Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07SANTODOMINGO505
2007-03-08 16:08:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Santo Domingo
Cable title:
DOMINICAN PROVINCE OF SAMANA PREPARES FOR TOURIST
how-toVZCZCXYZ0010 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHDG #0505/01 0671608 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 081608Z MAR 07 FM AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7612 INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHWN/AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN PRIORITY 2030 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0736 RUEHGE/AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN PRIORITY 0950 RUEHKG/AMEMBASSY KINGSTON PRIORITY 2712 RUEHPO/AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO PRIORITY 1082 RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE PRIORITY 4518 RUEHSP/AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN PRIORITY 1773 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC PRIORITY RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY 1633 RUCOWCV/CUSTOMS CARIBBEAN ATTACHE MIAMI FL PRIORITY RUEFHLC/HQS DHS WASHDC PRIORITY RUMISTA/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY
UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 000505
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CAR, INR/IAA; USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD;
TREASURY FOR OASIA-JLEVINE; DEPT PASS USDA FOR FAS; USDOC
FOR 4322/ITA/MAC/WH/CARIBBEAN BASIN DIVISION; USDOC FOR
3134/ITA/USFCS/RD/WH; DHS FOR CIS-CARLOS ITURREGUI
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: DR PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN PROVINCE OF SAMANA PREPARES FOR TOURIST
BOOM
UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 000505
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CAR, INR/IAA; USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD;
TREASURY FOR OASIA-JLEVINE; DEPT PASS USDA FOR FAS; USDOC
FOR 4322/ITA/MAC/WH/CARIBBEAN BASIN DIVISION; USDOC FOR
3134/ITA/USFCS/RD/WH; DHS FOR CIS-CARLOS ITURREGUI
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: DR PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN PROVINCE OF SAMANA PREPARES FOR TOURIST
BOOM
1. (U) This cable is part of a series of reports on economic
and political issues at the provincial level in the Dominican
Republic.
SAMANA PREPARES FOR TOURIST BOOM
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(U) Tourism is on the rise throughout the Dominican Republic,
and the northeastern province of Samana -- with its sparkling
white sand beaches and world-renowned whale-watching -- is
well placed to take advantage of this trend. Authorities in
the province expect tourism to take off with the January 2008
completion of a new highway from Santo Domingo. The 66-mile
highway is being privately constructed and carries guarantees
from the Government. It will be operated by the firm
Autopistas del Nordeste as a toll road and is expected to cut
the travel time from the capital from four hours to two.
(U) A second infrastructure improvement is the February 2007
opening of the $80 million Catey International Airport, which
is located in the western part of the province and can
accommodate wide-body aircraft. The new airport represents a
significant upgrade for the region, since previously most
tourists arriving in the north of the country had to fly in
to Puerto Plata, 100 miles from Samana.
(U) Overall, a key indicator of growth in the tourism
industry is the number of hotel rooms in Samana, which is
expected to triple in the next five years (to some 7,500).
DEVELOPMENT HAS ITS COST
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
(SBU) The mayor of the province's capital city, also called
Samana, is Bruno Carrasco Kery. Young and quick to use
snappy sound bites, Carrasco is a descendent of a group of
African-Americans who immigrated to Samana in 1824 and
established an English-speaking community. The Mayor told
POLOFF that he welcomes the increase in tourism and hopes
that the new jobs and increased tax revenue will eventually
transform his city. At the same time, he is acutely aware
that "development has its cost." He cited an increased
demand for prostitution and recreational drugs that he
believes is related to the higher number of international
visitors.
(SBU) Carrasco views education as the key to preparing his
constituents for the tourist boom. He considers his office's
school transportation service to be his signature program.
The Mayor is actively engaging the central government
authorities responsible for higher education. In this area
there have been important recent advances. Until fairly
recently, there were no universities in the area, so that
students from Samana had to live and board in Santiago, 150
miles away from their families. However, two years ago, the
Autonomous University for Adults opened in nearby Nagua and,
just this month, the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo
opened a branch in the same city.
(SBU) Senator Prim Pujols Nolasco, who represents Samana at
the national level, is also active in the area of education.
His office administers a university scholarship program for
constituents. Another key concern for the Senator is the
impact of narcotics trafficking on the province, which he
believes has not only increased crime, but also "corrupted"
his constituents. As an example, Pujols told POLOFF that on
several recent occasions multi-kilogram packages of cocaine
-- presumably coming from errant air drops -- have been found
by low-income fisherman, who then face intense economic
temptation to sell the narcotics instead of turning it over
to the authorities.
RISING CRIME
- - - - - - -
(SBU) For Augustina Castillo, the District Attorney of
Samana, the overall benefits of a growing tourism industry
are a given. Even so, she described the new toll road from
Santo Domingo to her region as an "open door for criminals."
Castillo believes narcotics trafficking is on the rise, and
she is concerned that the reforms of the legal system could
leave her city unprepared to combat drug dealers and other
criminals. The prosecutor supports the new Criminal
Procedures Code, but said that the growing pains of the new
system -- particularly the Code's requirement the police turn
over the direction of investigations to prosecutors -- are
still being felt in Samana.
- - Drafted by Peter Hemsch
2. (U) This report and extensive other material can be
consulted on our SIPRNET site,
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo/
HERTELL
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CAR, INR/IAA; USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD;
TREASURY FOR OASIA-JLEVINE; DEPT PASS USDA FOR FAS; USDOC
FOR 4322/ITA/MAC/WH/CARIBBEAN BASIN DIVISION; USDOC FOR
3134/ITA/USFCS/RD/WH; DHS FOR CIS-CARLOS ITURREGUI
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: DR PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN PROVINCE OF SAMANA PREPARES FOR TOURIST
BOOM
1. (U) This cable is part of a series of reports on economic
and political issues at the provincial level in the Dominican
Republic.
SAMANA PREPARES FOR TOURIST BOOM
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(U) Tourism is on the rise throughout the Dominican Republic,
and the northeastern province of Samana -- with its sparkling
white sand beaches and world-renowned whale-watching -- is
well placed to take advantage of this trend. Authorities in
the province expect tourism to take off with the January 2008
completion of a new highway from Santo Domingo. The 66-mile
highway is being privately constructed and carries guarantees
from the Government. It will be operated by the firm
Autopistas del Nordeste as a toll road and is expected to cut
the travel time from the capital from four hours to two.
(U) A second infrastructure improvement is the February 2007
opening of the $80 million Catey International Airport, which
is located in the western part of the province and can
accommodate wide-body aircraft. The new airport represents a
significant upgrade for the region, since previously most
tourists arriving in the north of the country had to fly in
to Puerto Plata, 100 miles from Samana.
(U) Overall, a key indicator of growth in the tourism
industry is the number of hotel rooms in Samana, which is
expected to triple in the next five years (to some 7,500).
DEVELOPMENT HAS ITS COST
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
(SBU) The mayor of the province's capital city, also called
Samana, is Bruno Carrasco Kery. Young and quick to use
snappy sound bites, Carrasco is a descendent of a group of
African-Americans who immigrated to Samana in 1824 and
established an English-speaking community. The Mayor told
POLOFF that he welcomes the increase in tourism and hopes
that the new jobs and increased tax revenue will eventually
transform his city. At the same time, he is acutely aware
that "development has its cost." He cited an increased
demand for prostitution and recreational drugs that he
believes is related to the higher number of international
visitors.
(SBU) Carrasco views education as the key to preparing his
constituents for the tourist boom. He considers his office's
school transportation service to be his signature program.
The Mayor is actively engaging the central government
authorities responsible for higher education. In this area
there have been important recent advances. Until fairly
recently, there were no universities in the area, so that
students from Samana had to live and board in Santiago, 150
miles away from their families. However, two years ago, the
Autonomous University for Adults opened in nearby Nagua and,
just this month, the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo
opened a branch in the same city.
(SBU) Senator Prim Pujols Nolasco, who represents Samana at
the national level, is also active in the area of education.
His office administers a university scholarship program for
constituents. Another key concern for the Senator is the
impact of narcotics trafficking on the province, which he
believes has not only increased crime, but also "corrupted"
his constituents. As an example, Pujols told POLOFF that on
several recent occasions multi-kilogram packages of cocaine
-- presumably coming from errant air drops -- have been found
by low-income fisherman, who then face intense economic
temptation to sell the narcotics instead of turning it over
to the authorities.
RISING CRIME
- - - - - - -
(SBU) For Augustina Castillo, the District Attorney of
Samana, the overall benefits of a growing tourism industry
are a given. Even so, she described the new toll road from
Santo Domingo to her region as an "open door for criminals."
Castillo believes narcotics trafficking is on the rise, and
she is concerned that the reforms of the legal system could
leave her city unprepared to combat drug dealers and other
criminals. The prosecutor supports the new Criminal
Procedures Code, but said that the growing pains of the new
system -- particularly the Code's requirement the police turn
over the direction of investigations to prosecutors -- are
still being felt in Samana.
- - Drafted by Peter Hemsch
2. (U) This report and extensive other material can be
consulted on our SIPRNET site,
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo/
HERTELL