President Leonel Fernandez spoke at meetings in Philadelphia and Miami, pushing for investment in the Dominican Republic. He proclaimed that the Dominican Republic would become “the investment center for the Caribbean”. In Philadelphia, Fernandez addressed the Hispanic-American chamber of Commerce, where he emphasized the development of the Dominican system of industrial free zones and the increasing number of accords signed with governments and universities. In Miami, the President described the Dominican Republic as a model for the Third World, transforming itself into a society with strong guarantees for investments. He also talked about the 5,000 companies currently located in the different free zones and the government’s plan to reduce unemployment by 3%. Finally, he stressed the importance of the DR’s geographic position and the advantages it offers to manufacturers anxious to get their products to market. At the Miami gathering, organized by the law office of Schwartz and Bowen, the President told his audience that the Dominican Republic had changed from a rural, agricultural society to a more modern, service-oriented society through its tourism industry and the free zones.
President Fernandez returned on Sunday after his 10-day sojourn for votes on the UN Security Council and investments for the DR.