2001 – Page 82

The National Drug Control Department (CNCD) confiscated 600 kilos of cocaine yesterday appraised at RD$300 million. The operation was carried out in coordination with agents of the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Two Colombians, Cesar Augusto Cano Cardona and Jose Antonio Guarin Castro, where arrested along with US citizen John Iglesias. Jacobo Mateo Moquete, spokesman for …

Read more…

President Hipolito Mejia authorized the Air Force to get involved in commercial aviation operations. The Air Force was given the okay to transport cargo and mail for commercial purposes. The President said that the profits would be used to invest in new airplanes and spare parts. President Mejia made the announcement when visiting the Air …

Read more…

AES Distribuidora del Este has given 16 government institutions a Monday, 23 July deadline to pay their power bills. Reportedly, government departments owe RD$49.4 million to the power distributor. Karl Huber, president of the company, sent a letter urging the departments to avoid suspension of the service by making the payment by this coming Monday. …

Read more…

The Argentine economic troubles may be the salvation for the DR, at least for now. Argentina’s problems reflect on the region, and could result in very high interest rates for the placement, thus causing the government to postpone their placement for now. El Siglo points out that the President said on Saturday that in case …

Read more…

The PRD chose Andres Bautista Garcia (PRD-Espaillat) as their candidate to preside the Senate. He won with the majority vote of PRD senators. The decision was said to possibly divide the PRD. Ramon Alburquerque had backed Antonio Rosario for the post. The PRD also voted to re-elect Rafael Diaz Filpo for his fifth term as …

Read more…

A legal suit and commercial interests could be behind false information published repeatedly in the El Siglo newspaper regarding Baxter Healthcare operations in the DR, Jose Cruz, legal counsel to the firm explained to DR1 Daily News. DR1 Daily News carried the erroneous information in its 16 July release (http://www.dr1.com/daily/news071601.shtml) A letter by Wilfredo Mercado, …

Read more…

Italian Amicare Ciacasa, the 50 year old, technical director of the new Central Romana marina was murdered on 10 July in La Romana. Murder occurred at Avenida Libertad, as reported in El Siglo. The police are investigating the matter.

DR1 news brief yesterday carried the story of the DR defeat of Canada to qualify first for a world championship. Inadvertently, the story, a follow up to a brief published last Friday, did not tell readers in what sport! We thank the many readers that wrote in to point this out. We immediately made the …

Read more…

Alexis Garcia, president of the Dominican Volleyball Federation announced that the government will build a RD$54 million state of the art National Volleyball Pavilion in the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center. The volleyball pavilion will be ready in time for the volleyball competitions of the 2003 Pan American Games. He said the air-conditioned facility would …

Read more…

Dominican telecommunications company, Tricom announced the purchase of all the shares of Telecable Nacional, the country’s largest cable TV company. Telecable Nacional has cable TV operations in Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata and La Romana, with an estimated 60,000 subscribers. Arturo Pellerano, chairman of TRICOM commented, “The acquisition of TCN has positioned TRICOM to be the …

Read more…