President Danilo Medina attended the inauguration of the 10 km of paved road connecting Padre Las Casas in Azua and Bohechio, in his province of birth, San Juan de la Maguana. The road will benefit 160,000 inhabitants, most in rural areas. The road has two bridges, one in Padre Las Casas crossing Las Cuevas River, and the other in Bohechió, over the El Medio River. President Medina spoke of the government paying back a 35-year debt to the inhabitants. He recalled the damages caused to the local population when the government built the Sabaneta and Sabana Yegua dams.
During the event, President Medina highlighted the three government-supported agroforestry projects being developed in the area. These are Las Cañitas, with a reported investment of RD$1 billion, another in Los Montacitos, an investment of RD$200 million, and a third in Cuenca de Sabaneta, an investment of RD$900 million. Medina said these projects in five years time would generate revenues of more than RD$1 billion for the different communities. “We are planting over 150,000 tareas (1 tarea = 629 square meters) of agroforestry projects at the basins of the rivers that feed the Sabana Yegua and Sabaneta dams, so these do not dry out. Above all, we are doing this for the poor people that live in these mountains,” said President Medina.
Also present for the inaugurations were Agriculture Minister Angel Estevez and Public Works Minister Gonzalo Castillo.
In the area, the Medina government has also built the Padre Las Casas-Monte Bonito and Cigual roads. Medina announced that the Padre Las Casas-Guayabal road with a big bridge would soon be opened. He said these communities in the past have been isolated in heavy rains. This problem would be resolved. Medina also highlighted the completion of the Arroyo Cano-Los Montacitos road with just a 4.5 km section under construction. Next would be the Los Frios-Las Cañitas road to fully communicate these farming communities.
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Presidencia
El Caribe
22 November 2017
