On Friday, 27 January 2017 the Superior Administrative Court (TSA) ruled in favor of the Ministry of the Environment in rejecting the provisional suspension of the resolution to remove within 120 days any people still working or living in the Juan Bautista Perez Rancier National Park (Valle Nuevo) in La Vega. The deadline for leaving the area expired on Sunday, 29 January.
TSA president Rafael Vasquez Goico rejected the appeal that was filed by the businesses of Granja Mora, Flores Purama and Flores Antillana that have maintained farm operations in the protected area of Valle Nuevo.
Following the ruling the lawyer for the appellants, Manuel Fermin Cabral said that they would continue to explore legal actions.
Several farmers in Valle Nuevo National Park had given notice to authorities that they will not leave on Sunday and also said that military personnel were stopping them from taking equipment and supplies to their farms. In addition, around 300 undocumented Haitian workers in the area of Valle Nuevo have been rounded up by Migration and military authorities.
Meanwhile, Environment Minister Francisco Dominguez Brito went to several communities in Valle Nuevo and said that the land belonged to all Dominicans and had to be looked after. He said that they are offering support for the development of greenhouse projects but reiterated that all farming and activities had to be carried out outside the area of the park.
The Ministry has given farmers 15-20 days to complete their harvests.
Read more in Spanish:
Listin Diario
El Nacional
Diario Libre
31 January 2017
