2008 – Page 107

A group of deputies are drafting a bill that seeks to amend the Dominican Constitution to allow six-year terms for deputies, who currently serve four-year terms. The bill also looks to allow unlimited re-election, nullifying the “never again” clause inserted in the 2004 constitutional amendment. Hoy writes that Deputy Radhames Castro is leading the group …

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Geologist Osiris de Leon says that bridges in the DR collapse because of shoddy construction work by the Ministry of Public Works. He said the collapses could not be attributed to the intensity of the rains. De Leon explains that often when a bridge is being built cheaply, gravel-based materials are used, which almost guarantees …

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Jeffrey Puryear, vice president for Social Policy at the Inter-American Dialogue and Co-Director of the Partnership for Educational Revitalization in the Americas (PREAL) has words of warning about the major deficiencies in Dominican public education. He comments on how the Dominican Republic and Cuba compared in the UNESCO-led Second Regional Comparative and Explanatory Study (SERCE) …

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Latin American Airport Holdings, a subsidiary of global private equity company Advent International, announced the purchase of the Aerodom airport operations company from the Hazoury Group, Vancouver Airport Services and other local investors on 9 September. The value of the transaction was not disclosed. This is Advent’s first venture in the DR. The acquisition, funded …

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Venezuelan Ambassador in the DR Francisco Belisario Landis is denying that the Venezuelan government has formally handed over 100 houses to the Dominican government as was announced by Monsenor Nouel provincial governor Nestor Francisco Melenciano. According to an official protest by the Venezuelan government to the Ministry of Foreign Relations, 100 homes that were built …

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Peravia Senator Wilton Guerrero says there is a RD$10 million bounty on his head for his recent whistle-blowing on drug trafficking in the DR. Guerrero has not identified who has put up the bounty, but says he will do so when he meets personally with President Leonel Fernandez. Guerrero says he is not scared, and …

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According to Central Bank lawyer Carlos Salcedo, convicted financier Luis Alvarez Renta’s latest “medical emergency” is just part of a plan to get him out the country instead of serving his 10-year prison sentence. Alvarez was sentenced to jail for his involvement in the Baninter scandal. Salcedo believes the next step after the hospitalization in …

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Dominican slugger David Ortiz is hurting again. Ortiz, who hit his first home run in 70 at-bats, says the tendon on his left wrist is bothering him. Ortiz missed two months this season due to the injury. Ortiz explained the pains have returned and he is more concerned about a clicking noise his wrist makes. …

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The Dominican Summer League has taken a hit this year after 45 players, 39 of whom are Dominican, were suspended for using steroids and performance-enhancing drugs. The biggest concern for baseball officials is that in many cases the athletes were using drugs that are meant for veterinary use. The substances include Caballin and Boldenona, which …

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Olympic silver medalist Gabriel Mercedes has rarely spoken out about it, but many in his corner feel that the young athlete was cheated out of a gold medal during the taekwondo finals in Beijing. The controversy began after Mercedes tied his Mexican opponent Guillermo Perez during their match, but since Perez had scored first he …

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