2003 – Page 66

Marianne de Tolentino writes in Hoy newspaper that Dominicans were not able to defend the gift of one of the most impressive demonstrations of public art ever in the Caribbean and Latin America, and now must ponder their loss. In 1994, top Venezuelan artist Carlos Cruz-Diez bestowed Dominicans with the geometrically eye-pleasing painting of the …

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Singer Angela Carrasco has found another way to earn a living with a project called Solidarity Kiosks, which will provide a secure space for the blind to earn money. Due to reasons related to her health, Carrasco had to postpone her opening for a few weeks, but in January she looks forward to opening her …

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The Dominican Republic’s women’s volleyball team has one last chance to make it to the Athens Olympic Games in a pre-Olympic tournament to take place in Venezuela. Jorge Barbey explained that the country will participate in the Pre-Olympic South American tournament, where it will face Peru, Argentina and Venezuela on 9, 10 and 11 January …

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The Dominican Republic has been accepted into the Central American Integration System (SICA in Spanish) as an “extra-regional member.” The heads of state of Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama praised President Hipolito Mejia for introducing the Dominican Republic into the group. The Belize Declaration promises to push forward the integration of …

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Hoy newspaper acknowledged their mistake in publishing that the government had not met the US$15-million initial payment for the reacquisition of power distribution companies EdeSur and Edenorte, as agreed in October with Union Fenosa of Spain. The newspaper’s economic editor, Mario Mendez, citing sources from the CDEEE, explained that he did not confirm the tip …

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The government-intervened Listin Diario reports that Union Fenosa is negotiating the sale of its Palamara (120mw) and La Vega (87.5mw) power plants with a buyer. Union Fenosa claims an investment of US$120 million in the plants, according to the Listin Diario. Reportedly, the power distributors owe Fenosa US$101 million for power supplied.

The government has not paid the subsidies to 150 public hospitals run by the Health Ministry, according to reports. Although basic pharmaceuticals are provided by the PROMESE programs, medicines for specialized care and food are very scarce. OMSA buses that cross the city for the lowest fares are also out of service because there is …

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Emam Zade told Hoy newspaper in an interview today that the budget presented by the government will worsen the situation next year. The economist would have preferred a budget for the same amount as the one used this year, of about RD$82 billion. The government, however, submit to Congress a financial plan for 2004 of …

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Jose Antonio Martinez Rojas questions the fact that the government has set aside RD$5.2 billion for the Armed Forces in its 2004 financial plan. “Are we a country at war?” asks the writer. Will there be increases to our forces in Iraq? Will we continue to buy patrol yachts to police illegal marine travelers? Will …

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During a luncheon of the Association of Puerto Plata Hotels, tourism entrepreneur Frank Rainieri said that the Dominican politicians do not understand the importance of tourism in this country, despite that sector generating 25% of the GDP and being the most dynamic sector of the economy in the past 30 years. Rainieri is president of …

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