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Friday, September 30, 2011

Dominican Republic 2011 GDP seen growing 5.1 pct

The Dominican Republic's economy is expected to grow by 5.1 percent this year and is forecast to expand 5.5 percent in 2012, the country's economy minister told Reuters on Thursday.

The growth outlook for next year will be included in the 2012 budget the government plans to submit to Congress in the coming days, Economy Minister Temistocles Montas said.

Montas said the government is also forecasting inflation next year of 5.5 percent.

The Caribbean country, one of the largest economies in the region, is on pace to record its third straight year of growth in 2011.

The International Monetary Fund said on Thursday it was lowering its 2011 growth projection to between 4 percent and 5 percent from a previous forecast of between 5 percent and 5.5 percent.

"Despite an unexpected deterioration in the external environment, overall macroeconomic conditions remain favorable," it said in a statement after an IMF mission visit as part an ongoing economic aid program.

"While there has been a deceleration in activity, the economy is growing at the healthy rate of about 4 percent," the statement said.

The IMF said headline inflation had reached 10 percent in August year-on-year, but was expected to fall to between 7 percent and 8 percent by the end of 2011. The Washington-based lender forecast 2012 inflation of between 5 percent and 6 percent.

The Dominican Republic's economic outlook led Standard & Poor's to raise the country's credit rating in June to B-plus from B, citing prospects the economy will continue to expand. [ID:nN13221092]

The rating is four notches below investment grade.

S&P said at the time the economy will be helped by the reopening of a key nickel mine this year and the 2012 production start at Barrick Gold's (ABX.TO) Pueblo Viejo gold project, the Dominican Republic's largest foreign investment.

A recent research note from Barclays Capital also said it sees the country poised for steady growth, adding the Dominican Republic remained one of its top sovereign picks among Central American and Caribbean countries.

The IMF approved a $1.66 billion economic aid program for the country in 2009 when it was hard hit by the global financial crisis.

The IMF said "program performance remains broadly satisfactory" but added authorities had recently missed two targets laid out in the program including reducing government subsidies to the electricity sector and the consolidated fiscal deficit.


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Source: Reuters

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Caracas raises Dominican Republic’s oil quota to 50,000 barrels daily

The government of Venezuela announced Tuesday it will raise the supply of crude to Dominican Republic from 30,000 to 50,000 barrels daily through the Petrocaribe pact, which allows the country to buy oil on credit and with soft interests.

Venezuela Foreign Relations minister Nicolas Maduro delivered the message to president Leonel the Fernandez during a meeting in the New York Palace hotel.

The official, representing president Hugo Chavez the in 66th UN General Assembly, was accompanied by Dominican par Carlos Morales. He said he brought Chavez’s message exclusively to president Leonel Fernandez.

Maduro also told Fernandez that Chavez’s recovery is nearly complete with chemotherapy treatments to counter the cancer that affects him, and that he’s in good spirits.

“With this president Hugo Chavez not only ratifies Venezuela’s support for Petrocaribe, but also widens the amount of petroleum it provides to the country by around 20,000 barrels daily, because we are currently receiving only 30,000,” Morales said.

He said the Dominican government had sought the increase in Petrocaribe’s quota daily to increase the reserve and deal with higher international crude prices, “not to load the dices against the consumers. More than an increase which we sought was to reach the goal of around 50,000 barrels daily.”


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Source: Dominican Today

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Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Border services releases wife of Dominican Republic tourist who ran away

A woman from the Dominican Republic who was arrested by RCMP in Winnipeg and turned over to Canada Border Services has been released, bringing an apparent end to a bizarre story.

Border Services spokeswoman Lisa White says Leonarda Bonilla Nunez has been freed because she's not violating immigration laws.

White says the woman has community and financial support, a valid visitor's visa and a ticket to return home.

Bonilla Nunez was arrested not long after her husband, Santos Nunez, jumped out of a moving vehicle and ran into the bush near Arran, Sask., just two days after arriving on a visitor's visa.

He was found dehydrated and sick in a field south of Thunder Hill, Man., but Border Services determined he hadn't violated immigration laws.

A source told The Canadian Press the couple will be staying in Edmonton.

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Source: Winnipeg Free Press

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Genecell International Opens office in the Dominican Republic

GeneCell International, a trusted provider in the processing and preservation of umbilical cord blood, announced today the opening of its new offices in the Dominican Republic’s capital city, Santo Domingo. The company, with its corporate headquarters located in Miami, Florida, collects and stores umbilical cord blood, dental pulp and adipose tissue that can later be used to treat a variety of diseases and blood disorders. GeneCell hosted a launch cocktail-style event at Taboo Bamboo, a local restaurant in the heart of Santo Domingo, to celebrate the opening of the new offices.

The event was attended by more than 60 doctors and featured several keynote speakers. The evening’s program was kicked-off with a special introduction by CEO of GeneCell International Eduardo Cortez, who welcomed guests and shared his excitement on the company’s successful expansion into the Dominican Republic. Mr. Cortez also recognized special guests including Dr. Todd Flower, Laboratory Director of the Miami facility, and Dr. Adriana Lopez, Laboratory Director of the Venezuelan facility, as well as Dr. Albert Milcíades, Medical Director of the Dominican Republic facility. Mr. Cortez’s introduction was immediately followed by a special presentation made by Dr. Lopez, who spoke of the current, potential and future applications of cord blood, dental pulp and adipose stem cells, with an emphasis on cord blood stem cells and their scientific advances. A client testimonial was also provided by well-known and respected radio personality, Miralba Ruiz, who applauded GeneCell’s efforts and urged doctors to inform their patients about this potentially life-saving opportunity.

Other notable and prominent guests, and strong supporters of GeneCell, in attendance included Medical Director and President of La Sociedad Dominicana de Ginecología y Obstetricia Dr. Albert Milcíades and the Dean of UNIBE (Universidad Iberoamericana) Dr. Julio Castaño Guzmán.

Special GeneCell staff members in attendance included Sales Manager Cesarina Vazquez, Marketing and Sales Assistant Aida Beltre and Administrative Assistant Binny Felix.

“Our new office in the Dominican Republic extends our reach and makes our services easily accessible for parents in the country looking to preserve viable adult stem cells from both umbilical cord blood and dental pulp,” said GeneCell’s Operations Director, Jose Cirino. “These stem cells are used to safeguard families against diseases once considered untreatable. GeneCell International has deep roots in Latin America and more than a decade of experience in helping parents make informed decisions that can lead to potentially life-saving possibilities.”

Alongside its commitment to educating the public on the benefits of cord blood preservation, GeneCell’s presence in Florida and Latin America makes it uniquely qualified to provide information for the Hispanic community. For many Hispanics who require umbilical cord blood stem cells for medical treatments, genetic matches are often difficult to find. GeneCell maintains a large presence in Latin America – the company operates a large facility in Venezuela - promoting the practice and encouraging families to bank their newborns’ cord blood to help protect their loved ones.

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Source: PR Web

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Monday, September 26, 2011

Dominican Republic Calls For End To Food As 'Financial Asset'

The President of the Dominican Republic on Thursday railed against excessive speculation in energy and commodities markets, blaming Wall Street for social unrest in developing countries related to volatile food prices.

Regulation should, "ban the use of food as a financial asset," said President Leonel Fernandez, speaking to U.S. regulators, activists and leaders of several Latin American countries concerned about the role of speculators in recent commodity price spikes.

President Fernandez will present several resolutions to the United Nations General Assembly this week designed to push for greater international regulation of grains, oil and other basic goods.

The sharp rise in oil and agricultural prices in recent years has increased calls from governments and some market watchers to limit the size of speculative positions, halt the rise of high-speed trading and use other regulatory tactics to reduce the influence of speculators in derivatives.

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Source: NASDAQ

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Sunday, September 25, 2011

Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Resort, Dominican Republic, Receives Prestigious OK Kosher Certification

Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Resort (LHVR), located in Puerto Plata on the North Coast of the Dominican Republic, has been honored with the distinction of receiving the prestigious OK Kosher Certification, one of the most respected global symbols of kosher approval in an era of soaring demand for kosher food.

LHVR's complete year-round kosher vacation experience features a full kosher kitchen with kosher chef in residence, a kosher restaurant with a buffet and an a la carte menu, an orthodox synagogue, rabbinical services, and a kosher villa environment planned. The kosher kitchen and kosher restaurant operations will be under the strict rabbinical orthodox supervision of OK Kosher's Rabbi Don Yoel Levy, Rabbi Gornish and Rabbi Dovid Golowinski, and LHVR kosher chef Dani Ohana with a mashgiach on site following the Kashruth Jewish Dietary Laws for Glatt kosher, Chalav Yisroel and Pas Yisroel. A variety of Sephardic, Ashkenazi and international menu items will be offered.

"We are honored to receive the OK Kosher certification and designation," said Fadi Hamad, Corporate Food and Beverage Director, Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Resort. "It means we are held to the highest standards in offering this very specialized vacation experience."

Upcoming holidays during which appropriate kosher foods will be served at Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Resort include Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. Each and every Shabbat there will be a Friday night Meal and Kiddush served early Shabbat afternoon. Later on Shabbat day, Seudah Shlishit will be available.

Under the leadership of Rabbi Don Yoel Levy and his father, Rabbi Berel Levy, consumers have come to equate the OK symbol with elite kosher standards since 1935. Operating on six continents and supported by more than 350 of the world's leading kosher experts, OK Kosher certifies more than 500,000 products, produced by over 2,500 companies, and a select few resort properties.

Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Resort, located on Cofresi beach and with majestic mountain views, features luxury accommodations, gourmet restaurants, cafes, swimming pools, daily activities, and concierge services for destination tours. LHVR encompasses six distinct developments which all offer the Kosher Vacation Experience, including The Tropical, The Crown Suites, The Crown Villas, The Residence Suites, The Presidential Suites By Lifestyle and the new Royal Suites.

Guests and their families have a wide variety of activities available to them in the Dominican Republic's North Coast. Next door is the Ocean World Adventure Park with its daily animal and aquatic shows and casino. Other activities in the area include a cable car ride to the peak of Mount Isabel de Torres, white water rafting, horseback riding, deep sea fishing, boating, snorkeling, monster truck safaris and city tours of Puerto Plata.


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Source: Market Watch

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Saturday, September 24, 2011

IMF: Global factors roll back Dominican Republic growth projection

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Thursday said the country’s inflation continues to climb, and the goals of the electrical sector’s current deficit and consolidated fiscal deficit weren’t reached by the end of June.

It said there are delays in specific areas of the structural reforms agenda, though the performance of the program with Dominican Republic continues being satisfactory in general.

IMF delegation chief Alejandro Santos, when concluding the agreement’s 7th revision, said despite an unexpected deterioration in the external environs the country’s macroeconomic conditions remain favorable. He said despite a deceleration, the economy is still growing at a rate of around 4 percent.

The IMF official said external conditions aren’t as favorable, and the growth projection for 2011 was reduced to 4-5%, from the previous 5-5.5%.

Santos said inflation continues to rise, pushed mainly by prices of raw materials. “The general annualized inflation reached 10% in August, but it’s expected to fall to 7-8% at year end and 5-6% in 2012, because the monetary conditions remain tight.

"The program’s performance continues satisfactory in general terms, although two performance criteria for the end of June 2011 weren’t reached, the goal for the current deficit of the electrical sector and the goal for the consolidated fiscal deficit,” he said.

Santos added that the agenda’s application of the structural reforms continues on the right path, despite delays in specific areas. “The fiscal actions recently adopted in mid 2011, such as the tax measures, the tighter additional budget and the adjustments in electricity prices place the fiscal objectives for 2011 at its reach, including the consolidated public sector deficit of 3 percent of the GDP, although some additional refinements in the policies are necessary.”

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Source: Dominican Today

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Friday, September 23, 2011

City donating fire truck to city in Dominican Republic

Mayor Bill Finch and Fire Chief Brian Rooney will turn over the keys to a decommissioned fire department pumper truck the city is donating to the town of Juma Bejucal, Bonao in the Dominican Republic on Saturday, Sept. 17.

Through the efforts of the Rev. Simon Castillo, fire department chaplain, the fire truck, a 1986 Hahn pumper truck, will be shipped to the island for use by the fire department.

The mayor and the fire chief will turn over the truck to the secretary of the interior of the Dominican Republic, and the leaders of Monsenor Nouel Province and representatives of the Juma Bejucal, Bonao fire department.

The mayor, assisted by representatives from the Dominican Republic, will raise the Dominican Republic flag at City Hall.

Finch; Rooney; Police Chief Joseph Gaudett; Castillo, fire department chaplain; Jose Ramon Fadul, secretary of the interior of the Dominican Republic, and representatives of the Monsenor Nouel province and the town of Juma Bejucal, Bonao fire departments.


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Source: The Bridgeport News

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Thursday, September 22, 2011

International Children’s Heart Foundation to Expand Program in the Dominican Republic

International Children’s Heart Foundation (ICHF) announced today that they will be expanding and nationalizing their program in the Dominican Republic to include Santo Domingo beginning September 2011. ICHF is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing lifesaving surgical care to children with congenital heart disease throughout the developing world.

ICHF, which already serves the Dr. Arturo Grullon Regional Children’s Hospital in Santiago, will now begin a program at Dr. Robert Reid Cabral Children’s Hospital in Santo Domingo. ICHF staff and volunteers will travel from the United States five times per year for four years to perform lifesaving pediatric surgeries. The agreement also enables the local doctors and nurses to benefit from ICHF’s educational curriculum which will give them the skills to carry out complex surgeries independently.

The First Lady of the Dominican Republic, Dra. Margarita Cedeno de Fernandez, and her staff were instrumental in bringing the cardiac program to Santo Domingo. As part of the First Lady’s initiative to improve the health and wellness for the children of the Dominican Republic, partnering with ICHF in Santiago and now Santo Domingo will bring the number of children who receive cardiac care to almost 200 per year.

“I am extremely pleased and very happy that together with the support of the International Children’s Heart Foundation and the Hospital Dr. Robert Reid Cabral, it is a reality that today, parents and relatives of low income Dominican children are able to see a light on the road; hoping to save the lives of their young who are born with congenital heart disease,” said First Lady Cedeno de Fernandez. ”Thanks to this medical mission, not only will these children be operated at no cost, but local medical staff will benefit from a progressive training program of world class with some of the best cardiologists from around the world who selflessly offer their knowledge for the benefit of the most vulnerable. “

Alberto Marzan, the CEO of ICHF, is originally from Santiago, Dominican Republic. He feels a special responsibility to the children of the Dominican Republic. ”As a Dominican American, I have been fortunate enough to be in a position that allows me to make a difference in the Dominican Republic,” said Marzan. “The children of the Dominican Republic are the winners here and will continue to benefit for the years to come.”

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Source: News.Gnomes.es

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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Japan increases demand for native Dominican fruit

Japan is demanding a lot of agricultural products and fruits produced in the Dominican Republic, especially mango, avocado, melon, pineapple and nuts, for which its citizens are willing to pay a lot, provided they maintain the quality required by the market.

Takuji Tomon, voluntary representative of Japan sent by JICA (International Cooperation from Japan Agency), said during an interview in the newspaper Listin Diario that the percentage of Dominican exports to their country is still very low and therefore from the embassy in the Dominican Republic, the cluster of mango and Dominican Association of Exporters (Adoexpo) are working together to increase local exports to the Asian nation.


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Source: Fresh Plaza

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

U.S. to Protect Migrant Workers from Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Salvador

U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and ambassadors from the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and El Salvador signed accords recently to protect the labor rights of immigrant workers from those nations.

By means of the “We Can Help” (Podemos Ayudar) program, the Labor Department plans to aid immigrant workers who suffer abuse in the workplace or have their rights as workers violated.

“We understand that many migrant workers in America are afraid to report mistreatment because it can lead to more abuse, the loss of their job or deportation. With these partnerships, we seek to remove these fears,” Solis said at the signing ceremony.

The accords signed by Costa Rican Ambassador Muni Figueres, Dominican envoy Anibal Castro and El Salvador’s Claudia Beltran, are similar to existing pacts with Nicaragua, Guatemala and Mexico.

“Our goal is to help workers and employers understand that labor laws are enforced and enforceable, giving everyone the opportunity to comply with the U.S. laws that cover all workers,” Solis said.

Through the 50 Mexican consulates in the United States, and now the embassies of the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and El Salvador, immigrants working in the U.S. can report any case of abuse on the job and get help.

“Immigrants are not a threat to the United States, just the opposite. It’s essential that they understand their rights as workers and that they stop being afraid of being fired or deported,” the Mexican ambassador, Arturo Sarukhan, said Monday at the signing ceremony.

The program improves the information that immigrant workers have about U.S. labor laws and allows U.S. officials to counsel both workers and employers on such topics as wages, job security and health-care laws, areas in which foreign employees can be vulnerable.

Jobs that typically have the greatest number of labor-law violations are in construction, cleaning, and the hotel and catering business, where a great many immigrant workers are employed.

Guatemala, which signed the accord several months ago, is very positive about the program, the ambassador of that country to Washington, Julio Armando Martini-Herrera, told Efe.

“We’ve had people from the Labor Department visiting our consulates to inform Guatemalan citizens about their employment situation and the word has spread incredibly. I wish people in our own country could be as well informed,” Martini-Herrera said. EFE


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Source: Latin American Herald Tribune

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Monday, September 19, 2011

Dominican Republic man found in Manitoba field

THE bizarre story of a tourist from the Dominican Republic who vanished in Saskatchewan took another strange twist this week when RCMP found the man dehydrated and sick in a field south of Thunderhill, Man.

Last Sunday, Santos Nunez, 50, jumped out of a moving vehicle and ran into the bush near Arran, Sask., just two days after arriving in Canada on a visitor's visa.

At first, it appeared the man had suffered a medical crisis and had become disoriented and separated from his group, but RCMP soon discovered he may have faked a stomach ailment in order to get away.

They said he had a significant amount of cash on him and suspected he might be headed to the United States.

On Wednesday, he was found and turned over to Canada Border Services Agency, which had issued warrants for Nunez. His wife, Leonarda Bonilla Nunez, was also arrested by RCMP in Winnipeg on Wednesday and turned over to border services.

Nunez's son, Carlos Angelo Bonilla, has been worried about his father.

Through a translator, he said his father had come to Canada to help build a deck for a Canadian he had met back home.

Bonilla said he was surprised to hear his father, who works as a hotel superintendent, had jumped from a car and made a run for it. "He never had a problem with nobody or the police."


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Source: Winnipeg Free Press

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Randy Houser Marries Jessa Lee Yantz In The Dominican Republic

Randy Houser has tied the knot with fellow singer-songwriter Jessa Lee Yantz in the Dominican Republic.

The couple's ceremony took place in Punta Cana on Friday in front of a small group of 20 or so family and friends and was officiated by a friend of the couple. Houser and Yantz performed an a capella version of the classic number "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" (popularized by both Van Morrison and Rod Stewart)and recited self-penned vows.

Houser recently gushed about Yantz — to whom he proposed in July with a customized engagement ring — during a sit-down with People magazine: "I finally found the person that I can't be without. Jessa makes me a better person every day, and I look forward to spending the rest of my life with her."

Houser is best known for his hits "Boots On" and "Anything Goes."


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Source: RTT News

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Friday, September 16, 2011

Experts from Nine Countries to Alzheimer Congress in Cuba

Neurologists, psychiatrists, and psychologists from nine countries will take part in the 5th Ibero-American Congress of Alzheimer, dedicated to the prevention and control of this disease.

Experts from the Dominican Republic, Peru, Venezuela, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba, will represent Latin America in this event, to be held from October 20 to 22 at Havana's Conference Center.

Representatives of Spain, the United Kingdom, and the UNited States will also attend the Congress.

Topics such as Epidemiology and the global impact of dementias, their early diagnose, and an approach to the light cognitive impairment therapy are included in the Congress' agenda.

Round tables focused on the genetics and environmental differences in the dementias among countries and regions, as well as family-oriented programs.

The 5th Ibero-American Congress of Alzheimer is sponsored by the International Federation and the Cuban Section of that disease.


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Source: Ahora

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Thursday, September 15, 2011

Brugal Unveils 1888 Rum

A new rum expression from the Dominican Republic is taking a page from the Scotch whisky playbook. Brugal's new, limited-edition 1888 is an extended-age, ultra-premium rum that is finished in Sherry casks.

Brugal, a pioneer in marketing aged rums, typically matures its spirits strictly in American-oak barrels used in Bourbon making, but in this case has employed an innovation first made popular in Scotland in the 1990s by adding a second maturation period called a finish. The subsequent aging was done in casks made of European oak used to hold Sherry.

The rum is a complex mixture of sweetness and spice, with big, round bready notes as well. Priced at about 50 bucks, it occupies the higher regions of rum tariffs, but easily holds its own against other spirits of comparable cost.

This introduction is the latest surge in an effort to bring Brugal, which is hugely popular in the Caribbean, to the attention of the American market. The 1888 rum joins four other Brugal products currently available in the United States: an aged white rum, a gold rum, Añejo and Extra Viejo.

George Espie, the master of wood of The Macallan single-malt whisky, was responsible for picking the casks for the 1888. The Macallan, a Speyside single malt, has long been synonymous with Sherry-cask aging and has a highly revered wood management program. The Edrington Group, which obtained a majority interest in Brugal in 2008, also counts The Macallan and three other Scotch whiskies among its core brands.

The rum is a blend of spirits aged between five and 14 years. By comparison, Brugal's Extra Viejo is aged five to eight years. All the casks for 1888 were laid in a horizontal position to maximize contact with the wood, according to the company.

The name of the rum commemorates the year that Andrés Brugal Montaner started Brugal, beginning a legacy of five generations in the rum business. The founder was born in Spain and emigrated to Cuba, where he learned the rum business before moving to the Dominican Republic to start his own company.


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Source: Cigar Aficionado

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Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Wartsila wins power plant order from the Dominican Republic

Power plant specialist Wartsila has been awarded a turnkey €155m contract by Barrick Gold to supply a gas-fired power plant for a project in the Dominican Republic. The combined cycle power plant will provide electricity for the Pueblo Viejo gold mine.

The Finnish company will supply 12 Wartsila 50DF engine units in combined cycle. These are dual use and can run both on liquid fuels and on natural gas. The power plants can be optimised for different outputs in the 100 to 500 MW range and each engine is equipped with a waste heat recovery steam generator.

The plant has one common steam turbine and a condenser and the cooling is arranged so that the combustion engines are cooled with closed loop radiators and the steam cycle with cooling towers.

Wärtsilä already has a presence in the Dominican Republic with 900 MW of installed generating capacity in the country, representing around half of the country's active electrical capacity.


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Source: C.O.S.P.P.

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Hiding in the Caribbean: the fugitive trader who bankrolled the Lib Dems

Michael Brown who gave £2.4m to party before 2005 election is now hiding in the Dominican Republic under a false British identity.

The Liberal Democrats' biggest donor, who has been on the run for three years after being convicted of a multimillion pound theft, is hiding in the Dominican Republic under a false British identity, the Guardian can disclose.

Michael Brown, 45, the convicted Glaswegian who bankrolled the party with £2.4m of stolen money, is being sought by British authorities on the Caribbean island but is currently at large. Brown disappeared from Britain while on parole and was sentenced in his absence to seven years in prison.

The disclosure of Brown's bolthole will be an embarrassment for Nick Clegg. His party has refused to compensate Brown's victims, some of whom claim their money went directly into the party's coffers to finance the 2005 election campaign.

City of London police detectives have been in talks with the Crown Prosecution Service over how to bring back Brown. The Dominican Republic does not have an extradition treaty with Britain. The Home Office is believed to have approached its government for help in apprehending him.

While on the island, Brown has been based in the province of La Altagracia, the easternmost tip of the Republic close to some of its most beautiful beaches.

One source with knowledge of Brown said he has lived a low-key but pleasant life. "His businesses have been doing OK. He has lived in a wealthy area, he loves the beaches and he plays golf on some of the world's best courses. It could be worse."

Brown, who was using an alias, was held on remand by the Dominican authorities while he was investigated over an oil deal. Court papers from the country's capital in Santa Domingo show he was accused by a Dominican businessman in February of failing to honour a contract for 4,820 tonnes of oil.

He was ordered to be held for three months while the investigation continued. Its outcome is not known.

It has also been established that he launched a real estate business in 2008 based in the Republic, and has launched a subsidiary in Nassau in the Bahamas.

Michael Robert Alexander Brown appeared from nowhere when he approached the Liberal Democrats in November 2004 with a generous offer of money for Charles Kennedy's impending election campaign.

The brash, ponytailed Brown claimed to be an offshore trader living in Majorca. His claimed his clients were vetted by US embassy officials. Despite not being a party member, not being registered to vote and living abroad, he was welcomed with open arms by the party's grandees. Money came through his company, 5th Avenue Partners, in four tranches. It remains the biggest donation ever received by the party from an individual.

In the general election, the party increased its share of the vote by nearly 4% after the cash was spent on posters and advertising.

Brown told journalists that he had given the enormous donation because he liked Kennedy. "Charles is my kind of man. And I like to see a level playing field," he said.

Within months, Brown was flying Kennedy across Britain in a private jet and was being invited to dinners in Mayfair. Former Lib Dem insiders say he dazzled them with stories of Gordonstoun public school and St Andrew's University.

In fact, he had failed his maths O-level at his local school and completed a City and Guilds in catering at Glasgow College of Food Technology. He had no US government links – although he was wanted in Florida for cheque fraud.

Brown was arrested in late 2005 after four former clients came forward claiming he had duped them out of more than £40m in a high-yield fraud.

His victims included Martin Edwards, the former Manchester United chairman, who had invested £8m with 5th Avenue Partners.

In June 2008, while awaiting trial for theft, false accounting and perverting the course of justice, Brown fled and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

In the weeks before he disappeared from his Hampstead bail address in north London, he changed his name on the electoral roll to Campbell-Brown and allowed his hair to turn grey.

In his absence the court was told that the political donation was made to impress clients and create an air of importance and influence around Brown.

The disclosure of his whereabouts has given hope to Brown's victims who are still owed millions.

A copy of the passport that Brown has been using has been obtained by the Guardian. It shows a noticeably older and gaunt Brown, sporting dark hair and a goatee beard, compared with photographs taken four years ago when he was awaiting trial. He is believed to have adopted someone else's real identity which has been obscured at the request of the police.

Tony Brown, managing partner at law firm Bivonas which represents US attorney Robert Mann who was lost more than $5m (£3m), said: "This development may allow us to pursue Brown's assets in the Dominican Republic for our client."

Mann's legal team was forced last year to drop a high court claim against the Lib Dems for the return of around $600,000 after running out of funds. He hopes that if Brown is returned to Britain, any subsequent court case could cause further uncomfortable questions for the party.The Liberal Democrats have maintained that the money was received in good faith and have been cleared by an Electoral Commission inquiry into Brown's donations.

A police investigation has been launched this week into how Brown fraudulently obtained a passport. A spokesman for City of London police declined to comment. The Home Office declined to comment.


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Source: The Guardian (UK)

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Canada's top official for the Americas to visit Dominican Republic

Canada Ambassador Todd Kuiack on Friday announced the visit by his country’s Foreign Relations Minister for the Americas and Head of Consular Affairs, Diane Ablonczy, to Dominican Republic from September 12 to 16.

“This will be an historical visit that a Canadian minister visits the country in a bilateral manner and is a symbol of the ever closer relations between both countries,” the diplomat said.

He said Ablonczy’s visit will father strengthen the ties between both countries and thanked the Dominican people for welcoming the more than 750,000 Canadians that visit their country every year.

Ablonczy, who holds the senior position since January 2011, was chosen representative in the House of Commons in for the first time in 1993 and reelected in the 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2011 terms, said the emailed statement from the Canadian Embassy. “In August of 2007 she was designated Secretary of State in charge of Medium Company and Tourism, then Minister of State in charge of that same agency in 2008. In 2010 she was designated Minister of State in charge of the Aged.

The senior official has also been the parliamentary secretary of the minister of the Treasury, as well as member of the permanent commissions of Citizenship and Immigration, of Human Resources Development and of the Status of People with handicaps and Health problems.

“Minister Ablonczy is a graduate of Calgary University in Education and Laws. She is married and has five children and five grandchildren,” the Canadian Embassy said, adding that during her stay in the country, she will have a busy agenda, including meetings with President Leonel Fernandez, with government officials, among many activities.

“Canada was the pioneer in the all included tourism in the North Coast in 1983. There are more than 200 direct flights between the country and Canada per week during the high season,” it said, noting that the Dominican Republic is the world’s fourth biggest destination for Canadian tourists.


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Source: Dominican Today

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Dominican Republic’s catholic bishops must retire on age

Dominican Republic’s catholic hierarchy faces sweeping changes in the next two years with several bishops reaching the age in which the Canonical Law forces them to submit their resignation as head of their diocese, including Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, who’ll have to do so within two months.

Canon 401of the Canonical Right stipulates that Lopez Rodriguez, who’ll turn 75 on October 31, is the age on which the Vatican requires that he submit his resignation as the country’s archbishop. “To the diocesan bishop who has reached 75 years of age is requested to submit his resignation to the Office to the Extreme Pontiff, providing it with considering all the circumstances.”

The Pope however isn’t forced to accept immediately it after receiving the letter of resignation, for which the bishop at issue can remain with the title beyond the stipulated age to tender his resignation.

In Lopez Rodriguez’s case, the Archbishop could continue as head of the Santo Domingo Archdioceses beyond 75 years of age, because in addition to his good health, is an influential member of the Conclave of Cardinals, and who maintain their status as “electing cardinals” until the age of 80, with the right to vote for a new Pope if necessary.


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Source: Dominican Today

Monday, September 12, 2011

EnviroGold completes mining exercise in Dominican Republic

Australian-based mineral resources company EnviroGold Limited has completed a trial mining exercise in Las Laguna’s gold tailings project in the Dominican Republic.

The company is excited to be nearing gold and silver production early next year in an environment of several billion, according to Brian Johnson, executive chairman of EnviroGold Limited.

The project was designed to ease operations under dry conditions; it is proposed to doze tailings to an excavator which will load directly into moveable penstock.

The material will reportedly be slurried before being pumped to the process plant; 200 metres downstream from the storage damn.


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Source: Mining Australia

Sunday, September 11, 2011

New Permanent Representative of Dominican Republic Presents Credentials

The new Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations, Héctor Virgilio Alcántara, presented his credentials today to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Mr. Alcántara previously served as Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations between 1990 and 1993.

Most recently, Mr. Alcántara was the Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the Organization of American States (2008-2011). Among other diplomatic posts held during his diverse career, he served as Ambassador and Consul General of the Dominican Republic to both the Republic of Korea (1998-1999) and Japan (1993-1994), and, concurrently, as Ambassador to Canada (1993).

He served as Adviser to the Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs (2005-2008) and Adviser to the Secretary of State of Finance (2006-2008). He was Adviser to the Supreme Court of Justice for the Programme for the Renovation of Land Jurisdiction (2003-2005).

Mr. Alcántara also has significant experience in the academic and media sectors. He was Associate Director of the Dominican Institute of Applied Studies (2003-2008) and served as director of several Dominican newspapers, including El Financiero (2003) and El Expreso (2001). He was both director and founder of the newspapers Hoy (1980-1988) and Ultima Hora (1970-1980).

Between 1970 and 1975, Mr. Alcántara taught journalism at the Instituto Dominicano de Periodismo.

The incoming Ambassador received his Bachelor of Arts degree in communication sciences from Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (1967), and undertook graduate studies in journalism at the Latin America International Centre for Superior Studies.

Born in the Dominican Republic in 1943, Mr. Alcántara is married with four children.


Source: IEWY

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Saturday, September 10, 2011

Dominican Republic Announces Consulate Aimed at Hollywood

If you want to be close to "Hollywood," it seems the thing to do is open your office in Glendale, California. That's what the Dominican Republic did over the weekend in announcing the relocation of its consulate from San Francisco to Los Angeles County.

"We are creating a direct link between Hollywood and the film industry in the Dominican Republic," explained Rafael Alburquerque, the vice president of the Dominican Republic. (If you're not familiar with Los Angeles geography, "Hollywood," as it refers to the movie studios, has moved largely to Burbank, which is right next door to Glendale.)

He spoke to a crowd of movie industry executives and what might have been every Dominican in southern California at a party in the plaza of the office building housing the new consulate. The Dominican officials in attendance expressed that the new consulate would be a "one-stop shop" for anyone wanting information about doing business in the Dominican Republic.

The party in honor of the inauguration of the consulate featured Dominican food, rum and, of course, cigars. An outdoor smoking lounge was set up on the ample sidewalk. Arturo Fuente and La Aurora cigars were available for sampling.

Dominican officials explained that a new law in the Caribbean nation, law 108, provides financial incentives to increase movie production on the island that has already had at least parts of notable films like Godfather II, Miami Vice, and Andy Garcia's The Lost City (featuring scenes at Chateau Fuente), among other movies, shot there. The films benefited from the tropical climate and scenery, as well as an architectural infrastructure that resembles, for example, Cuba.

Now producers can also benefit from incentives amounting to a 25 percent tax credit on all production expenses incurred in the Dominican Republic after spending $500,000.

The Dominican Republic has invested in creating a film industry infrastructure that now boasts two sound stages and the only water tank, good for "rain-on-demand," in the region, explained Ellis Perez, the new Dominican film commissioner.

Privately, some of the film executives at the event said they would look at the Dominican Republic if it made since for their movies. Some of them also said it would be good to have an alternative to shooting in Mexico, which they perceived as being "riskier" these days because of security questions.

Source: Cigar Aficionado

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Friday, September 9, 2011

Dominican Republic Has More Than 1.5 Million Single Moms

More than 1.5 million women in the Dominican Republic - by choice, being widowed, divorce or some other reason - are single moms, according to a report.

More than 35 percent of the homes in the Caribbean nation are single-parent homes - and of those, 90 percent are women, according to a story in ElCaribe.com.do. Those women are poor, too, according to the story - a little over 20 percent of them survive on less than two dollars a day.

Doña Mireya, 75, says there's been a great difference in household dynamics, and it concerns her.

"When I moved here, there weren't too many single mothers," she said. "But now, in nearly every house, you see young ladies, even girls, getting pregnant and then living with their parents."

The last study to measure single mothers in the Dominican Republic was conducted in 2007. It found that 1.4 million women in the country were solely responsible for raising their children.


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Source: Huffington Post

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Thursday, September 8, 2011

Seaweed snarls Dominican Republic’s biggest power plant

The energy group AES Dominicana affirmed Wednesday that a seaweed “invasion” dragged by Hurricane Irene along the Caribbean coast near its 319 megawatt power plant at Andres, Boca Chica, continuous piling up at the inflow water filters, forcing it to reduce its output.

It said its technical report notes that after Hurricane Irene passed south of the country, “the AES Andres power plant’s operating conditions were affected by the arrival of trash and marine alga at the water intake unit, which led to the obstruction of the power plant’s cooling system,” resulting in loss of generation.

In an emailed statement, AES said since August 23 a group of its technicians and contractors, including two teams of divers, work round the clock to return the plant to nominal operating conditions, by removing the flotsam.

“To expedite the cleanup work two brigades were added to dredge the channel, and a crane with a basket to remove the floating seaweed since August 30, it said, noting that it the situation should be under control by early Saturday, if conditions along the coast improve and the inflow of seaweed to the channel diminishes.

AES said the local media recently quoted Environment Ministry technicians on the “unusual” invasion of seaweed along the outhern coast , situation that has spread to the eastern zone.


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Source: Dominican Today

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

U.S. to Protect Migrant Workers from Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Salvador

U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and ambassadors from the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and El Salvador signed accords Monday to protect the labor rights of immigrant workers from those nations.

By means of the “We Can Help” (Podemos Ayudar) program, the Labor Department plans to aid immigrant workers who suffer abuse in the workplace or have their rights as workers violated.

“We understand that many migrant workers in America are afraid to report mistreatment because it can lead to more abuse, the loss of their job or deportation. With these partnerships, we seek to remove these fears,” Solis said at the signing ceremony.

The accords signed by Costa Rican Ambassador Muni Figueres, Dominican envoy Anibal Castro and El Salvador’s Claudia Beltran, are similar to existing pacts with Nicaragua, Guatemala and Mexico.

“Our goal is to help workers and employers understand that labor laws are enforced and enforceable, giving everyone the opportunity to comply with the U.S. laws that cover all workers,” Solis said.

Through the 50 Mexican consulates in the United States, and now the embassies of the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and El Salvador, immigrants working in the U.S. can report any case of abuse on the job and get help.

“Immigrants are not a threat to the United States, just the opposite. It’s essential that they understand their rights as workers and that they stop being afraid of being fired or deported,” the Mexican ambassador, Arturo Sarukhan, said Monday at the signing ceremony.

The program improves the information that immigrant workers have about U.S. labor laws and allows U.S. officials to counsel both workers and employers on such topics as wages, job security and health-care laws, areas in which foreign employees can be vulnerable.

Jobs that typically have the greatest number of labor-law violations are in construction, cleaning, and the hotel and catering business, where a great many immigrant workers are employed.

Guatemala, which signed the accord several months ago, is very positive about the program, the ambassador of that country to Washington, Julio Armando Martini-Herrera, told Efe.

“We’ve had people from the Labor Department visiting our consulates to inform Guatemalan citizens about their employment situation and the word has spread incredibly. I wish people in our own country could be as well informed,” Martini-Herrera said.


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Source: Latin American Herald Tribune

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Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Suburban bank official arrested in Dominican Republic with stolen $40K

A 25-year-old assistant bank manager from Palos Hills was arrested in the Dominican Republic Saturday with nearly $40,000 in cash stolen from a bank vault earlier in the day, FBI officials said today.

Blazej M. Wasilewski, of the 10300 block of South Alta Drive in the southwest suburb, was charged in U.S. District Court with bank embezzlement, a felony, according to a press release issued by FBI officials.

Wasilewski is currently in the Dominican Republic awaiting extradition, officials said.

Wasilewski, an assistant manager from the south suburban Glenwood Chase bank branch, 18701 S. Halsted St., was able to manually turn off the bank 's electrical power on Friday evening as the bank was closing for the day, according to the criminal complaint filed Monday.

Early Saturday morning, Wasilewski allegedly returned to the bank and was able to use his keys and alarm codes to enter the bank, deactivate the alarm and open the vault, officials said.

The money was discovered missing when bank employees conducted an audit of the bank on Saturday morning after employees noticed that one teller cash dispenser was missing and a second dispenser been forced open and emptied of money, officials said.

The audit found that $39,765 was missing and Wasilewski was the suspected thief after his bank issued entry key was found sitting on a counter inside the bank and the bank's security system indicated that his code had been used to enter the bank and the vault, officials said.

Wasilewski could not be found when the bank manager tried to reach him Saturday morning, officials said.

FBI officials were able to track Wasilewski to O'Hare International Airport, where records indicated that he had boarded a flight Saturday morning from Chicago to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, officials said.

He was arrested Saturday evening by officers of the Dominican National Police as he tried to enter that country with $39,765 he did not declare to Dominican customs officials, according to the complaint.

Once he is extradited, he is expected to appear in U.S. District Court where he will be formally charged. He faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted, officials said.


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Source: Chicago Tribune

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Monday, September 5, 2011

Dallas airline worker charged with stealing $10k of luggage

Police at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport have arrested and charged an American Eagle worker for stealing more than $10,000 worth of luggage from passengers and lying on the application for his security badge.

Jose Alberto Peralta, 45 of the Dominican Republic, was arrested today. He is suspected of stealing and pawning almost 100 pieces of jewelry and sunglasses worth more than $10,000 from passengers' bags over the past year, reported myFOXdfw.com.

According to reports, a fellow American Eagle employee tipped police off because Peralta had worked on numerous flights where items were reported stolen or lost. That employee also reportedly saw him taking items out of bags.

Officers confronted Peralta at work and found two silver bracelets, a pair of silver earrings, a gold heart-shaped diamond necklace and Oakley sunglasses at the bottom of his backpack.

At first, Peralta said the items were his and that he carried them in from the Dominican Republic because gold prices are higher in the US. Then, he admitted he took the necklace from an aircraft but said he planned to return it, the report states.

Peralta was also charged with tampering with a government record because he wrote in two different birth dates on a renewal application for a security badge. He reportedly explained it away as a mistake made years ago that never got corrected.

The airline would not comment, citing the criminal investigation.


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Source: Herald Sun

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Sunday, September 4, 2011

Closing ceremony ends Marine Leaders of the Americas Conference 2011

The Marine Leaders of the Americas Conference 2011 came to a close during a ceremony Aug. 31.

The bi-annual conference offered senior Marine leaders from Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and the U.S. an opportunity to impart knowledge on one another and discuss common security issues.

The closing ceremony allowed for remarks from Rear Adm. Luis Ramos Vargas, commandant of the Peruvian Marine Corps and Gen. James Amos, commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, addressing the top leaders from the other Marine Corps and naval infantries.

The leaders expressed their realization of how similar they were as Marines, despite language or cultural barriers.

“We have much in common. We are Marines. We are a small portion of all of our nations' armed forces,” Amos said. “I have come away with a greater understanding, and shared experiences that my brother Marines deal with every single day of their lives.”

Amos and Vargas presented certificates to all the leaders that participated.

The ceremony served as a fitting close to a conference that brought the Marine leaders closer and aided them in creating personal and professional relationships.

“Together we've gained experience, but more importantly than having experience is what we do with that experience and that's to stay prepared and to stay trained,” Vargas said. “We keep walking through the only road that we have ahead of us as good Marines.”

After several conferences, briefs and cultural events, MLAC 2011 came to close with the participants having gained a deeper understanding of one another.

“For us, the Peruvian Marine Corps, it has been an incredible experience to have been able to welcome you all to our beloved Peru,” Vargas said.


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Source: D.V.I.D.S

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Saturday, September 3, 2011

Dominican Republic: World leader in organic banana exports

The Dominican Republic continues to be the world market leader in organic banana and for the present year are expecting exports around the US$200,000,000.

Statistics keep the direction of the "Junta Agroempresarial Dominicana (JAD) happy. They highlight the effort made by producers to keep other products in the world market, like cocoa, coffee and mango.

For the executive director of JAD, the rise in organic banana exports is an achievement for the country, as in the 2010 they just reached the US$70,000,000.

Osmar Benitez explained that, while in 1989, the Dominican Republic wasn't in the world statistics for organic exports, but is now in first place as exporting nation.

He assured that a world tendency is being developed for the consumption of organic products and its market offers a big chance for the Dominican Republic as a producing country.


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Source: Fresh Plaza

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Friday, September 2, 2011

Dominican Republic fuel bill up US$548m

While the country’s energy consumption remained practically frozen during the first half of the year, the fuel bill went up by 31%, because the average price of a barrel of oil increased by 29%.

The cost of petroleum was a determining factor in the trade deficit recorded in the January-June 2011 period. Other imports decelerated during the first six months.

The preliminary report on the Dominican economy, by the Central Bank, shows that the deceleration reflected in total imports is consistent with the slowing down of the economic growth rate.

Total imports increased by 16% in the first six months, compared to 27.2% for the same period last year.

The report highlights that the deceleration was greater in the case of national imports, which went from 33.1% growth in the January-June 2010 period, to 17.1% in January-June 2011.

The fuel bill was US$2,318,500,000, an increase of US$548,400,000 (31.0%), as a result of a 29.9% increase (US$20.0/barrel) in average fuel prices, and the growth in imported volumes reported by companies was barely 0.8%.

In its report, the Central Bank informs that during the period January-June 2011 international spot oil prices reached several peaks, with an average maximum of US$109.6 per barrel in June. “If this is compared to the average spot January-June 2011 (US$103.5 per barrel) with the average for the same period in 2010 (US$76.0/ba) this increase reaches US$27.6/ba (36.3%) in that the imported volumes reached just 220,967 barrels”, it states.

To compensate for the increase in the fuel bill, the trade balance was favorably balanced by the resumption of ferronickel imports, which reached a total of 119.7 million dollars in the second trimester. The Dominican Republic had not exported ferronickel since the second half of 2008.


Source: Dominican Today

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Thursday, September 1, 2011

Hurricane Irene Drives 37,000 from Their Homes in Dominican Republic

Nearly 38,000 people were forced to leave their homes by flooding after Hurricane Irene dumped heavy rain on the Dominican Republic and three are confirmed dead, according to the Listin Diario newspaper.

The vast majority of evacuees are staying with relatives and friends, according to the Emergency Operations Center, or COE, which said that much of the country continues to feel the effects of the storm.

Rains and flooding have damaged more than 2,200 residences and effectively cut off 85 communities.

The COE urged people to refrain from trying to cross rain-swollen rivers and streams and said that further evacuations are being carried out in some areas, including parts of Santo Domingo.

Now headed toward the U.S. mid-Atlantic coast, Irene is currently a Category 3 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, with maximum sustained winds of 185 kph (115 mph), the National Hurricane Center said in a bulletin issued at 1500 GMT.

The storm could strengthen to Category 4 as it moves over the warm waters of the Caribbean, the NHC said.


Source: Latino Fox News

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