The Senate has called for new public hearings for the proposed artificial island project to be built off the coast of Santo Domingo. According to Diario Libre, the hearings will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, at 10:00 am in the Congress building’s National Assembly Hall. The Ministry of Public Works signed the contract with Santo Domingo Re-Development, Ltd, represented by Eulogio Santaella, for the construction, development, and operation of Novo Mundo XXI, an ambitious mega-project that has caused controversy. Meanwhile, the Southern Coast Neighborhood Associations is opposing the project because according to them it will only serve to foster corruption, it is against the law, and represents business for only a small group of investors. Umberto Henriquez, representing the neighborhoods, read out a 16-point list and stated that the sea should never be negotiated. He stated that the privatization of more than 30 beaches and sale of national parks is sufficient.
El Caribe reports that a previous hearing, set for 26 October, was cancelled as only the project developers and the media showed up. The new hearing is expected to draw more people, including individuals and institutions related to conservation, neighborhood associations, architects, and landscapers. The neighborhood associations argue that the project will lead to social segregation that will be embarrassing for the city’s inhabitants. The project is also opposed by the Academy of Sciences which will issue the results of research it has carried out to identify the possible consequences of the construction. Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo (UASD) professor Amparo Chantada, who lives in the area, said the project will privatize our sea. She is concerned that no environmental impact report has been presented for the project.