New Santo Domingo West Mayor José Andujar is giving a big “no” to allowing the reopening of the used items street market at Av. Luperón and the Malecón. “La Pulga” or “Km. 12” as the market is known, has been at that site for over 18 years, each year adding more vendors. The Covid-19 epidemic gave it a blow and for months the vendors have not been allowed to reorganize.
The president of the federation of vendors, Jose Manuel Caro, says the decision to not reopen affects 4,000 families-vendors that for years have been making a living selling at the Santo Domingo street fair. He argued 40,000 people depend on the fair for a living.
The market site dates to when Mayor Roberto Salcedo moved it there to get it out of the Colonial City. Back then, the market sold antiques. Over the years it diversified into selling other used items and then blossomed into a major market selling used clothing imported from Haiti. Caro said the agreement signed with Salcedo gave the vendors the right to be there for 30 years, and only 18 years have passed.
The market was open on Sundays from 5am to 4pm. On Sundays, it took over all the space in the area, making driving through very slow and difficult.
The vendors had been waiting for the Santo Domingo city government to establish the protocol for the reinstatement of the vendor spots. They complain that similar businesses, such as those located on Av. Duarte, are already back in operation. Instead, Mayor Andujar says another site has been identified to relocate the vendors for opening when circumstances permit.
Mayor José Andújar said on Tuesday, 11 August 2020, that there would be no reopening at the sea-fronting site. He was seen at the site as heavy equipment cleared debris and garbage from the area that is located at the far west of the capital city.
The mayor says the decision was taken after meetings with the neighborhood boards, businesses, churches, sports clubs and the representatives of the vendors. He said the vendors were notified on several occasions the street market would not reopen at that location.
Read more in Spanish:
Noticias Santo Domingo
De Buena Fuente
Acento
N Digital
12 August 2020