2003 – Page 294

Richard Geovanny Tavarez Amarante, who confessed to the murder of a Puerto Rican student, had been jailed for eight years for killing a man with a stone. The killer of Maralissa Colon Berrios admitted his crime, according to police colonel Ramon Rodriguez Sanchez. Maralissa Colon was a medical student at the Universidad Central del Este …

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According to a report in Hoy newspaper, the government has halted many of its other public works construction projects in order to push ahead the completion of the installations needed for the Pan American Games. Among the projects that the Public Works Ministry has slowed or halted are the repairs to the Juan Pablo Duarte …

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The biggest event for Dominican musicians, singers, dancers and other performers was held last night at the National Theater, in the form of the Premios Casandra. Fernando Villalona, called ?el Mayimbe? by his fans, won the highest honors of the evening, the Soberano prize, to recognize outstanding work throughout the year. Villalona had also been …

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President Hipolito Mejia is unhappy about the announced 15 March protest event organized by the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) and said that former President Leonel Fernandez should not be stirring up crowds. During his regular Sunday appearance on the ?Una Vez por Semana? talk show televised on Channel 4, President Mejia spoke at length, saying …

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Only 17 percent of the population believe the economy will recover within the next year, according to the Hamilton-Hoy newspaper poll. Of those interviewed, 53 percent feel things will get worse. This is a considerable downturn from the general perception of August 2002, when 46 percent of voters expressed a pessimistic view of the economy …

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The Hamilton-Hoy poll interestingly shows mounting criticism of the PRD government by its own members. 32 percent of PRD members polled disapprove of the Mejia administration. 34 percent said that the President inspires little or no confidence, 35 percent say the country is on the wrong track, 49 percent say they will not be better …

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The Executive Commission of the PRSC decided that only five of the seven hopeful presidential candidates will participate in the party?s primaries, to take place on 30 March. Those that have been pre-selected are: Jacinto Peynado, Eduardo Estrella, Federico (Quico) Antun Batlle and Jose Hazim Frappier, as per the results of the Hamilton poll recently …

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Vice President Milagros Ortiz Bosch launched her candidacy for the PRD presidential ticket in the May 2004 elections, during an event held in the southwestern city of Barahona. The recent Hamilton-Hoy survey gave Ortiz Bosch a 70-percent positive rating for her work as Minister of Education within the public schools.

More violent conflicts involving passengers from southwestern regions of the country traveling to Santo Domingo again put into evidence the irregular and laissez-faire attitude of the authorities when dealing with the unionized transporters that have forcefully taken control of the routes. The government and police have often looked the other way when unions sabotage transporters …

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The controversial former chief of security for the President, Colonel Pedro Julio (Pepe) Goico, was released from detention at special facilities at the Ministry of Armed Forces, on terms of bail on Friday at 7:35pm, after a favorable ruling was rendered by the Supreme Court. This is Goico?s second release on the conditions of bail; …

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