NewsWhore
03-30-2009, 04:40 PM
There has been a series of protests in a number of towns since the Christmas holidays, as the population tries to call the government's attention to the pressing problems in their communities. The government has blamed opposition parties for stirring up discontent, but writing in Hoy, journalist Juan Bolivar Diaz says that social analysts are attributing the protests to the government's accumulated social debt, the deficiencies in basic services, and the generalized corruption and superfluous spending, as well as the concentration of public spending in Santo Domingo.
He reports on the protests in middle class areas in Santiago, as well as in Bonao, San Jose de las Matas and Salcedo, mentioning that during February and March hardly a day went by without a protest. According to Clave Digital, social anthropologist Tahira Vargas says there were 80 protests in the first 84 days of the year, or more than one a day nationwide. Some 39% of the protests took place in Santiago, capital of the central Cibao region. She said that last year 202 social protests were registered, averaging 17 a month, meaning that protests between January and March were up by about 60%.
Diaz writes that the protestors are asking for improvements in water and electricity services, schools and hospitals, and for street repairs. The protests come after the Fernandez government made many promises while on the campaign trail in 2008. Most of the communities' demands are for small-scale public works.
Diaz writes that the protests are also stimulated by the frustration about continuous corruption scandals, the high wages paid to politicians and government officials, and increasing unemployment.
On Sunday Hoy reported that the Ministry of Public Works cooled off protesters with the announcement last week that it would make RD$400 million available to complete pending projects.
The recent rash of continuous protests has increased levels of insecurity within the country, but the president of the American Chamber of Commerce, Christopher Paniagua, says that of greater concern is the effect that these protests could have on the DR's image. Paniagua is asking the protest organizers to consider the fact that these demonstrations could affect the DR's image as a peaceful, socially and politically stable country. Paniagua added that he accepts that the public has the right to protest and demand their rights, but at the same time he urged the groups to reconsider their methods. He said that the DR has to project an international image of a country that is willing to enter into dialogue.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#7)
He reports on the protests in middle class areas in Santiago, as well as in Bonao, San Jose de las Matas and Salcedo, mentioning that during February and March hardly a day went by without a protest. According to Clave Digital, social anthropologist Tahira Vargas says there were 80 protests in the first 84 days of the year, or more than one a day nationwide. Some 39% of the protests took place in Santiago, capital of the central Cibao region. She said that last year 202 social protests were registered, averaging 17 a month, meaning that protests between January and March were up by about 60%.
Diaz writes that the protestors are asking for improvements in water and electricity services, schools and hospitals, and for street repairs. The protests come after the Fernandez government made many promises while on the campaign trail in 2008. Most of the communities' demands are for small-scale public works.
Diaz writes that the protests are also stimulated by the frustration about continuous corruption scandals, the high wages paid to politicians and government officials, and increasing unemployment.
On Sunday Hoy reported that the Ministry of Public Works cooled off protesters with the announcement last week that it would make RD$400 million available to complete pending projects.
The recent rash of continuous protests has increased levels of insecurity within the country, but the president of the American Chamber of Commerce, Christopher Paniagua, says that of greater concern is the effect that these protests could have on the DR's image. Paniagua is asking the protest organizers to consider the fact that these demonstrations could affect the DR's image as a peaceful, socially and politically stable country. Paniagua added that he accepts that the public has the right to protest and demand their rights, but at the same time he urged the groups to reconsider their methods. He said that the DR has to project an international image of a country that is willing to enter into dialogue.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#7)