2001 – Page 106

The Washington Post has denounced that the system that has produced countless numbers of baseball superstars is a breeding ground for exploitation and corruption. According to Washington Post interviews with baseball officials, scouts, agents and players, the increased demand for foreign talent has created a cutthroat industry of street-level entrepreneurs dedicated to locating and grooming …

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Dominican Republic placed third in the Central American and Caribbean Basketball Championship held last week in Santo Domingo. The DR defeated Puerto Rico a close 80-78 for the bronze medal. The last time the women’s basketball team won a medal was in 1975, when it also won the bronze. Cuba won the event, followed by …

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The Executive Branch has sent to the Chamber of Deputies a bill that would create the province of Santo Domingo. The province would be divided into four municipalities. These would be Santo Domingo Este, Santo Domingo Oeste, Santo Domingo Norte and Boca Chica, as reported in El Siglo.

The Mejia administration has chosen to authorize temporary residency to seven Cubans who sought political asylum last Saturday. They crossed into the DR from Haiti after being shipwrecked enroute to Miami. When the Fernandez government resumed diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1997, the Dominican government began deporting all Cubans who entered illegally. President Mejia alleged …

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The Minister of Public Works said that so far this year he has received less than half of the allotted funds for construction projects. He said this has affected the pace of the works. Of the RD$4,000 million that had been allotted from August 2000 to June of this year, he has only received RD$1,847 …

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The Mejia administration has given the green light to the military to strengthen its riot unit. General Manuel Ernesto Polanco Salvador told El Siglo newspaper that they are reactivating the military police corps to control riots and protests. The battalion existed until the start of the Fernandez administration. The 150 members will be increased to …

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The Army has also purchased from Israel modern electronic equipment worth US$10 million to be installed along the frontier with Haiti. This will permit the Dominican authorities to maintain effective vigilance of the area both day and night. Major General Manuel Polanco Salvador told El Siglo the equipment will be installed in six months. It …

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Major General Polanco Salvador also told El Siglo that the government has entrusted it with the cleanliness and gardening (“ornato”) of the principal avenues of the capital and the highways that lead to the interior of the country. He said the army is now responsible for the Duarte, Las Americas and Sanchez highways. He says …

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The Army will also be in charge of a new program to plant trees throughout the nation. The Army will prepare nurseries with a total production of two million plants. Chief of the Army, Major General Polanco announced that the planting will take place 4, 5 and 6 November with the participation of the military, …

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