1999 – Page 194

It took a phone call from President Fern?ndez, but in any case the week-long strike in Nagua was finally ended yesterday. The President called the Governor of Mar?a Trinidad S?nchez Province, Ar?stides Victoria Jos?, and asked him to take steps to defuse the situation. In return, President Fern?ndez will meet with provincial leaders on Monday …

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The Director of the National Malaria Elimination Service (SNEM), Guillermo Gonz?lez, reported yesterday that the DR had 2,006 cases of malaria detected in 1998, a tiny fraction of the 1,070,000 cases reported in the Americas every year. He said that traditionally the DR registers between 1,400 and 1,800 cases a year, so last year was …

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The new National Police (PN) chief, Major General Pedro de Jes?s Candelier, yesterday told reporters that in the one month he has been in office the PN has closed more than 200 houses of prostitution. He asserted that in the process the PN has "rescued" a large quantity of minors being served alcoholic beverages and …

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The "Heineken Live" concert will be held tomorrow night at the amphitheater at Altos de Chav?n outside La Romana. Originally conceived as a jazz festival, the concert now features a variety of music styles, including jazz, Latin jazz, pop rock and "Caribbean fusion." Scheduled to appear are the group "Milenium," Eddy Palmieri, the Latin pop …

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The participants in the political dialogue agreed in principle last night on a solution to the dispute over the composition of the Central Election Board (JCE). The official "moderator" (not mediator) and spokesman for the dialogue, Monsignor Agripino N??ez Collado, announced only that representatives of the three main political parties had met privately with President …

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The Public Works Ministry announced that the new, modern toll booths will finally be opened on Las Am?ricas and Seis de Noviembre Highways tomorrow – just in time for the heavy Holy Week traffic. At the same time sharp hikes in the tolls charge will take effect, likely to bring howls of protest from regular …

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The Senate yesterday approved in first reading a bill that would allow many of the nation’s cities to impose tolls for entering city limits. Although drafted by the Santo Domingo’s municipal government, the measure was introduced by Senate President Ram?n Alburquerque (PRD-Monte Plata). The bill now goes to committee for study before returning to the …

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A judge of the Third Penal Chamber of the National District (DN) granted a habeas corpus petition and released from jail two men held for questioning in the case involving the 1994 disappearance (and presumed murder) of law professor Narciso Gonz?lez ("Narcisazo"). Judge Ram?n Horacio Gonz?lez P?rez ruled that the judge in charge of the …

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Yesterday Pedro Pablo Cabral responded to last week’s calls from Texaco and Esso executives for the Dominican Petroleum Refinery (REFIDOMSA) to become more transparent so that the other companies can engage in true competition in the DR market. The REFIDOMSA Vice President and the local representative of Shell (the private sector partner in REFIDOMSA), declared …

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The Association of Blond Tobacco Producers has written Foreign Minister Eduardo Latorre urging the Fern?ndez Government not to yield to pressure from the Central American governments to re-negotiate the "negative list" agreed in the Miami Protocol with those countries. They argue that if they are exposed to full competition from Central American producers their industry …

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