The Santiago Development Council (CDES) board of directors, chaired by Carlos A. Fondeur has described the Cibao-Sur highway proposed by the Medina administration as highly important. The entity has a Strategic Plan 2020 proposal for Santiago. The CDES says it has the backing of Monsignor Jose Dolores Grullon Estrella who is the bishop of the province of San Juan de la Maguana, the bishop of Santiago, Monsignor Ramon Benito de la Rosa y Carpio, Santiago Governor engineer Aura Toribio, and commission members Julio Vinas and Ramon de la Rosa. The commission says that the road would be executed with transparency and all the environmental, technical and financial guarantees. The highway route has not yet been officially announced by the Ministry of Public Works.
Fondeur, a leading Dominican builder, says that the road should start at the San Juan Dam, reach Moncion in Santiago Rodriguez and then reach Santiago.
He stressed the road would improve farm competitiveness for the Cibao and San Juan de la Maguana agricultural regions, with a combined population of 3.5 million.
In his comments, Fondeur did not mention that the proposed mountain road that would cut through vulnerable national park forests would provide road access for several mining exploration concessions and dozens of exploration concession requests in the border provinces, especially in Santiago Rodriguez, Elias Pina, San Juan de la Maguana and Dajabon, according to maps of these areas on the Ministry of Energy and Mines website (Department of Mines). Mining is a controversial issue in the Dominican Republic after early experiences of Pueblo Viejo and Falcondo mines have affected farmland and community health. The Medina administration has backed mining seeing it as a major revenue producer for the government.
www.elnuevodiario.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=379087
www.dgm.gov.do/PDF/Concesiones_exploracion.pdf
www.dgm.gov.do/PDF/Solicitudes_exploracion.pdf