The organizers of the two-day general strike in Bonao, the Dignity Bloc of Monseñor Nouel Province (Bonao is the provincial capital, located northwest of Santo Domingo along the highway to Santiago), late last night called an end to the strike. The Bloc ended the strike after reaching a series of agreements with government officials; government negotiators included province Governor Nicolás Restituyo and Federal Deputy Félix Nova (PLD). Among other things, it was agreed that (a) the governor will ensure that construction is completed on the UASD extension campus in Bonao (Centro Universitario Regional del Cibao Central CURCE-UASD); (b) a committee will be formed, with citizen participation, to decide how to spend the RD$4 million check delivered yesterday to the province’s Comisión ProDesarrollo ("Pro-Development Commission") by the Corporation of State Enterprises (CORDE) as a down-payment on the RD$125 million owed the province by the central government for shares sold in Falconbridge; (c) a committee will be formed to manage the repair of city streets left torn up by National Institute of Potable Water and Sewage (INAPA); (d) the governor and local PLD officials will ensure that stalled public works are actually completed; (e) the 300 people detained by police since the strike was called are released.
