To protect investors in the Dominican Republic.
Santo Domingo, Thursday, July 4th, 2002
CORRUPTION AND CORRUPT PEOPLE, OR CREATORS OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT.
The corruption of a particular society is very probably the worst enemy and perhaps even the antithesis of development, and for that reason the greatest obstacle to the good progress of optimum harmony of community.
Corruption, in order to live and prosper, needs mainly three allies: indifference, connivence, and “omertá” or the silent acceptance of the wrongdoing in the status quo or daily life. This social symbiosis means that one cannot live without the others.
This “specter” may be so widespread and disguised in institutions and human activity in general that it is often extremely difficult to detect and isolate the zone or sector of society in which it is mainly lodged (in order to combat it). Thus for example, and to complicate matters, such an apparently innocent and innocuous human characteristic as indifference is also made up, among many other things, by elements such as egoism, cruelty, sadism, arrogance, avarice, etc.
Therefore, are the corrupt ones only those who are directly interested, or also those who remain indifferent, or those who take advantage of the foreign ill or who remain silent?
Below we present some considerations in this regard.
1 ) More than six years ago, when I wanted to found a museum in Puerto Plata , the municipal authorities declared war on me.
2 ) Years go by, I become seriously ill with depression, and a year ago, to make matters worse, the present and reelected mayor Ramón Ortíz (PRD) steals a lot from me.
3 ) I bring a complaint against Mayor Ortíz, and I bring him before the District Attorney of Puerto Plata (Mr. Persio), who has never done anything .
4 ) The courageous Freddy Vásquez, beneficiary of the lot, having pointed a pistol at me, I depart Puerto Plata more than four months ago, leaving my family behind.
5 ) In a letter addressed to President Mejía and published in “Ultima Hora” on 12.03.2002, I offer to fix up free of charge and in only eight days, the port in Puerto Plata for cruise ships, which would create hundreds of jobs.
6 ) Not receiving any public reply, I have produced a book entitled DAR which I distribute personally, indicating in writing my telephone number, to the authorities in the capital Santo Domingo and Puerto Plata, Government, presidents of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, embassies, and communications media, press, radio, and television.
7 ) Absolutely no one calls or comments on this.
8 ) President Hipólito Mejía travels to Italy and the Ukraine in search of investors.
9 ) If I were allowed to fix up Puerto Plata’s tourist port, I would earn the credit or “respect” to propose the fixing up of the entire port, which has been in its present condition for 15 to 20 years. And if successful, that would increase my respect enough to lead me to propose a partial plan of economic rescue of the Northeastern region of Haiti, sufficiently concrete and with good probabilities of becoming a reality. Insanity? Dreams? Try me, and die laughing if I fail! Happily it is the type of trial which, if it fails, does not imply the loss of a single dollar.
10 ) A survey in the magazine “Rumbo” dated July 3, 2002, reports that the Dominican Navy, so far this year, has prevented 239 (two hundred thirty-nine) trips in yola, which represent thousands of potential illegal aliens.
11 ) During the same days when president Mejía was in Italy, one of those boats which they were not able to detect when it departed, was rescued by the Dominican Navy north of Puerto Plata, after drifting for 14 days with its 57 unfortunate passengers on board, without water or food. Seven of them did not survive, and probably ended up being eaten by the sharks. Among them was Catalina Ramos, a friendly young mother of 32 who left behind three orphans. The friends who witnessed her horrible agony say that she lasted for days between life and death, and that she died after vomiting much blood.
12 ) Couldn’t a job like the fixing of the Puerto Plata wharf constitute a message of hope for some Dominicans to desist from making such risky trips? Why aren’t the resources from here used, while president Mejía searches for foreign investors or asks for more aid in international forums? Why such stubbornness, indifference, connivence, and corruption in front of everybody, by the authorities of Puerto Plata and the rest of the country?
13 ) Not being a lawyer, I would appreciate it if someone who is one would advise me. As I explained at the beginning, it seems to me absurd that there can be a country in this world where one is completely isolated, unprotected, and abandoned with his family to the mercy, will, or discretionality of any corrupt individual. Wouldn’t it be time to institute a kind of International Ombudsman? Keep in mind that Dominican laws do not shelter me because in my case corruption prevents it from working. The embassy of the European Union says that they have no competency in my case. The Italian Ambassador, Dr. Canavesio, says the same thing!.
14 ) While I meditate on all of the above, my two small girls Maria and Valerie together with their mama Belkis are going hungry in the city of Puerto Plata while the creation of urban slums by the PRD mayor Ramón Ortíz prevents one from selling anything. There are three hundred thousand US dollars invested there, which they paid me for my house in Verona, Italy, eleven years ago, (actually 14..). Recently real estate companies don’t even waste the time to propose to potential clients areas so intentionally degraded by the Puerto Plata municipal corruption. And nevertheless that real estate is valued at more than 300,000.00 US dollars.
Then, as I stated at the beginning, could corruption be the worst enemy of life as a good citizen? Could it be corruption that transform certain authorities and other indifferent and conniving citizens, besides being corrupt, into promoters or creators of underdevelopment?
Your very truly,
Dr. Valerio Tonolli
CORRUPTION AND CORRUPT PEOPLE, OR CREATORS OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT.
The corruption of a particular society is very probably the worst enemy and perhaps even the antithesis of development, and for that reason the greatest obstacle to the good progress of optimum harmony of community.
Corruption, in order to live and prosper, needs mainly three allies: indifference, connivence, and “omertá” or the silent acceptance of the wrongdoing in the status quo or daily life. This social symbiosis means that one cannot live without the others.
This “specter” may be so widespread and disguised in institutions and human activity in general that it is often extremely difficult to detect and isolate the zone or sector of society in which it is mainly lodged (in order to combat it). Thus for example, and to complicate matters, such an apparently innocent and innocuous human characteristic as indifference is also made up, among many other things, by elements such as egoism, cruelty, sadism, arrogance, avarice, etc.
Therefore, are the corrupt ones only those who are directly interested, or also those who remain indifferent, or those who take advantage of the foreign ill or who remain silent?
Below we present some considerations in this regard.
1 ) More than six years ago, when I wanted to found a museum in Puerto Plata , the municipal authorities declared war on me.
2 ) Years go by, I become seriously ill with depression, and a year ago, to make matters worse, the present and reelected mayor Ramón Ortíz (PRD) steals a lot from me.
3 ) I bring a complaint against Mayor Ortíz, and I bring him before the District Attorney of Puerto Plata (Mr. Persio), who has never done anything .
4 ) The courageous Freddy Vásquez, beneficiary of the lot, having pointed a pistol at me, I depart Puerto Plata more than four months ago, leaving my family behind.
5 ) In a letter addressed to President Mejía and published in “Ultima Hora” on 12.03.2002, I offer to fix up free of charge and in only eight days, the port in Puerto Plata for cruise ships, which would create hundreds of jobs.
6 ) Not receiving any public reply, I have produced a book entitled DAR which I distribute personally, indicating in writing my telephone number, to the authorities in the capital Santo Domingo and Puerto Plata, Government, presidents of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, embassies, and communications media, press, radio, and television.
7 ) Absolutely no one calls or comments on this.
8 ) President Hipólito Mejía travels to Italy and the Ukraine in search of investors.
9 ) If I were allowed to fix up Puerto Plata’s tourist port, I would earn the credit or “respect” to propose the fixing up of the entire port, which has been in its present condition for 15 to 20 years. And if successful, that would increase my respect enough to lead me to propose a partial plan of economic rescue of the Northeastern region of Haiti, sufficiently concrete and with good probabilities of becoming a reality. Insanity? Dreams? Try me, and die laughing if I fail! Happily it is the type of trial which, if it fails, does not imply the loss of a single dollar.
10 ) A survey in the magazine “Rumbo” dated July 3, 2002, reports that the Dominican Navy, so far this year, has prevented 239 (two hundred thirty-nine) trips in yola, which represent thousands of potential illegal aliens.
11 ) During the same days when president Mejía was in Italy, one of those boats which they were not able to detect when it departed, was rescued by the Dominican Navy north of Puerto Plata, after drifting for 14 days with its 57 unfortunate passengers on board, without water or food. Seven of them did not survive, and probably ended up being eaten by the sharks. Among them was Catalina Ramos, a friendly young mother of 32 who left behind three orphans. The friends who witnessed her horrible agony say that she lasted for days between life and death, and that she died after vomiting much blood.
12 ) Couldn’t a job like the fixing of the Puerto Plata wharf constitute a message of hope for some Dominicans to desist from making such risky trips? Why aren’t the resources from here used, while president Mejía searches for foreign investors or asks for more aid in international forums? Why such stubbornness, indifference, connivence, and corruption in front of everybody, by the authorities of Puerto Plata and the rest of the country?
13 ) Not being a lawyer, I would appreciate it if someone who is one would advise me. As I explained at the beginning, it seems to me absurd that there can be a country in this world where one is completely isolated, unprotected, and abandoned with his family to the mercy, will, or discretionality of any corrupt individual. Wouldn’t it be time to institute a kind of International Ombudsman? Keep in mind that Dominican laws do not shelter me because in my case corruption prevents it from working. The embassy of the European Union says that they have no competency in my case. The Italian Ambassador, Dr. Canavesio, says the same thing!.
14 ) While I meditate on all of the above, my two small girls Maria and Valerie together with their mama Belkis are going hungry in the city of Puerto Plata while the creation of urban slums by the PRD mayor Ramón Ortíz prevents one from selling anything. There are three hundred thousand US dollars invested there, which they paid me for my house in Verona, Italy, eleven years ago, (actually 14..). Recently real estate companies don’t even waste the time to propose to potential clients areas so intentionally degraded by the Puerto Plata municipal corruption. And nevertheless that real estate is valued at more than 300,000.00 US dollars.
Then, as I stated at the beginning, could corruption be the worst enemy of life as a good citizen? Could it be corruption that transform certain authorities and other indifferent and conniving citizens, besides being corrupt, into promoters or creators of underdevelopment?
Your very truly,
Dr. Valerio Tonolli
To protect investors in the Dominican Republic
Saturday, January 29th, 2005
Dear reader,
we want to inform you that has been founded the organization ORPRINdr or Organization for the Protection of Investors in the Dominican Republic.
Regards, Dr. Valerio Tonolli
Dear reader,
we want to inform you that has been founded the organization ORPRINdr or Organization for the Protection of Investors in the Dominican Republic.
Regards, Dr. Valerio Tonolli