2020 – Page 95

The Center for Emergency Operations (COE) on Tropical Storm Laura reports that most damages were from the torrential rains that hit the country late on Saturday evening through the dawn of Sunday. The torrential rains caused overflooding of rivers and streams nationwide, the downing of trees and light poles. Damages were most in Greater Santo …

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Santo Domingo – Energy and Mines Minister, Antonio Almonte, swore in Rafael Aníbal Velazco Espaillat as the country’s new superintendent of electricity. Velazco Espaillat was appointed by Decree number 370-20. Almonte highlighted the Superintendency of Electricity is the government entity in charge of regulating the electricity system. Velazco Espaillat replaces César Prieto. Read more in …

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Public Administration Minister Darío Castillo Lugo reported that the Ministry of Public Administration (MAP) is identifying those who are paid without working in government institutions and those who were unduly compensated before the change of government and that these have to return the money they received to the state. He said that he has received …

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President Luis Abinader removed 14 adjunct prosecutors. In Decree 382-20, the President revoked the appointments of seven deputy attorneys general, five assistant attorneys general, one contentious tax attorney and the attorney general in charge of environmental issues. This is half of the adjunct prosecutors. The list includes Bolívar Sánchez, the number two at the Attorney …

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President Abinader delivered 50 new motorcycles and 28 pick-up trucks to the National Police as part of his campaign promise to improve public safety. The bikes will also be used by patrols enforcing the curfew laws (7 pm on weekdays and 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday). Receiving the new equipment, the new director of …

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President Luis Abinader authorized food delivery services to operate until 11 pm. Decree 380-20 explains the measure is to help restaurants stay in business. “Employees or contractors of restaurants that provide home delivery of cooked food, are allowed to circulate until 11 pm, exclusively for the exercise of their work duties,” reads the new government …

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Covid-19 has greatly disrupted the Dominican Republic and specialists from the United Nations have measured the virus’s socioeconomic consequences; they are not encouraging. To prepare the Socioeconomic Impact Assessment (SEIA), the UN worked with local non-profits, community organizations and the government’s SIBEN that manages welfare programs here. Among the findings, the agency says 75% of …

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The newly appointed administrator of the Dominican Republic’s Banco de Reservas (Banreservas), Samuel Pereyra has released statements questioning the RD$100 million “gift” bestowed on out-going administrator Simon Lizardo for his “good work.” The board of directors of Banreservas, in one of its last meeting under the Medina administration, approved an award of 3% of earnings …

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Just a few days ago, sport fishermen off the coast of Haina, just to the west of Santo Domingo, spotted a pod of killer whales, a truly rare sight for tropical waters. While the sighting was indeed rare, it was not at all unique. Environmental journalist Marvin del Cid reports for the Diario Libre on …

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A video circulated on social media showing a man who picks up two cups of coffee from a vending machine at a food store of a gasoline station, seemingly is about to leave without paying, and then has a discussion with the store employee. He ends the conversation by tossing the two cups of hot …

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