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Somos Pueblo to Carlos Pimentel: Act now

José Miguel González Cuadra / Somos Pueblo

Somos Pueblo, the muckraking social media news commentary program, is asking for Carlos Pimentel, of the Procurement Agency (DGCP) to take action regarding the violation of Law 34-06 on behalf of the president of the Centro Cuesta Nacional, Jose Miguel Gonzalez Cuadra. Gonzalez Cuadra is the director of the Presidency division that has undertaken major projects for reform in city barrios. The entity was known as the Unidad Ejecutora para la Readecuación de La Barquita y Entornos (URBE) during the Danilo Medina administration and now, reportedly its name has been changed to Unidad Ejecutora para la Readecuación de Barrios.

Somos Pueblo explained after working with the La Barquita project in Santo Domingo, the entity is now focused on Santiago barrio and transit transformation works.

Gonzalez Cuadra is known to be very close to former President Danilo Medina and to incumbent President Luis Abinader.

Investigative journalist Odalis Castillo reported on the irregularities of Gonzalez Cuadra companies having benefited by major government supply contracts.

Somos Pueblo complained that the Procurement Agency had not taken action after the evidence of irregularities in contracting was aired on 15 January 2024 on the Toda la Verdad program on Channel 32.

In 2020, the director of the Procurement Agency had announced a purge of companies that had top executives working in government and that were major government contractors. This purge did not include companies of Gonzalez Cuadra.

Dominican law establishes a public government officer or direct family cannot be a supplier to the state. Odalis Castillo complains that the law is not the same for all in the Dominican Republic, and that recently Centro Cuesta Nacional companies have benefited by more than RD$260 million in government contracting.

The Procurement Law is under Law 34-06 and government officers fall under the Ministry of Public Administration (MAP) law.

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1 April 2024