It is common for companies to provide after-work activities and equipment for their employees, as a way to raise worker morale. But a move by the Brazilian firm Odebrecht, the leader of construction on the Duarte Corridor series of overpasses, has caused a stir. The company has built a 1,000 square foot outdoor soccer field exclusively for their workers inside the Centro Olimpico Juan Pablo Duarte. The field, located on the intersection of Maximo Gomez and 27 de Febrero Avenue, is within the boundaries of the public sports and recreational park, leading to criticism from several quarters. The state-of-the-art field, which is surrounded by large fences to keep people out, only serves to highlight the decaying infrastructure of the rest of the Juan Pablo Duarte sports complex.
Recent media reports focused on the destruction of the green areas in the sports center for the construction of sports areas.
“This is unacceptable. The Olympic Stadium was not conceived as a private installation. If it were that way anyone who builds something there would privatize it,” said Luisin Mejia, president of the Dominican Olympic Committee.
Sports Minister Felipe Jay Payano said that they would look into the matter.