The Cibao region was affected on Monday, 29 October 2018, by a regional strike, that the Police say was marked by vandalism at its start to intimidate businesses and people. The methods used resulted in the call to strike being a failure, as observed by Diario Libre in an editorial on 30 October.
The Police announced there was one person dead and more than 40 arrests. The 24-hour strike was called by several organizations headed by the Collective of Popular Organizations, Social, Union, Transport, Community and Professional Organizations (Falpo) supposedly to protest against the high cost of fuel and basic products, electricity cuts, lack of water, poor state of the roads and other issues.
Members of the military and police were placed in strategic points in the 14 provinces making up the Cibao including throughout Santiago to ensure safety. Nevertheless, one person was killed in the early hours of the morning, a Haitian citizen, who was shot by the police while he was burning tires in Los Tocones. The media reported that in Santiago there were few vehicles on the road and many businesses were closed due to the 24-hour strike.
Some shops and banks remained open but there were few clients as most workers and students could not get to work or school due to the scarce public transport. Omsa bus service was running throughout the strike with 50 units in service. The minibus terminal for transport connecting Santiago to the Northwest, La Vega, San Francisco de Macoris and beyond in the Cibao were all closed.
The media reported there were demonstrations and garbage thrown into the streets in Alto de Yaguita de Pastor, Alto de Elías, Loma de la Tayota in the southwest of Santiago and also in Ciruelitos, in the north of the city. In Monseñor Nouel province transport was blocked from entering the municipality of Maimon with burning tires on the roads.
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El Nacional
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Diario Libre
30 October 2018
