President Danilo Medina announced that the government will inaugurate the Armed Forces Technology Control Center on 16 March 2020, the day after the municipal election. The Centro de Control Tecnológico de las Fuerzas Armadas is located at the Ministry of Defense on Av. 27 de Febrero in the National District.
In his Independence Day speech, President Medina announced that the center groups all the surveillance and early alert systems in the country. This is, those under the Center of Emergency Operations, the Armed Forces and other government control entities.
“The Dominican Republic had never been as ready to defend itself upon any threat,” said Medina, when making the announcement. He mentioned the border with Haiti is under surveillance with drones and helicopters.
In commenting on the speech, Noticias SIN journalist Alicia Ortega said that the government purchased upwards of RD$620 million in surveillance cameras for the RD$780 million control center. She remarked the purchase was made without normal procurement procedures on the grounds of the matter being one of national security.
In his speech, Medina named several other public works that would be inaugurated before the end of his term in August. Among those mentioned are the Greater Santo Domingo Bypass (Circunvalación Santo Domingo), connecting east and west Santo Domingo; the Avenida Ecológica, the Puerto Plata-Navarrete road expansion; the Santiago-Puerto Plata Touristic Road; the Santo Domingo Court House (Palacio de Justicia), the museums at the Plaza de la Cultura; the San Juan de la Maguana, Azua, San Francisco de Macorís bypass roads.
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Listin Diario
28 February 2020