Diario Libre published photos of cruise ship tourists walking amidst piles of garbage in yesterday’s issue, Wednesday 19 February. Immediately, Santo Domingo East (ASDE) municipal officials admitted there were problems and said that they would follow up on the situation so that it does not repeat itself. ASDE urban cleansing coordinator Rafael Hilario Medina said: “We understand the importance of tourism for the country and the economy and know this affects us. We are coordinating improved surveillance around the garbage containers in the area to ensure that garbage is dumped inside and not outside. He said that they would work with the municipal environmental police to prevent the garbage from being spilled.
Medina said that the surveillance would cover the areas of the Columbus Lighthouse, the Los Tres Ojos Park, Avenida Espana and environs, and that it was due to start yesterday.
www.diariolibre.com/noticias/2014/02/20/i491111_reforzarn-limpieza-zona-turstica-santo-domingo-este.html