Both Hoy newspaper, which broke the story over the weekend, and Diario Libre are giving further attention to a deal brokered in Samana, whereby 500,000 square meters of land have been leased as part of a concession for a period of 50 years to a previously unknown company registered in Panama with Dominican businessman Roberto Prats as principal. It seems that the government pulled the rug out from under an agreement with another company, in favor of Jampi Investments, although the contract would enable Jampi Investments to transfer the concession to a third party, according to the Diario Libre.
Ana Mitila Lora writes in her Listin Diario column “Mochila al hombro” that this is not the first time in Dominican history that the Samana peninsula has been up for grabs. In the 19th century a series of Dominican Presidents, from Buenaventura Baez to Ulises Heureaux, tried to lease the territory to the US Navy, which opted for Guantanamo Bay in Cuba instead. More recently, the late President Joaquin Balaguer tried to do something similar with Saona Island. “Although not on the same scale, now it is this government’s turn,” writes Lora.