Global Voices » Rocio Diaz

Dominican Republic: Opposition to Barrick Gold Mining Operations

Rocio Diaz — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 04:16:57 +0000

In 2009, the Dominican people stood up to fight against a cement factory that would be installed in the Los Haitises National Park. In 2010, it appears that another cause is mobilizing thousands of young people and adults - the presence of the mining consortium Barrick Gold in Cotuí, the head municipality in the province of Sánchez Ramírez, which is home to one of the largest gold mines in the world: Pueblo Viejo (Old Town), with estimated reserves of 24 million troy ounces of gold. Activists are concerned about the terms of the agreement with the Dominican State, as well as environmental impacts on the region.

Photo used with permission by NO A LA BARRICK, BATEALA DEL PAIS

The contemporary history of the Pueblo Viejo gold mine, which produces gold oxide at the top and gold sulfide at the bottom, begins in 1975 with Rosario Resources Corporation, a company that later passed into the hands of the Dominican State under the name Rosario Dominicana, and whose operations ceased permanently in 1999 because of economic and environmental factors. In 2002, the mine found a new leaseholder, the Canadian company Placer Dome, which signed a 33-year contract before being bought by another Canadian company, Barrick Gold, in 2006. Barrick Gold has been in the sights of the Dominicans some of the details about the signed contract were made public, a contract which was approved at the end of 2009 in Congress by the vast majority of legislators.

Marihal, of the blog Desde la República Dominicana [es], emphasizes the following details about the renegotiated contract:

La Barrick Gold es la empresa minera más grande del mundo, en materia de oro, y adquirió a la Placer Dome en el año 2006, esta última compañía tenía un contrato que firmó en el 2002 con el Gobierno dominicano donde se había establecido que el Estado dominicano iba a recibir un 25% de las utilidades, sin incluir los impuestos y otros beneficios que alcanzaban el 3.2%. Sorpresivamente, la Barrick Gold consigue unos cabilderos (…) que logran que el 25% que recibiría el Estado dominicano con la Placer Dome subiera a 28% con la Barrick Gold, pero siempre y cuando se recupere toda la inversión y que la tasa de retorno sea superior al 10 por ciento.

The Barrick Gold mining company is the world's largest, in terms of gold, and acquired Placer Dome in 2006; the latter company had signed a contract in 2002 with the Dominican government which established that the Dominican State would receive 25% of the profits, without including taxes and other benefits that amount to 3.2% Surprisingly, Barrick Gold obtained some lobbyists (…) which were able to achieve that the 25% that the Dominican State would receive with Placer Dome would rise to 28% with Barrick Gold, but only when the entire investment has been recovered and the return rate exceeds 10%.

The renegotiation of the contract with the Dominican State when Barrick Gold acquired Placer Dome followed the movement of gold prices in the stock market, which has risen substantially since 2002 in response to successive food and financial crises - both of a global reach- until it reached a price of more than US$1000 an ounce, where it currently stands. The original contract signed with Placer Dome held the State's profits to the price of gold, which meant that the higher the price on the market, the greater the profits for the Stage. Geologist and blogger Osiris de León explains it this way [es]:

(…) como el precio del oro ha ido en ascenso rápido y ha superado los 1,000 dólares por onza, ello implicaría una participación del Estado en las Utilidades Netas (PUN) de US$194 millones por año, fruto de que la Barrick piensa producir en Pueblo Viejo un millón de onzas de oro anualmente, y al multiplicar 1,000,000 de onzas de oro por US$775, que es el diferencial entre el precio del oro en este momento (US$1,050/onza) y el costo de producción (US$275/onza), y luego multiplicarlo por el 25%, obtenemos unos 194 millones de dólares anuales para el Estado. Y la Barrick se niega a entregar tanto dinero.

Por tal razón la Barrick Gold ha obligado al Estado Dominicano a una renegociación del contrato original, a fin de que esa participación estatal del 25% de las utilidades netas sea llevada a cero, óigase bien, a cero, mientras ellos no hayan obtenido una tasa interna de retorno (TIR) de un 10% y hasta haber recuperado los US$2,585 millones invertidos para desarrollar el proyecto, y a partir de ahí pagar un 28.75% como PUN, con lo cual la Barrick le quita 194 millones de dólares anuales al pueblo dominicano, durante al menos los primeros 6 años de operación, lo que implicaría que durante esos 6 años el pobre pueblo dominicano dejaría de percibir unos 1,164 millones de dólares, a los precios de hoy.

(…) As the price of gold has been growing rapidly and has exceeded US$1,000 per ounce, that would mean State participation in net income (PUN) of US$194 million per year, resulting in that Barrick thinks Pueblo Viejo will produce one million ounces of gold annually, and multiplying 1,000,000 ounces of gold by US$ 775, which is the differential between the price of gold at the moment (US$1,050/ounce) and the production cost (US$ 275/oz) and then multiplied by 25%, we get about 194 million dollars annually for the State. And Barrick refuses to deliver that amount of money.

For this reason, Barrick Gold has forced the Dominican State to renegotiate the original contract, so that the state share of 25% of net profits will be brought to zero, pay attention, to zero, while they have not obtained a rate of return of 10% and until they had recovered the US$2,585 billion invested to develop the project, and thereafter pay a 28.75% as PUN, which means Barrick takes away the US$194 million annually from the Dominican people during at least the first 6 years of operation, implying that during those 6 years the Dominican people would stop earning of US$1,164 million at today's prices.

While some people believe that the contract leaves the Dominican Republic at a clear disadvantage, this is not the only reason for protest. There is concern about the effects that the operations of Barrick Gold will have on the environment, due to the bad reputation the consortium has on a global scale, which has not escaped the attention of Dominicans. Indeed, there have been public protests [es] and various groups have utilized groups on Facebook [es]. There is also a blog called Domincana Contaminada [es] (Contaminated Dominicana) dedicated to detailing cases in which Barrick Gold has been involved with environmental damages, such as Pascua Lama [es] in Chile and the pollution of Lake Cowal in Australia. The blog also provides details of the contract approved by Dominican lawmakers, forced evictions for area residents, and the work currently being performed by Barrick Gold in the readjustment of the mine, which has made headlines in recent days for the intoxication of over 300 workers for reasons still unexplained. While the company talks about food poisoning [es], others insist that the poisoning was due a a boiler explosion [es].

Barrick Gold has felt a lot of pressure in the Dominican Republic that it has seen the urgent need for a public relations program, which includes the publication of statements in paid advertisement spaces in national newspapers and on national television. Their representatives leave no doubt the benefits that their presence is having in Cotuí.

Despite the public relations efforts, people are continuing to protest. For Holy Week, there is a planned 4-day pilgrimage walk that will depart from Km. 9 of the Duarte Highway towards the mining installation in Cotuí. March organizers expect more than 10,000 people to walk the 105 kilometers to protest against Barrick Gold and to protect the environment in Cotuí, which has been damaged by the operations of Rosario Dominicana, as explained by Alexander Medina, who has 30 years of experience in the mining sector [es].

Una vez procesados los óxidos de oro, los sulfuros quedaron expuestos y la mina fue abandonada a su suerte, permitiendo que esta drenara hasta la Presa de Hatillo aguas ácidas del río Margajita, producidas por la mezcla del agua de lluvia y el mineral de los sulfuros de oro que quedó al descubierto. Otro impacto ambiental negativo legado por Rosario es la acumulación de metales pesados como el hierro, cobre y mercurio en el sitio de la vieja planta y en los lodos del lecho de los ríos Mejita y Margajita.

Once the gold oxide was processed, the sulfides were exposed and the mine was abandoned to its fate, allowing acidic waters from the Margajita River to drain away to the Hatillo Dam. The acidic water is the result of a mixture of rainwater and the minerals from the gold sulfides that have remained exposed. Another legacy of negative environmental impact from Rosario is the accumulation of heavy metals like iron, copper, and mercury at the site of the old plant and the sludge from Mejita and Margajita Rivers.

Paola Mejía Sandoval, of the group NO A LA BARRICK GOLD, BATEALA Y SACALA DEL PAIS [es] (No to Barrick Gold, bat them and kick them out of the country) summarizes the feelings from some Dominicans towards Barrick Gold:

Si no peleamos ahora por defender lo que es nuestro quizas manana dej de pertenecernos entonces, por que lucharemos??? nosotros debemos plantarnos en favor de nuestros ideales. NO A LA BARRICK GOLD EN REPUBLICA DOMINICANA.

If we do not fight to defend what is ours, maybe tomorrow it may stop belonging to us. Why do we fight?? We should stand up for our ideals. No to Barrick Gold in the Dominican Republic.

Translation by Eduardo Ávila

Dominican Republic: Colorful Characters of Carnival

Rocio Diaz — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:24:48 +0000

February is a very special month in the Dominican Republic. Not only does the country celebrate its National Independence Day on February 27, but there are also Carnival festivities and the beginning of Lent which often falls during this time. They are two very different events that seem to clash with the Catholic Church's vision. In fact, for years it has insisted on separating these celebrations. This convergence of events can demonstrate the two sides of a people that are profoundly religious, but at the same time, also like to party. Blogger Rossy Díaz writes how the topic seems to come up at the same time each year [es]:

Es ya conocida la campaña puntual de la comisión asesora permanente para la separación del carnaval de las fechas patrias y la cuaresma, en relación a la conveniencia de movilizar las celebraciones del carnaval(…) Nuestro carnaval, históricamente, se ha crecido con las muestras de patriotismo, con cada expresión viva de nuestra sociedad, con la fe, y seguirá creciendo en esencia, ante las penas y las alegrías de este Caribe que nos une.

This permanent campaign from the standing Advisory Commission for the Separation of National Anniversaries from Carnival and Lent, especially in relation to the desire to change the date of Carnival celebrations, is already well known (…) Our Carnival, historically, has grown with demonstrations of patriotism, with every living expression of our society and faith, and it will continue to grow in essence, along with the joys and sorrows of the Caribbean that unites us.

Jonathan, a reader of the blog En Segundos [es], agrees that the dates should be separate:

Claro que es una locura… CARNAVAL significa Festival de la CARNE, y cuaresma es abstinecia de todo lo que supone “Carne”, sobre todo en el sentido espiritual, pero claro…. ESTA ES LA ISLA ALREVES!!!!!!

Of course it is crazy… CARNIVAL means the festival of the FLESH, and Lent is abstienance from everything that is “carnal,” above all in a spiritual sense, but of course… (the Dominican Republic) is the island of opposites!!!

The Dominican carnival is a centuries-old tradition that goes back to colonial times, with records going back to the year 1520. With a mixture of European and African heritages, the result is a diversity of characters that include the Cojuelo Devils of La Vega, Papeluses of Cotuí, the Santiago piglets, the Macaraos of Salcedo, Guloyas of San Pedro de Macorís, Robalagallina, Califé, and other popular cultural expressions.

Cojuelos Devils. Photo by kptyson and used under a Creative Commons license.

Carnival groups, parades, and tours to the interior of the country all make up part of the Carnival festivities. On a provincial level, the Carnival of La Vega is probably the most well-known on a global level with the draw of the “vejigazos” (beatings) of the Cojuelo Devils. The tradition is that the costumed devils carry small bags made of animal hide and give “vejigazos” (beatings) to passers-by. The accompanying pain is described by blogger Yaniris López [es] who writes about the essence of Carnival in La Vega:

Un sonido seco seguido de un dolor intenso que hace que te hierva la sangre se escucha cerquita. La rabia se apodera de ti. Un segundo golpe te deja sin fuerzas, seguido de una palabrota amortiguada por el dolor, un dolor tan fuerte que te priva, es decir, no te deja siquiera reaccionar, correr, pedir auxilio…

Y a medida que la sangre y los músculos asimilan el golpe llega la risa, una risa rencorosa que te recuerda que nadie te obligó a lanzarte a las calles y exponerte a los vejigazos de los diablos del carnaval de La Vega…

A nearby dull thud is followed by an intense pain that makes one's blood boil. Anger seizes you. A second blow leaves you weak, followed by a muffled curse because of the pain, a pain so strong that it deprives you, in other words, it does not allow you to react, run, ask for help…

As one's blood and muscles absorb the pain, comes laughter, a spiteful laughter that reminds you that no one forced you to head for the streets and expose yourself to the “beatings” of the Carnival devils of La Vega.

Carnival celebrations culminate with a large parade that takes place in early March along the Malecón in Santo Domingo with the participation of almost all of its characters. The parade takes place usually to the beat of “Baila la Calle” (Street Dance), a song immortalized by the composer Luis Días, who died in late 2009 and to whom this year's Carnival is dedicated.

In contrast to the festive atmosphere of Carnival, once the celebrations end comes the typical recovery days of Lent, which culminates in the celebration of Easter. While the traditions of attending Church, reflection, not eating meat, processions, the burning of Judas, and other related events, Easter in recent years has become an excuse to take a mini-vacation. At that time, Dominican beach resorts become crowded by those looking to escape the routine. Even though the Church has complained, hoteliers do not complain.

Translated by Eduardo Ávila

Dominican Republic: Leones Win Caribbean Baseball Series

Rocio Diaz — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:08:18 +0000

After a untypical winter baseball season in the Dominican Republic, where two of the traditional top teams, the Aguilas Cibaeñas (Cibao Eagles) and the Tigres de Licey (Licey Tigers) failed to reach the finals, and in their place, the Leones del Escogido (Lions of the Chosen One), a baseball team that last won a title in 1992, won the local tournament and earned a place in the Caribbean Series. The Santo Domingo-based Leones introduced big changes administratively and structurally for the 2009-2010 season and it paid off. José Francisco Arias of the blog Cristal y Colores [es] summarizes this success:

¡Por fin los Leones del Escogido logran ganar el campeonato de Béisbol Profesional de RD…! Vencieron la noche de este jueves 5 carreras a 2 a los Gigantes del Cibao en el estadio Julián Javier de San Francisco de Macorís y se llevan la corona. Hacía 18 años que no lograban el cetro. La celebración comenzó anoche mismo y se extenderá por varios días. Los escogidistas ansiaban celebrar con su trofeo de campeones.

Finally the Escogido Lions were able to win the championship in the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League! Tonight they beat the Cibao Giants with a score of 5 runs to 2 at the Julián Javier Stadium in San Francisco de Macorís and took home the crown. It has been 18 years since they last won the title. The celebration started that night and will last for many days. The residents of Escogido have been waiting to celebrate their championship trophy.

Not only did Escogido win the local tournament, but they also captured first place in the 2010 Caribbean Series, which was held on Margarita Island in Venezuela from February 2-7. By defeating the Leones de Caracas (Caracas Lions) 7-4, Escogido only lost 1 game during the tournament. Felivia Mejía (@LaBari) shows her enthusiasm on Twitter:

Los Leones del Escogido regresaron para ganar en grande. Felicidades x la victoria en la Serie del Caribe. Por acá andan fanáticos felices!!

The Escogido Lions have returned to win big. Congratulations for the victory in the Caribbean Series. Around her, the fans are happy!!

With this victory by Escogido, the Dominican Republic has won 18 titles in the Caribbean Series, and it is the country that has won the most titles in the history of the event, in which Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico regularly participate, along with Panama and Cuba which have participated in the past.

Photo of neighborhood baseball diamond in the Dominican Republic by El Marto and used under a Creative Commons license.

The participation by Escogido in the Caribbean Series broke the dominance that other teams like the Tigres de Licey and the Aguilas Cibaeñas had locally and regionally. From 1992 to 2009, the Dominican Republic took home 9 Caribbean Series titles, 5 of which by the Eagles, and the other 4 by the Tigers.

With the rise of Escogido, there is more interest and competitiveness in the local winter baseball season in the Domincan Republic, where the same teams do not always come out on top, as had happened in years past. Regarding this turn of events. Mario Peguero (@mariopeguero) celebrates:

Lo mejor de todo fue q los Leones del Escogido ganaron la serie del caribe ayer!!! Comienza una nueva era!!!

The best part of it all is that the Lions of Escogido won the Caribbean series yesterday! A new era begins!!!

Translation by Eduardo Avila

Dominican Republic: Helping Neighboring Haiti After Earthquake

Rocio Diaz — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:45:40 +0000

It was 5:53 p.m. on Tuesday, January 12 on the island of Hispaniola, when all of a sudden people felt dizzy and the earth shook violently. At the moment, an earthquake struck. In the Dominican Republic, it was nothing more than a great scare. However, in neighboring Haiti, where the epicenter was located, the situation was total disaster as the earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck. To make matters worse, the earthquake was barely 6 miles (10 km) undeground making the damage that much worse. Dominican blogger Alf Micstar of Duarte 101 [es] describes that moment with these words:

Remenión, jamaquión, temblor, sismo, juidero, panico, corre corre. Ayer martes 12 de Enero cinco minutos antes de las seis, la isla volvió a recordarnos que se mueve, que no es un pedazo de tierra estático, que sus placas no son como las de los carros y que el suelo no pide permisos para sus sacudidas instantáneas.

Shakes, a quake, tremors, earthquake, panic, call it what you wish. Yesterday, on Tuesday, January 12, at 5 minutes to 6 pm, the island once again reminded us that it moves, that it is not a piece of static earth, that its plates are not like those of cars and that the ground does not ask for permission for instantaneous shakes.

Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince located 10 miles east of the earthquake's epicenter, was left devastated and incommunicado. Buildings had collapsed, and left countless thousands injured or dead, as there are no official numbers. Without electricity, water, or communication, several hours passed before the entire world could witness the damage caused by the earthquake. Many of these photographs and testimonies were distributed via social networks such as Twitter and Facebook. The scene was grim, and to make matters worse, the aftershocks did not let up.

In the Dominican Republic, as a result of the earthquake, a tsunami alert was placed in effect, and the Emergency Operations Commission (COE) closed the commercial plazas in the capital Santo Domingo and took precautions along the coastal zones and on the Haitian border. In the early morning hours of the next day, Dominican President Leonel Fernández called an emergency meeting to put together a aid commission for Haiti, which included aid for health, water, electricity, infrastructure, and the assistance of the military.

Joan Guerrero, of Duarte 101 [es] summarized the actions:

Desde tempranas horas de hoy, las autoridades, empresariado y militares dominicanos unen sus fuerzas para movilizar ayuda humanitaria ante el temblor de Haití.

From the early morning hours today [Wednesday, January 13] the authorities, businesses, and the Dominican military joined forces to mobilize humanitarian help for the Haiti earthquake.

Plane carrying relief supplies to Haiti. Photo by Duarte 101 and used with permission.

The Dominican team help send food and bottled water, and sent heavy machinery to help remove the rubble. The hospitals in the province of Barahona were made available, as well as the airport to receive aid that would be distributed to Haiti. Personnel from the COE attended to more than 2,000 injured and the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel) helped to restore telephony services. The Dominican Red Cross and the International Red Cross have been coordinating health relief services. The Dominican Republic has also been a landing point for foreign correspondents who have come to cover the tragedy.

In addition to the efforts of the government, many Dominicans have joined the cause with collection centers, while others have offered private plnes and other materials destine for Haiti. Duarte 101 [es] writes a short summary of the help needed and collection points across the Dominican Republic.

José Rafael Sosa concludes [es]:

El pueblo dominicano se ha volcado para ayudar a Haití. Lo que ha ocurrido en Haití no tiene precedente. Es demasiado dolor. Demasiado sufrimiento. Aquí se paran las diferencias absurdas y se impone la solidaridad pura y simple. Abierta y decidida. Es este el justo momento para ayudar a un pueblo hermano. Démosle la mano y el alma a un pueblo que no merece tanto sufrimiento.

The Dominican people have bent over backwards to help Haiti. What happened in Haiti has no precedent. There is too much pain. Too much suffering. The absurd differences stop here and solidarity is imposed, pure and simple, openly and decidedly. This is the right moment to help our brother nation. Let's give our hand and our soul to a people that do not deserve so much suffering.

Translation by Eduardo Ávila

Dominican Republic: The Passing of the Multi-Talented Luisito Martí

Rocio Diaz — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:13:35 +0000

In the Dominican Republic, the funeral to bid farewell to Luisito Martí [es], a versatile comedian who died on January 3 after suffering from stomach cancer, was attended by hundreds of people from the country's President to the simplest of citizens. The scene was described by Reynaldo Brito of the blog Imágenes Dominicanas [es]:

Su imagen perdurará, aún en su sepelio y en el trayecto a su tumba, la risa de Luisito Martí brillaba entre la multiud que fue a darle el último adiós. Con alegría, entre aplausos, con merengues, proyecciones de sus películas, fue sepultado el polifacético hombre que dio vida a decenas de personajes que recrearán por siempre la alegría con la que vivió.

His image will endure, even during his funeral and on the way to his tomb, the laughter of Luisito Martí shone through the multitude that went to say their last goodbye. With joy, applause, the dancing of merengue, screenings of his movies, it was the burial of the multi-talented man, who gave life to dozens of characters who will forever be recreated with the joy with which he lived.

Photo of spectators to pay their final respects to Martí. Photo by Nicolas Monegro and used with permission.

Born in Santo Domingo on February 1, 1945 as Luis Bernardo Marte Hernández, Martí started in show-business in the 1970s alongside the well-known merengue artist Jhonny Ventura, and became a part of Combo Show, where he played the conga drums. In 1975, he scored a hit with the song “La Muerte de Martín” (The Death of Martín), the first of his many hits, which ranged from songs to celebrated characters that perfectly reflected the Dominican idiosyncrasies.

Photo of Luisito Martí by Imagenes Dominicanas and used with permission.

In the 1980s, Martí developed characters, including the popular Balbuena, Casimiro Valdez, Lamparita, El Chino Bichán y Belarminio. Of these, Balbuena had an international reach, when he became the lead in the 1995 Dominican film, “Nueba Yol: Por Fin Llegó Balbuena!” directed by Angel Muñíz, and which chronicled the reality of the Dominican immigrant that arrives to New York in search for the famous “American dream.” Rita Tejada analyzes the film and writes [es]:

La película Nueba Yol (1995) es la representación visual del costo para lograr ese sueño. Nueba Yol fue éxito de taquilla cuando se presentó en los cines dominicanos. Tanto en la República Dominicana como en los Estados Unidos, esta película se ha convertido en material de referencia, por ser uno de los pocos largometrajes dominicanos con cierta calidad y por tratar un tema tan vigente como lo es la emigración.

The film Nueba Yol (1995) is the visual representation of the cost to achieve that dream. Nueba Yol was a box-office success when it was shown in Dominican theaters. In the Dominican Republic, as well as in the United States, this film has become a reference point, for being one of the few high-quality Dominican films that has been able to address the current issue that is emigration.

For Dominicans, Luisito Martí has left a lasting legacy, which is summarized by José Rafael Sosa:

Tu legado es la alegria.

Tu herencia el talento que brindaste.

Tu aporte: el haber desmostrado que el trabajo de hacer reir era una misión demasiado seria

Your legacy is the joy.

You leave behind the inheritance of your talent that you gave us.

Your contribution: being able to show that the job of making us laugh was a very serious mission

Translated by Eduardo Ávila

Dominican Republic: Goodbye to Composer Luis “Terror” Días

Rocio Diaz — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 01:59:10 +0000

The community of Dominican Republic said goodbye to composer and musician Luis “Terror” Días [es], who died in Santo Domingo on December 8 of a heart attack and renal problems, according to Agencia Efe [es]. To the late generations, it is possible that Días does not strike as a familiar name, especially outside the Republic, where he was born. However, the revolutionary youth of the 70s decade saw the rise of his songs: plain and simple descriptions of the customs and sentiments of the Dominican people.

Photo by Reynaldo Brito. Used with permission.

The nickname of “Terror” referenced his ability to mix agressively diverse rhythms, from rock and metal to merengue and dominican root songs, while mantaining his musical sensibility. His lyrics, of soul-rending nature, became a symbol of the fights and struggle of the 70s, reaching international impact.

The song “Obrero, toma mi mano”, that was recorded by protest music groups such as Los Guaraguao (Venezuela) and Expresión Joven (República Dominicana), was written by Días in 1974. That same year the song was presented on the festival “Siete Días Con El Pueblo [es]“, celebrated in Dominican Republic, featuring national and international artists like Mercedes Sosa, Lucecita Benítez, Danny Rivera, Silvio Rodríguez and duet Víctor Manuel and Ana Belén.

After the 70s decade, Días focused again on rhythms. In 1983 he wrote the song that would make him one of the symbols of the Dominican carnaval: “Carnaval (Baile en las Calles)”, a trascendental composition also known as one of the choruses from Shakira's hit single “Hips Don't Lie“.

An example of his music is “Las vampiras”, recorded by user Liberius in a concert of 2006:

His legacy includes composing more than 700 melodies, being an influence on artists such as Juan Luis Guerra and Fernando Villalona, as well as contributing to Dominican rock, of which he is considered a founding father.

Blogger Pedro Genaro [es] sums up the sentiment of many Dominicans:

Parafraseando la canción de Liborio del propio Luis Días (Luis Díaz Portorreal), el Terror sigue vivo, seguirá vivo porque su legado es enorme y de una calidad incuestionable. Igual que él, estoy en negación…el Terror sigue Vivo!

Paraphrasing the song “Liborio” of Luis Días (Luis Díaz Portorreal), Terror is still alive, he will keep living because of his enormous legacy of an unquestionable quality. Like him, I'm in denial… Terror is still alive!

Victor Manuel recalls the presence of the Dominican Republic [es] in “Terror” songs:

Los isabelinos tuvieron la oportunidad en una ocasión de verle en persona, pero mas lejos llego una composición suya que hablaba de una belleza única en nuestras costas “La Ensenada”, en el tema Marola interpretado por Sergio Vargas.

The people from Villa Isabela had the opportunity to see him playing live once, but farther reach had a composition he made about the unique beauty of our beaches “La Ensenada”, in the song Marola interpreted by Sergio Vargas.

User otonielcolas shares an emotive video of José Duluc (who played with Días in the rock band Transporte urbano [es]) paying his final respects to his friend with music:

Also, on the blog Duarte 101 reactions from the community on Facebook and Twitter [es] can be found.

Translated by Issa Villarreal

Dominican Republic: Factory in Los Haitises to be Relocated

Rocio Diaz — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:33:03 +0000

Since November 26th, Dominicans celebrate the relocation of the cement factory proposed to be built in the protected area of Los Haitises National Park. Against what it seemed to be high-level support for the project, the decision of the Dominican Mining Consortium (Consorcio Minero Dominicano) [es] complied with the rejection of the construction by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at Dominican Republic [es] and with the demands of public protests of the community.

Reactions were seen in blogs, Facebook and Twitter [es], like the one of user Amelia Odette [es] who cheered at the resolution:

Feliz!! LA CEMENTERA NO VA!! Informe de la ONU determina que no es viable cerca de Los Haitises!! Unidos podemos! Felicidades a todos!!! :D

Happy!! THE CEMENT FACTORY WON'T HAPPEN!! Report from the UN states that it is not viable near Los Haitises!! Together we can do it! Congratulations to all!!! :D

Los Haitises, photo used with permission of the Secretary of Environment, Dominican Republic

From both ecological and cultural points of view, choosing Los Haitises to construct a cement factory was an unfortunate move: not only is the fragile ecosystem primary source of water for the island, but the site is also home to cave paintings. Because of its features, Los Haitises is considered Cultural Heritage of Humanity and it is protected by Dominican laws.

During May and June of this year, protests, marches, concerts and even Facebook groups campaigned against the cement factory. On the last week of June the movement created by the community of Gonzalo, the town directly affected by the project, reached its peak and the construction was suspended by orders of judge Sarah Henríquez Marín, from the National District Court for Administrative Law Disputes (Tribunal Contencioso y Administrativo del Distrito Nacional).

Around the same time, the Dominican government decided to re-evaluate the project through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) [es].

Five months later, specifically on November 26th, the UNDP declared that the cement factory construction was “neither viable nor pertinent” on Los Haitises [es] because of the irreversible damages that it could cause to the environment. That same day the Dominican Mining Consortium stated in a press release that in spite of their disagreement with it [es], the organization would comply with the UNDP briefing by selecting another location to construct the cement factory.

Newspapers and television news shows stand out the importance of the protests on the positive outcome for Los Haitises, especially the ones involving young people. Odanis Valdez Polonia, member of the Facebook group “I support the fight for the preservation of Los Haitises, NO TO THE CEMENT FACTORY!!”, sums up the situation with these words:

Para que vean que la union hace la fuerza, gracias a los jovenes, los periodistas que hablaron por el pueblo y a todos los involucrados directo e indirectos para apoyar lo justo lo invaluable, que es lo que Jaime David [Fernández Mirabal, Secretario de Estado de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales] no pensó! que secretario de medio ambiente nos gastamos!

See how unity makes us strong, thanks to the young people, the journalists who spoke for the country and all who were involved directly or indirectly to support what is fair and cannot be priced, something that Jaime David [Fernández Mirabal, current secretary of Environment and Natural Resources] did not think about! what a waste of an Environment secretary!

Translated by Issa Villarreal

Dominican Republic: Energy Crisis Continues

Rocio Diaz — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:58:26 +0000

With less than three months on the job as the Vice-President for the Dominican Corporation of State Electric Companies [es] (CDEEE for its initials in Spanish), businessman Celso Marranzini has seen the need to look for help outside of the country to resolve the serious energy problem, which has recently reached critical levels.

A delegation headed by Marranzini traveled to South Korea to seek technical assistance to help solve the energy problem [es], in which half of the electrical plants have been out of service under the argument that they are under maintenance. However, this has resulted in an energy deficit reaching 600 Megawatts, in which Dominicans have been under 9-10 hours of power outages per day.

As this is an ongoing problem that seems to be worsening to the current critical levels, the population has been showing its discontent, after holding onto the hope that Marranzini could solve the problem. These power outages are causing frustration and criticism of Marranzini's leadership. Twitter users, Elvis Medina and Ana Peguero provide some thoughts on the situation:

@anapeguero: Arroyo Hondo tenía circuito 24 horas hasta que llegó Marranzini, ahora nos dan apagones por un tubo… y la factura más cara to los días!!!

(The neighborhood) Arroyo Hondo had energy 24 hours a day until Marranzini arrived, now we have blackouts, and the most expensive bills.

@elvismedina: Espero q para estas navidades, el sr. Marranzini, se convierta en Santa Claus y nos regale un poquito mas de ENERGIA…Oremos por eso..

Hopefully for this Christmas, Mr. Marranzini becomes Santa Claus and gives us a little more ENERGY… Let's pray for that.

In addition, street protests against the power outages have taken place in places like the province of Barahona and the National District. The most recent incident took place in the city of Santiago, where one person died and many others were arrested [es].

As a previous critic of the CDEEE before being named to head the entity, many hoped that Marranzini could solve this problem that has been going on for more than 40 years, and which has become an obstacle in the country's development.

While Marranzini has concentrated on improving the CDEEE's finances and the reduction of payroll, he has not been able to reduce the blackouts. The outages have reached the point that they have worsened since he took office in August 2009, maintaining the electrical system in such a delicate state, that some have even called for the return of Radhames Segura, his predecessor.

Cartoon by Harold Priego which depicts the call for Segura to return to his previous post, which is preferable to the current power outage situation. Cartoon republished with permission.

The solution goes beyond changing one public official for another. There are some that attribute the situation to personal interests and politics. For others, like Dr. José Antonio Vanderhorst, consultant on electricity, the core issue is the structure of the national electrical system. He writes on the group blog Grupo Millenium Hispaniola [es]:

… por sí misma la despolitización es insuficiente. Es absolutamente necesario cambiar el sistema (eléctrico) que sigue muy influenciado por el paradigma de la CDE y de la capitalización que están orientadas a la oferta, cuando los problemas más complejos están en los aspectos sociales, organizacionales y culturales, que se corresponden al consumo que está en el lado de demanda.

Es urgente dar un giro para desarrollar e integrar los recursos de la demanda. La urgencia está en que la decisión de cambio de ley necesita ser introducido en el acuerdo con el FMI. De lo contrario, seguiremos sin resolver la crisis sistémica del sector eléctrico.

… depoliticization itself is insufficient. It is absolutely necessary to change the (electrical) system which continues to be greatly influenced by the CDE(EE) paradigm and the capitalization that is oriented to the supply, when the more complex problems are in the social, organizational, and cultural aspects, which corresponds to the consumption and demand.

It is important to make a shift towards the development and integration of the resources in demand. The urgency is in the decision to change the law needs to be introduced in the agreement with the FMI (International Monetary Fund). On the other hand, we still are left without solving the systemic crisis in the electrical sector.

Translation by Eduardo Ávila

Dominican Republic: Cancer Awareness Campaigns

Rocio Diaz — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:24:55 +0000

In many countries, October is breast cancer prevention month, an event that is celebrated with dedicated websites, special television programs, lectures, medical conferences, and the distribution of pamphlets and flyers with information of interest. These resources always emphasize the importance of self-examinations and what risk factors should be considered.

In the Dominican Republic, there has been more awareness about this disease. Since October 2006, from the Office of the First Lady [es], Dr. Margarita Cedeño de Fernández has become a chief spokesperson for the cause of breast cancer and has launched an annual campaign called “Today is the Best Time. [es]” The campaign calls on women to take care of their health and some of the activities includes conferences and lectures around the country. In addition, flyers have been distributed and mammograms have been offered.

Photo of campaign launch. Used with permission by Office of the First Lady.

The campaign culminated with a benefit fashion show by Venezuelan designer Carolina Herrera, who praised the First Lady's initiative [es], and supported the proposal that “Today is the best day” become the global slogan to call attention to this disease. In her press conference, Herrera, who also is part of the international initiative SER, which supports awareness on a global scale, made a call to unite the various worldwide campaigns.

There are also campaigns to raise awareness about all types of cancer, one of these is called Caminantes por la Vida [es] (Walkers for Life), is a walk through the streets of the capital city Santo Domingo, which is celebrating its 4th version. Caminantes por la Vida is an initiative started by MercaSID, a food services and household products company, which has been raising funds for volunteer services, hospitals, cancer prevention groups. This year the campaign is called “Esta Va por Todos” (This is for Everyone).

Video of the 2008 post-walk event by Jorge Valdez

These types of campaigns are important to many Dominicans whose lives are personally affected by cancer. The blogger Principe Mestizo has had many loved ones affected by various forms of cancer [es], and values campaigns that will raise awareness:

Mi tío Juan, prominente abogado de aproximadamente 32 años , cayo victima de un cáncer en el área del estomago que se expandió a varios órganos y que finalmente hizo que Juan dejara este plano, dejándome múltiples enseñanzas, valorando y admirando a mi familia que en un momento de una crisis de esa magnitud, se unió como un solo cuerpo para ayudar a salir adelante al Benjamín de los hermanos de mi padre, y para el (mi papa) otro hijo mas.

Años después, otro hermano de mi Papa caia victima de la enfermedad (Tio Chichi) y de nuevo me toco ver….ya mas adulto otra cara de la enfermedad.

Lo Primero que hay que aclarar es que cuando en una familia alguien tiene Cáncer, toda la familia por defecto esta con Cáncer.

My Uncle Juan, a prominent 32-year-old lawyer, fell victim to stomach cancer, which spread to various organs and finally caused him to leave this earth, leaving me with many lessons, valuing and admiring my family because during a crisis of this magnitude they became united as one in order to help their youngest sibling, who was like a son to my father.

Years later, another of my father's brothers (Uncle Chichi) also became diagnosed with cancer and once again, this time as a grown-up, I saw another face of this disease.

What must be clear is that when one person in the family has cancer, the entire family, by default, has cancer.

Translation by Eduardo Ávila

Dominican Republic: Restricted Access to the Beaches?

Rocio Diaz — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:45:12 +0000

The Constitutional Reform process continues in the Dominican Republic, and the recent approval of Article 69 has been creating controversy. This article establishes the following: “The high streams of rivers and the endemic, native, and migratory biodiversity zone are to be especially protected by the public powers to guarantee its management and preservation as fundamental property of the Nation. The national rivers, lakes, lagoons, beaches, and coasts belong to the public domain and are to be freely accessible, always when it respects the right of private property. The law will regulate the conditions, standards and easements in which individuals will access the enjoyment or management of these areas.”

Photo by Rocío Díaz

The second part of the Article, which talks about the free access to beaches when the right to private property is respected, has been the subject of protest from the population, which believes that it is undermining their right to go to beaches where there is private investment, in other words, hotels, clubs or other infrastructure. Newspapers [es], blogs, and television programs have been interpreting it that way, turning the issue of free access to the beach into a cause for protest in this media, as well as Twitter and Facebook, where a group was created to urge to not allow the privatization of the beaches [es], as many are afraid that this decision makes it possible.

Manuel Moisés Montás of the blog Toy Jarto [es] explains the origin of this fear:

Una vez reconocidos los derechos de apropiación y explotación a título exclusivo de las playas dominicanas, es de esperarse que algunos particulares (gente con dinero) procedan a adueñarse de las que resulten más hermosas, mejor ubicadas o idóneas para la explotación turística, relegando así al grueso de la población a playas de segunda o tercera categoría que, andando el tiempo, no tardarán en deteriorarse con motivo de la afluencia masiva de personas huérfanas de recursos para ir a bañarse en las playas privatizadas.

Once the rights of appropriation and exploitation of the exclusive Dominican beaches are recognized, it is only to be expected that some people (those with money) begin to take possession of the most beautiful beaches at the best and most suitable locations for tourist use, relegating the population to second or third-class beaches, in time, which won't take long to deteriorate because of the massive influx of people low on resources to go to the privatized beaches.

Despite the negative reaction to Article 69, many others are reminded that the access to beaches where hotels are located have always been restricted, but now the difference is that it is established in the Constitution. Some are even defending the idea that access to these beaches should be regulated. Enedina Pereyra of the blog Bracuta [es] calls on the Dominicans that are protesting to put themselves in the shoes of the businesspersons that have developed a beach by cleaning it and transforming it into a ideal vacation spot. At the same time, Pereyra makes a graphical comparison between a private and a public beach, with an emphasis on the average poor manners from Dominicans who visit the beach.

There have been so many protests over Article 69 that the National Association of Hotels and Restaurants [es] (ASONAHORES for its initials in Spanish) has clarified one point in a public communique on September 8 in a national newspaper, when it stated that the new Article represents progress because it establishes a balance between the use of natural patrimony and the right to private property. Despite these statements, since October 8 there have been protests, with the largest one taking place on October 9 in front of the National Congress by young people wearing beach clothing and signs saying “This is Not My Constitution,” and which is a message that has also been found on many walls in the cities of Santo Domingo, Santiago, and others.

The protests that have arisen are supported by a large part of the population, including young and old and from different social classes, including the authors from the blog Ahí e' Que Prende [es], who see the protests as an impulsive action based on the poor interpretation of a text that only backs something that has already been taking place with beaches located at hotel complexes: restricted access for their guests. Despite this, the team from the Ahí e' Que Prende [es] blog recognizes that there have been abuses with the current Constitutional reform.

Translated from Spanish by Eduardo Ávila

Dominican Republic: Constitution Bans Abortion in All Cases

Rocio Diaz — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:24:05 +0000

After an intense debate, in which doctors, sociologists, representatives of the Catholic Church, international health organizations, and politicians participated, legislators from the Dominican Republic ratified an article within the Constitutional Reform that makes it illegal for a woman to terminate her pregnancy under any circumstance.

This decision, in which many say the influence of the Catholic Church and the proximity of upcoming Congressional elections played a large role, places the Dominican Republic among a small group of countries that Constitutionally prohibits abortion, including in health-related cases where the pregnancy places the fetus or the mother at risk. Females who have been victims of incest or rape also are banned from obtaining an abortion.

Abortion opposition banner outside the Cathedral in Santo Domingo by Duarte 101 and used with permission.

The article in question, currently known as Article 30, states: “the right to life is inviolable from conception until death. The death penalty cannot be established, decided, or applied in any case.”

Since its preliminary approval in April, protests have been constant [es]. Sociologist Rosario Espinal writes that women will now be deprived of a healthy and dignified life [es], adding that the doctors who performed illegal abortions will charge more money because of the higher risks.

Many believe that there will be an increase in clandestine abortions as a result of this decision, as well as higher rates of maternal mortality. However, the way that the Article was approved is also a subject for many bloggers.

Luis José López of Ahí e' que Prende [es] highlights that the Article 30 has been the most controversial Article debated in this Constitutional Reform, and notes that even the human rights organization Amnesty International has come out against the decision [es]. According to López, the definition of a person's life merits a profound and sincere debate in which all interests are represented, and that is something that did not take place in the Dominican Republic:

El tema del aborto es un tabú en RD demasiado influenciado por las iglesias y las religiones. Mencionar la palabra es inclusive mal visto por muchos. Quienes se atreven a cuestionar el status quo, quienes se atreven a decir: “detengámonos a pensar” son inmediatamente censurados y condenados por el debate público.

The issue of abortion is taboo in the DR, overly influenced by the churches and religions. To even mention the word is even poorly seen by many. Those who dare to question the status quo, those who dare to say “let's stop to think” are immediately censored and condemned by the public debate.

With nearly 89% of the population identifying themselves as Roman Catholic, the Church has strong influence in all facets of society. However despite this strong faith, some bloggers like José Rafael Sosa, who is also Roman Catholic, does not agree that this personal decision should be regulated by the Constitution:

Respeto mi Iglesia pero ello no me impide analizar el dificil tema con mi optica. El espacio legal para enfrentar lo que se llama “Aborto Criminal”, no es la Constitución. Nadie en su sano juicio, puede apoyar que se aborte una criatura ya formada, genéticamente hablando, siempre que el embarazo sea producto de una decisión de la madre, no de una violación o que intervengan otras circunstancias clínicas. En primer lugar, el tema debió haber sido decididopor quienes traen hijos al mundo, no por puros hombres buscando votos de fe. En segundo lugar, no se buscaba consagrar constitucionalmente el derecho caprichoso a abortar. El aborto es una realidad social que no se gobierna con la dinámica de aprobación de leyes o artículos constitucionales. El aborto es una realidad social que ahora provocará un aumento de la mortalidad de las mujeres que tambien tienen una vida que ser preservada. Los culpables acaban de votar publicamente por esa posibilidad. Y eso es un crimen.

I respect my Church, but that does not impede me from analyzing the difficult topic through my viewpoint. The legal space to face what is called “Criminal Abortion” is not the Constitution. No one in their right judgment, can support the abortion of an infant, already developed, genetically speaking, when the pregnancy is the result of the mother's decision, and not because of rape or through the intervention of other clinical circumstances. First, the issue should have been decided by those who bring children into this world, and not by men looking for votes from the faithful. Second, no one was looking for the Constitution to consecrate the capricious right to abortion. Abortion is a social reality that is not governed by the dynamics of approval of Constitutional articles or laws. Abortion is a social reality that will now lead to an increase in the mortality of the women that also have a life that needs to be preserved. The guilty parties publicly voted for this possibility. And this is a crime.

In the end, some bloggers feel like the legislators arrived at the decision based on their political interests. In this manner, María Isabel Soldevila believes that Congress “turned their backs on the people. [es]” María de Jesús, a reader of Diario Libre [es] sums up her disgust:

Sarta de hipocritas y a los que se creen que se votó por la vida, cuando una mujer tiene que abortar porque su vida esta en peligro y no lo hace SE MUEREN LA MUJER Y EL FETO! Balsa de ignorantes! La muerte va a tener un dos por uno en Republica Dominicana. Que vergüenza ser dominicana de ahora en adelante.

A string of hypocrisy, and those that think they voted for life, when a woman needs to abort because their life is in danger and they do not, THE WOMAN AND THE FETUS DIES. What ignorance! Death will now be 2 for 1 in the Dominican Republic. How embarrassing it is to be Dominican from now on.

Translation by Eduardo Ávila

Dominican Republic: Switching Companies While Keeping Mobile Number

Rocio Diaz — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 04:06:44 +0000

Is it possible to change telephone companies and keep the same number? It is an option available in the United States for several years, which is often the benchmark for comparison in the Dominican Republic. Up until a few months ago, it was seen with some disbelief among Dominicans, even though the official sector has been pushing the project for number portability.

Photo by Santiago Nicolau and used under a Creative Commons license.

Things took a definitive turn when the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications [es] (Indotel, for its initials in Spanish) announced last April that the company that will manage the number portability platform has been selected . This responsibility falls to the Information Technology division of the Spanish consortium El Corte Inglés, a decision that initially caused skepticism, as noted by Joan Guerrero of the blog Duarte 101 [es]:

Desconozco la experencia y los criterios de selección que tuvo Indotel para seleccionar El Corte Inglés como futuro proveedor de este servicio en nuestro país. Haciendo un repaso rápido, este consorcio español tiene varias unidades de negocio y una de ellas es el aspecto de implementación de servicios como este. En España, esta empresa es que maneja la portabilidad numérica entre operadoras y de seguro, en varios países de la región latinoamericana. Tuve la oportunidad de preguntarle a Luis Rafael Pellerano, asesor legal de esta iniciativa, el por qué no se hizo la implementación de la portabilidad con una empresa local, que conocería el mercado mucho mejor. Tan sólo me dejó dicho que la selección de esta empresa valió por su presencia mundial; sin más detalles. Creo que esto deja mucho que desear.

I do not know how or the selection criteria used by Indotel to select El Corte Inglés as the future provider of this service in our country. Making a quick review, this Spanish consortium has several business divisions, one of which implements services like these. In Spain, this company manages the numeric portability service between operators and probably has presence in various Latin American countries. I had the opportunity to ask Luis Rafael Pellerano, legal adviser for this initiative, why they did not use a local company, which knows the local market much better, to implement the portability project. He just told me that the selection of this company was worth it because of its global presence; without going into more details. I think this leaves much to be desired.

Aside from this initial skepticism, some of which was generated because El Corte Inglés is primarily known as department stores in Spain, the issue of number portability was discussed on several blogs, always from the standpoint of consumer: How much does the average Dominican know about the issue? What implications will it have? At the moment there are great expectations for improved service offered by telephone companies, as well as fair and open competition.

Darío Martínez, a reader of Duarte 101 [es] sums it up:

La portabilidad numérica, si sale como se espera (excelentemente bien), será lo más positivo que tendremos los dominicanos en materia de servicio telefónico. Las telefónicas estarán OBLIGADAS a brindar un servicio excepcional a nosotros, pues cambiarse de empresa será un trámite sencillo y barato. Las telefónicas han perdido su mayor elemento de retención de clientes: ¡Ya los números telefónicos NO son su propiedad!

Number portability, if it goes as expected (excellently), will be the most positive thing that we Dominicans will have with telephone service. The phone companies will be OBLIGATED to provide exceptional service to us, because changing companies will be a simple and cheap process. The phone companies have lost its largest elements for customer retention, now phone numbers are NOT their property!

Will number portability fulfill expectations? In two weeks, starting on September 30, the plan will take effect, and the phone companies have already started with the allusive publicity, as has Indotel, with a simple, yet effective radio and television campaign with the clear and simple message: from now on, everything changes, except the number. Indotel has also used its Twitter account [es] to countdown the days until the measure takes effect, but also to answer questions about the changes.

On that date, the Dominican Republic will become the 3rd Latin American country to implement number portability, with Mexico and Brazil as pioneers in that area. Many believe that it will be a simple and painless process: for only 80 pesos (approximately $2.20 USD), payable in 4 installments of 20 pesos per month, the user is entitled to carry over his or her current number, provided that he or she gives notice of the decision before canceling the current contract.

Translation by Eduardo Ávila

Dominican Republic: The Theft of Cables and Scrap Metal

Rocio Diaz — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 10:11:48 +0000

Some of the recent newspaper headlines around the Dominican Republic read, “Cables Stolen from Duarte Bridge,” “Peña Gómez Monument Dismantled,” and “La Salle School Without Power.” All of these headlines are related to the same topic that left many people perplexed: the theft of cables and metal around the capital city of Santo Domingo and other cities around the country. Apparently, the items are then sold in a very lucrative business.

Car: I Swear There was a Bridge Here This Morning. Truck is taking bridge to The Purchaser of Metals. Drawing by Cristian Hernández of El Nacional and used with permission from artist.

The thefts began very subtly at first, with the disappearance of some sewer covers and plaques that adorned busts and sculptures in various locations across the city. At the beginning, many did not pay much attention to it because it seemed to be commonplace. However, over time the number of holes that appeared, and the number of busts vandalized began to increase across the city, and it soon became apparent that something was happening. Megamonchy of El Rincón del Mega [es] writes about some of the places where the thefts took place, such as 50 light posts around the Jacobo Majluta Avenue, which needed cranes and heavy machinery to move them:

Ahora se estan robando los rieles de los trenes que funcionaron una vez en el país y en los ingenios. Ahora yo me pregunto ¿Es tan difícil dar con estos ladrones de metales, que lo usan para fundirlos? NO Simplemente no hay voluntad para acabarlos. Pues cuantas compañías en el país tienen la capacidad para fundir estos metales. Lo que hay es vigilarlas.

Si los representantes de guinness world records visitaran el país de seguro que le adicionarían varias páginas a la próxima impresión del libro donde los dominicanos estaríamos bailando.

Now they are stealing the rails from the trains that once ran in the country and in the sugar plantations. Now I ask myself, is it so hard to stop these metal thieves, who melt down the metal? NO. There simply is no desire to stop them. How many companies around the country have the capacity to melt down these metals? They must be watched.

If representatives from the Guinness World Records came to visit the country surely they would add more pages in the next edition of the books, where the Dominicans will be dancing (for having the record for the most amount of metal stolen).

Later, reports of the theft of cables began to arrive, including electrical cables, as well as fiber optic leading to the conclusion that there was a preference for the copper, which is then exported to China where there is a high demand. Héctor Minaya of Diario Digital RD [es], summarizes the export situation this way and how the government turns a blind eye:

Para detener el saqueo de cables, tapas, placas y monumentos de cobre que comenzó el año último alentado por el alto precio del metal, es necesario que se prohiba la exportación de cobre y otros metales, los cuales no son de producción nacional. De aquellos metales que se extraen en el país, se presume que el Gobierno, a través de la Dirección General de Aduanas y otras instituciones, tiene algún control y hay un registro para los exportadores. Se ha publicado que semanalmente viene un barco, al parecer ante la indiferencia de las autoridades, para llevarse material producto del saqueo de estos metales.

In order to stop the looting of cables, lids, plaques, and copper monuments that started last year because of the high price of metal, there needs to be a ban on the export of copper and other metals, which are not produced nationally. Of those metals that are extracted from the country, it is presumed that the Government, through the General Customs Department and other institutions, have some type of control and a registry for the exporters. Every week, they publish that a boat is arriving, facing the indifference from the authorities, to take away the material from the looting of these metals.

Thanks to these thieves, numerous streets, avenues, bridges and highways in Santo Domingo and around the country were left in the dark, providing competition to the power outages that have also been taking place for decades without solution. When the streets and avenues are left in the dark, traffic lights are also left useless, which contributes to vehicular chaos.

What about the telephone companies? Joan Guerrero of Duarte 101 [es] writes that the telecommunications sector in the Dominican Republic has been the victim of the growing “industry” of the theft of cables and equipment, which directly affects the consumer. These companies calculate that their losses total 53 million pesos [es] (approximately 1.5 million dollars) this year alone. When the companies add in customer complaints, it becomes a very serious problem that needs addressing. Guerrero also notes that the telecommunications company Tricom has been taking to YouTube to show video of some of the thefts and to offer a reward for information leading to the arrest of the cable thieves:

Despite some control measures implemented by the government to differentiate the real scraps from the fake scraps, Diario 27-F states that it is impossible to separate the metal. There have been some arrests and two people are being tried in court. However, the robberies continue, such as in the case of the La Salle School in Santiago earlier this week, where classes were suspended until further notice.

Dominican Republic: Solving the Issue of Power Outages

Rocio Diaz — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:04:16 +0000

Every August 16 in the Dominican Republic, as is customary on the date when a government completes another year in power, President Leonel Fernández introduces changes in his cabinet. The majority of these changes were not major this year, but one exception brought about varied reactions. The executive vice-president of the Dominican Corporation of State Electric Companies [es] (CDEEE for its initials in Spanish), Engineer Radhamés Segura was replaced by a well-known figure in the private sector, businessman Celso Marranzini. In the blog Duarte 101 [es], Joan Guerrero writes about the new member:

Celso llegó. Como un invitado inesperado, dejó reacciones en todos los medios con su nueva posición, adjudicada por el presidente Fernández.

Celso has arrived. Like an unexpected guest, he caused reactions in all of the media about his new position, placed there by President Fernández.

Power outages are a daily reality across the Dominican Republic, and is often said to be one of the main obstacles in its development plans. In addition, the government has also been providing large subsidies in the energy sector. These blackouts have been occurring for more than 40 years, and there have been all kinds of attempts to resolve the situation. To date, none of these attempts have been successful. Many people are left wondering whether the naming of Marranzini will change things for the better.

Photo by Señor Adventure and used under a Creative Commons license.

Many believe that there was little doubt that Segura would be out when the time came for Fernández to announce the changes in his cabinet. Based on the fact that the rate per kilowatt for electric power remains one of the highest in the region and the allegations of corruption and nepotism, Segura's days were numbered. When the change did happen, few expected for Segura to be substituted by one of his biggest critics, Marranzini, who in recent weeks made a series of statements on behalf of the private sector that blamed the poor administration and incapacity by Segura's team in solving the blackouts once and for all.

For some, this move from the President had a double purpose: 1.) increase the credibility of the government, who was seriously affected by the accusations towards Segura and 2) silence the criticism from the private sector to the government, especially in regards to energy. Luis José of Ahí e' que Prende [es] take a look at the naming:

¿Qué significa que Leonel haya puesto a Celso Marranzini en la CDEEE? Esa fue una jugada con mala fe, con la que se lava las manos y le echa el muerto de la energía a quien más la ha criticado: al sector privado.

Colocar a un empresario famoso, que tiene la buena fe de la mayoría de los sectores, obliga al sector privado a calmarse y a callarse la boca, porque ahora cuando critiquen los apagones no están criticando exclusivamente un funcionario cualquiera, sino que están criticando a don Celso Marranzini, una persona con una trayectoria envidiable que le hace merecer el respeto de muchos.

El lío lo va a tener ahora Celso Marranzini, quien después de criticar tanto a Segura y haberle tirado tan duro al Gobierno, va a tener que hacer una buena gestión si no quiere que lo crucifiquen.

What does it mean to place Celso Marranzini as the head of the CDEEE? It was a play in bad faith, with one where (the government) washes its hands and gives the dead issue of energy to the one that criticized it the most: the private sector.

Placing a famous businessman, who has the good faith from the majority of the sectors, forces the private sector to calm down and shut its mouth, because now, when they criticize the blackouts they are not exclusively criticizing any public official, but they are now criticizing Don Celso Marranzin, a person with a enviable career who receives the respect from many.

The tough part is now Celso Marranzini, who after criticizing Segura so much and was very harsh against the government, will now need to have a good administration so that they do not crucify him.

Marranzini's reputation among the general public is mixed yet some are hoping that he can solve the energy issue. However, others are skeptical and criticize how he took over the position. Rafael Pérez of Duarte 101 [es], introduces the “Celso Method” on how to hold a public position: intensely criticize a public official - preferably with reason - until the President grows tired of it, removes the criticized official, and places the critic in his place. Marino, a reader of Ahí e' que Prende [es] goes a step further:

Ahora, Una sola pregunta, supuestamente ya sabemos quien es el Ing. Radhames Segura, ahora… quien Conoce al LADRONAZO de Celso Marranzini, que vendia energia con su distribuidora ILEGAL, a una suma de 200% mas cara que lo que el la Compraba… y ahora es el Titular de la institucion que el y su grupo de empresarios tiene QUEBRADO… que carajazo va resolver ese tigre.

Now, just one question, supposedly we already know who is the Engineer Radhames Segura, now, who knows the THIEF, Celso Marranzini, who sold energy with his ILLEGAL distribution company at a price of 200% more expensive than at which he bought it… and now is the Head of the institution that he and his business group have BANKRUPTED … what will able to solve that tiger (Marranzini.)

Upon being removed from the CDEEE, President Fernández named Segura as an governmental adviser in the field of energy. However, he declined the position and publicly announced that he will dedicate himself to cleaning up his public image.

Dominican Republic: Doctors on Strike

Rocio Diaz — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:00:16 +0000

Doctors who provide medical services in public hospitals around the Dominican Republic have been on strike for nearly a week. They are demanding a raise in salary, which is something that the government has rejected on various occasions citing the global economic crisis. Even though to some Dominicans, their demands appear to be fair, there are others who believe that the doctors in the state-run health services should be held accountable because their protest tactics are hurting the county's low-income families, and because the quality of service could be improved.

The Dominican Medical Association [es] (CMD for its initials in Spanish) is the entity that unites the health professionals across the country, who work under the State Secretary of Public Health [es] becoming a guild in 1941. In its more than 100 years in existence, the CMD has often been characterized by a series of work stoppages over long periods of times, most often related to wages. This most recent work stoppage appears to be at a standstill, as described by Joan Guerrero of Duarte 101 [es]:

Y mientras se siguen sacando los trapitos de los funcionarios públicos en todos los medios, los médicos y el resto de empleados del sector salud se quedarán de brazos cruzados, porque el mismísimo secretario de Salud Pública abrio su boca y dijo «no hay dinero para aumento». Lo curioso es que llevan más de dos años con ese pataleo de aumento salarial y el Colegio Médico Dominicano ha hecho de todo en ese tiempo para que atiendan a su llamado. Pero, seguirán así, de brazos cruzados.

While more revelations of mismanagement on the part of the public officials come out in the media, the doctors and the rest of the health sector employees remain with the arms crossed because the secretary of Public Health opened his mouth and said «there is no money for a raise». The curious part of the story is that they have been asking for a salary increase for more than two years and the Dominican Medical Association has done everything it can so that their request is attended to. However, they remain with their arms crossed.

One of the arguments used is that the doctors compare their salaries with the salaries of senators, representatives, and other governmental officials, which often exceed 90,000 pesos per month (approximately 2,500 USD). In comparison, a director of a public hospital earns around 30,000 pesos per month (approximately 833 USD). However, this idea of comparing salaries is not shared by all, such as blogger Paolah of Ahi é Que Prende [es], writes that there are other occupations that feel that they are poorly paid, but they do not resort to these types of protest tactics.

However, some patients wonder whether it is they who should protest the work of some of the doctors, who are said to not complete their work hours. There have been complaints that not all are present in their offices because they have one or two private practices to attend. This is one of the reasons why the state health doctors do not receive the full backing of the public and one of the reasons why state officials have rejected their request of a salary increase.

Another reason there is not the full support of the general public is because of Waldo Ariel Suero, a person who represents the guild and who many consider to be too combative. He has been involved in this struggle for more than 10 years, and has achieved some victories along the way. The Diario Dominicano [es] describes Suero this way:

El doctor Waldo Ariel Suero desde que asumió la presidencia del Colegio Medico Dominicano, ha mostrado una actitud temeraria e irreflexiva que lo coloca ante la opinión publica nacional como una persona obstinada, tozuda, obsesionada, inmadura e incapaz de entender y determinar lo que se denomina “el sentido de la oportunidad” que debe tener presente cualquier persona que dirija o gestione una institución con la historia y la trayectoria de la que agrupa a los profesionales de la medicina.

Ever since Doctor Waldo Ariel Suero assumed the presidency of the Dominican Medical Association, he has demonstrated a reckless and inflexible attitude which places himself in front of the national public opinion as a obstinate, stubborn, obsessive, and immature person incapable of understanding and determining what is known as “the sense of opportunity” that one should have who directs or runs an institution with the history and tradition that groups the medical professionals.

Since April 2008, the doctors have participated in more than 50 strikes and work stoppages, which have had a direct result on much of the population especially those from low incomes, who do not have the financial resources to go to a private clinic. The striking doctors have become a target for criticism and they are often blamed for hospital deaths, rightfully or not. For example, a young man died at the Francisco Moscoso Puello Hospital as a result of a shooting during a robbery, and his mother took out her frustration against the doctors, who have been on strike for six days by throwing stones at them. Lía agrees, as she comments on the story at El Caribe [es] and writes, “All the people who go to that hospital should do the same things, stone them so that they go running for being indolent”.

Pedro also joined the discussion and criticized the doctors:

Eso es lo que deja el negocio de Ariel Suero y la Salud. El pueblo no es tonto. Recuerden que la gran mayoría de estos médicos estudiaron casi gratis en la UASD y ahora quieren vivir como reyes dando la espalda al pueblo pobre. El responsable de esa muerte es Ariel Suero por abusador.

This is the result of the Ariel Suero and the Health's (Department) business. The people are not dumb. Remember that the large majority of those doctors completed their studies practically for free at the UASD (Autonomous University of Santo Domingo) and now they want to live like kings turning their backs on the poor. Ariel Suero is responsible for that death.

The protests continue, and there were a couple of recent incidents when the CMD occupied the Department of Labor headquarters, where doctors and nurses were forcefully removed. In addition, the doctors held a hunger strike in the San Felipe Cathedral in Puerto Plata, much to the dismay of Cardinal Nicolás de Jesús López Rodriguez. These types of protest tactics are confusing to some looking in from the outside. Paolah of Ahi é Que Prende [es] wonders whether the CMD is a “medical association or syndicate?” She wonders what would happen if every occupation that is upset with the salary would stop activities, what would happen?

However, there are also those that blame the government for the current situation. Gustavo summarizes the sentiment of many in the comments section of the El Caribe story [es].

Quisiera saber si de alguna forma estos medicos son responsables por la muerte de este muchacho y quiza mucho mas, si el gob. o los medicos deberian ir a la carcel por este abuso contra la humanidad, esto lo que da es verguenza y asco, ya basta.

I want to know whether these doctors are responsible for the death of this boy and maybe even more, whether the government or the doctors should go to prison for these abuses against humanity, this is what is embarrassing and disgusting, enough already.