The Presidency has rejected criticism from the opposition Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) that claims that the government has only fulfilled the promises it made to farmers in 18 of 166 of the so-called unannounced visits to farm communities. During the visits, the government listens to farmers’ association members and promises low-interest credit and technical assistance.
In a press conference on Wednesday 2 September 2015, the PRM presented a study on the outcome of the surprise visits in 10 provinces, carried out by its own agricultural specialists. PRM farming specialist Leonardo presented what he described as “evidence that the visits are more propaganda than reality.”
Presidency spokesman Roberto Rodriguez Marchena responded on Thursday by saying that that the visits had served to rebuild the relationship between the government and society and were an engine for forging what he dubbed the “authentic revolution” in process in the countryside. As an example of the success of the surprise visits, Rodriguez Marchena pointed to the interest they have generated overseas with President Medina’s talk at the FAO in Rome in July 2015. He also described the visits as “a tool for cutting government red tape.” However, Rodriguez Marchena did not address any of the specific cases presented in the PRM study, which detailed what it claims are several failures in delivering the promised assistance.
The report’s findings have been posted on the PRM presidential candidate’s webpage, http://www.luisabinader.com
Gobierno rechaza criticas PRM a visitas sorpresa del presidente Danilo Medina
PRM: Danilo solo ha cumplido 18 de los 166 compromisos de las “visitas sopresa”
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