DR News
Diocese of Puerto Plata bishop Julio Cesar Corniel gathered representatives of the Beach Vendors Association of Sosua, the Ministry of Tourism, and local authorities from Sosua to reach a solution to put an end to the current demonstrations and unrest in the area. At one point, beach vendors occupied the Cathedral of San Felipe in Puerto Plata.
It seems that previous agreements to construct three commercial venues, with the main one being situated in the middle of Sosua Beach, have not been followed. As a result, a commercial plaza is currently being built next to the beach in the Charamicos section, which would take sales from the beach. After the talks and intermediation of the prelate, it was agreed that the construction would be halted and that a commission would go to Santo Domingo to secure a more formal accord with regard to the commercial plazas to be put up on the beach area.
Source: DR1, Listin Diario
Sep 5, 2023
Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez in a long interview with Pablo McKinney on Channel 9 spoke of his backing of the biometric identification of all persons living in the Dominican Republic, including thousands of undocumented Haitians, as reported in Listin Diario.
Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez considered that to apply the 80% Dominicans and 20% foreigners clause in the Labor Code for the hiring of workers, it is necessary to “close the border, really and effectively” and regularize a part of the illegal Haitians who are working in agro-industrial companies and in construction.
He estimated that both measures are possible, “absolutely possible, although some people believe that it is not possible, for this it is necessary not only to have strong penalties but also to have a biometric registry of everyone who is in the territory and this is being done”.
“It is possible to close the border, yes; other countries have done it, like Israel. The question is to get serious,” said Alvarez during the interview with Pablo McKinney for the program “McKinney”, on Color Visión, Channel 9.
Alvarez said that the Regularization Plan initiated in 2014 “eventually failed” as 288,000 were registered and finally, “I think 26,000 have certain documents.”
He stated that it is necessary to resolve the issue of foreigners by sectors, determining those who are necessary and then regularizing those who have been here for many years.
He acknowledged that in the middle of an electoral campaign, “it is not the moment to be talking about this issue or carrying out any kind of policy in this sense”.
Source: DR1, Listin Diario
Sep 5, 2023
Works Minister Deligne Ascencion revealed that the Abinader administration is dedicating RD$15 billion to rebuild and expand the highways linking the southwestern area known as the Deep South.
This major effort is part of the plan to put the region on the international tourism map, especially the area of Pedernales and the Bahia de las Aguilas. As the minister toured the area between Enriquillo and Pedernales, accompanied by reporters and the head of the Public–Private Alliance, Sigmund Freund, he noted that much of the road network will be completed by the end of 2023, when the first of the cruise liners docked at Cabo Rojo are scheduled to arrive.
The government officials also toured the sites of several hotels that were under construction. All this is part of the administration’s stated goal of revitalizing the border area.
Source: DR1, Listin Diario
Aug 2, 2023
The National Energy Commission (CNE) approved the German-owned Agro-energy and Innovative Complex for Photovoltaic Energy Generation and Agricultural Production Sunfarming Food & Energy 50 Mw to operate in Peravia province. The CNE release does not specify the farm produce of the new venture.
Edward Veras, executive director of the CNE, signed for the Dominican government, and Andreas Lorenz for Sunfarming Dom. Rep. Invest, SRL, the concessionaire company in charge of developing the agro-energy complex.
The venture is located in Cerro Gordo area, Monte Andrés section, Baní municipality, Peravia province. It will have the capacity to feed 50 megawatts (MW) of clean energy to the national electrical grid.
The concession is granted for 25 years from the date of the signing.
Source: Dr1, Sun Farming
Aug 2, 2023
The 164-kilometer fence the Ministry of Defense reports it is building along the Dominican-Haitian border is destined to change the situation of border security according to the Dominican military. Border physical barriers are being built in sections of the five border provinces – Pedernales, Independencia, Elías Piña, Dajabón, and Montecristi.
The military authorities say that 883 military, 28 pick-ups, 20 buggies, and 48 motorcycles are allocated for the patrol of the fence. These will be reinforced in August by 500 additional military, and another contingent of 1,300 in November, announced Dominican Army deputy commander, General Angel Camacho Ubiera, deputy commander of the Dominican Army, in a report in Diario Libre.
Camacho Ubiera spoke during the wrap-up of a recent symposium on “Security and frontier defense.” The authorities analyzed the major challenges to national security in the current geo-political scenario. Issues such as drug and human trafficking, and illegal arms trafficking were among those discussed.
The fence stretches in sections from the Atlantic coast of the island to the Caribbean coast. Camacho Ubiera called the construction historic. Previously, there were no physical borders, except on the main road checkpoints.
General Camacho Ubiera says with the fence in place, criminal groups will have a more difficult time carrying out their operations.
He said the Army is remodeling all of its installations along the border with Haiti and the government is making available funds for equipping the troops.
The announcements come at a time with muckraking online news portal Somos Pueblo has alerted of irregularities in the contracting of border technology for the fence with Canadian-Haitians.
Source: DR1, DiarioLibre
Aug 2, 2023
The Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Democratic Senator Bob Menéndez has convened for a Thursday, 3 August 2023 meeting to focus on the crisis in Haiti.
During the hearing, US Assistant Secretary of State, Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols, is scheduled to testify before the special meeting of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee to discuss the ongoing socio-economic and political situation in Haiti.
Marcela Escobari, the assistant administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean with the United States Agency for International Development is also scheduled to testify during the meeting. She is expected to address possible next steps for a collective response.
In a new development, Kenya in Africa has come forth to volunteer to send a contingent of 1,000 troops to reinforce the Police in Haiti. Kenya is a country that at home is confronting serious social unrest.
The official US Senate website confirmed Thursday’s meeting, indicating it will focus specifically on reviewing the situation in the Western Hemisphere, with an emphasis on the crisis in Haiti and steps the international community can implement to bring support and stability to the region.
Source: DR1, Haiti Libre
Aug 2, 2023
The Presidency of the Dominican Republic has ordered a 10-year ban on the capture of turtles. Tourists can contribute by not purchasing arts and crafts with turtle shells. The presidential order is in Decree 285-23.
Source: DR1, Presidency
Aug 2, 2023
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Air Canada Cargo began weekly cargo service to Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) flying a Boeing 767 freighter.
Frank Elías Rainieri, president & CEO of Grupo Puntacana; Giovanni Rainieri, director of Airside Operations at Punta Cana International Airport hosted the team of Air Canada executives that welcomed the inaugural flight. These were:
Sergio Moreno, manager of Cargo Operations for Air Canada Cargo; Rene Rojas, general manager of Cargo and Services for Latin America for Air Canada Cargo; Yuderka Torres de Castillo, general manager of Cargo and Services for Latin America for Air Canada Cargo.
The service will operate once a week.
Punta Cana International Airport is a leading regional airport and the large number of flights transporting tourists are fitted for cargo operations to dozens of destinations worldwide. The Air Canada Cargo service is a step forward in turning the airport into a leading cargo hub for the Americas.
Source: DR1, Diario Libre
May 31, 2023
Santiago Rodriguez senator and transport czar Antonio Marte again calls for the Abinader administration to put a stop to the apparent business of selling visas to Haitians.
“We are not on the right track. That is a big business that visa and everybody qualifies. If everyone qualifies for the visa, we are really going to fill this country with Haitian immigrants,” Marte said speaking during Wednesday’s session of the Dominican Senate.
For Marte, it is necessary to stop the issuance of uncontrolled visas to citizens of the neighboring country and to create a commission in charge of purging those who request such service.
“It worries me. I have said on several occasions that the visa to Haitians should be paralyzed, that they should come here, apply for these visas, and that there should be a commission in charge of purging those who apply for them,” he said, as reported in Listin Diario.
Marte warned that at the pace immigration is going, in the future, Haitians will govern the country. He said that Haitian children already are 12% of the students in the public schools in the country.
“In a few years, this country will be governed by those Haitians, by that 12%”.
He also stressed that while the children of Dominicans have difficulties entering schools to study, we have that the children of Haitian migrants in this country already occupy 12% of places in public schools.
Finally, the congressman called on the authorities to address the situation.
Source: DR1, Listin Diario
May 31, 2023
