2003 – Page 62

The 6.5 earthquake that shook the cities of Puerto Plata and Santiago last 22 September was the result of pressure from the Hispaniola North Fault, which caused movement within the Camu Fault. Nonetheless, the experts felt that the greatest danger is still within the Septentrional Fault, which has 800 years of accumulated energy stored within. …

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Helados Bon has opened a shop in the Najayo Jail in San Cristobal. The proceeds of the sales will be used to buy food for the estimated 250 children living with their incarcerated mothers in Najayo, the second largest pen in the DR. The ice cream shop is adjacent to the prison’s medical area. In …

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The Florida Marlins opened the World Series in New York on Saturday with a 3-2 victory over the New York Yankees. It’s the third consecutive series-opening loss by the Yankees. Dontrelle Willis recorded seven key outs late in the game and Juan Encarnacion had two hits to lead a balanced attack. Andy Pettite responded in …

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The seven PRD Presidential pre-candidates opposing President Hipolito Mejia’s re-election plan suffered a blow with yesterday’s departure of party secretary Rafael “Fello” Subervi Bonilla. As reported in Thursday’s DR1 news, the seven – Milagros Ortiz Bosch, Enmanuel Esquea Guerrero, Hatuey Decamps, Rafael Abinader, Ramon Alburquerque, Rafael Flores Estrella and Fello Subervi- had been having difficulties …

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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has sent a group of technicians to review the purchase contract that was arranged by the Dominican Government and Union Fenosa of Spain. There are, according to Finance Minister Rafael Calderon, as reported in the Listin Diario, three main areas of concern: how the fiscal aspects of the purchase may …

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Speaking at a government-organized conference titled “External Trade, Commercial Treaties and Competitiveness”, Elena Viyella de Paliza, the president of private business association CONEP, said that the success of the free trade agreement (FTA) currently being negotiated with the US depends on certain preconditions, such as a solution to the power crisis and the creation of …

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CONEP president Elena Viyella de Paliza has reiterated her organization’s opposition to the government’s controversial decision to introduce of X-ray equipment to scan export containers at all ports of entry, a view shared by ANJE, the young entrepreneurs’ association. Diario Libre’s main editorial calls the contract, which has been awarded to the widow of a …

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Civil society organization Participacion Ciudadana (“Citizen Participation”) is recommending that the Senate endorse proposals for a new law aimed at fighting corruption in public life. The coordinator of the non-partisan organization, Miriam Diaz Santana, addressed the Senate’s president, Jesus Vasquez Martinez, asking that his administration demonstrate its commitment to combat corruption, with a view to …

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The Dominican Republic has twice as many cell-phones as landlines, according to Indotel (Dominican Institute of Telecommunications) director Orlando Jorge Mera. Speaking at the Mobile Phone Forum in Punta Cana, Jorge Mera explained that there are approximately 900,000 conventional phones in operation and well over 1.8 million cellular phones in the country. This explosion in …

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The XII Conference of First Ladies of the Americas closed yesterday with a commitment to promoting youth-oriented integrated development programs aimed at increasing young people’s access to education, health and employment. “Young people are the leaders of the future”, said Dominican First Lady Dona Rosa Gomez de Mejia. “My work with [young people] over the …

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