Abinader enacts laws to develop ecotourism in three provinces

According to a press release from the Presidency, the rules provide important incentives for the promotion of ecotourism in the provinces. The case of Law number 8-23 declares the Duarte province as eco-tourism to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, as well as the promotion of cultural manifestations for the benefit of its communities’ economic and social development. The law creates a Duarte Province Ecotourism Development Council and an executive director for these purposes. “The first will be the governing body for promoting and regulating ecotourism activities in the province and the second will be in charge of executing such policies. “The law establishes a provincial fund for ecotourism development and directs the General State Budget to set aside 60 million pesos per year for the two years following its promulgation,” according to one of the law’s recitals.

While Law No. 9-23 modifies Law No. 77-02, enacted on July 19, 2002, and establishes the province of Hato Mayor as an ecotourism province, to adapt the integration and functionality of its organs rulers, and executors. Similarly, it directs the General State Budget to set aside 20 million pesos per year for compliance with the provisions of the law. The province of El Seibo has been designated as a tourist pole by Law number 10-23, in addition to its previous designation as an ecotourism province by Law number 511-05, enacted on November 22, 2005.

As a result, the incentives envisioned in Law number 158-01, enacted on October 9, 2001, to promote tourism development, must be implemented. “In recent decades, ecotourism has experienced a significant boom due to societies’ adaptation to new forms of tourism, sustainability, and environmental development,” the Presidency stated.

Dominican Republic improves in corruption rate

According to the results of Transparency International’s (TI) Corruption Perception Index -IPC 2022-, the Dominican Republic has made progress in the fight against corruption. The report, released yesterday by the non-partisan civic movement Participación Ciudadana, gives the country a score of 32 out of 100. The CPI assigns points from 0 (perception of high levels of corruption) to 100 (perception of very low levels of corruption) based on its residents’ perceptions of corruption in the public sector and data from various private and public sources. 

The Dominican Republic has gained four points in the last two years, according to Citizen Participation, due to measures that have strengthened the independence of the Public Ministry and other control entities. They also believe that this is due to increased transparency in public procurement, as well as the passage of the Asset Forfeiture Law, a key legal tool for combating corruption and organized crime. On this occasion, the country moves up to position 123 from 128 in 2021. However, the movement, which is the Dominican chapter of Transparency International (TI), stated that delays in judicial processes have hampered progress in convictions for corrupt acts.

“There is concern among Dominican society that the courts are not meeting the country’s high demand to advance in the fight against corruption and crime,” he said. According to Joseph Abreu, the general coordinator of Citizen Participation, the country faces the challenge of continuing the fight for democratic institutions, transparency, and the strengthening of the justice system to end impunity.

The Dominican economy demonstrated that it is resilient in 2022

Several economists believe that the Dominican Republic’s 4.9% growth in the real gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022 demonstrates the country’s resilience to external shocks. “A 4.9% growth is laudable in the context of global economic difficulties,” Rafael Espinal, coordinator of the Economics career at the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo (Intec), said of the data provided by the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD).

He explained that the last two quarters of 2022 were severely impacted by the rise in interest rates, as is the case with construction, which barely grew 1.6%, falls in gold production, and the industrial sector, which was impacted by the rise in interest rates and prices of international raw materials, freight and supply difficulties. “Even so, the economy grew successfully,” Espinal said.

Instead, economist Iván Rodrguez told Diario Libre that statistics show that the Dominican economy maintained its post-COVID recovery in 2022, but warns that the outlook for global economies in 2023 is not promising.

JAC grants “special permission” to Air Europa to link New York with Santo Domingo

José Marte Piantini, president of the Civil Aviation Board ( JAC ), reported that the organization approved a special permit for Air Europa to connect Madrid and New York via Santo Domingo.
After the approval of the new link, the Spanish airline will operate 188 flights, five weekly, from June 20 to October 29, 2023.

To carry them out, within the framework of Fitur 2023, an agreement was signed between the Minister of Tourism, David Collado; the president of the Globalia Group, Juan José Hidalgo; and the president of the JAC.
The operation will be carried out aboard one of its Boeing 787, an aircraft operating between Madrid and New York.

Hidalgo highlighted the importance of the new route and valued the company’s commitment to the DR destination.
“We will put the best plane in the world on the route to increase the connectivity that is needed and provide the best service,” he said at the time.

Average hotel occupancy was 71.1% through November 2022

Santo Domingo, D.R.
The average hotel occupancy in the country between January and November last year was 71.1% at a general level, Bayahibe-Romana being the destination with the highest occupancy rate at 79.9%, followed by Bávaro-Punta Cana with 77%.

The latest statistics published by the Central Bank refer that during that period, the lowest average occupancy rate in tourist lodging establishments was Sosua-Carabete at 50.6%, Puerto Plata at 52.6%, Boca Chica-Juan Dolio at 57.4% and the city of Santo Domingo 59.8%.

Central Bank records show that the arrival of non-resident passengers reached 571,380 visitors, constituting an all-time high in tourist arrivals in November, for an increase of 52,266 additional travelers (10%) concerning the same period of 2021.

Regarding the distribution of the total number of visitors received, 83.4% corresponded to foreign travelers (476,706 passengers) who chose the country as a tourist destination, and the remaining 16.6% to non-resident Dominicans (94,674 passengers).

It is worth noting that when compared to the same month of 2018 and 2019, i.e., periods before the impact of the health crisis, November’s flow was higher by 17.7% and 23.7%, respectively.

This behavior allowed accumulating an unprecedented arrival of 6,397,466 non-resident passengers at the end of November 2022, which represents some 2,131,491 additional visitors in the same period of 2021, for year-on-year growth of 50.0% and surpassing 2019 by 9.9% and 2018 by 8.3%, a year in which the highest inflow of overnight travelers in the country had been reached.

Arajet CEO says Santo Domingo needs new airport terminal

The CEO of Arajet, Víctor Pacheco Méndez, corroborated the need that exists in the country, and specifically in Santo Domingo, to have a new airport, as Mónika Infante, director of Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (Aerodom), had already informed that by 2026 or 2027 the construction of a second air terminal in Las Américas is contemplated, to extend to new frequencies and routes that will allow the arrival of a more significant number of tourists and regular passengers.

Pacheco Méndez said that “we need a new terminal; that is the plan that we must put in place as soon as possible, in addition there are a series of short and medium term actions that are needed to accommodate the existing terminal according to the growth experienced at the AILA.”

He also stated that this is in line with the growth plans of the Dominican airline in terms of aircraft and later increase of frequencies.

“As we said, we are going to double the fleet by 2023, but it is undoubtedly very important that the terminal project gets underway and allows Arajet to offer wider connections in the DR,” he emphasized.

The airline plans to offer more than half a million seats, and its main objective is to start operations in the United States; it will also expand its fleet of Boeing 737 Max8 aircraft, with the incorporation of between 3 and 5 new aircraft, which will increase the fleet from 5 to 8 or 10.

“In Aerodom, they have the space, but the conversations this year must be retaken to re-set dates and schedules, since Arajet has 3 and a half months of operations, and everything is happening a little fast, but we have faith that the terminal will be able to start up,” emphasized the executive.

Sanctuary Cap Cana becomes Marriott’s first all-inclusive

The Sanctuary Cap Cana hotel became the world’s first Marriott International Luxury Collection all-inclusive resort for adults when it formally joined the prestigious luxury brand The Luxury Collection. The hotel is now Sanctuary Cap Cana, a Luxury Collection Adult All Inclusive Resort, with the new name combining to provide a truly unique and luxurious experience. “Sanctuary Cap Cana has been a great addition, we are happy that it is the first all-inclusive luxury property to join the All-Inclusive by Marriott Bonvoy and Luxury Collection portfolio, and excited to work with Playa Resorts for the first time on this distinctive project in the Dominican Republic,” said Alex Fiz of Marriott International. Sanctuary is unquestionably a Caribbean jewel in the region.” 

Meanwhile, Fernando Mulet, executive of Playa Hotels & Resorts, the hotel’s operating company, indicated that “as operators and developers of 23 resorts around the world, we value the success of this alliance and launch of the new Sanctuary Cap Cana, as a luxury collection from Marriott, which defines a new level of sophistication and exclusivity in the all-inclusive sector. Francisco Martinez said he felt grateful for the “great teamwork that made the recovery of the hotel possible after the passage of the hurricane, managing to rebuild the damage and convert the property to the standards of this great luxury brand, this being a great work, a unique hotel in the Caribbean, with magic and personality, for the enjoyment of all who visit us”.

Following the renovation, the resort unveiled its newly renovated spaces, which include 324 rooms in 19 distinct categories, ranging from luxurious oceanfront villas to bi-level private island suites; five top-class restaurants offering a variety of gastronomic experiences; seven bars and lounges; six pools; and a state-of-the-art spa and gym. It also has the Sanctuary Town, which is located in front of the resort lobby and includes a collection of nightclubs, bars, and restaurants open to Cap Cana residents and visitors. The Caribbean Sea serves as the backdrop for the hotel’s exclusive events, conventions, meetings, and celebration spaces.

Dominican Republic will have 600 MW in renewable energy by the end of 2023

Rafael Gómez, Vice Minister of Energy, spoke about the Dominican Republic’s energy and climate challenges during his participation in the Caribbean Energy Conference, which was held at the Jaragua hotel in this capital. During his speech at the session on Tuesday, engineer Gómez emphasized the importance of renewable energies in the Dominican Republic and reported that the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) and the National Energy Commission (CNE) have promoted a plan to promote them, to have 25% of the energy produced and consumed in the Dominican Republic come from renewable sources by 2025. He predicted that by 2030, 30% of energy production would come from renewable sources, to meet the mandate of Law 57-07, which encourages and regulates the development and investment in projects that use any renewable energy source.

Similarly, he mentioned the growth of renewable energies, noting that there are currently 15 projects in development, 12 of which are in the construction phase, and it is expected that they will begin operations by the end of 2023. The Dominican electrical system will receive approximately 600 MW of clean energy with the inclusion of these projects. Participants included Alfonso Rodriguez, Vice Minister of Savings and Energy Efficiency, Walkiria Caamaño, Vice Minister of Hydrocarbons, and representatives from Solar Turbines, InterEnergy, EGE Haina, AES, S&P Global Commodity Insights, BMR Energy LLC, and GIZ, among others.

The Caribbean Energy Conference is the region’s first energy event, bringing together a network of work, businesses, and colleagues from more than 20 countries around the world to provide critical information on the region’s energy transformation.

La Vega Carnival, ready to cheer the Dominican people in February

The Vegan Carnival began to warm up the engines of the maximum celebration of culture and folklore in the city of La Vega a few days before February. The organizers announced the launch of the Vegan Carnival 2023 edition this Monday, which will take place every Sunday in February and on Monday, February 27th, on Pedro A. Rivera avenue and Las Flores park in the “Culta y Olimpica” city. Starting at 7:00 p.m., the event will include a parade of floats, comparsas, the diablos cojuelos, and other colorful and varied characters from Dominican folklore, as well as an attractive free artistic billboard in another public space that holds approximately 12,000 people.

According to Roberto Rodriguez, CEO of Grupo Medrano, this year will be one of recovery and innovation following the pandemic’s lethargy. They have added 40 caves and will crown the Children’s Queen of Carnival to encourage children’s artistic expression. The carnival’s king and queen will be crowned, as is customary, though the names have yet to be revealed. “The diablos cojuelos are eager to go out,” Rodriguez said Monday during a press conference at the Intercontinental Hotel in Santo Domingo. Milagros Germán, Minister of Culture, spoke at the event, as did Martin Duquela, President of the Vegan Carnival Union (Ucave), Kelvin Cruz, Mayor of La Vega, and Joel Santos, Minister of the Presidency. Music and folkloric dancing from the Ministry of Tourism were performed by Miralba Ruiz and Yokasta Diaz.

Carlos de la Mota, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Ramón Rogelio Genao, Senator of La Vega, were present.

Puerto Plata in 2022, the province with the lowest public investment

Puerto Plata has seen less public investment in the last eight years, with just RD$679.1 million at the end of the second week of December, a negative interannual variation of 54% and an absolute difference of RD$778.6 million when compared to 2021, when it registered RD$1 billion, according to data from the Ministry of Economy, Planning, and Development (MEPyD). This year’s performance is even lower than in 2020, when it accumulated RD$804.4 million, due to a 15.5% decrease, resulting in a net interannual difference of RD$125.3 million. This was the province’s lowest public investment since 2015 when the government on duty only invested RD$883.9 million.

From 2014 to the end of the second week of December 2022, the state invested around RD$10 billion in this important tourist area, with 2018 being the best year with RD$3 billion, accounting for 27.5% of the total. Following that is 2021, with an amount of RD$1 billion for a 13.3% item. 2017 continues, after reporting around RD$1 billion for 10.9%.

In 2019, these investments totaled RD$1 billion, or 10.1% of the total. Meanwhile, the 2014 figure of RD$914.9 million and the 2016 figure of RD$883.9 million represented 8.4% and 8.1%, respectively. So far this year, the amount of public investment in Puerto Plata represents “only” 1.3% of the total, because the Government allocated RD$52,277.1 million to all provinces by the end of the second week of December 2022.

Planet Hollywood will land in the Dominican Republic with a hotel in Punta Bergantín

The first Planet Hollywood hotel to open in the Dominican Republic will be located in Punta Bergantin, Puerto Plata, and will be financed by the Banco de Reservas, as announced by the Minister of Tourism, David Collado, during a Fitur 2023 event alongside the Banreservas administrator, Samuel Pereyra, and the president of Blue Diamond Hotels & Resorts, Jordi Pelfort Marques. “This is a stellar moment for the Dominican Republic, a great moment for our tourism, for the vision that we have been developing in the Tourism Cabinet, and for the relaunch of Puerto Plata,” Collado said, referring to the signing of the letter of intent that will allow the American firm to set up shop in Punta Bergantin.

Pereyra emphasized that “the relaunch of Puerto Plata as a hotel tourism destination is becoming a reality” with the Punta Bergantin project, in which Banreservas purchased more than 9,000 square meters. He emphasized that President Luis Abinader and the Tourism Cabinet have been heavily involved in developing ambitious tourism, real estate, and commercial projects. He stated that Banreservas will participate as a financial entity in numerous investments that will be made there, including the Planet Hollywood hotel, the first of several hotels in Puerto Plata’s tourist hub.

The Sunwing Group manages the Planet Hollywood franchise hotels in North America. Pereyra went on to say that Playa Bergantin will have 6,760 hotel rooms, 13,705 residential rooms, and an academic campus to promote education and innovation in the country.

Banking sector grants credits for RD$98 billion to tourism in 2022

Dominican banking plays a critical role in tourism development by financing hotel projects and related businesses, with a credit portfolio that exceeded RD$98 billion (US$1.75 billion) by the end of 2022. The data comes from the Superintendency of Banks’ (SB) Annual Report on Banking and Tourism, which also shows a 13.2% year-on-year increase in loans to this industry. It had the lowest financing costs, with a weighted average interest rate of 7.1% (the general average was 12.5% per year).

In terms of risk, it is the third portfolio in the financial system with the lowest delinquency, with only 0.4% of overdue debt and a coverage ratio of 3.4. As a result, credit to this line has grown steadily over the last five years, at an average nominal rate of 9.4%. When loans are separated by currency, it should be noted that 89% of the tourism portfolio is denominated in US dollars, accounting for 25% of the financial system’s total portfolio in foreign currency. Multiple banks account for 93.7% of the tourist credit portfolio. As a result, 90.6% of tourism financing is concentrated in the three commercial banks with the most assets.

Tourism received 6% of bank loans and 11.5% of the private commercial portfolio as of December 2022. Similarly, this line records 19,427 distinct debtors and 25,319 loans in the financial system. According to the report, hotels, bars, and restaurants currently account for approximately 6.2% of the Dominican Republic’s GDP and employ 7.8% of the working population.

Energy achievement in 2022: renewables generate the same amount of energy as oil

s of 2023, greater diversification of the energy generation matrix in the country is expected with the increase of sustainable projects, decreasing the dependence on oil derivatives.

The Dominican Electricity Industry Association (ADIE) reported yesterday that 2022 concluded with a growth in the participation of renewable energies in the electricity generation matrix so that they already equal production with petroleum derivatives.

In its year-end report, the entity highlighted that this year energy was supplied in the National Interconnected Electric System (SENI) by the following primary sources: natural gas 39 %, coal 30 %, oil derivatives 15 %, water 6 %, biomass 1 %, wind 5 %, and sun 3 %.

He also indicated that the electricity system currently has 833 megawatts (MW) of large-scale non-conventional renewable energies in operation, of which 370 are wind, 433 are solar photovoltaic, and 30 are based on biomass.

Dominican Republic among the countries that boosted regional exports in 2022

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL or ECLAC), in its recent report “Prospects for the International Trade in Latin America and the Caribbean 2022,” noted that the Dominican Republic significantly contributed to the growth of exports at the regional level in 2022, with excellent performance in the section of manufactures based on natural resources. Even though the weight of primary products in total exports in the Caribbean and Central America fell by 9% in the last two decades, reaching 11%, positive statistics are recorded in at least two lines, which boosted the development of foreign trade.

“The decline in medium technology exports has been more pronounced (16%), while participation in natural resource-based manufacturing, the subregion’s main exporter, has increased with 39%, as has participation in medium and high technology,” according to the study. ECLAC attributes the positive performance in the last two categories to the growing weight of exports from the Dominican Republic, “the largest economy in the subregion,” which leads the sector in the manufacture of articles and products derived from natural resources, as well as low and medium technology.

According to ECLAC, the value of regional goods exports will increase by 20% in 2022, driven by a 14% increase in prices and a 6% increase in the volume exported. According to the report, the line experienced its second year of double-digit growth in 2022, after growing 27% the previous year. However, as in 2021, the increase in shipments was driven by raw material price increases rather than the ability to increase export volume or diversify regional supply.

Tourism and Culture start a project that expands the rehabilitation of the Colonial City

“The time has come for the Colonial City,” said Tourism Minister David Collado, as the “Project for the Reconstruction and Conditioning of Streets, Sidewalks, and Curbs of the Colonial City” began this Wednesday, complementing the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) 90 million dollar project in part of the historic center. This is a project that aims to benefit residents in the Santa Bárbara, San Antón, San Miguel, and San Lázaro sectors by reconstructing 17 sections of streets worth 110 million pesos out of a total of 460 million, which includes the intervention of the Alcázar de Colón, the Panteón de la Patria, and the Puerta de la Misericordia, among other works. In the northern part, the streets that would be intervened are: Polvorin, section Mercedes Juan Isidro Pérez; Restoration, José Reyes, Merino; Duarte, La Noria Restoration; and José Reyes, Las Mercedes section. In all of them, work will be done on the sidewalks, streets, and storm drainage.

Collado launched the project with the Minister of Culture, Milagros Germán; Mayor Carolina Mejia’s representative, Mrs. Rosalia Féliz; Juan Mubarak, director of Monumental Heritage; David Llibre, president of the Dominican Republic’s Association of Hotels and Tourism (Asonahores); and William Garcia, president of the Union of Neighborhood Associations of Ciudad Colonial. The Committee for the Preservation of the Colonial City of Santo Domingo, established by President Luis Abinader through decree 283-21 to develop the “City Action Plan Colonial 2022-2023,” is made up of various official entities such as Tourism, Cultural, and the Mayor’s Office. “We are going to start this process of rescuing the Colonial City by investing 460 million pesos from the Ministry of Tourism’s budget to unify efforts with the Mayor’s Office, with Culture, and with all the other institutions so that this Colonial City can shine in the world as it is, a world heritage, and that is why the time has come for the Colonial City, regardless of the 90 million dollars that the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is investing,” said the official.

During the project’s initial phase, Minister Collado stated that the Dominican Republic is regarded as one of the world’s top tourist destinations. This is possible because private interests have been set aside to embrace a topic such as sightseeing.

Punta Bergatín project in Puerto Plata foresees the creation of 83 thousand jobs

The presentation of the Punta Bergantin de Puerto Plata master plan, which calls for the creation of 83,250 jobs, was led by President Luis Abinader and Minister of Tourism David Collado. The project, which is part of the second stage of the Dominican Republic’s northern zone relaunch, focuses on hotel, real estate, cinematographic, and innovation development in Puerto Plata. Regarding this goal, the President stated that companies have already committed to establishing innovation centers in the area and that they are in talks with some hotel brands with a strong position in the North American market, one of the target audiences for the north coast.

Immediately following the presentation of the master plan, the president held a private meeting with investors interested in the project, including several Dominican Republic private developers, such as Alvaro Peña, president of the CODELPA group, as well as representatives of the North American franchise of hotels, Planet Hollywood, operated by the Sunwing group. The president emphasized that along with the cinematographic axis  “this project as a truly special one for the entire region.”

Similarly, he stated that the project has an appropriate design that respects the environment, ensures an excellent quality of life in the real estate sector, and provides good enjoyment for tourists in the hotel sector.

Abinader leads the inaugural act of different works in Santiago

President Luis Abinader presided over the delivery ceremonies for several infrastructure projects, including the remodeled Joaquin Balaguer highway, bridges, asphalting, sidewalk, and curb construction in various communities and neighborhoods. The works are overseen by the Ministry of Public Works and Communications, and the total investment exceeds 978 million pesos, with the Santiago de Los Caballeros-Navarrete highway accounting for 497 million pesos. Deligne Ascención, the Minister of Public Works who accompanied the president during these activities, stated that the symbolic cutting of the ribbon that leaves the Joaquin Balaguer highway inaugurated in the section of the Duarte highway between the city of Santiago and the municipality of Navarrete “has a special meaning and is part of the investment plan we carry out to improve traffic and road connections throughout the region.”

He stated that the set of investments made by the government through the MOPC has been dubbed the “Ciudad Corazón Urban Accessibility Plan,” and is aimed at facilitating integration between the city’s traditional and residential neighborhoods and the municipalities’ expanding areas. “This section of the old highway, over the years, has become an avenue with multiple businesses and industries that make it a highly trafficked road. They had turned it into a dangerous and tedious highway due to the deterioration of the pavement, the lack of signage, and the insecurity with which it was discovered,” explained Ascención.

He stated that the remodeling will now allow for a more comfortable and safe route for travelers heading to Navarrete in the Northwest region, as well as an improvement in the connection with the highway leading to the city of Puerto Plata. While signaling tailored to new construction technologies will ensure the safety of light and heavy vehicles passing through it.

Ambassador of Israel in the Dominican Republic: “This country is a gift from God that makes tourists fall in love, nothing is missing”

Dr. Daniel Biran, the Israeli ambassador to the Dominican Republic, emphasized the country’s tourism recovery by stating that this Caribbean nation is a gift from God that tourists fall in love with. In an interview, Daniel Biran stated that tourists from his country enjoy the Dominican Republic’s beauty and charms. “I always said many times during the pandemic that tourists and investments would return and double in this country, and that is what we are seeing today, and hopefully this will continue,” he said. The Israeli ambassador predicted that the number of Israeli tourists visiting the Dominican Republic would increase in the coming months.

“It’s still not enough, I want to see more; we signed an agreement for a direct Israel-Punta Cana flight, and many more are coming. Many came during the pandemic, and each one falls in love with this country, a wonderful place, very friendly, no anti-Semitism, food, music, nothing is missing,” said Israel’s ambassador, Daniel Biran. The diplomat emphasized the Dominican Republic’s investment climate by describing the V Congress of the Council of the Alliance for Development of Ibero-America, which was held in Punta Cana, as a success. Israel intends to expand bilateral cooperation and strengthen friendship ties between the two countries.

The Dominican Republic and Israel have historically had close ties because, when neither country was willing to accept more Jewish refugees fleeing Nazism, or set conditions, the Dominican Republic was the only State that offered to do so.

President Abinader expresses support for Lula after assault on the Brazilian Congress

The Dominican Republic’s President, Luis Abinader, expressed complete solidarity and support for the Brazilian Government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Sunday after supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the headquarters of the three State powers in Brasilia. Abinader described “acts of violence” against the powers of the state in Brazil as “unjustifiable” on his Twitter account.  “On behalf of the Dominican Government, I express the strongest repudiation and condemnation of the unjustifiable acts of violence against the powers of the State and democracy in Brazil. “We offer our full solidarity and support to the Brazilian government and people,” Abinader wrote. After breaking into Congress, supporters of former President Bolsonaro stormed Planalto Palace, the Brazilian Executive’s headquarters, and the Supreme Court on Sunday. The fascist vandals will be found and punished, according to Lula da Silva.

Similarly, the engineer Miguel Vargas Maldonado and the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) have categorically condemned the subversive acts committed this Sunday in Brazil, where people pretending to ignore popular will manifested in voting booths have risen against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s government. Vargas Maldonado, president for Latin America and the Caribbean and world vice president of the Socialist International, echoed the organization’s statement, strongly supporting the Brazilian government led by Lula da Silva.

Both the PRD and its president agreed with the Socialist International in condemning the actions of those who occupied Congress and other bodies in Brazil on Sunday to carry out a coup against the newly installed government.

JetBlue drops prices: fares from US$49 for travel in the first quarter of 2023

JetBlue sinks fares starting at US$49 each way and is valid for travel on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from January 17 through March 29, with flight and hotel package deals. Bookings will be available through January 11.

Flights available in the winter offer both domestic and international flights.

“Take advantage of winter with deals on flights and flight + hotel packages to your favorite destinations,” the airline posted on social networks.

Economy travel with fares starting at US$49 are Detroit to Boston, Fort Lauderdale to Atlanta, Nashville to New York, New York to Savannah, and Philadelphia to Boston.

With a US$59 fare, travelers can also fly from Savannah to Boston and Charleston to New York, among other destinations.

To other destinations such as San Juan from only US$74 from Fort Lauderdale and US$134 from Boston. It also includes offers to Caribbean destinations such as Punta Cana, Montego Bay, Jamaica, and other destinations.

With hotel deals, travelers can book Jetblue Vacations packages to destinations such as Las Vegas starting at just US$82 from Los Angeles or Punta Cana from US$418, departing from Fort Lauderdale.