February 5, 2008 almost a year ago 1) Never heard anything of Grupo Piñero on our open letter (below). 2) The Ministry of Environment continued to anything but never received the complaint, being shelved in a desktop.
3) The hotel completed its work, some conditions worsened, some improved and no longer sees almost nothing of what he did.
4) El Grupo Piñero has encountered problems elsewhere, most recently in the Cancun area, Mexico.
5) Samaná province remains without a precise direction, or protection in relation to protected areas and in relation to wetlands, many of which have been destroyed.
6) What can be done? Educate, prepare and develop plans of action. For a proposal to this effect http://fundacionmahatmagandhi.com/MedioAmbienteFMG.html
visit.
Read the complaint made against Balcones Atlantic in January 2009 go to http://terraccion.blogspot.com . Open Letter to the Piñero Group [Monitoring the complaint and statements published in
http://www.antena-sin.com/NoticiasSin/Details.asp?id_article = 3782 from Mr. Rafael López Piñero Group name]
Mr. Rafael Lopez Director Corporate Piñero Group / Grand Bay Hotels and Resorts With satisfaction I read your comment admitting that wetlands in El Portillo were affected [inevitably] for reconstruction activities hotel and that they have to work on improving the situation.
I appreciate what you can do to improve some of the conditions created, but I'm sure you know that great harm has been done and is irreparable in a number of areas, that what happened in El Portillo also happened in Samana other hotels that are part of the monopoly that the Dominican government granted them, including a real disaster in Cayo Levantado forest.
addition, you should know that the Piñero Group did the same in Cancun, Jamaica and just 10 years ago, also did something similar in Rio San Juan. In other words, we speak of a company whose pattern of behavior is contrary to environmental concerns from anywhere.
propose that you and / or someone from your company consider the following:
1) Attend the event Samaná Declaration on the night of March 20 at 7 pm, at the local Community Library Anacaona (see http://samanaverde.blogspot.com/
where is the statement). During the event to make public admission of mistakes and apologize to the people for what happened.
2) As a gesture of good faith and as an amendment to set up what you ask him to choose one or all of the following proposals:
- Donate to the Honorable City Council City of Las Terrenas compactor truck for use in improving the service of collecting and transporting waste [this application DOES NOT have the endorsement of the Honorable Trustee to whom I have not asked for it, but it is likely that he will agree welcome donation];
- utilize the resources of his company for a cleaning and improvement of Caño Seco, including trapping of garbage to prevent it from reaching the beach as much as possible, and the improvement or construction a new bridge to the village;
- Donate funds, material and personnel for a massive project of environmental education at the provincial level for which you seek the participation of civil society organizations interested in the project.
Any of these gestures would do much good and would create a very positive precedent, as compared with the disastrous precedent that you created may help to create some balance in the general area.
If none of these proposals are feasible please please propose feasible, so that the community can feel that their admission and desire to improve the situation is genuine while it helps to improve existing conditions.
Sincerely, Joseph Bourget
Piñero Group Case Report with Alicia Ortega The complaint in this case the Piñero Group and the ecological disaster that created a television appearance several weeks ago and a summary appears in
http://www.antena-sin .com / NoticiasSin / Details.asp? id_article = 3782 , which includes a video segment. I take this opportunity to thank News Sin and Alicia Ortega Alicia Ortega Report, for their excellent work in giving life to this situation. The situation has also been published in Clave Digital, see
http://www.clavedigital.com/Portada/Articulo.asp?Id_Articulo=9124 .
's article is NOT news reference to the activities of the Secretariat of Environment, the admission by the Piñero Group of damage that was done and the promise of improving the situation created. Among others, are also made by the Governor Elsa de Leon, Mr. Luis Simó of the Ministry of Tourism and Dr. Prim Pujals, senator of the province.
The
Dr. Prim Pujals mentioned that he was not referred to the situation, which is not true
because he received a copy of the complaint the same day they are made public, was reached at his office three times by phone and was kept abreast by email of the situation. At no time Dr. Pujals Contet received. However, Mr. Jose Acevedo called me from the floor of the House of Representatives to inform me that he was aware of the situation. I have written to Dr. Pujals with this statement but this time I will not make public.
On the other hand, Mario Mendez Pack Company attributed the photos appearing here were taken in August and September, which is not true
. The photos were taken days before making the report public on 11 December. On the other hand, which appeared on the TV and took photos after the January 10, 2007. I wish I had taken pictures in August and September when the disaster was much more visible, but it was not.
take this opportunity to mention that the complaint was made public in an informal manner on the radio during the weekly news summary program led by Erica González de Samaná journalist during an interview with the responsible provincial environmental and forestry, Dr. Pedro Julio Anderson, with whom he had spoken personally about the situation.
thank everyone who offered their support during this work still continues, because now the most important thing is to answer the questions: a) what is going to improve, b) how, and c) when. To these ends soon begin the "second round" in order to obtain positive results to ease the damage and to enforce the punitive part of the law as far as possible.
Response Ambassador of Spain [and Contrarespuesta] Holy Sunday, January 24, 2007
Lord
D. Joseph R. Bourget
Las Terrenas Samana, RD
Dear Mr. Bourget:
acknowledge receipt of your correspondence regarding the Piñero Group / Bahia Principe Hotel and Resorts.
I believe that if you believe that there have been breaches of the Dominican legislation should make their complaint to the competent authorities to enforce them in this country, which are the Dominican authorities themselves.
As for my performance in this regard, I believe that it is unnecessary for me to provide such information.
Sincerely, Almudena Mazarrasa
[and my contrarespuesta] March 4, 2007
Hon. Mrs. Almudena Mazarrasa Alvear
Ambassador of Spain
# 1205 Independence Avenue Santo Domingo, DN
Distinguished Ambassadors:
I was out of the country a month and a half since my return I found your response to my earlier communication with respect to disaster environment created by the influential Samana tourism consortium Grupo Piñero.
First, thanks for taking the time and trouble to answer. You can see their response as this Web page
http://terreneros.blogspot.com/ .
As you know last month aired the complaint on the agenda Report of Alicia Ortega. In addition to this public complaint I had already contacted all relevant authorities, both local and central government, so there is true what you suggested.
In the television program came to light several things, including the admission by Mr. Pinero of the damage did happen. I regret that you did not share what he has done, or what we could do to require powerful economic groups of their nation to respect the same local law to which you refer. Put another way, what would you say if a Dominican company with operations in Spain also violate Article 45 of the English Constitution? Would you say that simply belongs to the English government to act or would you say is reasonable and practicable file a complaint at the Dominican Embassy and wait for action on this issue?
Madam Ambassador, you who are notorious for telling us that the Dominicans do not hold a legal activity in tune with the times and needs, "is telling you that as English ambassador has nothing to do with English companies to respect the legal regulations of the country that has received? Do not you think that you mentioned legal irregularity business benefits such as Grupo Piñero he did what he wanted in a variety of items such as labor law, environmental law and health regulations? It is good to be like we are that irresponsible businessmen from his country to do business as did the Piñero Group.
On the other hand, if they are subject to the laws and if you represent your best interests then Excellency Ambassador, talk, speak clearly and fulfill its mandate that you know it includes the preservation of existing laws in the country by all the subjects of the English crown.
Please do what you can afford to now implement the fixes that were mentioned in the newspaper article that appears in
http://antena-sin.com/NoticiasSin/Details.asp?id_article=3782 .
On behalf of Samaná and the country,
Respectfully, Joseph Bourget
Start of Spring and the Bill of Las Terrenas Make plans to participate in this event in the local environment Anacaona Community Library. More information on
http://samanaverde.blogspot.com/ .
Day: March 20
Time: 7 pm
Location: Community Library Anacaona, Calle Sánchez
Free Entry
[Click on image to view larger] 
