This week, Diario Libre journalists interviewed the mayor of Greater Santo Domingo, the municipality where the controversial Duquesa waste dump is located. Mayor Francisco Fernandez of Santo Domingo North, which begins at Villa Mella and includes the Duquesa landfill, sat for the Dialogo Libre interview with the newspaper.
Commenting on the “garbage dump”, he said that was what he found in 2010 when he became mayor of North Santo Domingo (NSD).
Francisco Fernandez said the task of cleaning up the slums in order to reduce environmental pollution and protect the health of the municipality’s inhabitants has been the main focus of his local government development plan. “We have cleaned up the city. We have transformed all of the entrances to the city. We have given a new look to the entrance to the city, because, to be honest, it was really bad. You entered the city and you felt that you were entering a jungle or some rural area. I received a cemetery. I was given a city that was as dark as hell at night,” he said.
During his interview with Dialogo Libre, led by Adriano Miguel Tejada and with the participation of Ines Aizpun and Eli Heiliger and other editors, Fernandez said that they have installed street lighting and beautified many areas during his administration. He highlighted the creation of a municipal cooperative, saying it has contributed to the economic development of the city itself. This was combined with the construction of youth training centers, which have produced more than 200 graduates. “We have done a lot of work on social issues. We have not just focused on infrastructure, but also on social and educational issues. We have worked hard on this,” added the mayor.