DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

President Luis Abinader decorated his late Minister of Environment Orlando Jorge Mera. Prosecutors say that Jorge Mera was murdered in his office by a long-time friend who sought to benefit from irregular export permits.

Jorge Mera’s widow, Patricia Villegas, and his children, Orlando Jorge Villegas and Dilia Leticia Jorge Mera received the decoration. Orlando is a member of the Chamber of Deputies. Dilia Leticia is the deputy minister for Innovation, Transparency and Citizen Assistance at the Administrative Ministry of the Presidency. Patricia Villegas is the Dominican Republic’s ambassador in Brazil.

During the ceremony at the Presidential Palace, Orlando Jorge was decorated with the order of Duarte, Sanchez and Mella, silver cross, on the date marking the assassination.

President Abinader was a classmate in high school with Jorge Mera and a...

The Constitutional Court declared unconstitutional Resolution 14-2022 of the Ministry of Labor, which orders employers of domestic help to adopt and harmonize measures related to the improvement of compliance with Article 89 of the International Labor Organization.

The TC ruled on a direct action of unconstitutionality submitted by Luis Vilchez Bournigal:“To accept the action described above, and consequently, to declare Resolution number 14-2022, on the adoption and harmonization of measures related to the improvement of compliance with Convention 189 of the International Labor Organization (ILO), issued by the Ministry of Labor on August 25, 2022, not in conformity with the Constitution, for the reasons stated,” explained the Plenary of the TC in Resolution TC-012022-0041.

Domestic Help Resolution 14-2022, which came into effect on 19 December 2023, establishes that...

The president of the Chamber of Accounts, Janel Ramírez, denied on 6 June 2023 that he had insulted the female members in the plenary of the entity, as Tomasina Tolentino, secretary of the auditing body claimed when sitting for questioning by the Chamber of Deputies. The Chamber of Deputies is reviewing the actions of the five members of the Chamber of Accounts to decide whether or not to remove these after Ramirez complained of an impasse at the entity and that he was impeded to carry out his role by three dissenting members.

Ramirez pointed out that this is one of the reasons why he demands the release of the minutes of the plenary sessions of the Chamber of Accounts, which were illegally sealed by the previous president and which the current one has not yet been declassified. Ramirez has advocated for complete transparency in the acting of the members.

He assured...

President Luis Abinader received United Kingdom Ambassador Mockbul Ali on Tuesday, 6 June 2023 at the Presidential Palace and announced the UK government is making available a line of credit to the country for £4 billion. The announcement coincides with the visit of Baroness Gloria Hooper, special trade envoy of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The British Ambassador announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the financing intended to provide resources for the execution of strategic infrastructure projects, including water, public health and transportation, providing it with one of the most extensive country coverage in the Latin American and Caribbean region.

Ambassador Mockbul Ali said that this MoU is part of a broader cooperation that reflects the strengthening of the bilateral relationship over more than 170 years of friendship, which today he said is reaching new...

Life peer at the House of Lords in the United Kingdom, 84-year old Baroness Gloria Hooper visited the Dominican Republic for four days, from 1 to 4 June 2023. Spanish-speaking, she is the Special Trade Envoy for Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic, appointed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Baroness Hooper is keenly interested in education, sustainable development, and fostering relations between the United Kingdom and Latin America. She is actively involved in various organizations and initiatives in these areas.

The UK Embassy explains the Baroness visited to give continuity to the improvement of trade and relations between both countries. She met with public and private sector representatives, including Minister of Education Angel Hernandez, the director of the Santo Domingo Water Corporation (CAASD), Felipe Suberví.

She carried...

The Dominican Republic now has the Law for the Care, Inclusion and Protection for People with Autism Spectrum Disorders 34-23. President Luis Abinader signed the law on 5 June 2023. It will go into effect in 120 days.

The legal advisor to the President, Antoliano Peralta, remarks that the law needs to be revised to meet inclusion criteria for all persons with disabilities. He favors a comprehensive amendment also of Disability Law 5-13.

Legal advisor Peralta regretted that the new law generates redundancies. He noted that the Executive Branch would have to be very cautious in the regulatory work to take care of the administrative processes that the new norm creates without adequate specificity.

“President Abinader, even aware that the legal text can and should be improved, has decided to proceed with the enactment to offer the citizens affected by this condition the...

In a follow-up to an investigative report, N Digital reports that the Ministry of Superior Education has confirmed that alleged neuroscientist and psychologist Elizabeth Silverio does not have a single university decree to back her practice. She operated the Kogland Center for children with autism in Santo Domingo.

Nuria Piera had unmasked the fake doctor in neurosciences during an investigation for N Investigación Periodistica aired on Channel 9.

Superior Education Minister Franklin García Fermín says his ministry issued a certification to this intent at the request of the National District Prosecutor’s Office. This entity is investigating the self-made neuroscientist after the Ministry of Public Health filed a complaint against her.

“Recently yesterday, I signed a communication at the request of the National District Public Prosecutor… where she asked us that a person...

Environmentalists are concerned the new highway will affect vulnerable mountain areas. The Dominican government is backing a public-private alliance that calls for the construction of the US$400 million road to shorten travel distance by about half an hour to Puerto Plata from Santiago. The 32.7 km project would enable the distance to be carried out in half an hour. But environmental groups such as Soeci and Fundetrop claim it would harm the ecosystems of the mountainous area, as reported in BnAmericas.

The project has the backing of industrial and business groups in Santiago.

According to documents provided by the government’s PPP agency DGAPP, the highway is an initiative of APP Quisqueya SRL, a local company specialized in PPP infrastructure projects, and was delivered to DGAPP in November 2020. The proposal received the green light for construction in April 2021.

The...

The Ministry of Environment rejected the installation of an open air garbage dump, the Oakhouse Landfill in the La Cuaba’s El Aguacate community in the municipality of Pedro Brand in western Santo Domingo province. The area is adjacent to new golf and touristic developments and investors protested the intention of the company, as reported in N Digital.

Deputy Minister of Environment Indhira De Jesus said that the environmental impact assessment process for the landfill was completed last Friday, 2 June 2023 before the decision to put a stop on the landfill was taken.

“After analyzing the environmental and social implications, the Validation Committee decided to dismiss the project at the proposed location,” she said. She said the project met with the technical conditions, but was rejected by the community during the hearing in March 2023.

The municipal district...

Attorney General Miriam German Brito told the press that she has received threats via WhatsApp. The one that most concerns her is a threat to the life of her son.

“I can send to kill your son,” she was told via WhatsApp. German Brito said the warning was made to intimidate her to not touch certain people that are in prison. She says she does not have the identity of the person sending the threat.

The head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office said: “It was someone who sent me a message by WhatsApp, telling me that, if they touched his people, I don’t know who his people are in the prisons, that was going to be resolved with blood and that it was not mine, the one who wrote, said it, just like that: ‘I can send him to kill your son,'” said Miriam German.

German received this morning a group of supporters of the Green March, at the Attorney General’s Office, who showed their support in...

Fishermen and residents in the communities bordering the Hatillo Dam in central Sanchez Ramirez province are alarmed by mass tilapia mortalities and visible contamination of the waters.

Thousands of dead fish are accumulating between the banks of the reservoir and the land, mainly in the communities of El 8 de Caballero, Maimón and El Meladito.

The locals are asking for an urgent investigation by the Ministry of the Environment because they have not seen before so many dead fish as in the last five days.

In addition, the decomposition of the fish gives off a foul, almost unbearable odor causing other negative impacts.

The locals have suspended using the reservoir waters and fishing activities in the area.

Another situation of worse proportions is the accumulation of thick green water inside the lake in the vicinity of the wall.

Alongside the dark...

The presiding judge of the Third Collegiate Court of the National District ordered that the surveillance video that captures the moment of the murder of communicator Manuel Duncan be used as evidence against retired vice-admiral Felix Alburquerque Comprés. Judge Patricia Padilla of the Second Court of Instruction had excluded the evidence on grounds that it was not obtained by licit means nor under conditions required by the procedural dispositions. The defense of Alburquerque Compres had requested the exclusion of the videos.

Yet Judge Arlin B. Ventura Jimenez of the Third Collegiate Court of the National District agreed with the prosecutors that the evidence was key to the case and said that during the trial it will be ascertained whether the surveillance video was edited or if it was obtained respecting the procedural norms.

Felix Alburquerque...

Community spokespersons in Azua do not find logical the first explanation of the Ministry of Environment regarding the mass fish deaths in the vicinity of the two newly installed Karadeniz Powership power barges. The Ministry of Environment first explanation by Yeral Segura is that the species were dragged to sea with the flooding of the rivers in Azua.

In another development related to heavy rains that have affected Azua, the Center for Emergency Operations (COE) said that an autopsy identified the corpse as that of 37-year old Álvarez Gerardo. The man had gone missing and it is now known he was dragged by the waters of the Yaque del Sur River in Azua.

NY1 Noticias

It’s mango season in the Dominican Republic and the mangos are delicious! Nevertheless, a Dominican learned the hard way that he should not take the delicious fruit back with him to the United States.

Juan Castillo was fined US$300 by the US Customs Agency at JFK International Airport for importing fresh mangos to New York. This is a first offense. If the same person is found again importing banned articles, the fine increases to US$500. After that, the person could be sentenced to jail.

During an inspection, US Customs and Border Protection Agency Claudia Alcarraz found the mangoes in Castillo’s luggage.

Agricultural and livestock products can have fly or larvae worms and infections such as swine fever among other diseases, which could affect the country’s food production, even causing a food and economic crisis.

This means unprocessed plants and flowers, fruits and...

President Luis Abinader calls the National Reforestation Plan one of national security. He says that all government agencies will be dedicated to defend, protect and support it. He made the remark when participating with the Ministry of Environment in the National Reforestation Plan for 2023-2024 presentation.

President Abinader said that whoever attempts against forestry and rivers is attempting against the national security of the Dominican Republic. The Ministry of Environment is confronting the illegal aggregate extraction from river basins.

“This government will not only restore our river basins, but regardless of who affects them, we will protect them above any particular interest. To protect our river basins is to protect life. This is the main interest that all Dominicans must have,” assured President Abinader.

During the presentation of the National...

The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD) reports that monthly inflation (Consumer Price Index) for May 2023 was -0.20%. The interannual inflation rate is now at 4.43 %, returning to its target range.

The negative monthly variation of the CPI is explained by the decrease in fuel tariffs ordered by the government, as well as the fall in the prices of fresh chicken and plantains, foods with a high weighting in the family basket.

The inter-annual inflation measured from May 2022 to May 2023 at 4.43% is the lowest rate since July 2020. Thus, inflation returns to its target range of 4.0%±1. % established in the monetary program, converging ahead of schedule.

The BCRD establishes in its report that interannual core inflation continues with a downward trend, standing at 5.51% in May 2023 (178 basis points below the maximum of 7.29% registered in the same month of 2022)...

Angie Shakira Martinez Terea is the first Dominican to be accredited as ambassador to the Bahamas. On Tuesday, 30 May 2023, Governor General Cornelius A. Smith received her letters of credence during a ceremony at the Office of the Governor General.

“On behalf of the government of the Dominican Republic and on my own behalf, it is a great honor to present myself to you as the first Dominican Ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, a historic event that demonstrates the importance that my country attaches to its relationship with this beautiful nation and confirms the new vision of Dominican foreign policy and its commitment to strengthen and deepen the ties of friendship and collaboration with the countries of the Caribbean,” said Ambassador Martinez, as reported in Listin Diario.

She was accredited as ambassador to Jamaica in January 2021 and...

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is hosting its ITU CyberDrill in Santo Domingo from 19 to 23 June 2023. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies – ICTs.

The ITU CyberDrill is an event of the United Nations ITU’s Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D). The purpose of the CyberDrill is to enhance the communication and incident response capabilities of the participating teams as well as to ensure a continued collective effort in mitigating cyber threats among the region’s national Computer Incident Response Teams.

The CyberDrill exercise is structured around various scenarios involving the most common types of cyberattacks while the sharing sessions, and provides a platform for cooperation and discussions on cybersecurity.

The leaders of this effort...

Representatives of the Logistics Cluster of the Dominican Republic, the Dominican Association of Free Zones (Adozona), the Dominican Association of Logistics Centers (Asologic) and the Association of Shipping Companies (ANRD) were at the Senate to push for the passing of a new bill that fosters logistics centers in the country.

They met with the Industry and Commerce Committee of the Senate, chaired by Senator Alexis Victoria Yeb, to stress the benefits of the Bill on Logistics Centers, Logistics Center Operating Companies and Logistics Operating Companies.The bill is now in the Chamber of Deputies.

According to a press release Luis José Bonilla for Adozona, Alexander Schad, Jaak Rannik for the shippers and Marco Henriquez representing freight forwarders. explained the private sector harmonized the bill with the Customs Agency. The bill includes articles to...

The president of the Chamber of Accounts elected during the Abinader administration wants to incorporate artificial intelligence to accelerate and increase the quality of the audits carried out on government institutions and agencies. Janel Ramirez says he has not been allowed to name the new auditors nor incorporate new technologies because only the plenary can give the go ahead. The Chamber of Accounts has suffered from strong differences of opinion of Janel Ramirez Sanchez and Mario Arturo Fernandez Burgos with the three women members of the organization — Tomasina Tolentino de McKenzie and Elsa Maria Peña.

According to Ramirez, one of the latest problems that have been generated within the plenary is the opposition to publishing how the members have voted, minutes of the meetings and the videos of the sessions.

“The majority criterion persists in continuing to operate under...

Dozens of fish were found dead this Saturday, 3 June 2023 on Los Negros beach, Azua province, residents in the area told Diario Libre. Residents suspect the deaths of the fish could be a result from contamination from the operation of the Turkish power barge, Karadeniz Powership. The company has said it will carry out an investigation.

Residents had opposed the installation of the barge. The government argued the country needed the 170 megawatts the power plant is injecting into the power grid.

Diario Libre reports the Academy of Sciences is asking for an investigation into what caused the death of the fish.

Diario Libre also reports on the strange appearance of suds, making several areas look like it had snowed. The Ministry of Environment reported that the suds resulted from the cutting of cactus to install a solar farm.

Read more in Spanish...

The total number of eligible voters for the municipal elections on 18 February 2024 and presidential and congressional elections on 19 May 2024 is around 8,068,260 nationwide. Diario Libre reports that 70.56% of these live in but 10 of the country’s 31 provinces and the National District. More than a third of the population will vote in Greater Santo Domingo.

The Central Electoral Board (JCE) says there are 538,328 more voters for the 2024 elections compared to the 2020 elections or 7% more.

According to data from the JCE, the provinces with the highest number of voters are:Santo Domingo: 1,821,396 voters (22.57%)

National District: 916,166 voters (11.36%)Santiago: 911,703 voters (11.30%)San Cristobal: 470,738 voters (5.83%)La Vega: 359,002 voters (4.45%)Puerto Plata: 276,759 voters (3.43%)Duarte (San Francisco de Macorís): 273,559 voters (3.39%)San Pedro de Macoris: 246,957 voters...

El Dia cartoon 6 June 2023

Summer has started with heavy rains and hot temperatures nationwide. Weather forecaster Jean Suriel reports that clouds of Saharan Dust will be making the heat embracing the Dominican Republic so far worse as summer just begins.

The National Weather Office (Onamet) forecasts that there will be less rains as of Wednesday, 7 June 2023, but the Saharan Dust weather phenomenon will raise the temperatures. When the relative humidity is high, the air is already saturated with moisture, making it harder for sweat to evaporate. This causes people to feel warmer.

The forecast is for highs of 33C in Greater Santo Domingo and Puerto Plata, and even hotter in La Altagracia (Punta Cana), Samana and Santiago with 34C-35C.

The traditional Expo Mango is happening from 7 to 11 June in the central park of Baní, capital of Peravia province. Peravia is the province that produces the most mangos in the Dominican Republic.

This is an opportunity to taste mangos from over 200 varieties. Workshops, visits to plantations and truckloads of mangos from the farm make this a worthwhile annual event.

The Mango Cluster and the ministries of Agriculture, Tourism, Culture and Superior Education organize the event. Also participating is the city government of Baní, the provincial governor, the Dominican Agrarian Institute, the Dominican Institute of Agriculture and Forestry Research (Idiaf), Pro Dominicana and the National Mango Board of the United States, among others.

With summer here, it’s the time to be adventurous and discover some of the ecological attractions of the Dominican Republic.

Lauren Jimenez writes in Listin Diario about several little-known water falls, springs and lagoons that are especially attractive during these scorching summer months. Jimenez focuses on the ecotourism sites that are located in San Cristóbal, San Juan de la Maguana, Barahona, Neiba and Pedernales in the Southwest.

Read more in Spanish:

• Listin Diario

The Dominican Republic will soon have a non-stop flight from Santo Domingo (SDQ) to Cheddi Jagan International Airport (GEO) in Georgetown, Guyana, South America. President Luis Abinader this June 2023 was in Georgetown with a Dominican business mission and flew in on Skycana.

President Abinader and President Mohamed Irlaan Ali of Guyana signed an Air Services Agreement that is an important step for the start of the flight. The flight is an opportunity for increased tourism and business between both countries.

Skycana is planning four flights a week to Georgetown from Las Americas International Airport (SDQ), the main airport for Greater Santo Domingo.

Two months ago, President Irlaan Ali of Guyana had announced the Sky Cana flight would connect Guyana to Canada, too. President Irlaan Ali had announced the company would fly to Canada thrice a week. A flight to Houston...

Air Canada has added new seasonal direct flights to La Romana’s Casa de Campo International Airport from Montreal. The new flights are: Montreal (YUL) to La Romana (LRM) on Sunday, departing Montreal at 9:10am and arriving at 3:10pm. The flights begin 17 December 2023. The return flight from LRM to YUL is on Sunday, departing at 4:10pm and arriving to Montreal at 8:05pm. The La Romana-Montreal seasonal flights will be from 28 January 2024 to 4 February 2024.

Other Air Canada frequencies starting in 2024 are:Quebec (YQB)- Punta Cana (PUJ) beginning 1 January 2024.Toronto (YYZ) to Puerto Plata (POP) starting 14 January 2024

Other Air Canada direct frequencies are:Toronto (YYZ)-Punta Cana (PUJ). 14 weekly flights, up from 10Ottawa (YOW)-Punta Cana (PUJ). 4 weekly flights, up from 2Montreal (YUL)-Puerto Plata (POP). 1 weekly flight (resumption)Calgary (YYC)-Punta Cana...

From June to August 2023, Iberia will operate a daily nonstop flight between Barajas International in Madrid (MAD) and Santo Domingo’s Las Americas International (SDQ). The flight lasts shortly over 8 hours and a half. The airline has programmed 420 flights for the summer season.

Read more in Spanish:

• Arecoa

Air Europa has announced it has added a flight that allows its passengers to connect New York and Santo Domingo. The airline will be using one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner that traditionally operate between Madrid and New York and then continues on to Santo Domingo. Two weekly frequencies are programmed but these could be increased, depending on the demand. The seasonal flight is scheduled to begin in mid-July and end by 10 September. The flights will be on Mondays and Sundays.

Check out the flights: Air Europa

6 June 2023

Expect new flights to Ecuador destinations in the near future. Already, Arajet has a non-stop flight from Las Americas International (SDQ) to the Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) that serves Quito, Ecuador.

The aviation agreement is expected to boost an expansion of international air services between both countries.

The agreement allows the airlines, designated by each of the two countries, to operate new flight routes. The objective also is to spur a reduction in the cost of travel between both countries by promoting equitable opportunities so that the airlines can compete.

The Dominican Republic will host the Third ICAO Global Implementation Support Symposium in 2024. The DR was chosen when participating in the second global symposium on the air navigation industry, from 30 May to 1 June 2023 in Seoul, Korea, with civil aviation authorities from around the world.

The event was attended by 193 countries. Experts from member states analyzed proposals for integrating the air navigation systems of the various countries so that they can absorb the growth in flights and passengers, which are projected to double in the coming years.

The meeting had the support of ICAO technical cooperation offices, known as the ICAO World Aviation Forum (IWAF), the ICAO Aviation Cooperation Symposium (GACS) and Global Aviation Training and TRAINAIR PLUS Symposium. These highlight the latest digital tools, key initiatives and collaborative efforts of...

President Luis Abinader and President Mohamed Irfaan Ali of Guyana issued a Joint Statement on 1 June 2023 during the visit of Abinader to Georgetown announcing enhanced bilateral relations. During the visit, the two Presidents agreed to establish a high-level working group to advance and monitor the various areas identified for cooperation. President Irfaan Ali committed to paying a reciprocal visit to the Dominican Republic by the end of June 2023.

President Luis Abinader traveled to Guyana with Minister of Foreign Relations Roberto Alvarez and Administrative Minister of the Presidency Jose Ignacio Paliza.

The Dominican Presidency said that President Irfaan Ali would visit later in June to sign important agreements on Dominican investments in Guyana. These public investments will be centered on the energy sector, specifically, natural gas, and a new refinery...

The Monetary Board of the Dominican Republic approved a significant monetary stimulus program on 1 June 2023. The program seeks to make available RD$94 billion to finance productive sectors and household consumption at low interest rates.

The measures are the follow up to the recent announcement by the Central Bank (BCRD) that it has begun reducing the monetary policy interest rate for the first time since 2021. The announcements are forthcoming after the Central Bank ascertained that inflation is again on the annual target of 4%±1% and the time is right to end the monetary tightening programs that sought to restrain inflation.

The new liquidity measures of the Monetary Board include the release of resources from the legal reserve for about RD$34 billion, equivalent to 2% of the liabilities subject to legal reserve. The money is for lending to productive sectors and households...

The Ministry of Foreign Relations and the Dominican Association of Foreign Investment Companies (Asiex) signed an inter-institutional cooperation agreement to promote and enhance investment in the Dominican Republic, and sustainable social, economic and cultural development.

The agreement, signed by Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez and the president of Asiex, lawyer Alejandro Peña Prieto, contemplates the joint implementation of a cooperation program that includes the establishment of communication channels and the organization of forums and actions to attract investment to the Dominican Republic. It establishes the updating of information on international markets, the creation of dialogue tables and meetings between businessmen, and the participation in events to achieve commercial relations and other aspects.

Upon signing the agreement, Foreign Minister Álvarez emphasized...

Dominican Republic opened a consulate general in Shanghai, China during a ceremony on 29 May 2023. Attending were diplomats and officials from the Dominican Embassy, based in Beijing, and China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Shanghai municipal government officials.

As reported by Global Times, the Chinese government publication, the consulate general of the Dominican Republic is the first consulate general of the Dominican Republic established in the Chinese mainland.

“Five years ago, China and the Dominican Republic established diplomatic ties based on the one-China principle, ushering in a new chapter of friendly cooperation between our two nations. It’s a great pleasure to gather here today to witness the inauguration of the consulate general,” said Wu Xi, director-general of the Consular Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs...

Barrick, the Canadian mining company, has already announced that the construction of its Pueblo Viejo expanded process plant was 93% complete at the end of Q1 with the plant to be at full capacity by July 2023. The company says the project is the Barrick’s “biggest growth project.” It has been designed to extend the mine’s Tier One life to beyond 2040 at an expected average annual production rate of 800,000 ounces of gold.

Meanwhile, Diario Libre reports that the recent Ministry of Environment authorization of Barrick Pueblo Viejo to go ahead with studies for the construction of a new tailings dam in Sanchez Ramirez province is a conditioned one. The mining company already operates a tailings dam in the province. The company had sought to build this tailings dam in other provinces, but met with strong community opposition.

Diario Libre reports that as part of the agreement...

The Mayor of the National District Carolina Mejía and FC Barcelona soccer player Javier Saviola toured El Túnel de Capotillo, a crime-ridden city slum area, to learn more about the Save the Children and the FC Barcelona Foundation sports program that seeks to make a difference in the lives of impoverished children, as reported in Segundos. The program has the financial support of Scotiabank and other companies.

Boys and girls in Capotillo participated in the project “Playing for Inclusion” and shared and played for several days with the former footballer and legend Javier Saviola who, besides being a soccer star, has a strong commitment as a defender and promoter of the rights of children around the world.

The project “Education and Protection through Sports: Playing for Inclusion” aims to strengthen social cohesion and inclusion through sports, impacting the lives...

Doctor Jorge Marte / Listin Diario

Public Health Minister Daniel Rivera says that Covid-19 is now endemic to the Dominican Republic. Speaking in Salcedo, Hermanas Mirabal province, as part of the activities connected to the “Ruta de Salud” program created by the Ministry, Rivera urged people to understand it is another of the diseases the country needs to learn to live with and prevent. The Ministry has flu and Covid-19 vaccines to prevent the spread of the virus. The Minister says that people should not be alarmed with unfounded rumors that circulate on social media.

The Dominican Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery had alerted earlier about the increase in cases of Covid-19 and viral respiratory processes. The lung specialists recommended people return to wearing masks in closed places, especially where there are many people. The intention is to protect the elderly...

The Dominican Agri-Business Board (JAD) and the Center for Exports and Investment of the Dominican Republic (formerly the CEI-RD, and now ProDominicana) put on the 8th Agri-Food Fair, and it was quite successful.

170 international buyers participated in AgroAlimentaria 2023, the largest food and farm produce fair in the Caribbean, Agroalimentaria 2023.

One of the major attractions this year was the “Dominican Kitchen” stand where chefs from the American Culinary Federation and the Dominican Chefs Association put on a show designed to promote Dominican produce and meats. According to Chefs Diana Munne and Ana Lebron, their objective was to promote meats produced in the Dominican Republic.

The list of items presented as true gourmet dishes were prepared using avocados, mangoes, breadfruit, greenhouse vegetables, coconuts, macadamia nuts, among others. Discussion...

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (Unitar) continues to back efforts of the Dominican National Institute of Transit and Land Transportation (Intrant) to prevent drinking and driving.

Unitar reports that the efforts seek to raise awareness, change attitudes, and ultimately reduce the number of alcohol-related road crashes in the Dominican Republic with the Autosobriety Training Program to Prevent Drink-Driving outreach program in Dominican universities.

Alcohol consumption is a significant factor contributing to road traffic crashes and injuries in the country. According to statistics from Intrant (2020), it is estimated that 18.8% of those injured in traffic crashes treated by emergency services can be attributed to alcohol consumption. Intrant in collaboration with multiple stakeholders, Pernod Ricard and other private sector partners...

The pictures and videos of the detainment of a young Haitian woman and her infant child circulated over every social media platform and every news outlet in the Dominican Republic. The drama of the event was the fact that the infant was not in the vehicle, but rather, was held outside the cage by the mother. The uproar was nationwide, and the Director General of Migration, Venancio Alcantara announced almost immediately that an investigation would be held, and agents involved suspended. He said that under no circumstances would such actions be tolerated.

The following day, the national press reported that the agent involved had, indeed, been fired from his position. The supervisors at Ave. Charles de Gaulle, in East Santo Domingo, had ordered the release of the undocumented woman.

Read more in...

Former Minister of Economy of the Dominican Republic, Juan Ariel Jimenez will be teaching at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is also the vice president of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), the former long-time ruling political party in the Dominican Republic. Jimenez says he will continue in his role in the Dominican Republic as he carries out his new obligations as a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School. He did not detail the courses he will be teaching. Jimenez studied at the Harvard Kennedy School. From 2010 to 2011 he worked as a research associate and project manager at the Center for International Development at the same university.

Harvard Kennedy School is a preferred university for preparing for government. The school offers master’s degrees in public policy, public administration, international development, four doctoral degrees, and many executive...

The onslaught of sargassum (seaweed) is not only affecting the beaches of the Dominican Republic, it also creates an enormous problem for the huge thermo-electric plants that use seawater for cooling. In the case of the power facility at Punta Catalina, the administrators have hired a company of divers to assist in removing the sargasso from the intake screens of the power plant. Each day professional divers and their equipment go down and remove the seaweeds.

On Saturday, 3 June 2023, one of them, 20-year old Elías Poling, perished during his stint underwater. His co-worker returned to the surface. Both divers had been inspected and checked according to strict protocol before entering the water. It is still unclear as to the exact cause of the young diver’s death. A DR1 source advanced that the power plant suctioned the contracted diver, causing his death. Punta...

A follow up to an initial investigation in 2017 has produced similar results. Investigative reporter Nuria Piera says that bakeries are again using potassium bromate to make bread. After the initial report, the ingredient was supposedly eradicated here. It was banned in South America and Europe after it was found to be carcinogenic.

After the Nuria Piera reports aired in 2017, the Ministry of Public Health established regulations to eradicate the use of the chemical in the Dominican Republic.

Nuria Piera reports that a bakery in Santo Domingo East tested positive and calls for the Public Health authorities to reactivate the follow-up of bread making.

Potassium bromate is an oxidiser used to strengthen dough and enhance its elasticity. This helps bake uniform and whitened bread.

Read...

A dual Haitian-Chilean citizen was convicted based on criminal charges related to his involvement in the assassination of the former President of Haiti, Jovenel Moise, on 7 July 2021.

51-year old Chilean-Haitian businessman Rodolphe Jaar was convicted to life in prison for his role in the murder of Haitian President Jovenel Moise. Jaar had been charged in the United States in January 2022 in the same Miami court, the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He is sentenced for his role in helping Colombian mercenaries get weapons to murder the Haitian President Moise.

Jaar is the first person to be convicted and sentenced for the murder of Moise. US prosecutors say behind the murder was a plot by conspirators in Haiti and Florida to reap lucrative contracts under a new administration once Moise was out of the way. An additional 10 defendants are awaiting trial in the...

The coincidence of a trough and a tropical wave have resulted in rains that have caused floods nationwide. The heavy rains have mainly been felt in the south and southwest and border provinces. Listin Diario reported that one person died in border province, Independencia.

The National Meteorological Office (Onamet) reported that from 29 May to 2 June 2023, the accumulated rainfall was a high of almost 300 millimeters of rain. Onamet, nevertheless, urges the population to continue to ration water as the drought is not over.

The mountainous regions on both sides of the Dominican-Haitian frontier in Jimani were drenched in torrential rains late last week, and the raging river Blanco or Solietter, which rises in the mountains of La Selle in Haiti, brought memories of the tragedy that struck the region back in 2004. The rising waters have “only” caused damage to...

Mike Brennan, the head of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, says that although all of the forecasters have said that this season will be “almost normal” there is nothing really “normal” about hurricanes. He said that while “normal” sounds good if one is comparing things to previous seasons, there is nothing good about a normal hurricane season.

So far, the National Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has called for a 40% chance of a nearly normal hurricane season, a 30% chance that it will be normal, and a 30% chance that it will be below normal.

For those of us who live in the Caribbean, some good news is that the NHC has developed new modeling algorithms that will allow a 72-hour advance in predicting whether a system will become a tropical cyclone or not. In addition, forecasts will be extended to seven days, giving additional warning time to...

Dominican Republic’s Brayelin Elizabeth Martinez is the top scorer in the League of Nations Volleyball Championship that started with the first games in Japan. Brayelin Martinez leads with 83 points, including 71 attack points, 10 block points and two serve points.

A feature on the VNL world championship highlights Brayelin and her sister Jineiry as a family powerhouse in the leading world championship played in Nagoya, Japan from 30 May 30 to 4 June. The tournament continues in Hong Kong from 13-18 June and Suwon, Korea from 27 June to 2 July.

The VNL reports:“On the volleyball court, Brayelin has proven she is a powerhouse scorer, while Jineiry is a force at the net. Brayelin has a U20 world title and multiple individual awards, while she jointly shares a silver medal and a bronze medal with Jineiry at the U23 World Championships.

After back-to-back...

The Dominican Republic senior volleyball team (ranked 10th by FIVB) showed the depth of its training when it was able to go the distance and defeat both Bulgaria (16th) and Netherlands (13th) in five sets. The game on 1 June ended with a 2-3 win on 1 June 2023 with scores against Bulgaria of 25-22, 16-25, 25-16, 14-25 and 11-15. The DR bested the Netherlands on 2 June 3-2, with scores of 25-18, 22-25, 25-18, 21-25 and 15-11.

The DR lost to Japan 3-1 on 30 May 2023, with scores of 25-23, 25-18, 22-25 and 25-15. The DR also lost to Brazil 3-1 on 3 June, scoring 27-25, 20-25, 25-21 and 27-25.

Of the 16 teams participating in the tournament, the DR is now ranked 8th at the end of the first round-robin phase, behind Poland (8th), Brazil (1st), Turkey (6th), Japan (7th), China (3rd), Germany (12th) and the United States (2nd).

The DR next plays top-ranked...