DR1 - Daily Dominican Republic News
Dominican Republic News & Travel Information Service
Year of Juan Bosch
The Executive Branch has officially named 2009 as the Year of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Juan Bosch, the late poet, novelist and thinker who served as President of the Dominican Republic for seven months (Feb-Sept 1963) and founded the ruling PLD party. Decree 247-08 highlights that Bosch is an unsurpassable point of reference for politics and morals in the DR, a source of national pride, a political mentor and humanist of great sensibility and firm convictions. Bosch was born on 30 June 1909 and died on 1 November 2001. He was survived by his widow Carmen Quidiello.
Fernandez attends PR inaugural
President Leonel Fernandez traveled to Puerto Rico on Friday, 2 January to attend the inauguration ceremony for the new Governor of Puerto Rico Luis Fortuno in San Juan. Fernandez returned home the next day. He traveled with Foreign Relations Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso, Presidency Minister Cesar Pina Toribio, legal advisor Abel Rodriguez del Orbe and press secretary Rafael Nunez.
While in Puerto Rico, Fernandez held discussions with the new governor and both men agreed to resume the Puerto Rico-Dominican Republic Strategic Alliance to promote trade, investment and look into joint energy programs (natural gas and ethanol) in the framework of the DR-CAFTA free trade agreement.
Free rides on Metro over
The free Metro rides program concluded yesterday, with officials labeling it a successful three-week test run during the holidays. Officials will now evaluate the three-week program and fine-tune the operation before officially opening the Metro to the public at a yet to be confirmed date. Transport Reorganization Office (OPRET) official Leonel Carrasco praised passengers' good behavior during the trial run, adding that it seemed as if many were already familiar with riding metros. It is expected to cost RD$25 per ride once open to the public.
Central Bank cuts interest rates
As of Friday, 2 January, Central Bank announced cuts in the overnight deposit interest from 9.5% to 8.5%. The bank also announced a 2% drop in the so-called Lombarda interest rate, from 16 to 14%. In a press release, the Central Bank says the measure marks the start of a downward trend that will continue in February. The bank attributes the decline in interest rates to inflation closing at 4.52% for 2008, which is below expectations. The Central Bank says that the decline in the interest rates is consistent with the behavior of fuel prices and domestic demand, and that inflation in the DR was negative in October, November and December. Business sector spokesmen applauded the measure.
See http://www.bancentral.gov.do/estadisticas_economicas/...
Inflation down
The Central Bank reports that inflation during the last quarter of 2008 fell by 5.63% due to the decrease in international petroleum prices. Due to this decrease in quarterly inflation, the accumulated inflation for 2008 registered at 4.52%, which is the lowest in seven years and almost half of the 2008 inflation rate of 8.8%. The Central Bank notes that single digit inflation represents great progress, despite the fact that September saw a 10.76% inflation rate. However, the report indicates the single digit inflation was a result of a -1.05%, -3.28% and -1.40% decrease in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) during the months of October, November and December.
Metal exports up!
The headline is correct and Dominican metal exports are up, according to the Dominican Republic Center for Exports and Investment (CEI-RD). During the first 10 months of 2008 the DR exported US$44.6 million in metal for a 40.3% growth rate. In 2007 the DR only exported US$31.8 million worth of metals. Metal exports make up 6.6% of non-traditional exports, which totaled US$1.07 million. Metal exports are also the fourth largest Dominican export after steel rods, sugar cane, rum and cement. What's most surprising about these figures is that the metal being exported here is not mined in the DR. While some is legitimate scrap metal, the increase in metal exports coincides with an increase in theft of manhole covers and other metal installations from public and private property across the country.
More taxes for government
The Department of Taxes (DGII) expects to collect upwards of RD$7 billion more in 2009 than in 2008, thanks to new programs that will be implemented this year. One of the new programs, involving the installation of cash registers directly linked to the DGII at leading stores nationwide will be fully in effect in July 2009. Tests are already under way.
This year the DGII is also establishing the Proyecto de Simplificacion Tributaria, a project that seeks to simplify tax reporting and is especially targeted to independent professionals and small businesses. Those adhering to the new program get a break from the tedious accounting and tax reporting schemes currently in place. Taxes would be paid on revenues at a fixed rate of 25-15%.
The DGII also expects increased collections to come from efforts of their new offices that are being opened in Santo Domingo city, Santo Domingo East, Santiago and La Romana. Tax collections are estimated to increase from RD$159 billion to RD$165 billion in 2009. Half of this increase is expected to come from the cash register program that is aimed at reducing tax evasion.
Government jobs up 43%
The Dominican government continues to strengthen its position as the country's leading employer. El Caribe reports that while in December 2004, six months into the change of administration from the PRD to the PLD, the number of paid posts in central government increased from 287,275 to 410,861. According to the Social Security Treasury Department, another 123,795 are on decentralized department payrolls.
The PRD government has already been criticized for excess employment. This means the central government payroll increased from RD$2.3 billion as of December 2004 to RD$4.8 billion as of November 2008.
Decentralized institutions have a separate budget that adds another RD$1.95 billion to this total, for a total RD$6.75 billion on the government employee payroll. This does not include the multiple perks that government employees receive, such as a generous luxury vehicle purchase plans, fuel, cell phone and travel allowances.
El Caribe says the Controller General figures do not include employees in the Judicial Branch (Supreme Court, state prosecutors, among others), the Legislative Branch (Congress), the Central Electoral Board (JCE), the Chamber of Accounts, Customs and the Department of Taxes that have budgetary and administrative independence from the Central Government.
According to government statistics, the central government ministries with the greatest number employees on their payrolls are:
Education 92,423 or 22% (most are administrative not teachers)
Armed Forces 53,114 (13%)
Public Health 49,141 (12%)
Interior & Police 32,976 (8%)
Presidency 11,416
El Caribe provides a sample of the number of employees on the payrolls of decentralized government institutions:
Dominican Social Security Institute 8,630
Banco de Reservas 6,976
Santo Domingo Municipality 6,063
National Potable Water Institute (INAPA) 5,582
Customs Department 4,950
Central Bank 3,415
Dominican Agrarian Institute 3,193
Santo Domingo Water Corporation (CAASD) 2,887
Tax Department 2,710
Chamber of Deputies 2,569
National Lottery 2,440
Government to pay for crashes
The Dominican government will continue to pay RD$12.50 per affiliate to the health insurance provider plans (ARS). National Social Security Council (CNSS) president Max Puig said the government would keep the payments to the National Fund for Traffic Accidents (Fonamat) as it has been doing over the past 15 months since the start of the family insurance plans (SFS). Puig said that the Social Security Law 87-01 establishes that the government should guarantee the adequate operation of the plan. The ARS had threatened to not cover any traffic accidents suffered by their affiliates as of 1 January 2009. The government allotted RD$400 million to cover accidents between September 2007 and December 2008.
Fernandez explains pardons
President Leonel Fernandez called a press conference over the holiday break to give his reasons for pardoning convicted Baninter banker Vivian Lubrano and four men convicted for the Plan Renove transport fraud. Lubrano had been sentenced to five years in jail for her active role in the RD$55 billion scam by the bank in 2003, and the pardoned transport union leaders were accused of billions worth of profiteering at taxpayers' expense, backed up by reports issued by the General Controllers office. The government spent millions in public money to prosecute the cases. President Fernandez said his decision was based on humanitarian reasons due to their delicate health conditions. President Fernandez had not called a press conference open to questions from the press in years.
The press conference came on the heels of reports that after being pardoned on 22 December, Lubrano left the Abel Gonzalez clinic where she had been staying instead of at the Najayo Jail and was spotted getting her hair highlighted at a beauty salon in Jarabacoa, a mountain resort area. Following the public uproar in the wake of the presidential pardons, Lubrano returned to the Abel Gonzalez clinic and is now reported to be considering an overseas trip for medical treatment for a heart condition.
Death penalty?
From January to September 2008, 343 deaths occurred in exchanges of fire with the Police. Most of the killings took place in Santo Domingo, San Cristobal, Santiago, Puerto Plata, Espaillat (Moca) and La Altagracia provinces. The Police say the people killed were all criminals. El Caribe newspaper reports that 20 were killed in crossfire incidents last week alone.
Father Rogelio Cruz says that violence is not controlled by killing, but by providing young people with social and educational alternatives. He recalled the success of the sports, music and information technology educational programs he organized when he served as parish priest at the Cristo Rey slum area.
Sociologist Ramon Tejada Holguin said that these extrajudicial killings are wrong. He said there is evidence that people without criminal records have also died in the shootings.
But Police Chief Rafael Guillermo Guzman Fermin says, "I will continue to fight organized crime in a direct manner without a second thought for lawbreakers," he told El Caribe.
The Police deny reports that recent civilian deaths at the hands of police are extrajudicial executions. Police Chief Guzman, quoted in Hoy, is unapologetic about the shootings. He said that the criminals are known to shoot at police, military personnel and hardworking citizens. He said the police would not stop doing its job and that criminals must know that they will pay for breaking the law.
Farms to become jails
The State General Prosecutor's Office has announced that farms once owned by former military captain Quirino Ernesto Paulino Castillo would be turned into jails. Two jails will be built on the properties formerly owned by the extradited drug trafficker in the province of San Juan de la Maguana, covering a total area of 3,800 tareas. No details on the size of the facilities or whether they would be high, medium or low-security prisons. Though Quirino was extradited to the US for illegally trafficking drugs, the US and Dominican governments agreed that the DR government would receive all properties and assets formerly owned by Paulino Castillo. Not all is bad news for the Paulino family though. Diario Libre reported last week that the Dominican state will return RD$200 million in assets and all of Paulino's properties in Elias Pina to the family. Eighteen of Quirino's relatives will also be allowed to leave the DR to live in the US, as part of a plea deal made by Quirino. The family begins its departure on 15 January.
Constitutionalists continue fight
The hunger strike by Constitutionalist soldiers who were promised a pension by President Leonel Fernandez is now in its 12th day. Hoy reports that the protestors' health is quickly deteriorating. Originally 22 men started the hunger strikes and now only five remain. They claim that President Fernandez promised to give them pensions as former Armed Forces members. The men fought on the side of the Constitutional government during the civil strife in the DR in the 1960s.
UASD copycat found
Advertising student Ibrahim Rodriguez has been identified as the creator of a fake UASD University webpage. Rodriguez, a Cuban national, is reported to be a web designer. No word on whether he will be charged with anything, however Rodriguez claims no wrongdoing and says he was only trying the help UASD students. It was originally reported that a webpage www.UASD.com.do with a similar layout to the UASD's official site (www.UASD.edu.do) was being used by students and was feared to have interfered with upcoming registrations. The copycat page is still up with a message from Rodriguez, where he defends his actions.
Baseball update
Things are getting interesting as the Dominican Winter League round robin tournament enters its final stages. The Gigantes, who in previous years have had monstrous late-year collapses, have maintained their status, winning five of their eight tournament games, and taking the top position in the standings. The Tigres have stayed on the heels of the Gigantes, also winning five of their eight games. The Tigres have looked strong as of late, after a shaky regular season. Surprisingly enough the Toros are still in the playoff hunt, being only 1.5 games out of the lead. And in an odd twist the Aguilas, last year's tournament champions, are sitting in the cellar with a 2-5 record. In last night's action the Tigres continued to add to the Aguilas' misery with and 8-2 pounding at the Estadio Cibao while the Gigantes gave the Toros a pounding with a 6-1 victory.
The Standings
| Team |
W-L |
Avg. |
Games Behind |
| GIGANTES |
5 - 3 |
.625 |
-- |
| TIGRES |
5 - 3 |
.625 |
-- |
| TOROS |
4 - 5 |
.444 |
1.5 |
| AGUILAS |
2 - 5 |
.286 |
2.5 |
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DominicanToday.com
The first online newspaper in english language of the Dominican Republic.
Dominican Winter Baseball Standings; Round Robin
Dominicans prepare for "Reyes"
Santo Domingo.- Tomorrow, Monday January 5th, Dominican families celebrate "El dĂa de los tres reyes magos" or Three Kings Day - the feast of the Epiphany. The traditional date for this celebration is January 6th but it has been moved to the previous day, Monday, to create a long weekend.This is the day when most Dominican children receive their Christmas gifts and toy stores around the country have been full of shoppers in the run up to the special celebration. Other traditions associated with Reyes include leaving hay and cigars for the visiting Kings and their camels and processions like the one organized by the Fire Brigade through the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo.
Dominican violinist wins international contest
London, UK.- Young Dominican violinist Aisha Syed Castro, who was born in Santiago de los Caballeros and is a student at the Yehudi Menuhin School for talented young musicians near London, has won a contest in which three thousand young people from 20 countries took part. Aisha Syed was awarded first prize, which ensures that she can fund the rest of her studies in the United Kingdom.According to the School’s website, the late Yehudi Menuhin founded the school in 1963 and created the ideal conditions for musically gifted children to develop their potential to the full on stringed instruments and piano. The school now educates more than sixty talented boys and girls between 8 and 18.
Dominican designer de la Renta in palace show
Santo Domingo.- Top fashion designer Oscar de la Renta, with over 40 years in the industry, made an impact with his haute couture Resort collection that is both hyper-elegant and luxurious.His presence is always keenly awaited at the world’s top fashion week events.The “Resort Collection 2009” was presented at a charity gala at the National Palace, the fifth of its type organized by the First Lady’s office.The collection features styles for all seasons, including evening wear with long dresses and mermaid skirts, glamorous prints and embroidery.De la Renta has created colorful sleeveless, figure hugging dresses and wide-legged, high-waisted slacks. For evening wear, his dresses revolve round female elegance, and classic tailored designs and nineteen fifties-style skirts were also in evidence.
Dominican Immigration chief sticks to his guns, says Haitians must return
SANTO DOMINGO. - Immigration director Jose Sanz Jiminián today said the 450 Haitians who occupy a Catholic church in Dajabón (northwest), under the protection of the priest Regino Martinez who demands they be allowed to reenter the country, are in a state of illegality and will have to return to Haiti.
Metro stopped for testing
Santo Domingo.- Transport Reorganization Office (OPRET) deputy director Leonel Carrasco said yesterday that as of Tuesday Metro services would stop for “a general evaluation” but he assured that it would be put into definitive service three or four days later. “We are going to conduct an evaluation, examine experiences, work out how many passengers we carried and evaluate the staff”, he said, while promising that trains would run every 10 minutes.He said that the Metro, which has been running free of charge from Villa Mella to Centro de los Héroes since December 22nd so that passengers could learn to use the service, had not had any problems. “Everything is normal, we’ve been able to test everything. There have only been some small operational problems”. He added that the construction and equipment of the Santo Domingo Metro had cost RD$25 billion. “The cost of the Metro was US$700 million, some 25 billion pesos”.The Opret official praised the public’s “civilized and orderly behavi...
Dominican merengue star recovering from dengue
Santo Domingo.- Rafa Rosario, the lead singer of leading Dominican merengue band Los Hermanos Rosario is due to be discharged from a Santo Domingo clinic after responding positively to treatment for dengue fever.He was hospitalized on Friday and found to be suffering from classic dengue. As a result, Los Hermanos Rosario had to call off several performances scheduled for the weekend at several venues around the country.The merengue star thanked fans for their good wishes and said that, “thank God I am recovering and will be discharged in the next few hours”.Rafa Rosario said he hoped to be back on stage soon.
Dominican accident prevention body proposed
Santo Domingo.- The director of the National Road Safety and Accident Prevention Institute, Nicanor Almánzar, says that the government should set up a body aimed at preventin g road accidents, as the funds his institute receives from the National Health and Social Security system (SENASA) all go towards medical treatment.He estimated that the State invests some RD$1 billion in treating accident victims each year and that now is the time for the government to create an institution that will formally work on prevention.Nicanor Almánzar called for a formal accident prevention plan coordinated by all the bodies working on the issue.He pointed out that road accidents are one of the main causes of death in the country and that prevention programs were badly needed. He said that such a plan would require the involvement of the Health Insurance Providers (ARS), the government, the National Social Security Council, the Public Health Ministry, the National Police and other connected entities...
Dominican president to attend Obama inaguration
Santo Domingo.- The president’s office has confirmed that president Leonel Fernández will travel to Washington DC on January 19th to attend the investiture ceremony for Barack Obama as United States president on the next day. The Dominican president is on the list of Heads of State, Prime Ministers and special guests who have been invited to the ceremony.As well as Fernández, the presidents of Germany, Argentina, France, Spain, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Guatemala will be attending, as well as the Prime Ministers of Great Britain, Canada and Jamaica.President Fernández will be accompanied by Dominican ambassador in Washington Flavio DarĂo Espinal, Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso, Planning, Economy and Development Minister TemĂstocles Montás, who is also the ruling PLD party’s international affairs coordinator, General HĂ©ctor Belisario Medina, chief of the military attachĂ© corps and presidential press director Rafael Núñez.
Dominican business sector hails interest rate reductions
Santo Domingo.- Representatives of the industrial, commercial and agricultural sector have said that the reduction in interest rates announced by the Central Bank will lead to an increase in commercial activities, which in turn will contribute to reactivating the country’s economy.Yesterday the Central Bank announced lower overnight interest rates from 9.5% to 8.5% annually, or 1 percentage point, and the Lombarda interest rate from 16% to 14% annually, or 2 percentage points.The president of the Herrera Industrialists Association (AEIH), Manuel Cabrera welcomed the measure as “timely” and said that it was an indication that the monetary authorities were fulfilling their promises.He said that this reduction was smaller than expected, and that it should have been between 10 and 12 per cent. Nonetheless, he said that he was confident that these would return to the ideal level for promoting economic development.The president of the National Commercial Companies Organization (Onec), Ped...
Dominican environment minister announces Haitises Park plan
Santo Domingo.- The Environment Ministry is planning a wide-ranging environmental education program with community and local government involvement aimed at managing the Los Haitises National Park. The authorities recently evacuated hundreds of farmers who were squatting in the protected area, and are in the process of establishing a permanent vigilance system to prevent this from recurring.The ministry will allocate 28 million pesos towards compensating the evicted squatters, and the education plan is aimed at helping them adopt livelihoods and lifestyles that are compatible with the park’s conservation objectives. One idea is to involve the community in the park management and in eco-tourism activities.
Dominican hospitals report fewer injuries this year
Santo Domingo.- There was a total absence of patients with firework related injuries or stray bullets at the country’s main medical facilities this year, and the number of people injured by bullets and stab wounds saw a reduction. There was an increase in injuries as a result of brawling, however.Hospital directors at the Robert Reid Cabral children’s hospital, the DarĂo Contreras trauma hospital, and at the Pearl F. Ort burns unit at the Luis Eduardo Aybar hospital, Emilio Mena Castro, HĂ©ctor Quezada and Carlos de los Santos, said they had not treated anyone for burns, in contrast with previous years.The children’s hospital dealt with just two holiday-related injuries, both as a result of road accidents: one child was killed after falling from a moving pick-up truck, and another child is still being treated for his injuries.“We did not receive any patients who were burned by fireworks, or with alcohol poisoning, or injured by firearms or stab wounds during the celebrations”, said M...
Dominican parents urged to reject "violent toys" for Reyes
Santo Domingo.- As parents flock to the stores to buy presents for their children for Monday’s Three Kings Day celebrations, the Educating for Peace Inter-institutional Committee (Ciepaz) has called on parents to buy their children educational toys and games.Ciepaz coordinator Aldenia Marte, stressed the influence that the "Educating for Peace" campaign had achieved since it started its work in 1998 in reducing the sale of violent toys, with the aim of changing violent behavior among children to tolerance.“According to one of the country’s toy importers, before we started campaigning their sales of violent toys made up 30% and since then it has gone down to 7%”, said Marte.She added that this initiative was founded as a result of a process started by the National District Prosecutor’s Office.She praised the response from several toy stores that have taken on the task of promoting educational toys, and the fact that some have even completely stopped selling violent toys.Marte said th...
Dominican Migration authorities vow to continue “clean-up”
Santo Domingo.- Migration department director Major General JosĂ© AnĂbal Sanz Jiminián has warned that he would continue to pursue airport immigration inspectors and supervisors who fail to comply with the established rules and regulations. Following the revelation that some 25 inspectors and supervisors had committed irregularities, Sanz Jiminián said that there was another reason to vet the staff: several inspectors have been found to have criminal records.The director also said that this year they hope to improve salaries and conditions for their employees and officials, and that he would be clamping down on anyone found to be committing irregularities.“We have big plans for Migration employees that we hope to put into practice and we will not allow anyone to commit deeds that could damage the institution’s image”, said Sanz Jiminián.He said that during his time at the head of the Migration department he had fired 25 inspectors and supervisors from Las AmĂ©ricas, Punta Cana, Cibao ...
Air rage incident diverts Dominican bound flight to Bermuda
Santo Domingo.- Three men are in custody after an air rage incident on the Thomson Airways flight.The
More rain forecast across Dominican Republic
Santo Domingo.- The National Meteorological Office (ONAMET) says that a system located to the north east of the country could lead to scattered rain showers in mountainous areas and in the north, north east, south east, south west and east.Onamet said that the temperatures would remain at a relatively low, pleasant level.The day will be partially cloudy and there is a chance of rain in the provinces of Puerto Plata, MarĂa Trinidad Sánchez, Samaná, Santiago, Sánchez RamĂrez, Monte Plata, San CristĂłbal, Hato Mayor, El Seibo, Santo Domingo and the National District.Cloud cover is expected to increase over the weekend and light rainfall is expected in the north, north west, north east, south east and mountainous areas, while in Santo Domingo and the National District there will be fewer clouds and scattered rain showers.
Dominican authorities start biometric process with prisoners
Santo Domingo.- The District Attorney for the National District Alejandro Moscoso Segarra has admitted that the fact that many of the detainees being held in the capital lack identity documents is a major problem, and in order to tackle this, they have started taking biometric details from prisoners taken to the Palace of Justice at Ciudad Nueva. This process is being coordinated with the Central Electoral Board (JCE).“All the prisoners who are in the DA’s preventive custody must go through this unit to leave their fingerprints so we can have greater control” said Moscoso.The DA added that the lack of documents hinders the effectiveness of justice, an opinion shared by the Assistant DA in Santo Domingo’s Capotillo neighborhood, JosĂ© Miguel MejĂa.
Dominican Republic holiday death toll reaches 30
SANTO DOMINGO.- Emergency Operations Center (COE) director Juan Manuel MĂ©ndez said 30 people died and 407 were affected during the holidays, which included the Christmas and New Year festivities.
Fuel prices unchanged for first week in 2009
SANTO DOMINGO. - The prices of petroleum derivatives will remain unchanged for the week from January 3 to 9, said the Industry and Commerce Ministry (SEIC).
Authorities rent properties in US$110M Medicare fraud
SANTO DOMINGO.- The Justice Ministry arranged the lease of 19 boats and businesses and starting this month will also rent 12 luxury apartments located in Malecon Center, a helicopter and eight apartments located in Bavaro, as part of the properties seized from the BenĂtez brothers in La Altagracia tourism region.
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DominicanToday.com - Tourism News
The first online newspaper in english language of the Dominican Republic.
Over 140,000 Dominicans came home for the holidays
Santo Domingo.- A total of 141,510 Dominicans who live overseas visited the country during the month of December. The total is 8,000 down compared to last year’s figures, when about 150,000 Dominicans visited their home country.This reduction of visitors from the United States, Puerto Rico and Europe is attributed to the current global economic crisis.Most of the visiting Dominicans came from the US, Puerto Rico, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Venezuela, Panama, Curacao, St Martin and Guadalupe.Although some airlines serving the DR had to put on some extra flights, this was not on the same scale as in 2006 or 2007, according to information provided by the country’s airports. As usual, American Airlines provided the largest number of flights, followed by Jet Blue, Copa, Spirit and Continental.Passenger complaints were down compared to previous years, registering fewer losses, damage to luggage and delays in receiving their luggage, thanks to a series of measures introduc...
New eco-friendly residences in Dominican Republic
Santo Domingo.– Las Arenas, a
Dominican real estate sector against paying 5% of land value
Santo Domingo.– The Dominican Association of Real Estate Tourism Companies (ADETI) is opposed to pay 5 percent of the land value for developing tourism projects. They claim the crisis is also affecting the tourism sector, which is one of Dominican economy's main income sources.
Tourist arrivals decline 5.8% in Dominican Republic
Fitch downgrades Cap Cana's US$250MM notes to 'CC/RR4'
Santo Domingo.– Fitch Ratings has downgraded the rating on Cap Cana, S.A.'s $250 million senior secured notes (due 2013) from 'CCC/RR4' to 'CC/RR4'. The rating remains on Rating Watch Negative due to an evolving
East hotels, tourism projects groups tap Hotelier of the Year
Punta Cana.- The East Zone
Air rage incident diverts Dominican bound flight to Bermuda
Santo Domingo.- Three men are in custody after an air rage incident on the Thomson Airways flight.The
Dominican president and Prince of Monaco launch project
Santo Domingo.- President Leonel Fernández says that although 2009 may bring many challenges, “Dominicans will emerge victorious thanks to the climate of peace and the investment projects in the pipeline”.He said that while many were predicting that the country was close to the edge and on the verge of an apocalypse, the country would rise to the challenges of the coming year as a result of dreams and hope.The president made these statements during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Punta Perla project on the east coast of the country. The project involves an investment of US$5 billion and will create 20,000 direct jobs in its first phase. Also present at the event were Albert II of Monaco and project president Ricardo Miranda.Fernández said that the project at Punta Perla, together with others that are under way, will weaken the effects of the economic crisis that is affecting the rest of the world."Thanks to the power of dreams and the power of utopia, today we are able to host t...
Denzel Washington vacations in Dominican Republic
Santo Domingo.- According to local media reports, movie actor and director Denzel Washington, winner of two Oscars, spent his Christmas vacation at Villa CaletĂłn in the Cap Cana tourist complex in the east of the country, where he also celebrated his 54th birthday. Washington told local reporters that the Dominican Republic was a “wonderful country”. Dominican actress Dania RamĂrez, of the "Heroes" TV series, and with the Minister of Tourism of the Turks and Caicos, Michael Misick were also at the celebrations. The press reported that Denzel Washington "enjoyed some good Dominican food and a swim in the sea".
Cuba breaks historical record of visitors
Barcelo Bavaro Palace re-opens for holiday season
Santo Domingo.– The Premium branded Barcelo Bavaro Palace, the jewel of the Barcelo
Barcelo Bavaro resort presents new luxury concept
DHL offers special promotion to DR and Caribbean
Dominican hotel Paradisus Palma Real launches the Reserve
Santo Domingo.– Following success at Paradisus Punta Cana, Paradisus Palma Real in the
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