El Caribe newspaper presents the complaint of Luis Carvajal and Domingo Abreu of the Academy of Science as per the illegality of Decree 1144-00 of 7 November 2000. A decree cannot modify a law, they say. As per the decree, President Hipolito Mejia authorizes the sale of four million square meters of the National Park of the East to a Spanish company that would build 1,200 hotel rooms. Reportedly, the company secured the authorization for the sale during the past government of Leonel Fernandez, but with this decree, the present government validates the sale. The sale is contrary to the Law of Environment by which construction within the 420 km2 of the National Park of the East is banned to preserve the fragile environment of the area. Minister of Environment Frank Moya Pons says he is not aware of the existence of the decree that was signed by the President after being issued by the office of the legal advisor of the Executive Branch.
