Ever since the reports that Canadian companies will develop the province of Pedernales’ tourism potential began to surface, the number of squatters on government lands has grown, according to information from the southwest region.

The situation las led to the creation of an owners association, which meets and even interacts with authorities and investors, according to newspaper Hoy.

It reports that the Tourism Ministry is assigning lands and old mining facilities to the Canadians, which had business relations in that area, and would now become investors.

Hoy reports that some of the association’s members had been legislators and influential politicians linked to land possessions in the zone, and that even an assistant of a current lawmaker was recently detained for trespassing.

Residents affirm that Tourism minister Francisco Javier Garcia pledged to send a representative to meet with the organizations to decide what type of tourism activity would be developed in Pedernales and the community’s participation, but that has yet to take place.  “We need for Tourism to clarify what’s happening in Pedernales, that the Mining (Agency) knows that the State shouldn’t compete against the local micro-businesses.”

Old mine, new hotels

Meanwhile the Mining Agency began the transfer of the Andino cement plant out of the area of Cabo Rojo, where the old but functional hotels of the defunct Alcoa Exploration Company are located.

The cement plant’s transfer to another locality to make way for the tourist facilities was already approved.

Pedernales senator Dionis Sanchez announced investments of 850 million dollars in Boutique hotels in that zone, “the type of investment which doesn’t damage nature.”

source: DomincianToday.com