NewsWhore
04-13-2009, 01:10 PM
On Tuesday, 7 April, five people died and seven were injured in a clash over 4,124 tareas of land in La Lisa, Miches, an area believed to have tourism development potential (1 tarea = approximately 629 square meters). Diario Libre reports that behind the deaths are lawyers who search for property with potential, and then get local farmers to move in to then force the owners to negotiate with the farmers. The lands that are disputed have been registered in the name of Blaudillo Nunez C por A since 5 June 1985, as reported by Diario Libre. Property in most cattle-ranching areas is now going for US$35 per meter. Homero Figueroa of Diario Libre writes that this is a case of "gold fever attacking the inhabitants of Miches." The two landowners and three farmers who died in the clash were named as Ozozrio Nunez Paez (Cabo), Gabriel Nunez Pineiro (Caquito), Severino Peralta (Puro), Richard Martinez and Carlos Morel (Carlito) a land surveyor.
Hoy newspaper reports that local residents say that the complicity and negligence of police authorities and the Dominican Agrarian Institute (IAD), as well as the slowness of the courts in ruling on property in the land courts are what led to the extreme situation of the shootout and deaths in the area. Cardinal Nicolas Lopez Rodriguez told Hoy that if the authorities had intervened in time, the tragedy could have been avoided. The Cardinal said: "Why, if everyone saw it coming for a long time, did the police and the judicial the authorities not act?" The farmers had been threatening to invade the property.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#15)
Hoy newspaper reports that local residents say that the complicity and negligence of police authorities and the Dominican Agrarian Institute (IAD), as well as the slowness of the courts in ruling on property in the land courts are what led to the extreme situation of the shootout and deaths in the area. Cardinal Nicolas Lopez Rodriguez told Hoy that if the authorities had intervened in time, the tragedy could have been avoided. The Cardinal said: "Why, if everyone saw it coming for a long time, did the police and the judicial the authorities not act?" The farmers had been threatening to invade the property.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#15)