2004 – Page 8

Over the weekend, the main headlines were dedicated to the effects the continuous rains have had on vast areas of the Cibao Valley. El Caribe reported that 15,000 people had been affected by the rising flood waters, with one death confirmed. In Gaspar Hernandez, situated on the North Coast, 3,000 families were cut off by …

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More attractive airfares are beckoning travelers, according to travel agencies, who are reporting a decrease of between 30%-40% in the cost of plane tickets. This phenomenon is due mainly to the lower cost of the US dollar on the local exchange market. Tickets to Puerto Rico, Miami, New York and Spain are the lowest they …

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The Chamber of Deputies approved the 2005 budget last night during a marathon session. Two readings of the budget were approved after an addendum sent over from the Executive Branch was attached to the bill. President Leonel Fernandez requested that the Deputies increase certain amounts for several institutions, such as the Autonomous University of Santo …

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Franco Uccelli, a research analyst for Bear Stearns, writes today in a Dominican Republic market commentary that, despite the partial reversal of the recent rally experienced by Dominican bonds and the continued uncertainties (final approval of next year’s budget, restoration of an agreement with the IMF, the restructuring of the country’s bonds, etc), he believes …

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The National Private Business Council (CONEP) asked the government not to relegate the sectors affected by the proposed Free Trade Agreement to second-level priority. In a note called “The Effects of the FTA,” Elena Viyella de Paliza wrote that if the country has free industrial zones and tourism today, there is no reason to forget …

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Jose Thompson, the director of the Center for Electoral Consulting and Promotion (CAPEL), warned the JCE that there are risks associated with organizing the primaries for the various political parties in the next election. Jose Arias, the chief JCE judge, told the press that Thompson and Ricardo Valverde, the Program Officer of the Inter-American Institute …

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The first verdict rendered under the new Penal Code was handed down yesterday: guilty. This occurred just three months after the initial arrest, something unusually swift for the Dominican penal system. The judge of the Third Penal Chamber of the Court of the Province of Santo Domingo sentenced Juan Hierro to five years in prison …

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Police Chief Manuel de Jesus Perez Sanchez said yesterday that the newly instituted Penal Code should be adjusted and that more severe sentencing guidelines should be imposed. “Recently, we have seen 112 cases where people with multiple-arrest and convictions records and extraordinary criminal dossiers have been brought before the tribunals and released,” said the general. …

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Civil Defense authorities in Santiago told reporters that 1,000 families had to be moved to safety as a result of the continuous rainfall over the past three days. According to weather reports, the rains are the product of a low-pressure ridge that came down from Florida and settled over the island of Hispaniola. Last year, …

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During the first 11 months of 2004, there have been 1,185 deaths attributed to traffic accidents. The Transit Department of the National Police reported a total of 3,031 deaths due to traffic-related incidents between 1990 and 1999. Unfortunately, from 2000 until 2004 there have been 5,329 people killed in accidents on the streets and highways …

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