La Vega, rich and diverse

Despite not being lined with beautiful beaches and luxurious resorts, La Vega remains one of the cities with greater attraction for domestic tourists for Dominicans. Within its territorial extension of about 2.287 square kilometers, the province interesting hidden treasures and historical stories, perhaps envied by anyone who feels pride in his homeland. Cheerful and helpful people, so much so that once a signature liquor was motivated by highlighting its benefits through the quaint phrase: "In all Lavega're good, we are all happy, you know ..." The Vega has an exuberant nature, numerous rivers and two major cities: Constanza and Jarabacoa, nestled in the hills of the Cordillera Central, more than 500 meters above sea level. It's a town that has preserved many traditions. Its people still share the simple place under the shadow of an old and generous flamboyant or simply trying to encourage their faith by the Catholic religion, after a promise to walk barefoot up the hill of Santo Cerro, one of the country's most important shrines.

For the number of athletes that has "calved" this land was called "Olympic City". But it has not only been the cradle of outstanding athletes, but there were born leading journalists, doctors, artists, writers and presidents, as is the case of Juan Bosch. As you quote the book "Fragments of fatherland", issued by the Reserve Bank, one of the treasures of this town is La Vega Vieja, which was destroyed by a violent earthquake, leaving very little standing in what was his outstanding architecture. La Vega Vieja was declared a National Historic Park next to Holy Hill in 1977. According to data within their treasures La Vega Vieja La Fortaleza La Concepcion has a strong name, the Franciscan monastery and two cemeteries. it cites the book that has a cistern, several furniture and decorative objects such as candlesticks, crucifixes, cutlery, pottery, thimbles, needles and plant decorations.

In 1795, La Vega was a vast territory and was divided into the following parishes: Cotuí, Bonao, Samana, Sabana de la Mar, Moca, San Francisco de Macoris and Angelina. With this factor, I have an idea how big this territory. According to "Fragments of country", the cult of the Virgin of Las Mercedes is the largest cultural expression that arises from the province of La Vega. This city is located in the Central Cibao region. An important part of the province belongs to the so-called Cibao Valley or La Vega Real. It is one of the oldest cities in the continent, founded in 1495. Its soil is very fertile, is devoted primarily to the production of rice, potatoes, garlic, cassava, red beans, bananas, vegetables and flowers. In the area, livestock, took one of the most important positions nationwide. The Dominican carnival which has not really heard of vegan carnival. This festival is a tradition not only for vegans, but also for inhabitants of other nearby villages and especially the capital. Considered the most ornate and elegant in the country, this carnival is held every week in February of fines in the Parque de las Flores.

Jarabacoa and Constanza own light shine Jarabacoa and Constanza are two cities that despite belonging to La Vega own light shine. Jarabacoa is known for its mountain tourism in the growth process. Their idyllic landscape has inspired entrepreneurs, artists and institutions to build on her summer houses or tourist cabins that ultimately contribute to further beautify the area. Jarabacoa Constanza Both are scenarios to delight for its spas, rivers, waterfalls and valleys. Each is especially the freshness of its climate, which makes them more temperate areas of the country. According to the Tourism Ministry, in February 2002 in La Vega had about 25 hotels, with a bid of 450 rooms. La Virgen de Las Mercedes On 24 March 1495 in La Vega was a battle that had much significance in the history of the island. This is the battle of La Vega Real, waged by the Spanish army, commanded by Christopher Columbus. Legend has it that the night before the battle appeared in the camp of the Spanish Virgin of Las Mercedes, which would have guaranteed them victory in the war. Since then the country started in the cult of the Virgin of Las Mercedes, which is considered the patroness of the Dominican Republic. Popular Holidays Fragments As explained homeland, La Vega is special veneration of three virgins and that there are two parties employers: the Immaculate Conception, which culminates on December 8 (which also takes place in the municipalities of Cotuí, Ramon Santana and hat Peravia province), and Nuestra Señora de la Antigua, which culminates on 16 August (which also held in the town of Jarabacoa).

Dominican Republic and Costa Rica: What the happiest people in the world have in common

The lazy days of Summer are a good time to read. I had just finished Dr. Juan Bosch's classic "Composición Social Dominicana:História e Interpretación", when I was caught by surprise that a European think-tank had selected Dominicans the second "Happiest People" in the world and Costa Ricans number one. Was there a common bond?

Having just read the book on over 500 years of history picked my interest. What could these two outwardly different countries have in common that a travel agent would not normally place them in the same tour destination, simply for logistical reasons.

With the risk of sounding pretentious, I humbly took on the challenge of finding out what made these two apparently different peoples extraordinarily happy.

And why not, my challenge was stimulated and emboldened by several factors: First, I was fortunate to have studied Latin American anthropology at Mexico's Ibero-Americana University. Anthropologists look at people's real differences which are social customs and habits, not outside skin chromaticity.

Secondly, I felt I had been a witness to history when at the home of Don José Desiderio Ares Maldonado and Doña Clément Guzmán de Ares, I had spent two days informally speaking (or interviewing) the famous Don José Figueres.

Don "Pepe" as the former Costa Rican President was known, had been a house guest of the Ares-Guzman family for the 1978 Presidential inauguration of Don Antonio Guzmán. I studied President José Figueres in College and knew of his great leadership during the 1948 Revolution, and eventually became known as the Founder of the New Costa Rica.

Lastly, I had a more mundane reason. I had spent a year training and supervising Costa Ricans. Unless you know the ropes and look for customs and habits, it's a tough job for anyone; specially for a Dominican from New York as I was. But the same could be true when dealing with the elite of Port-au-Prince who can think of themselves as the "crème-de-la-crème".

Now for similarities. First, Dominicans and Costa Ricans have a mental sense of superiority, false or not, of thinking they live with or their country is filled with "inferior" foreign people.

Ask a Costa Rican the population of their country and they'll answer..."4 million". However, one million of those are illegal Nicaraguans. Ask Dominicans the country's population and you'll get: "10 million... but 3 million are illegal Haitians.

Additionally, inhabitants of their respective Capitals see themselves as highly cosmopolitan. They claim to know New York City better than well-educated middle class New Yorkers with financial means. They'll (try to) challenge you on knowing the best restaurants.

I think it goes back to a "state of mind", the culprit being a Spanish tradition that permeates all Latin America, perhaps more than Madrid itself by having a disdain for manual labor and a thinking of yourself as "Caballero" (Gentleman on horseback). In terms of the wardrobe, male inhabitants delight in wearing suits, which is comfortable in San Jose's weather and uncomfortable yet obligatory in Santo Domingo despite the heat.

Now for the fallacies, and here they have similarities.

Cost Ricans consider their country the 'Switzerland of Central America". They claim no standing Army, yet they have numerous private security services.

Dominicans for years have had no enemy with military might - yet the country maintains a "Cold War" military apparatus.

And lest we forget, the ostensibly pious Costa Ricans at one time had two fugitive ex-Presidents on corruption issues.

Finally, I agree with the study of the New Economics Foundation. Both countries value and care for their environment. Both peoples have an enormous high opinion of themselves, combined with having unwanted illegal neighbors contributing poverty without much intellectual skills. Both countries doggedly compare themselves to the United States, and yes, nature conservation is important, a big plus.

Combine these factors with the Spanish tradition of a "better than thou attitude" man-on-horseback mentality, it all comes down to a state of mind if you "think" you are better than the rest - and you'll be happy- specially when you have poor neighbors to remind you how fortunate you are. Even if you're hungry. Just don't show it.

De José C. Paulino

Judge Sonia Sotomayor: defending our first Latin to the United States Supreme Cour

US. - The United States Supreme Court is the highest court of the land. It is composed of nine judges. Despite the fact that half of the states of the United States have Spanish cultural heritage and influence since the 1500's - no Hispanic or Latino has ever served as a Supreme Court Justice - although Latinos are now the largest so-called minority, and growing.

However a big controversy arose when Bronx Puerto Rican nominee Sonia Sotomayor said in a 2001 speech that "a wise Latino woman with the richness of her experience would more often that not reach a better conclusion than a white male that hasn't lived that life". Many of us agree. So let's "drill down" to the South Bronx with that statement. I for one do not remember too many "white Anglo males" living and struggling in the South Bronx in recent years. I should know.

I had the the distinct honor and privilege of serving as President of School Board District #7 , which is located in the heart of the South Bronx, and is also the neighborhood where Judge Sonia Sotomayor was born and raised.

Hey, the South Bronx is a tough, hard, tempting place with many a good people, just plenty of bad Press.

For one, Sonia's mother worked two jobs after her father died to send her to private schools. Young Sonia subsequently graduated Summa Cum Laude from Princeton University. As an Ivy-parent that fact alone impressed me. Princeton was traditionally known as a "Southern Plantation" principally because it was the last "Ivy University" to accept African-Americans after years of resistance. And once had a President who was a member of the Ku Klux Klan. Wow !!! , can you believe that ?

Jude Sotomayor writes how she felt she was in a strange planet while at Princeton. Better still for you to have a better taste the place, just read Otis Graham's book "Member of the Club" and learn his experience at Princeton.

When I see her limping around on Television with a big smile with crutches on her broken ankle persuading Senators - really makes one think "Pobrecita", the things a "Poor little girl form the South Bronx has to do to be approved to the Supreme Court. The President's nomination not withstanding.

However my beef also with conservatives is their amnesia of the famous Puerto Rican 65th Infantry and how Puerto Ricans earned their place in the "American Sun" by proudly serving and contributing their youth's "Blood Tax" to two American conflicts - WW II and the Korean War - while enduring discrimination similar to Mexican-American soldiers along the way.

In closing I learned from South Bronx parents - to be a plain speaker. To be sincere, to speak honestly with no "bull".

So to those narrow-minded folks who oppose the appointment of Judge Sotomayor I ask them to read the words of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, the Italian-American who said upon his nomination to the Supreme Court the following words -" when I get a case about discrimination I have to think how my own family suffered discrimination". Judge Sonia Sotomayor can easily identify with these words.

Our time has arrived, let's support the first Latina to the Supreme Court of the United States.


De José del C. Paulino

Fernandez admits falling behind Millennium Objectives

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. President Leonel Fernandez admitted that there is a shortfall in the application of the Millennium Objectives in the province of El Seibo, taken as the model for the fulfillment of this development project at the end of 2000 by the United Nations.

As he headed up the fourth Popular Dialogue that took place in this province yesterday afternoon, and after hearing the clamor of the people, the Chief Executive talked about the benefits of the plan but he pointed out that he recognized that in "the execution of this plan there has been a certain shortcoming."

He attributed this to "the difficulties that we have had to face in different places around the country in the middle of economic limitations." Nevertheless, he indicated that his government still has time to fulfill the goals of the Millennium Objectives.

El Seibo, taken as the pilot project for the implementation of this program in 2004, is the province with the second highest poverty index, after Elias Piña.

To change the poverty

President Fernandez said that the development of El Seibo is based on tourism, and he called upon the government officials that accompanied him to "change the image of poverty" in this province and for this he prioritized, among the dozens of proposals made by the people, the pavement of the streets, the repair of the highway, and the construction of a waste water treatment plant.

Among the immediate promises he announced the start of a plan to asphalt and repair of the highway between El Seibo and Miches as well as the completion of the Jina aqueduct whose cost is said to be between RD$7 or RD$8 million.

But the promise that drew the most applause from the crowd that gathered in the streets of the Ginandiana section of the city was the completion of the indoor sports facility, the Polideportivo of El Seibo, which-according to what the President said-will be inaugurated next July.

Nonetheless, the petitions, made by six spokespersons from dozens of community organizations, also asked for bridges, a sewer system that included three waste treatment plants as well as the repair of schools and several highways.

The magic realism of necessity

Is anything characterized this Popular Dialogue it was the dignified magic realism of the petitions. "We want to stop being a city of corn, because when it is rains, we are corn pudding, and when it is sunny, we are roasted corn meal," said Maria Isabel Rua to the President, as a way of painting a graphic image of the deplorable situation of the streets of Miches.

Meanwhile, a lady, standing on a chair, shouted in a very loud voice asking the President, "if you remember what you promised," to which he answered "we'll talk later." One group of country folk did not have the same luck, for no matter how much they waved their arms they could not get a word in.

Diario Libre

Let it rain, in here, within my expatriation
where everything is the same and different.
What is the usage of your signals
if, with subtle juggling, you leave me?
Maybe I can believe the unbelievable,
but I use to get lost in the impulse,
when I say joy is part of my dermis,
when a drop of your light
ignites my bonfires.


AUTHOR: © Victoria Asís

Ciudad Trujillo and dominican history

The amount of Dominicans who do not have an acceptable handle of their country's history and heritage is truly amazing, and embarrassing. This lack of knowledge is truly glaring with the under 40 age group and their descendants living abroad.

However, an interesting process has been taking place for those fortunate ones living in industrialized nations that have pension plans. Those born in the 1940's have been dusting off birth certificates as proof of age as they reach retirement and apply for pensions. On the first line of original birth certificates, the birth name is printed next to "born in Ciudad Trujillo" etc.

My experience is that most Dominicans can recognize themselves anywhere in the world, from Oslo to San Francisco. New Yorkers say it best by referring to ourselves as having "platano faces".

In fact, I had an interesting example of this instant recognition some years ago in the lobby of a Las Vegas hotel casino surrounded by thousands of "gringos" I fixed eyes-and so did he-on Juan Marichal, the great baseball Hall of Famer.

Now let's skip to today. We "platano faces" happily abound in the Greater New York Area and many more young Dominican professionals have been climbing up the social and professional scale. This is a very good feeling. After all, the Irish, Polish, Italians and other groups have done it and take care of their own.

Now we see the Mexicans do the manual labor as we Dominicans dominate the high paying professional baseball management positions: Omar Minaya as General Manger of the Mets. We dominate many areas outside of sports. However, with the Dominican Republic being peacefully invaded by foreigners, we must know our history.

When asked where I was born, I like to answer with perfectly provoking responses. To "gringos" my answer usually is "I was born in the oldest European city in the Western Hemisphere"...and to "platano places" my response is "well, my birth certificate states Ciudad Trujillo".

This response has left many with a blank stare and my suggestion for them to buy Frank Moya Pons English version of "Dominican History" or for the ambitious, I ask them to read LECTURAS in "Diario Libre".

Some have no knowledge of the sacrifices and heroics of the "Era of Trujillo", even less know least of all that this month we celebrate Dominican Independence February 27th. For these I diplomatically say that we cannot continue our conversation before their completing my reading assignment.

My intent is to measure the depth and interest of people's knowledge in their history and heritage in the polyglot of cultures that we live with abroad. It's quite a challenge, yet rewarding to have Dominicans learn more about their heritage.

De José del C. Paulino

No more taxes

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.- More than 65 organizations representing different businesses through the National Council of Private Enterprise (CONEP) warned yesterday that they would not support any new taxes or tariffs, and they insist on their call for that adoption of an austerity policy in public spending and rationality in the assignation of the budget resources.

The organizations, after meeting on Wednesday to hear and evaluate the partial results of the fist phase of the Summit for National Unity in the face of the World Economic Crisis, also rejected the congressional initiative of Senator Luis Rene Canaan that intends to apply even more taxes on check and electronic transactions that already have a RD$0.15 tax.

The organizations, meeting at the offices of CONEP, said that they considered that the initiative of the senator is inappropriate and contrary to the political necessity of recovery and strengthening of the national finances, which they feel has provoked the decrease in financial intermediaries and a turn towards informal relations, in addition to the costs that this represents to consumers and users of the local banking system.

In the same manner, they also reject the initiative of the legislator that would impose a 1% tax on the income of the Administrators of Health Risks (more like HMOs), under the argument that these funds would be used to attend the demands for higher wages from other sectors of the population.

The groups point out that this would add another distortion to the national economy and an anti-stimulus for savings and investment, both from national sources as well as foreign, besides creating an unfortunate precedent, worsening even more the disparity in an even and fair fiscal treatment not only of the economic agents but also to the population that will be, in the end, who will pay for it.

They said, "These initiatives of legislator Canaan duplicate the tax efforts of sectors that already contribute significantly to the treasury and obscure the investment climate that needs to be strengthened at this juncture."