1999 – Page 208

This week’s guessing game in Santo Domingo: where will the Olympic village ("Villa") for the 2003 Pan American Games ("PanAm Games") be built? Last week rumors started flying that Campus #2 of the National University Pedro Henr?quez Ure?a (UNPHU) on John F. Kennedy Avenue would be the site when bulldozers and other heavy equipment appeared …

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The executive of the National District’s city government, Fabio Ruiz Rosado, confirmed yesterday that Mayor Juan de Dios ("Johnny") Ventura has received a formal request from the U.S. Embassy to close off several streets surrounding the Embassy in Gazcue with a view of creating a security cordon around it. Ruiz Rosado refused to comment on …

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A report by the DR’s Academy of Sciences due to be formally presented tomorrow, but leaked today by the news daily Hoy, alleges significant ecological damage to the coastal areas of B?varo and Bayahibe by construction firms and hotels. "Report on the Environmental Impact of Tourism in B?varo and Bayahibe" refutes claims by Tourism Minister …

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President Fern?ndez yesterday presided over the formal delivery to the National Library of the first seven of a fleet of bookmobiles intended to operate throughout the Santo Domingo metropolitan area. The bookmobile initiative is intended to bring books (and the love for reading) to some of poorer barrios so that citizens do not have to …

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The head of the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD), Rear Admiral Luis Alberto Humeau Hidalgo, warned yesterday that the DNCD and the Superintendent of Banks are investigating all bank deposits above the equivalent of US$10,000 for possible money laundering. All banks operating in the DR must report such deposits to DNCD and the Superintendent of …

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The Chairman of the Senate Justice Committee, Milton Ray Guevara (PRD-Saman?), told reporters yesterday that he is certain that the five anti-corruption measures sent to the Senate last week by President Fern?ndez will be approved by the upper chamber of Congress. The vocal support of the chairman of the relevant committee and a leading spokesman …

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A new program began this past weekend to effect a complete cleanup of Puerto Plata’s Malec?n. The program is a cooperative effort between the PP municipality, provincial authorities and the Tourism and Public Works Ministries, and involves the stretch between Long Beach and La Puntilla. According to PP Mayor Ram?n Ortiz, the crews will clean …

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Hoy newspaper reported that Customs security agents detained two pilots of an international airline at the Las Americas International Airport with carry on luggage full of cellular phones. The cellular phones supposedly would be sold to stores in the DR. The news story says that the airport authorities believe the pilots regularly transported cellulars to …

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President Leonel Fern?ndez will travel on Wednesday, 10 March 1999 to Guatemala to participate in the Central American, Belize and Dominican Republic Heads of State and Government Summit. US President Bill Clinton will meet with the statesmen during his visit to Central America. The Presidency said that President Fern?ndez will be in Guatemala from 10-12 …

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President Leonel Fern?ndez is slated to travel to Japan and Taiwan in April. During his visit, he is expected to sign donations for over US$200 million, as well as low interest loans for development programs. An advance Dominican government mission traveled to Taiwan and Japan last week to prepare the trip.