haiti with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Mexico Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena in Kingston, Jamaica, announced in a press briefing following the meeting that Prime Minister Ariel Henry has said he would step down once a transitional presidential council is created and an interim premier is named.
74-year old physician Henry has held the position unelected since the 7 July 2021 assassination of President...
Antony Blinken, Mohamed Irfaan Ali and Andrew Holness / Listin Diario
The government of Jamaica hosted a Caricom meeting on Haiti. Haiti is a member of the 15-member Caribbean Community known as Caricom. The Dominican Republic has a free trade treaty with Caricom countries, but is not a member after years back member countries did not accept the Dominican Republic to be part.
The Caribbean Community called the meeting to focus on stabilizing Haiti’s security and addressing the urgent humanitarian needs.
Before the 11 March 2024 meeting, the Jamaican government issued a statement making it clear Jamaica will not be taking in Haitian refugees. Deputy Minister for National Security Horace Chang has argued: “We cannot afford a flood of refugees.”
For decades, the Dominican Republic has received a flood of undocumented...
Ambassador Faruk Miguel / Hoy
The last one out, close the lights! Foreign staff at the embassies in Haiti that still remain are leaving.
Germany and the European Union have announced staff remaining at their embassies will be leaving Haiti via land gateways with the Dominican Republic. The US has sent troops to further protect their Embassy, where minimal staff remains.
The Dominican ambassador remains in Haiti. The Dominican government is keeping minimal staff in Port-au-Prince. “We are one of three embassies that have an ambassador who is very brave and very committed to public service, Ambassador Faruk Miguel. We are in contact with Dominicans and have assisted these to leave, and the same for diplomats from other countries. We are meeting our responsibility and will always aid Dominicans in difficult situations,” said President Abinader answering a question during the weekly Monday press...
President Luis Abinader inaugurated the refurbished Navarette to Montecristi road. The road improvements are part of the Manzanillo energy and port renovation efforts.
The works are complementary to the renovations at the 75-year old Manzanillo port, the deepest in the Dominican Republic. Manzanillo Port is the most northwest in the Dominican Republic, placing it the closest to the United States. The port is preparing to become a major export and import terminal. The InterAmerican Development Bank has lent US$100 million for the development of the Manzanillo port area.
The initiative seeks to improve the competitiveness of exports of goods originating in the northcentral Cibao region, or about 40% of national exports. At present, exporters need to send their produce to Haina and Caucedo ports in the south of the country. Manzanillo is less...
The governor of the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD), Héctor Valdez Albizu, met with the board of directors of the National Council of Business (Conep), headed by Celso J. Marranzini, to discuss the performance and outlook of the Dominican economy in 2024.
Central Bank projects growth in the range of 5.0 to 5.5% for 2024.
Valdez Albizu says that since the second half of 2023, the Dominican economy has maintained a recovery process, driven by the rebound in construction, and better performance in manufacturing and commerce sectors.
The economic activity index (IMAE) registered an interannual growth of 4.6% in January 2024. Inflation has continued to decline with the Consumer Price Index of 3.3% in February 2024.
Valdez Albizu pointed out that “the interannual inflation data places us at a privileged level in comparison with the rest of Latin...
The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD) reports that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) registered a monthly variation of 0.09% in February 2024. This brings the interannual inflation (measured from February 2023 to February 2024) to 3.30%, below the annual target range of 4.0% ± 1.0% established in the 2024 monetary program.
The BCRD indicates that the country’s inflation is among the lowest in the region.
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The reminder note in Noticias SIN could not be more grim. 75% of those in the National Social Security Retirement Plan will only receive 20% of their wages once retiring.
The retirement plans are run by the big banks that have very high yields. Most of the funds in the pension plans are lent to the government.
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The director of the Motorcycle Unit of the National Transport and Transit Institute (Intrant), Margarita Rodríguez says motorcycles move around seen million commuters every day in the Dominican Republic and these just need to be regulated. The Tax Agency (DGII) says there are about 3.3 million motorcycles in circulation, but the Intrant motorcycle director understands there are more.
The problem is that the motorcyclists do not follow traffic laws. And the traffic authorities just look the other way, Oscar Almanzar of the Federation of Motorcyclists told Hoy newspaper.
Motorcycles are described as an epidemic in the Dominican Republic with a motorcyclist involved in at least 70% of traffic accidents.
18 persons suffered burns when fireworks went off and the carnival outfits of those nearby caught on fire. First Lady Raquel Arbaje has taken a personal interest and says the government will cover all costs for the recovery of the injured in the Sunday, 10 March 2024 Salcedo carnival day tragedy.
On Monday, the public health system reported that 10 children and three adults were hospitalized with serious burns.
The authorities had not authorized fireworks to entertain crowds. Nevertheless, fireworks were there. “There was no type of permit and the use of fireworks was not contemplated,” confirmed Salcedo Mayor Maria Mercedes Ortiz. She told the press that all efforts are now concentrated on the recovery of the burned.
Six of 10 burned children were taken to the Santiago Arturo Grullon Pediatrics hospital. The director of the hospital’s burns unit, Dr. Alexis...
Excitement and nerves are behind her: Maria Moronta is an Olympian. The Ministry of Sports reported that Maria Altagracia Moronta Hernandez made the cut on 11 March 2024 to the Olympic Games for a second time in her boxing career. She had competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
During the Road to Paris First World Qualification Boxing Tournament held 3-11 March 2024 in Busto Arsizio, Italy, Dominican Maria Moronta defeated Navbakhor Khamidova of Uzbekistan in the 66 kg category for the ticket to the Paris Games. Moronta won the bout 4-1.
668 athletes from 114 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the Boxing Refugee Team participated in the qualifier in Italy. Moronta was one of the 28 men and 21 women to qualify. Other Dominican boxers still get another chance in the June qualifier.
Boxing will take place in the Paris Olympics from 27 July until 10 August 2024.
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The Premios Soberano, the Oscars of the Dominican entertainment industry, air on Tuesday, 12 March 2024. Those watching the night long show will come away with a thorough understanding of who’s popular and trending in the Dominican Republic in the entertainment business.
The red carpet starts at 7pm with the hosts and special guests attending in formal long gowns and tuxedos. Lizbeth Santos, Albert Mena, Jenny Blanco and Reading Pantaleón are the hosts for the red carpet.
When the actual awards show opens at the Carlos Piantini Hall of the National Theater at 8pm, the presenters this year will be TV host Jochy Santos and actor Hony Estrella.
The producers are Alberto Zayas, for the TV version; Guillermo Cordero is the artistic director; Antonio Gonzalez as musical director and Cesar Suarez Jr as the general producer.
The Soberanos are televised by Colorvision...
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