Ocoa still hurting

[NewsWhore]

The executive director of the Association Pro Development of Ocoa, priest Domingo Sobejko protested to journalists from Listin Diario that President Leonel Fernandez' staff did not allow people he described as community representatives to explain the community's problems to the President during his visit to Ocoa last week. Father Domingo said that unfortunately the way he was received, and the access to the President were an offense to his role as President. He said he was only able to say a few words to the President when he had just landed by helicopter, prior to his boarding a SUV. "In that short time we were able to outline the problems, because I think he did not come to play dominos but to resolve the problems, and a different space should have been provided," he said, as quoted in Listin Diario. Ocoa suffered major damages that have cut off several small towns in the province and affected agriculture. As reported, 1,143 persons are in shelters, 54 aqueducts are out of service, 300 houses were destroyed and 12,224 tareas of farmland were damaged. The newspaper reports that the community is skeptical, even after the President's visit, that the government will assist them return to normal. They told the newspaper that the government's offer to rent homes for those left homeless is not realistic because there are not that many homes vacant in Ocoa and furthermore, those with homes available do not trust the government will pay for the rentals.

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