08/2020 - New Dominican Republic President takes reins on 8/16/20

[Jimmydr]

Santo Domingo (AFP) - Opposition candidate Luis Abinader swept to victory in the Dominican Republic's presidential election, early results showed Monday, ending 16 years of unbroken rule by the Caribbean nation's center-left PLD party after voters braved a worsening coronavirus outbreak to cast their ballots.
Abinader, the candidate of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), took 52.4 percent of the vote with 93.2 percent of polling station returns counted, the Central Electoral Board said.
"We won, today we won," a victorious Abinader told dozens of supporters at his campaign headquarters in the capital Santo Domingo.
"This is the change the Dominican people voted for," said the 52-year-old businessman, who will take office on August 16.

Gonzalo Castillo, standing for outgoing President Danilo Medina's Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), conceded late Sunday after winning just 37.69 percent of the vote.
The US State Department congratulated the Dominican Republic on its "democratic elections", and said in a statement it hoped to work "together to promote security and economic prosperity and safeguard democracy" in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Abinader -- whose holding company has interests in tourism, agriculture and cement -- has the dual challenge of reviving the coronavirus-hit economy and regaining public trust after the Latin America-wide Odebrecht corruption scandal embroiled local officials.
- Record coronavirus infections -
Voters lined up to cast their ballots wearing masks and standing six feet apart as the presidential and legislative polls went ahead Sunday despite soaring coronavirus cases.
The polls were originally scheduled for May 17 but were postponed as the virus outbreak gathered pace across the Caribbean and Latin America.
Gunfire outside a polling station in the capital left one person dead after an argument among opposing party activists turned violent, police said.
But elsewhere, voting appeared to progress smoothly, with few disruptions despite the extra virus precautions.

[Jimmydr]

Danilo Medina extiende el toque de queda por 25 días más

Ana Peguero - 08/08/2020, 10:32 AM

El presidente Danilo Medina extendió por 25 días más el toque de queda, bajo las restricciones vigentes, que prohíbe la circulación de personas a partir de las 7:00 de la noche en algunas provincias, y de las 8:00 de la noche en otras.
La disposición, contenida en el decreto 298-20 de fecha 8 de agosto, explica que la medida será revisable por las nuevas autoridades que tomarán posesión el 16 de agosto de 2020.
La medida que busca frenar el contagio del coronavirus, restringe la circulación de lunes a viernes de 7:00 de la noche a 5:00 de la mañana, y los sábados y domingos de 5:00 de la tarde a 5:00 de la mañana en las siguientes demarcaciones geográficas:

1) Santo Domingo
2) Distrito Nacional
3) Santiago
4) San Cristóbal
5) La Vega
6) Puerto Plata
7) Duarte
8) San Pedro de Macorís
9) La Romana
10) San Juan de la Maguana
11) La Altagracia
12) Azua
13) Monseñor Nouel
14) Sánchez Ramírez
15) María Trinidad Sánchez
Se establece el toque de queda todos los días de la semana de 8:00 de la noche a 5:00 de la mañana en las siguientes demarcaciones geográficas:
1) Espaillat
2) Peravia
3) Barahona
4) Monte Plata
5) Valverde
6) Hermanas Mirabal
7) Monte Cristi
8) Samaná
9) Bahoruco
10) Hato Mayor
11) El Seibo
12) Dajabón
13) Santiago Rodríguez
14) San José de Ocoa
15) Elías Piña
16) Independencia
17) Pedernales

[psriches]

I wonder if the new President will rescind the Curfew.

[Hunter]

I wonder if the new President will rescind the Curfew.

million dollar question...or extend it : mad:

[Mr. Smooth]

I wonder if the new President will rescind the Curfew.

When one lives in an air conditioned, nicely furnished, apt or house, enjoys a well stocked kitchen and fridge with plenty of food and drink, a flat screen and stereo, a comfy bed, electricity that never goes out, maybe a pool, a quiet neighborhood filled with quiet, law abiding neighbors, then living under a curfew can at the very least, be tolerable.

But when you live in the conditions of too many Dominicans and Haitians, in what we would all consider sub-standard housing, with sub-standard bathroom and kitchen facilities, electricity that comes and goes, having to fetch fresh water off a truck, and all the rest, then a curfew under those conditions must be simply devastating for those who are forced to remain at home.

We all see the testing numbers for the DR, but what about the behind the scenes story regarding the stats? Who is coming up positive and were there any underlying conditions? That is never really known. If all these places are being closed down or opened for just limited hours to fight the virus, and yet people are still getting sick, could it not be from having to live in such close proximity to other family members in the same household? Especially if the size is so small that it makes social distancing pretty much an impossibility?

Under that scenario, short of a vaccine being approved for human inoculation, this thing could never be fully eradicated just by the methods the government has been mandating for the people to live under.

And tourism, and the tourist industry, will be changed for the worse, forever.

[questner]

I wonder if the new President will rescind the Curfew.

No

Also, let's see what the high profile US visit brings about

[Jimmydr]

And tourism, and the tourist industry, will be changed for the worse, forever.

Millions of people will come back once its over.

[distantvoyeur]

"Flattening the curve" is solely a method to slow the spread of the virus, in theory. As we have found out, it gets around just fine.
The whole intent around the measures they took was in the hope that it would slow infections until a vaccine arrives. You do not change the total area (cases/deaths) under the curve, unless there is an endpoint other than herd immunity. The actions they took actually flattened the economy instead.

I've said since the beginning that unless they protect the identified vulnerable population it is all pointless. Isolating healthy people to protect vulnerable is beyond stupid, that delays the herd immunity level and drags the length of vulnerability out.

Isolate vulnerable people and let the herd get immunized, problem solved. But no vaccine and release of power/control. Welcome to the new world.

Pharma companies did not like producing vaccines because there was more profit in selling the other drugs. Vaccines were generally low profit since the costs are controlled by governments. This one has had billions thrown at it so far, why vaccinate the cash cow too early.

Under that scenario, short of a vaccine being approved for human inoculation, this thing could never be fully eradicated just by the methods the government has been mandating for the people to live under.

And tourism, and the tourist industry, will be changed for the worse, forever.

[questner]

https://english.elpais.com/usa/2021-...ax-havens.html



Another president featured in the Pandora Papers is the Dominican Luis Abinader, whose successful business career was in the hotel sector. The documents link him to two companies in Panama, Littlecot Inc. and Padreso SA. Both were created before he took office and were used to manage assets in Dominican Republic. Local media outlet Noticias Sin’s investigation flags up the fact that the shares of these companies were initially “payable to the bearer,” an instrument used to hide the beneficial owner of the companies.
The president of Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, in a file photo from December 16, 2020.GLADYS SERRANOA legislative reform in 2018 obliged the Abinader family to publicly register as beneficial owners. Upon becoming president in 2020, Abinader declared nine offshore companies that he controlled through a trust. Both he and Piñera used the Panama-based law firm, OMC Group, the firm used by Colombian singer Shakira for at least three of the offshore companies the Spanish Treasury has been tracking for years.