President Danilo Medina received Ray W. Washburne and John Deaver Alexander III, president and senior advisor of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). OPIC is a federal agency that offers loans and guarantees to American companies looking to expand into emerging markets.
Also participating in the meeting was Forrest E. Hoglund, president of the SeaOne Maritime Corp. They were accompanied by US Ambassador Robin S. Bernstein and Kary Hintz-Tate, interim director of the Office of Economic Policy and Coordinator of Summits of the US State Department.
President Danilo Medina was accompanied by Presidency Minister Gustavo Montalvo; Administrative Minister of the Presidency Jose Ramon Peralta; Hacienda Minister Donald Guerrero; legal advisor to the President Flavio Dario Espinal; and Ruben Jimenez Bichara, executive vice president of the Dominican Public Electricity Corporation.
The visit occurred at a time when there is speculation the Dominican government would sell majority participation in the Odebrecht-built Punta Catalina power plant. A US coal company is already the chosen supplier for coal for the new thermoelectric central.
The Executive Branch added a clause to the 2019 National Budget that would allow the government to sell the shares in the power plant and the transaction would not need to be approved by the Congress.
Also participating in the meeting with OPIC executives at the Presidency were US Embassy officers Bryan Larson, commercial attache at the US Embassy; Katherine Beamer, political and economic affairs counselor at the US Embassy; Maria Elena Portorreal, trade specialist and Liana Coste Gaton, economic policy at the US Embassy.
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Presidencia
Propublica
6 December 2018
