Jose Hidalgo, president of the Spanish tourism conglomerate Globalia, was in Santo Domingo yesterday, where he spoke to the press and declared that he paid a big sum of money five years ago for the property located within the boundaries of the National Park of the East, where he intends to build a hotel complex. Hidalgo said the lot he purchased is adjacent to the Coral by Hilton Canoa hotel and holds 244,000 square meters, not four million as has been reported by the press. El Caribe stated that the purchase price was US$3.5 million in 1999.
Hidalgo said he traveled to Santo Domingo on Sunday to clarify the situation. The National Hotel and Restaurant Association (Asonahores) rejects any development of preserved park area in the view that to sever a part of the park would set a dangerous precedent for the destruction of other parks that are now safeguarded under the Environmental Law.
Hidalgo told El Caribe: “The main problem here is jealousy. I have the same papers as the hoteliers located in the area have, who are against me.”
Hidalgo defended his right to invest in the country and said he was the first of the Spanish investors when he came in 1986. He said he was behind the creation of Air Santo Domingo and operates regular flights from Madrid to Santo Domingo with Air Europa. “My name and image should not be tarnished in the country.”
He criticized El Caribe newspaper’s publication yesterday that contained a photograph showing the managers and employees of hotels in the area protesting against further development in the area.
Hidalgo chose to concur with the opinion of President Mejia: “The President says those hoteliers have served themselves with the big spoon. Exactly, those men are here and now they do not want any more players,” he told El Caribe.