Paragraph VII of clause six states: “it is understood between the parties that the Real Estate to be contributed to the Pro-Pedernales Trust does not include within its boundaries, either totally or partially, lands that form part of the Jaragua National Park, Sierra de Bahoruco National Park, Cabo Rojo Bahía de las Águilas National Recreation Area with its four polygons: Cabo Rojo-Pedernales Beach, Bahía de las Águilas, Playa Larga and Playa Blanca.”.
SANTO DOMINGO.-After the Executive Branch sent amendments seeking to guarantee the preservation of protected areas, the Chamber of Deputies yesterday approved in a single reading Addendum No. 3 to the Trust Contract for the Tourism Development of the province of Pedernales (Pro-Pedernales).
It must now be approved in a single reading in the Senate, which will meet today, Thursday, at 10:00 am, just as the current ordinary legislative session closes.
In a letter sent to the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Alfredo Pacheco, the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, explains that he is sending an agreement signed between the parties in which two modifications are introduced to the aforementioned addendum No. 3, relating to clauses four and six.
The latest changes, the letter specifies, are made "with the express purpose of avoiding the inclusion within the group of properties to be exploited for tourism of any portion legally declared as a protected area, thereby ensuring our commitment to the protection of the environment and sustainable development.".
The amendment was signed by Sigmund Freund Mena, executive director of Public-Private Partnerships (DGAPP), as trustor representing the Dominican State, and by Andrés Vander Horst Álvarez, general manager of Fiduciaria Reservas and trustee. The act is certified by the notary public Ramón de Jesús Mora Reyes.
The armor
The changes made by the Executive Branch and approved by the Chamber of Deputies regarding clause four include, for the first of the three properties contributed to the trust, that this property “will be subject to a subdivision process before the Real Estate Jurisdiction to exclude the area within the protected landscape of Cabo Rojo-Pedernales beach.” This refers to the property identified by cadastral designation No. 291886569074.
Paragraph VII of clause six was also modified, which states: “it is understood between the parties that the Real Estate to be contributed to the Trust-Pedernales does not include within its boundaries, either totally or partially, lands that form part of the Jaragua National Park, Sierra de Bahoruco National Park, Cabo Rojo Bahía de las Águilas National Recreation Area with its four polygons: Cabo Rojo-Pedernales Beach, Bahía de las Águilas, Playa Larga and Playa Blanca.”.
It adds that no protected area will be included and that those properties located on the plots to be contributed to Pro-Pedernales will be subject to a subdivision process in the real estate jurisdiction.
All of the above, prior to or in conjunction with the contribution of said properties to the trust estate, and that the lands located within the protected areas excluded from the trust estate must be maintained in all cases.
Bickering
The newspaper Diario Libre reports that during the debates held in yesterday's ordinary session, Wednesday, Deputy Aníbal Díaz, president of the special commission that studied addendum No. 3, asked to withdraw the report they had presented due to the new modifications.
He valued the legitimate concerns for the safeguarding of protected areas and stressed that the modifications contributed to ensuring that this is achieved, by giving greater force to the agreement and putting a "lock" in place so that the Pro-Pedernales Trust does not encompass any protected area.
He said he hoped that after the differences were resolved, his peers would support the approval of the bill.
Meanwhile, Representative José Horacio Rodríguez, spokesperson for the Democratic Option, Country Alliance and Liberal Reformist Party bloc, stated that with the amendment, President Luis Abinader was agreeing with the questions he had raised the previous day regarding the bill.
He lamented that some politicians wanted to damage his career because of his criticisms and assured that what he seeks is to guarantee sustainable development and social justice.
He stated that the Legislative Branch must fulfill its oversight role and that they must investigate when complaints are filed, such as those presented by the Coalition for the Defense of Protected Areas, regarding the fact that Addendum 3 to the Pro-Pedernales Trust, some 6.2 million square meters of protected areas could be transferred to the trust's assets.
Meanwhile, PLD deputy Víctor Suárez, speaking on behalf of his parliamentary bloc, said that although the government assured that the project did not include protected areas, the modifications proved that it did.
He clarified that he was one of those who fought to recover Bahía de las Águilas and that those efforts were not for those lands to be handed over through a trust.
He stressed that the role of the opposition is to act as a counterweight to guarantee democracy and said that, if consensus was not reached to approve the Public Trust bill, approved in the first reading with a simple majority, although he claimed it was a qualified majority, they should send the amendment back to committee for further study.
He assured that the PLD is not against Pedernales, nor against public trusts, but rather that these trusts comply with what the Constitution establishes.
Meanwhile, the spokesman for the PRSC bloc of deputies, Pedro Botello, said that he had not previously spoken about the issue because he was not convinced by the project.
He said he would vote in favor of it for Pedernales and the people who took to the streets to protest, with the interest of having the trust approved because many people need jobs.
PRD deputy Héctor Feliz Féliz said that to rectify is wise and that this was demonstrated with President Luis Abinader.
He specified that former President Leonel Fernández was the first to "look" for Pedernales but that he could not develop it because of the litigation that existed over the lands of Bahía de las Águilas.
He stated that Pedernales is the anchor of the south, so its development will have repercussions throughout the region.
Taken from Diario Libre with modified text.
