NOVEMBER 2008

The history of the University in images

Park of Independence

The exhibition presents unseen photos of the history of the oldest academy of Americas.

To summarize 470 years of history in 138 images is a true exploit, and it is what was done to celebrate the birthday of the foundation of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) on the grids which surrounds the Park of Independence.

The exhibition called « A history to be learned », which is presented since the beginning of the last month, is a travel through the past of the academy which was founded on October 28, 1538 with the “In Apostulatus Culmine”, of the pope Paul III and which bore the name of « Saint Thomas Aquinas University ».

In addition to the most impressive historic moments, curious data on the American oldest house of high studies is also exhibited.

Hoy Digital, by Carmen Matos, 03.11.08

Third test of the Subway

Planned for next week

SANTO DOMINGO. - The third test of the first line of the Subway of Santo Domingo will be carried out next week, informed this Tuesday Leonel Carrasco.

Carrasco, sub-manager of the Office for the Reorganization of Traffic (OPRET) said that on the roads which cross in the sector of the Subway there will be order and control.

The civil servant said that the Subway of Santo Domingo was a great reality which will allow the massive movement of passengers.

The announcement coincides with the apogee of the power crisis which maintains in the darkness many parts of the country, which is due, according to the generating companies, to the fact that the government owes them approximately 400 million dollars this preventing them to acquire the necessary fuel for the turbines. On the orther hand, the authorities said that the generating companies have misled the Dominican state while not giving back the investments necessary to satisfy the national energy needs.

The Subway, which according to the authorities will have its own power generation, will consume an enormous electricity volume as well as for the engines as for the sign systems, the security and other components.

Al Momento, by Ramón González, 04.11.08

Fernández congratulates Barack Obama

Winner of the American elections

President Leonel Fernández made yesterday a pause within the framework of his official program in Qatar to send a congratulation message to the democratic presidential candidate, Barack Obama, who won the presidential elections on Tuesday in the United States, according to information of the press office of the National Palace.

Fernández, by the means of the press director, Rafael Núñez, said that the American people with his civic behavior while going massively to the ballot boxes, showed once again his attachment to the democratic values.

He said that Obama, with his people, had big things to undertake and big challenges to face for the construction of a better world for all the societies of the Continent.

Núñez informs that a congratulation note for Barack Obama was transmitted to the US embassy in Santo Domingo.

Fernández arrived on Tuesday to the capital of Qatar where he met with the Emir of Qatar and with authorities of the government and representatives of the private sector.

He left yesterday evening for the Arab Emirate Dubai, where he will stay until Saturday before going to London and New York. He will be back to Santo Domingo on November 12.

Hoy Digital, by Manuel Jiménez, 05.11.08

Vice-president Alburquerque takes the Subway

Best work of Century 21

The vice-president of the Republic, Doctor Rafaël Alburquerque, traveled in the Subway of Santo Domingo with the director of the Office for the Reorganization of Transport (OPRET), Engineer Diandino Peña, and he ensured that the Subway was the best infrastructure of the century 21 in the country.

After having started the course at the Los Héroes de Constanza, Maimón and Estero Hondo, station, Alburquerque indicated that the Metro had all the characteristics of an impressive work .

The Subway of Santo Domingo has definitively its place in Dominican Republic, positioning it like a high place of the Caribbean; he indicated.

Interviewed by the journalists at the end of the course at the Hermanas Mirabal station, Northern Santo Domingo, the vice-president drew aside the fact that the electric crisis could affect the inauguration of the Subway of Santo Domingo in next December.

He explained that the vice-president of the Corporation of the Official Electrical Companies (CDEEE), Radhamés Segura, ensured that the latter was temporary and that with the addition of several power units in Puerto Plata and in other points of the country, it would be solved.

As for the question of when work of the second line of the Subway of Santo Domingo would start, he explained that this information could be revealed only by Engineer Peña and President Leonel Fernández.

During his course, the vice-president was accompanied by his administrative, security and press collaborators, Fernando Reyes, colonel Alcántara and Felipe Romero, among other collaborators.

Primicias, 06.11.08

Tunnel will be closed

27 de Febrero Avenue

The Ministry of Public Works is announcing that the tunnel on 27 de Febrero Avenue will be closed as of 10 November.

The tunnel will only be closed between 11pm and 5am for one month as technicians renovate the extraction system within the tunnel.

Public Works says the same will be done in other tunnels located in Santo Domingo throughout the remainder of the year.

DR1, 07.11.08

Improvement of the traffic coming from the Eastern zone

AMET Plan

SANTO DOMINGO. – The Metropolitan Authority of Transport (AMET) informed that yesterday; it began a program of traffic improvement on the roads of Santo Domingo East, to help flow of vehicles at the rush hours.

The measure is carried out in coordination with the secretariat of Public Work from Monday to Friday, as of 7:00 am, to avoid the congestions which take place in the East-West direction at the first hours of the morning.

The organization explained that the Mella Bridge had only two ways for the vehicles going to the town centre from the various zones of Santo Domingo East.

According to a study carried out by AMET technicians, the quantity of vehicles are distributed in only one way in the morning (East-West) with 1.778 vehicles per hour, reason for which they decided to add to this direction a way of the opposite direction (West-East) to decrease the traffic jam because in this direction only 667 vehicles move per hour.

The additional way is taken into account from the 25 de Febrero Avenue to the José Martí Street on the Mella Bridge.

AMET indicated that this way was channeled with reflective cones, assistance of agents at the strategic points and cranes for the unforeseen events which could occur.

The organization specified that this measure will be applied in other critical points of the traffic because it represents a significant improvement during the first hours of the morning.

The program also proceeds on the Las Américas Avenue in the corner with San Vicente de Paúl and is supervised by the commander of the Metropolitan Police force of the Eastern zone, Leutenant Colonel Ramón Guzmán Peralta.

Listín Diario, 10.11.08

RD $800 million for canastas

Holiday season

The government will spend an estimated RD $800 million on the holiday season gift baskets, given to poor families at the end of each year.

The Christmas baskets, which are handed out to an estimated one million families, will include rice, beans, pasta, chicken, sardines, sugar, powdered milk, wine and apples.

DR1, 11.11.08

Leonel Fernandez returns to the country

After a 14-day world tour

Santo Domingo.- President Leonel Fernandez returned to the country around midnight from London, via New York, after a 14-day tour that included El Salvador, France, Qatar and the United Arab emirates, where he signed several economic cooperation, tourism, investment and energy agreements.

The chief executive began the tour October 29, with his participation in the Ibero-America Summit, which treated the topics of youth and education, from where he flew to Paris.

Fernandez said he was optimistic with the outcome of his tour of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, where he signed agreements he called beneficial for the country.

Dominican Today, 12.11.08

World Bank will support the country in electicity topic

Dominican Republic’s energy is priority

SANTO DOMINGO.- The World Bank’s new representative in Dominican Republic today said the energy topic is a priority for that organism and in the next few it will days renew strategies to support the Dominican government for the next four years.

Roby Senderowitsch, in a visit to Chamber of Deputies president Julio Cesar Valentin said the economic support for Dominican Republic for the next year has yet to be defined, because the World Bank must determine what the country’s needs are and the amount of funds to be assigned.

However, the official said the World Bank’s has preparation extra funds for Latin America’s most needy countries affected by the global crisis.

We have a battery of projects to work with regarding power and to support the government program.

Senderowitsch is the World Bank sub-regional manager in Dominican Republic since September and will officially settle in the country in January.

The Government has pending a third 50 million dollar payment, from a 150 million dollar loan from the World Bank to cover debts with the power companies, said Monday Radhamés Segura, vice president of the State-owned energy companies (CDEEE).

Listin Diario, Dominican Today, 13.11.08

Newest Dominican port gets radiation detectors

Multimodal Caucedo

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Customs Agency (DGA) announced Thursday it installed radioactive material detectors in Multimodal Caucedo port, the country’s newest and most modern, to bolster the security for international trade inside the country as well as to the foreign markets for Dominican exports.

DGA director Miguel Cocco said the equipment installed ensures that the country’s exported goods and those in international transit through this port are free from any threat of radioactive material.

The official said it will also contribute to the country’s reliability as a trading partner by reducing the risk of goods shipped from Dominicans ports.

Dominican Today, 14.11.08

The Columbus Alcazar

The priority is to restore and preserve the parts of the museum

The Palace Museum Alcazar of Columbus, whose construction dated from 1519 to 1514, will be subjected to a process of restoration in order to preserve the museum and so that the public can better know what was the first residence of Diego Columbus of Toledo.

Eva Camilo Andújar, who since her childhood showed her knowledge and her skills while writing and by working out history illustrated books, had the opportunity to materialize one of her dreams, to restore, modernize and launch again the Palace Museum Alcazar of Columbus, with 22 rooms and which was the first residence of this type built during the colonial time.

In this residence, three generations of the Columbus of Toledo family followed each another.

Almost all the museum collection was restored, but some pieces are now still missing. It was a patient and sensitive work.

A souvenir and objects’ shop relating to the Museum is already opened to the public.

The revival of the Museum will take place at the beginning of year 2009.

The Alcazar of Columbus is visited by 30.000 people each month. First building of this type erected in the colonial time, the Alcazar sheltered famous Spanish conquerors like Hernán Cortés and Pedro de Alvarado.

In this palace were born Juana, Isabel, Luis and Cristóbal Columbus of Toledo, children of don Diego Columbus and doña María of Toledo. Don Diego Columbus died in Spain in 1526 but doña María of Toledo, his wife, remained in the palace until her death in 1549.

Three generations of the Columbus of Toledo family lived in this residence, probably until 1577. The possession of the Palace was then object of contention during approximately two centuries as from this year.

Hoy Digital, by Arismendy Calderón, 17.11.08

Dominican Republic expects 22% more cruise ship tourists

Sans Souci will now prove to be the region’s most modern cruise terminal

SANTO DOMINGO.- The Boudicca Cruise’s arrival in Santo Domingo Port on Saturday marks the start of Dominican Republic’s 2008-09 cruise ship season, expected to draw through two terminals in the capital city 82,000 tourists, or 22 percent more than the last season.

Our priority is and will be the satisfaction and safety of the passengers and cruise lines that arrive at the Port and with the support the authorities we have been able to coordinate efforts to guarantee the cruise tourism’s security and well-being, said Sans Souci executive director Luis Molina.

He said with the new Sans Soucí Terminal’s start of operations this year, which with the TECDO Fair it was confirmed that it’s a great center for events it will now prove to be the region’s most modern and effective cruise terminal. With the start of the season Santo Domingo Port’s capacity, organization and infrastructure will be verified, and we’ll attend any need by cruise lines and tourists who visit our country.

During Boudicca’s welcome ceremony, Molina said more tourists will arrive in Santo Domingo Port because of the concerted effort and investment by the Sans Souci Group giving the port and harbor world class facilities and trained human resources.

Dominican Today, 18.11.08

The Government will deliver 2 thousand 300 residences in one month

264 were inaugurated in Eastern Santo Domingo

SANTO DOMINGO. - President Leonel Fernández inaugurated this Tuesday the “Invi Villa Progreso del Este” project in the commune of Santo Domingo East, which is composed of 264 apartments built with an investment of 279 million pesos.

The Agent, accompanied by the director of the National Housing Institute (INVI), Alma Fernández, cut the ribbon for the inauguration of the apartments, and handed the keys to the first 10 families.

Alma Fernández ensured that from now to next December, the government will hand 2 thousand 300 houses, of which 892 are located in the province of Santo Domingo.

She indicated that the inaugurated complex was composed of 264 housing units with drinking water, a sewage system with a treatment plant, asphalted streets, parking, green sectors and commercial premises.

Al Momento, 19.11.08

March against gender violence

Hundreds of people marched against domestic violence yesterday

Event organized by the Attorney General’s office.

On the theme « Zero Tolerance for Violence against Women » , the march started at 4 in the afternoon, and left from Kilometer 0 of Mirador Sur Park, and went down Winston Churchill Avenue ending in front of the Justice Palace in the Centro de los Heroes.

Minister for Women, Alejandrina German, was the first speaker to address the crowd, stressing the importance of working towards gender equality as a way of creating real development in society.

As reported in Diario Libre, assistant attorney general for Women’s Affairs Roxanna Reyes spoke of the importance of the march as a means of calling attention to the issue of violence against women.

Meanwhile Attorney General Radhames Jimenez outlined the progress that has been made in the fight against domestic violence through the creation of 14 centers in different parts of the country.

Also taking part in the march were Environment Minister Jaime David Fernandez Mirabal, National Police Chief Major General Rafael Guillermo Guzman Fermin and other officials. Most non-governmental organizations that work in favor of women were not present at the march.

DR1, 20.11.08

Coordination work for the future arrivals

Dominicans living abroad

LAS AMÉRICAS AIRPORT - The Head Office of Migration and the Consortium of the Dominican Airports Century XXI, (AERODOM) decided to set up some actions in preparation for the Festive Season, during which thousands of Dominicans residing abroad are coming back to the country to visit their families.

During the visit of the AERODOM executives to the director of the Migration, Major of the National police force, José Aníbal Sanz Jiminián, they announced the augmentation in the personnel of this organization as well as in the sector of the arrivals as of the departures of the passengers to the terminal of Las Américas.

The managing director of AERODOM, Rodolfo Salgado Leyva, said that the measures which will be applied will benefit as well as to the Dominicans returning to the country as to the tourists who are arriving for the Christmas holidays.

The director of Migration, Sanz Jiminián, informed that he gave instructions to all the personnel of the airports and ports of the country so that they facilitate the arrival process of the Dominicans and of the tourists.

According to the airport authorities, projection for December is that nearly three hundred and thousand passengers, among them Dominicans residing abroad and tourists of various nations will arrive to the country for the Festive Season.

El Viajero Digital, 21.11.08

1st Caribbean Art Auction will raise funds for needy

To benefit non-profit organizations

Santo Domingo.- The most unique and valuable Caribbean art that comes from private collections and donations will be auctioned to the highest bidders to benefit non-profit organizations and humanitarian associations for needed funds.

Anyone can participate including investors, professional art collectors, dealers, gallery owners and even representatives of the government in the acquisition of these works for national museums.

The auction will take place in the Melia Hotel Santo Domingo November 25, starting 8 p.m. and all the lots will be on display for viewing by potential buyers.

Dominican Today, 24.11.08

Dominican capital’s subway on track for December start

260 Santo Domingo State University (UASD) students have been trained

Santo Domingo.- The Transport Reform Office (Opret) is still on track with the programmed activities for the Santo Domingo Metro’s start of operations in December.

The regulatory entity’s personnel works in the high and low tensions lines, the control centers and electrical substations, said Opret assistant director Leonel Carrasco. Collaterally we are connecting all software units and the gigantic salon, called the main control.

Carrasco said 260 Santo Domingo State University (UASD) students have been trained to work in that department who also received training as train conductors and how to deal with people in the operational area.

The official said Opret advances to meet the programs and agreed procedures, which must be validated by several companies contracted for that purpose, including Cimex, the Tos Sin, Tales and Alstom, which supervise the electromechanical and rails systems and the rolling stock.

These people should give us a certification in the next few days, as soon as we conduct the pertinent tests.

Diario Libre, 25.11.08

More than half a million of passengers are awaited

Las Américas International Airport

LAS AMERICAS AIRPORT. - The Century 21 Dominican Airports Company is waiting for the arrival of more than half a million passengers in this terminal as from the next week.

The company anticipates that about 5.643 flights will arrive from the United States, Europe, Central and South America and the Caribbean; this is why one is preparing the flying as well as the ground personnel to receive them.

During this season, several airline companies announced that they would increase their flights number and others that they would restore those which had been cancelled because of the increase of the avtur price and of the operations costs.

Al Momento, 26.11.08

Long lines at a few hours before the plates renewal deadline

Expiry date on November 28

BREAKING NEWS: SANTO DOMINGO. – At less than one day of the deadline for the renewal of the plates for the motor vehicles, long lines of people were waiting in the banking organizations where this operation is carried out.

The time for the label plates renewal for the vehicles (bus, cars, trucks, vans and jeeps) is expiring this Friday.

The Head Office of the Internal Taxes (DGII) announced more than one month ago that the deadline for the plate renewal was on November 28, and informed the owners of vehicles that no extension would be allowed.

The organization explained that they would perceive 500 pesos of surtax for each delay in addition to the sanctions implemented by the Metropolitan Authority of Transport (AMET).

Yesterday Thursday, at the time of a city tour, journalists of ALMOMENTO.NET went through the headquarters and the branches of the Asociación Popular de Ahorros y Préstamos and of the Popular Bank and observed long files under a blazing sun.

Al Momento, by Ramón Gonzalez, 28.11.08