Archive for April, 2018
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – A Dominican court sentenced a businessman to 20 years in prison Tuesday for being the mastermind of the 2011 kidnapping and murder of a journalist who had promised to reveal information about the man’s alleged links to drug trafficking.
The killing of Jose Silvestre, who edited a magazine and had a program on a local television station in La Romana province, was the first case of a journalist in the Dominican Republic being murdered directly for his statements against members of organized crime.
Matias Avelino Castro, 47, was found guilty of being the mastermind behind Silvestre’s murder. Six other people have been arrested and prosecuted in the case. Three of them were sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Castro was a fugitive until his 2016 capture in Colombia. He was extradited to the Dominican Republic last year.
His lawyers did not immediately say if they would appeal the ruling. During the trial in San Pedro de Macoris, 47 miles (75 kilometers) east of Santo Domingo, the defense argued the prosecution had not presented sufficient evidence of Castro’s involvement in the killing.
Silvestre was kidnapped and murdered after his television program announced that the next edition of The Voice of Truth magazine would carry the journalist’s report revealing details of a recent homicide involving a businessman presumably linked to drug traffickers.
At the time, police estimated Castro had assets worth about $130 million.
Source: http://www.foxnews.com
April 17, 2018
Founder Rolf R. Schulz of the Mundo King museum has unfortunately deceased on January 9 this year. Fortunately, his sons and daughter decided to preserve this remarkable project for Sosúa.
The remarkable building is a museum for Haitian and Dominican art. The building looks like a combination of a fairy tale castle and a spacecraft. However, some say it looks like a mosque. The entire building, all the dozens of halls and rooms and cellars are full of sculptures of often large size and colorful paintings. Visiting this particular museum is well worth the effort. You will be amazed about all these remarkable sculptures and paintings.
The museum is open daily from 8 AM to 6 PM. The administrator Leonel (of Haitian descent), is happy to give a tour.
Entrance is 300 pesos per person.
Source: Sosua News
April 17, 2018
At present, the former restaurant La Roca at the beginning of Calle Pedro Clisante has been turned into an art project. The artist Leo Díaz, (active in Sosúa) thanks to sponsorship by Andrés G. Pastoriza, President of ADSS (Asociacion para el Desarrollo Sostenible Sosúa), was able to purchase materials such as cans of paint. With the help of volunteers, residents and Dominicans, the desolate building was transformed into an art project. A raging fire in the beginning of November 2014 destroyed the ‘La Roca’ restaurant. The restaurant in fact, had been closed for over a year at that time. The decayed property has a rich history because at the end of the 19th century ‘United Fruit Company’ bought large pieces of land for banana cultivation and sugar cane in and around Sosúa and Cabarete. On the beach a pier was built where the agricultural products were loaded onto steamships. At the beach of El Batey at the parking lot, the remains of the pier are still visible.
The administration was located in ‘La Casa Grande’ (La Roca) in El Batey, Sosúa. Beginning 1900, the Company retired from Sosúa. In 1940, the Jewish community was given access to the building and established a supermarket or colmado in it. Later it became known as bar / restaurant ‘La Roca’. Now, thanks to Leo Díaz and with the support of Andrés G. Pastoriza, it is transformed into a colorful art project.
Source: Sosua News
April 17, 2018
Ombudswoman Zoila Martinez proposes that funds be donated for the construction of three hospitals in Haiti to serve the large numbers of women who come to give birth in the Dominican public hospitals.
In a paid advertisement, Martinez says that it would be preferable if all Dominicans who can, national and transnational companies located in the country and international cooperation entities create a fund so that an agreement can be reached between the Dominican Republic and Haiti for the construction in Haiti of the hospitals to serve the Haitian population. She says two maternity-pediatrics hospitals are needed and one general hospital. She said the Dominican Republic would assist in the initial staffing doctors of the medical centers. “With that contribution we would be reduce the risk of transmitting of contagious diseases from one country to another,” she said.
She also called for the construction of a second public hospital in Santo Domingo West. She says that the Marcelino Velez is operating at more than capacity.
Source: DR1, 7dias
April 11, 2018
The bi-national market in Pedernales continues to be closed, due to the Haitian authorities not allowing Haitians to import merchandise purchased in Dominican territory. This is the second time the market day has been cancelled, after the Pedernales City Hall had called for it to be reopened after a month shutdown.
On Monday 9 April, Dominican and Haitian vendors, who live in rural areas around Pedernales, went to the municipal market to sell their agricultural produce, clothes, shoes and other articles. However, there were only a few customers at the market.
The suspension of the market has affected the local economy as customers, both Haitians and Dominicans, stay away.
In addition, the sales of used clothing that are packed in the Export Free Zone in Pedernales has been stopped due to the closure of the border crossing that gives access to the population of
Anse-a-Pitre.
The people of Pedernales have asked the government for a contingency plan to alleviate their economic woes caused by the closure of the bi-national market.
Source: DR1, Listindiario
April 10, 2018
The National Police says that the baby girl abducted on 4 April in a park in Los Minas had been sold for RD$5,000. Spokesman for the Police Frank Duran Mejía said that eight persons have been arrested. The Police say that the abduction was carried out by a gang now suspected in the trafficking of infants. Among those arrested are 40-year old Evelin Moronta and 21-year old Jessica Castillo. When the baby was rescued, Castillo was holding the baby. The arrest took place at Km. 19 of Las Americas Expressway. The baby was taken to the General Hospital of the Police for medical care and delivery to the rightful mother.
The Police accuses Reina Polanco, a cousin of the mother, Joanna Ramirez Montero, of serving as accomplice in the abduction for which she was paid RD$5,000. Reina Polanco is pregnant.
Others identified as participants in the ring are José Alberto y Rafael Gerónimo García Valdez, Eduviges Beltrán Mañón, Grileisi Princesa and Railin Beltrán Moronta, who were arrested in Los Tres Brazos, and Manuel Emilio D’ Oleo Montero in La Ureña.
The mother of the seven-day old baby, 16-year old Joanna Ramírez Montero, denounced the kidnapping last week to the Police. She said she had agreed to meet with Moronta in the Los Mina Park in Las Palmas, Santo Domingo Este because the woman had promised to bring her gifts of diapers and milk.
While originally it had been reported that Ramirez was knocked out with a drug to steal the baby, the teenager, as reported in El Dia, clarified that she went with her cousin to the park and then one of the women told her to accompany her to pick up the diapers and milk, and leave the baby with her cousin and the second woman. When the mother returned, her cousin told her that the unknown lady had left with the baby after giving her RD$100 to buy a chicken lunch and then spraying an unknown powder to take the baby.
The father of the baby, Jerry Joel Tavares said he always suspected that Reina Polanco could have been involved because of the many telephone calls she was receiving and avoiding that her conversations be overheard.
Surveillance video of a business located adjacent to the Los Mina park captured the moment of the delivery of the child to the gang members and the payment was made. The case is now being used to resolve other similar cases. The authorities also tracked the calls made by cell phone by Moronta Inoa to contact the cousin of the young mother.
El Dia reports that the scheme may have worked best with poor Haitian mothers that give birth in public hospitals.
Source: DR1, Eldia
April 10, 2018
A Spanish citizen, David Toribio Vives, is suspect of having murdered his girlfriend, 19-year old Margot Lagares (Nico) who had been reported missing since Easter Tuesday, 27 March 2018. Reportedly Toribio was the father of her four-month old baby.
Ten days later, Police Criminal Investigation Unit (Dicrim) agents found the corpse in the cistern of the residence of Toribio in Perla Marina, a residential area between Sosúa and Cabarete, Puerto Plata. Assisting in the investigation were agents of the Air Force and Puerto Plata prosecutors.
Toribio had been arrested for questioning after the woman went missing, but was released by a Puerto Plata prosecutor hours later.
After the finding of the corpse, he is again sought by the Police. The corpse shows signs of violence, according to preliminary reports.
The mother of the deceased woman said that on Tuesday, she had accompanied her daughter to the entrance of the Perla Marina residential at 2am. The diseased left a 4 month old child.
April 10, 2018
UPDATE: Police hunt for Spaniard in 19-year old murder case
According to the police, a 50-year old Spanish immigrant, the main suspect in the murder of his 19 year old Dominican partner in Cabarete, Sosua, arrived in tears at the police station to report her disappearance and joined with the Police and her family members in searching for her.
David Toribio Vives apparently made a very dramatic plea for help, and was crying uncontrollably asking for help to locate Alida Margó Lagares Nelson.
The body of the young woman was later found in the cistern in his residence in Perla Marina in Cabarete. According to the medical examiner it showed signs of violence on her neck and face.
Having made his dramatic plea for help, the Spaniard then disappeared and is currently being sought by police in the province of Puerto Plata and as far afield as Santiago.
Source: DR1, Listindiario
Direct deposits may be the only way to go, even when paying for farm operations. A recent assault of a farmer, who is a former director of the Customs Agency in Puerto Plata, who had taken out the cash to pay his workers, makes this more apparent.
The robbery occurred in Altamira, where the thieves killed the man and his son-in-law who accompanied him. The deceased are 78-year old Pablo de Jesús Bisonó Cabrera and his son-in-law 35-year old Eliseo Darío Martínez Aquino who when passing through La Sierra were intercepted by several armed individuals who later fled.
Bisonó was director of Customs during the President Antonio Guzman government (1978-82) and had been professor at the PUCMM university in Santiago. He resided in Santiago.
The bodies were taken to Inacif in Santiago for the autopsy and the Police is investigating the double crime.
Source: DR1, Listindiario
April 10, 2018
With 54 years in service and 1,292 employees, the Asociación Dominicana de Rehabilitación (ADR) that began offering therapy for polio today mostly serves victims of traffic accidents and gang fights. The Dominican Rehabilitation Center (ADR) in 2017 cared for 1.2 million patients. Of these 200,000 had suffered injuries in traffic accidents, said first vice president of the ADR, Celso Marranzini in a visit he made to Diario Libre accompanied by his mother, ADR founder and president Mary Perez de Marranzini. Also present during the visit was executive vice president Arturo Perez Gaviño.
Marranzini during the visit to Diario Libre lobbied for an increase in the allotment received from the government. The ADR has 33 branches located nationwide and a prosthesis workshop serving all branches. Physiatry and rehabilitation services, education for children with special needs are offered at the branches.
“To some extent I think the government has measured the impact of the support of the organization. They know that without the ADR they would have a huge problem,” he said. Nevertheless, he revealed that the ADR receives the same RD$67 million allotment since 2007. Today the annual budget of the country’s largest rehabilitation center is around RD$1 billion. The ADR makes ends meet with fund-raising activities and donations.
Source: DR1, DiarioLibre
April 10, 2018
In the first two months of 2018, the GDP grew 6.7%, while accumulated inflation was 0.55%, says Hector Valdez Albizu, governor of the Central Bank. This is the result of 7% growth in January and 6.3% growth in February 2018. “These figures show a significant start to the year with great expectations for the first quarter,” he said.
Valdez Albizu said the peso depreciated 2.1%, which is on target given it is the time of the year when companies stock their inventories, pay dividends and make due on letters of credit opened for imports carried out in November and December.
During a speech on occasion of the 38th anniversary of the opening of the Santiago office of the Central Bank he also announced a new financial research division was in the making.
He highlighted the importance of the northern region, the Cibao that has 14 provinces. The northern region has 54% of jobs in farming, 58% of those in mining and 44% of the jobs in export duty free zones. 37.3% of the bank branches in the country (532 branches) are located in the northern region.
Source: DR1, bancentral.gov.do
April 10, 2018
