NewsWhore
01-08-2010, 01:20 PM
Interior & Police Minister Franklin Almeyda says the government is assessing measures aimed at regulating the sale of alcoholic beverages at "colmadones," as the barrio grocery stores-turned-bars are known, as reported in Diario Libre. Commenting on the Huchi Lora & Equipo afternoon talk show yesterday, Almeyda said that statistics showed that people drinking at those bars are involved in a greater share of the violence.
He, nevertheless, revoked the measure announced by Democratic Security Plan (PSD) coordinator Yadira Pena, which ordered a reduction in the opening hours of colmadones to 11pm Monday to Thursday and to midnight on weekends. At present, there is a curfew on the sale of alcoholic beverages after midnight on weekdays and 2am on Friday, Saturday and holidays.
"We are going to apply the controls more rigorously in order to guarantee citizen security," he said.
"A colmadon is not a discotheque or club, people on the streets, on sidewalks, occupying a space. And we are preparing a draft of a bill to open a debate on whether colmadones should only sell unopened beverages."
Owners of colmadones say that the change in drinking times would mean bankruptcy because sales take off after 10pm. A recent report published by the Ministry of Interior and Police found that 58.37% of crimes occur at night and that 57.8% of the victims are men between the ages of 18 and 34.
Almeyda says that the Ministry is preparing a bill to regulate the sale of alcoholic beverages and reduce colmadon opening hours.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#4)
He, nevertheless, revoked the measure announced by Democratic Security Plan (PSD) coordinator Yadira Pena, which ordered a reduction in the opening hours of colmadones to 11pm Monday to Thursday and to midnight on weekends. At present, there is a curfew on the sale of alcoholic beverages after midnight on weekdays and 2am on Friday, Saturday and holidays.
"We are going to apply the controls more rigorously in order to guarantee citizen security," he said.
"A colmadon is not a discotheque or club, people on the streets, on sidewalks, occupying a space. And we are preparing a draft of a bill to open a debate on whether colmadones should only sell unopened beverages."
Owners of colmadones say that the change in drinking times would mean bankruptcy because sales take off after 10pm. A recent report published by the Ministry of Interior and Police found that 58.37% of crimes occur at night and that 57.8% of the victims are men between the ages of 18 and 34.
Almeyda says that the Ministry is preparing a bill to regulate the sale of alcoholic beverages and reduce colmadon opening hours.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#4)