2000 – Page 154

While the American and European chambers of commerce wave the threat that the US government could remove trade privileges (such as CBI and GSP), economist Jaime Aristy writes in the Listin Diario newspaper that this would not stand in today’s trade world that is ruled by the World Trade Organization. To contest the content of …

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Minister of Industry and Commerce Luis Manuel Bonetti explained that the bill was prepared with the assistance of consultants from the World Intellectual Property Organization. “Nobody can be penalized, that’s what the arbitrage department of the WTO is for,” he says. He explained that Uruguay was excluded from the 301 listing of the US government …

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El Siglo newspaper reports that 17 slum barrios will benefit from a 10-year, US$22-million program to improve basic infrastructure in Santo Domingo. The program, “Saneamiento de Barriadas Marginales” will favor the most impoverished barrios in the capital city of the Dominican Republic. Self-sustainable programs will be put in place for garbage collection, potable water and …

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DR1 reported erroneously yesterday that Rafael Gonzalez Pantaleon had been extradited to the US from Amsterdam. Gonzalez is still in Amsterdam. Minister Eduardo Latorre denied that Gonzalez Pantale?n was on an official mission to Kuwait as originally reported in the press. Gonz?lez was arrested in Amsterdam where he made a transit stop on his way …

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The Listin Diario reports that 15,000 Dominicans have died when attempting to make it to Puerto Rico by boat. The news report says there has been a decline in the number of boat trips as of 1996, when the Fern?ndez government instituted new controls. 75% of the deaths occurred from 1980 to 1990. The report …

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Rafael Molina Morillo, former executive editor of the List?n Diario newspaper, has relaunched his Ahora Magazine. The magazine was the DR’s first newsweekly, first appearing in 1962, but eventually being discontinued. Molina Morillo sold Ahora Magazine and the El Nacional publications company to the Corripio Group in 1978. The Corripio Group is now backing Molina …

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The government granted construction material companies 60 days to extract aggregate from riversides. The Academy of Science protested that the government did not adhere to the recommendations made by the commission it called to study the problem of the effect of removing construction materials from Dominican rivers. The Academy of Science said that the government …

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The Junta Central Electoral ordered the closing of Dominican schools Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week. The presidential election is slated for Tuesday, 16 May. Public schools are used to set up voting stations. The measure affects private schools, probably out of a sense of equity. Schools will resume classes on Thursday, 18 May.

The Senate voted favorably on Sabrina de la Cruz Vargas (PRD) and Te?filo Regus Comas (PLD) as substitute judges for Ana Teresa P?rez and Leonel Rodr?guez Estrella, respectively. The third judge substitute is pending the recommendation of the PRSC.

Former President Joaqu?n Balaguer, who is running for the presidency for the seventh time on the PRSC ticket, urged his followers to support his vice presidential candidate, Jacinto Peynado. Following the keynote speech by the PRSC’s vice presidential candidate, Balaguer gave his two-minute address. Balaguer said: “All that I have to add to what has …

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