The negotiation to come up with US$100 million is a shortcut that will produce great humiliation, according to Claudio Cabrera, an economic journalist for Hoy. Cabrera says that if the country does not conclude the second review of the IMF Standby Accord after the tax reforms are passed, the Dominican Republic could well fall into default, a situation that would almost certainly affect the first months of the new PLD government. The DR has accumulated a battery of alarms with the multilateral financial organizations over the last 20 years that it has been working with the IMF. After the virtual bonanza economy of 1996-2002, the most recent banking crisis once again brought storm clouds over the country?s financial status. In the same vein, if the Dominican authorities cannot secure the US$100 million needed to close the gap left by the negotiations with the Paris Club by 31 October, after a new tax reform package has been passed, there is a possibility that the country will have to call for a moratorium with the world financial community. The big issue is that, as tough as the negotiations with the IMF are, it will be even tougher to deal with the Paris Club if the country defaults or petitions for a suspension on their debt payment. The author compares the situation to that suffered by Roman army units that had to pass through the Caudine Forks and suffer great humiliation.