Unrest in Sosua/Cabarete/POP

[Reel Deal]

Can anybody down there tell me WTF is going on? I read on DR1 that the military armed with machine guns bulldozed a bunch of structures around Cabarete, some locals were throwing rocks and bottles at passing cars, and that they are telling vendors on Sosua Beach to move out.

How about a first-hand account?

And what is the deal with some Convention Center/Casino going up on/near the beach? Does this affect the Shark Bar?

Is this political unrest or something else? Kinda makes me a little nervous :shock:

TIA

[Jimmydr]

There are sqatters all over the place and they are clearing them out now.

[tampabukkake]

that they are telling vendors on Sosua Beach to move out.

How about a first-hand account?

And what is the deal with some Convention Center/Casino going up on/near the beach? Does this affect the Shark Bar?

Is this political unrest or something else? Kinda makes me a little nervous :shock:

TIA

Not political unrest.... The guy that has the lease for the Hotel/Convention/Casino supposedly has a backdoor agreement for the entire beach... he is the one that wants this to happen quickly.... it is the DR he with the most money is the king today... there are lawyers in Sto Domingo right now trying to block this.

[RickRock]

The Houses in Cabarette were built on land purchased from squatters, but aparently they didn't know it and some of them have been there 10+ years.. that's the first hand account I got about that situation.

The bottle and rocks at cars is nothing new.. The last two times I went to DR June 6 - 15 and July 27 - Aug 6th I've seen people protest the power outages this way on the main road outside of Charamicos, usually late at night.. both times what I had seen was tires lit on fire and put accross the road so cars couldn't pass, when they slow down they would throw rocks, bottles, but not at people they know.. at least thats what the locals in Charamicos told me.. both times I was driving a passola with my girl on the back, in June on a wed at like 2am, and in July on a thurs at around 3, and I didn't see people or have a problem, then again I'm costa rican and pass for Dominican.. the things is I've never come accross any actual cases of tourists having bottles or anything thrown at their cars.. don't know..

Political Unrest is nothing new, and it's just the people's way of speaking out against the constant bullshit they're faced with every day.. When I used to spend my summers in La Romana, I've seen much more intense unrest than some flaming tires... like the general strikes..

[Babyboy31]

Funny enough....I was in the middle of that when it was happening. I was coming back from Cabarette and they were bulldozing down squatter houses all along the route. There were people in the streets, and then there was the military. It was not a pretty site. I felt very uneasy at the time. We were right behind the military truck with about 10 army boys with shotguns jumped out of the trucks and started squatting and scattering through the streets ready for action.

It was a site to see.....and something that I really won't like to see again. I can say however I did get an army escort through the unrest (I didn't feel any safer, just more like a target).

[nomad]

In Cabarete they were not all squatters. Some had valid and legal titles to their land. Well, valid and legal for DR. There is now talk of re-imbursing them. Yeah, like that helps. There are many homeless people in Cabarete right now. No home, no clothes and no food. Some came home from work and found their house with all their things destroyed.

Nomad

[Macky]

I didn't know about all this when I was in Sosua last week, but it explains why I saw frustration and tension in a lot of faces around town, in a way that I did not see last year. Last week there was no unrest, and I explored Los Charamicos quite a bit. Didn't go there at night though.

[RickRock]

I've been to Miami, and I'd contest that you are much safer even in Los Charimicos than in Miami..

I spend my time almost exclusively in Los Charimicos when I'm on the north coast and haven't had problem 1.

[Macky]

Next time I am in Sosua I will take the time to check out the night scene in Los Charamicos, this time around I had only a few days in Sosua. They told me that the Club Gallistico had closed which is too bad, I wanted to see that one night. I agree, the DR is safer than Miami or anywhere in the US for that matter.

[RickRock]

Eat at Maria's Pizzaria in Charimicos - one of the best Rest. in DR in My Opinion and Ive eaten all over the island - and its rediculously cheap. Theres a good chance you'll be the only gringo there. Go at night, Im not even sure if its open in the day.

Directions:

Coming from Sosua, make the first Right into Los Charimicos then the first left, after a very short distance, maybee 1/8th of a mile you will see it on the right it's green and has some tables 'Maria's Pizzaria'

If you go to the corner with 50,000 motos sitting on the left youve went to far, turn around..

[RickRock]

almost forget, the Spaghetti there is goooood

[elj707]

Hey Jimmy or anyone in sosua can you tell us what's going on with store fronts on the beach and did they bull doze them.

[the_Jayman]

I'm goin to the Shark bar on September 18th.

That is, IF it's still there ! !

give us the 411 guys

[Jimmydr]

Hey Jimmy or anyone in sosua can you tell us what's going on with store fronts on the beach and did they bull doze them.


I will be there in 2 days.

[elj707]

ok, so while your enjoying your vacation jimmy let us know what's going on in paradise 8)

[gdogg]

I'll find out tomorrow and post the beach info if Jimmy doesn't beat me to it.

[elj707]

Thanks gdogg 8)

[gdogg]

Went to the beach yesterday. All of the storefronts and stalls are still there (although I really have no point of reference). I heard that the unofficial storefronts, the shacks or whatever were bulldozed.

I'm sure Jimmy will post soon with more accurate info.

[Macky]

Rick Rock

Thanks for the tip, I will check out Maria's next time around.