| The Dominican Sun |
| "Daily Dominican Republic News in English Since 2004" |
| Friday, June 15th, 2012 |
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Scandal with Dominican prostitutes also rocks Slovenia
Story Text & Photos © 2012 by Dominican Today Jun 15 2012 20:59PM
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 Dominican Today -
Santo Domingo- A scandal has erupted in Slovenia over the authorities’ alleged complacency with the trafficking of hundreds of women from Dominican Republic who get work visas as dancers when they in fact work as prostitutes, Efe reports.
According to TV channel “POP TV“ and newspaper “Delo“ a former deputy of the ruling Conservative Party and other senior officials are suspected of having helped arrange work permits for the young Dominicans.
The main accused, Pavle Rupar, rejects the allegations as “lies“ and announced legal action against Andrej Ster, the head of the consular section at the Slovenian Foreign Ministry, who has launched the charges.
Most of the Dominicans who’ve arrived to Slovenia since 2008 as dancers are actually prostitutes, the Slovenian press says. “It’s prostitution, with elements which makes it human trafficking. “
According to Slovenia authorities 354 Dominican women have received work visas in the country in the last four years.
“The girls aren’t dangerous, but the organizers of this illegal network are,“ said Ster by phone, quoted by Efe, noting that the contracts dancers sign are “fairy tales written in the Slovenian language“ which the women don’t understand.
With that in mind the official proposed to limit at once issuing visas for Dominican women to a minimum, paperwork typically done in the Slovenian Embassy’s consular section in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the center o f another scandal with Dominican prostitutes three years ago.
Last year a Dominican prostitute was also cited as part of the sex scandal involving Italy ex primer minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Read original at Dominican Today.
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Government forks out US$135M to nix 30-year road toll contract
Story Text & Photos © 2013 by Dominican Today May 22 2013 17:29PM
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 Dominican Today -
Santo Domingo- The Dominican government and the Colombian company Dominican Roads Concession (DOVICON) on Monday agreed to terminate the 30-year contract to manage the tolls on the Duarte-Puerto Plata and 6 de Noviembre (southern) highways, with a US$135 million compensation.
The details of the contract termination will reportedly be announced in the coming days and includes a US$124 million loan from the State-owned Reservas bank.
The previous administration headed by Leonel Fernández signed the contract with DOVICON, which in addition to the Duarte, called for repairs and maintenance of the country’s major northern and southern roads.
The company had agreed to spend US$400 million to recover at least US$3. 7 billion in tolls.
The contract called for DOVICON to invest US$471. 9 million to complete the work of design, of finance and to maintain the Southern and Duarte highways, while the contractor charged a toll of RD$50 in various new and current stations on both highways.
Read original at Dominican Today.
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State bank announces 7. 5‰ rate for homes of up to US$975,000
Story Text & Photos © 2013 by Dominican Today May 22 2013 17:29PM
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 Dominican Today -
Santo Domingo. . - Dominican Republic’s State-owned bank (Ban-Reservas) on Wednesday announced a 7. 5% interest rate for low-cost homes of up to RD$4. 0 million (US$975,000).
Reservas administrator Vicente Bengoa said the rate, which stems from the Monetary Board’s release of bank reserves, will increase to 8% in the second year, and 8. 5% in six years.
He said industry can access loans with rates from 7 to 9%, from 7. 5 to 9% for the agro sector and 9% for consumer loans, all subject to a risk assessment on the applicant.
In a news conference held at Ban-Reservas headquarters on Churchill Av. , the official said the funds should be available by July.
Read original at Dominican Today.
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Government measures spur Banesco bank to expand
Story Text & Photos © 2013 by Dominican Today May 22 2013 16:59PM
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 Dominican Today -
Santo Domingo- Banesco bank CEO Juan Carlos Escotet on Wednesday said the Monetary Board’s decisions and changes implemented point to the growth of financial intermediaries, prompting them to expand their business in the Dominican Republic.
Escotet, who met with president Danilo Medina in National Palace, said the bank will open three new branches this year, for a total of 14 nationwide.
He said Banesco’s Dominican bank assets exceed US$34. 0 billion in the seven countries it operates, with more than 7. 0 million clients.
Banesco executives and government officials also attended the meeting.
Read original at Dominican Today.
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Lunchtime Weather Report on this May 22, 2013
Story Text & Photos © 2013 by The Dominican Sun May 22 2013 16:29PM
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 The Dominican Sun - Across the Dominican Republic in the last 24 hours the highest observed temperature by DRSol was 88 at Santiago. The coolest reading came from La Isabella with an overnight low of 72. A few spotty light to moderate showers and thunderstorms were reported, and rain is being observed right now as well at Samana, Punta Cana, Las Americas and La Isabella. Skies were generally partly cloudy. Winds are averaging 11 mph from the SE, with a peak gust to 127 mph seen at 8PM last night at Punta Cana. By the Numbers DR cities reported rain 17% of the time, and thunderstorms 7%. Average reported rainfall intensity on a scale of 0 to 100 was 44. Cloud cover totaled 54%. Click above to view summaries for the last week or last month. Last updated at 12:28PM. Read original at The Dominican Sun.
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Trendy bar owners deny racism
Story Text & Photos © 2013 by Dominican Today May 22 2013 15:59PM
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 Dominican Today -
Santo Domingo- The owners of the trendy bar “La Chismosa“ (gossipy woman) on Thursday delivered documents to the National District Office of the Prosecutor, which hundreds of photos posted by customers that show no racial discrimination or denied entry on skin color, as denounced in several media last week.
La Chismosa’s owners delivered the documents Monday morning at the Prosecutor’s Human Rights Unit, where they were questioned about the lawsuit filed by a man who said he barred from entering the club because of his skin color
Accompanied by the lawyers Tomas Hernandez and Marisol Vicens, the club’s owners denied allegations they discriminate against people.
Read original at Dominican Today.
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Prosecutor says drug cartel plans to kill him
Story Text & Photos © 2013 by Dominican Today May 22 2013 15:59PM
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 Dominican Today -
Dominican Republic- La Romana province prosecutor José Polanco Ramírez said Monday drug traffickers and killers-for-hire plan attempts on his life and those of his family, for which he was assigned more bodyguards.
He said Justice minister Francisco Dominguez and Police chief Jose A. Polanco already provided increased protection for him and his family, from the threat by the so-called “Cartel of the East. “
“We decided to confront organized crime,“ the official said, who noted that the alleged threats were uncovered through third parties. “It has been determined by interrogation, according to police, that there’s a serious threat to my life and our family. The National Police has warned us. “
He said the intimidation increased after the arrest of “Cartel of the East“ members, linked to in heinous crimes in that on other eastern cities, such as the recent shooting death of two men and two others wounded in the Car Wash-Café Coton.
Polanco Ramirez said he’s aware of the job’s risks, but does it regardless fear, even if some authorities might be linked to organized crime.
Read original at Dominican Today.
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Government taps RD$154. 0M to fight coffee leaf rust
Story Text & Photos © 2013 by Dominican Today May 22 2013 15:59PM
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 Dominican Today -
Santo Domingo- The government yesterday said the control of coffee leaf rust (Hemileia vastatrix) on all farms in the country is of national interest, and named a commission to work to eradicate the disease that harms around 58% of the coffee bean crops.
Executive Order 101-13 3 sets aside RD$154. 0 million for programs to tackle the disease over the next eight months.
Agriculture minister Luis Ramon Rodriguez chairs the commission which also includes coffee mogul Rafael Perello, Jose Antonio Martinez, Jesus Portela and José Núñez Fermin.
In a National Palace press conference after meeting with president Danilo Medina, Rodriguez said the country has millions of hectares of coffee plantations, for which seeds of rust resistant plants will be brought from Brazil, Colombia and Costa Rica.
Read original at Dominican Today.
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Brazil sends Haitians caught in the Amazon back to Dom. Rep.
Story Text & Photos © 2013 by Dominican Today May 22 2013 15:59PM
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 Dominican Today -
Santo Domingo- Brazil has sent dozens of Haitians back to the Dominican Republic after they failed to reach that South American nation through Bolivia’s and Peru’s Amazon jungle.
Immigration Agency figures reveal that 322 Haitians have been returned to the country from Brazil and other South American countries through Las Americas Airport in the last two months.
Ecuador meanwhile has been stopping other Haitian nationals who’ve traveled from Dominican Republic, despite having current visas and documents.
Some of the Haitians who traveled from Dominican Republic to those nations said “coyotes“ operate in Peru and Bolivia to take undocumented people through the Amazon to Brazil.
Luis Perez Pie, one of many sent back said he has tried to reach Brazil twice, but has been arrested in Bolivia while crossing the Amazon.
Quoted by listin. com. do, Perez said many of his compatriots have managed to penetrate the South American country to legalize their status to obtain work.
Read original at Dominican Today.
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Don’t despair, Public Safety Plan will work: Medina
Story Text & Photos © 2013 by Dominican Today May 22 2013 15:59PM
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 Dominican Today -
Santo Domingo. - As a wave of violent crimes plagues the country, president Danilo Medina on Monday asked that Dominicans not despair because the Public Safety Plan will bear fruit in the long term.
He said there’s still work to be done such as the installation of security cameras and the 911emergency phone service, measures he called critical to the Plan, but might not be possible until year end. “The people must wait, because this is an old problem, I’ve always said that the major problem of violence and crime is closely linked to an issue of social exclusion, recognized even by President Obama in the last summit in Costa Rica. “
Medina said the Government will call for tenders to buy the security cameras, which must be compatible with the planned control center, to better protect the population within a short time.
Read original at Dominican Today.
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Former candidate tried to steal presidential elections: Book
Story Text & Photos © 2013 by Dominican Today May 22 2013 15:59PM
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 Dominican Today -
Santo Domingo- Former opposition candidate Hipolito Mejia tried to steal the May 20, 2012, presidential election from Dominican Republic’s ruling party (PLD) and its candidate Danilo Medina, despite the Organization of American States’ (OAS) confirmation that the polling was transparent.
Journalist Rafael Nuñez made the revelation recently in his book “Tramas ocultas de una campaña electoral” (hidden schemes of an election campaign), with details of Mejia’s complaint to the OAS after learning of his defeat.
The journalist, former head of the Presidency’s Press Office under Fernandez, said Mejia sought to cast doubts on the elections, despite the praise for the balloting by international observers and OAS delegation leader Tabaré Vasquez, former president of Uruguay.
Bungled strategy
In the book Nuñez says the strategists of the PRD candidate understood that with Fernandez out of the 2012 race “cleared the way for Mejia to don the presidential sash. “
He said Mejia ridiculed his internal opponents and challenged President Fernández, which in his view was a “mistake in choosing the adversary. “
Read original at Dominican Today.
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