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Sunday, November 26
Morales Troncoso Vs. United States of America Ambassador, Mr. Hans Hertell
by
Rene
on Sun 26 Nov 2006 04:20 PM EST
Carlos Morales Troncoso has recently (Nov. 24, 2006) sent a protest letter to Mr. Hans Hertell, the United States of America Ambassador in the Dominican Republic, facing declarations of the Ambassador when he addressed the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic [This post is relevant to Dominican children of Haitian origin. Please bare with me].
In the body of this post you will find a translation of the protest letter written by Morales; as attachments to this post you will find PDF copies (printer-friendly) of the Ambassador's speech (English version) and Morales Troncoso's letter (both Spanish and the English translation).
on November 22, 2006.
Y. E.
Mr. Hans Hertell
Ambassador of the United States of
America
César Nicolás Penson St.
City,
Distinguished Mr. Ambassador:
I have read with thoroughness your recent farewell address to the American Chamber of Commerce, and I rush to express my appreciation for your genuine worry shown about the future wellbeing of the Dominican people.
Likewise, I would like to communicate my disagreement with some of your appreciations, by which you not only wrongly interpret the situations that you describe and comment about, but you incursion into topics that pertain to the sovereign realm of the Dominican State.
I refer to, specifically, to your allusions about the problem of the massive illegal immigration of Haitian citizens, a real headache in the everyday handling of our relationships with Haiti, country with which we share the island and from which we are separated by a lamentably, much vulnerable border.
Your comments about the topic breach the awareness of someone who during five years has taken notice of the hardships of a problematic situation, into the attitude of the foreign diplomat that takes public partisanship on a Dominican constitutional matter.
The lack of issuance of birth registrations to children of foreigners who find themselves illegally in Dominican territory, it is not, like you have wrongfully interpreted, an administrative problem.
I am amazed that you have taken the time to find this euphemism to advance this in your address, given that it is a matter that during your permanence here as an Ambassador has been clarified by a constitutional interpretation by our Supreme Court of Justice.
Also, we consider it unacceptable, Mr. Ambassador, your veiled suggestion that in some manner the Dominican Republic lacks the human resources or mechanisms to assure that the foreigners who reside in this country may enjoy the guarantees set forward by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Allow me to make use of this opportunity to reiterate sentiments of my highest consideration and personal esteem.
Very courteously,
Carlos A. Morales Troncoso
Minister of Foreign Relations
(November 24, 2006)
 3 Attachments
Thursday, November 16
Carlos Morales Troncoso: Biography
by
Rene
on Thu 16 Nov 2006 03:36 PM EST
- Born: 29 September 1940, Carlos A. Morales Troncoso
- Birthplace: Dominican Republic
- Nationality: Dominican
- Best Known As: Top-ranking sugarcane business executive from the Dominican Republic known to develop a high-profile political and diplomatic career.
Carlos Morales Troncoso’s main productive activities during his adulthood and professional life focused around the sugarcane industry, acting from the private sector.
He completed graduate studies at Louisiana State University (LSU) in the fields of Chemistry and Agricultural Engineering (1961-1962).
His professional career saw him through several posts at the Gulf & Western Americas Corporation, -part of the American conglomerate best known as Gulf + Western- starting from Assisting Engineer (1962) up to Chairman of the Executive Board and its Chief Executive Officer (1976-1984).
When the Gulf & Western Americas Corporation transferred its assets to the Central Romana Corporation, Morales Troncoso remained its Chief Officer and became one of the venture’s main shareholders together with two-fifth generation sugar barons Alfonso and J. Pepe Fanjul. The terms and conditions of the agreement where not publicly disclosed, however, the Gulf & Western said that it had recovered the carrying value of its operations, totaling over $200 million; properties purchased included 240,000 acres of land, a resort and two hotels in the Dominican Republic and a sugar mill and refinery in Florida, as the New York Times disclosed in January 10, 1985.
Morales Troncoso was also a member of the Board of Directors at Okeelanta Sugar Company from 1984 to 1986.
Joaquin Balaguer chose him to run as his ballot partner for the 1986 elections, on a surprising move by the octogenarian strongman, considering that Morales Troncoso was first perceived as an outsider by Balaguer's partisans. Morales Troncoso resigned from most private posts to become Vice-President of the Dominican Republic.
Up until October 1989, Morales Troncoso held the Executive Directorate of the State’s Sugar Council (Consejo Estatal del Azucar- CEA), an entity holding ownership of the sugar cane mills owned by the Dominican State.
Then, in addition to his Vice-Presidential post, Balaguer named Morales Troncoso to serve concurrently as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to the United States of America, holding offices in Washington, D.C from 1989 to 1990.
In 1991, amidst international accusations of child labor in Dominican sugarcane fields and other locations, Morales Troncoso presided the Commissions to follow-up the Agreements reached during the World Child Summit, as appointed by Presidential Decree No.122-91.
For the 1994 elections, Balaguer chose Jacinto Peynado over Morales Troncoso to be his running mate to face black leader of Haitian origin Jose Francisco Pena Gomez. These elections were marred by electoral fraud and lead to a
constitutional crisis and reform calling for new presidential elections, forbidding Joaquin Balaguer from taking part in said elections, yet
allowing him to stay as President of the Dominican Republic until then.
During his last presidential period, Balaguer appointed Morales Troncoso as
Minister of External Relations (Foreign Affairs) of the Dominican
Republic, a post Morales held from August 1994 to May 1996.
In a mischievous twist of fate, when Balaguer and his followers betrayed Peynado while he was running for the 1996 presidential elections, Morales Troncoso joined Balaguer, Leonel Fernandez, Marino Vinicio Castillo (Vincho) and others in a 'National Patriotic Front' to block Jose Francisco Pena Gomez and his party from reaching the Dominican presidency. The black leader again faced racist attacks and xenophobic propaganda; he died of cancer in 1998 without ever reaching for good the Dominican presidency and not without some irony is remembered by many as a memorable Dominican.
Morales Troncoso's marked interests towards the sugarcane industry lead him to steward
the Caribbean Basin Initiative’s Sugar Group (CBI Group), representing
sugar producers in Central America and the Caribbean, where he has served as its
President.
Aside from his interests in the sugar industry, Haitian, Dominican and international affairs, at some point Morales Troncoso gained recognition as a breeder of purebred horses.
His known literary work mainly confines to technical and nonfiction, on
sugar industry related topics, Entrepreneurship and personal accounts
and observations related to Joaquin Balaguer. Like many of Balaguer's
followers, his political discourse has often bordered the apologetic,
almost surreal life circumstances of Joaquin Balaguer.
Morales Troncoso, together with others who took part in the 'National Patriotic Front' of 1996, including Leonel Fernandez, called for the re-edition of the so -called 1996 'patriotic front' during campaigning for the 2006 congressional elections, to block colleagues of Hipólito Mejía from keeping control of the Dominican Congress.
Starting on August 2004 and so far during Leonel Fernandez’s second term
to the Dominican presidency, Morales Troncoso has served -once again-
as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic a position he
still holds on the date of this entry.
Meanwhile, the people of the Dominican Republic have witnessed collective and arbitrary expulsions of hundreds of Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian origin and the seemingly voluntary -yet forced departure- of at least two activists working for the promotion, protection and fulfillment of human rights of Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian origin living in the Dominican Republic.
The past is prologue.
Saturday, September 30
Christopher Hartley's departure from the Dominican Republic
by
Rene
on Sat 30 Sep 2006 09:25 AM EDT
Unconfirmed sources report the departure of Christopher Hartley from Dominican territory.
Hartley is a Roman-Catholic priest and a human rights defender who had been working in the San José de los Llanos parish to improve the health and human rights situation of Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian origin.
His activities, albeit peaceful, had caused foul reactions from several key-figures of Dominican government, the conservative religious leader Nicolás de Jesús Cardinal López Rodríguez and influential interest groups.
Repeatedly, Hartley's foes pressed to terminate his human rights activism, try his deportation from Dominican soil, or otherwise induce the loss of support, revocation or non-renewal of his missionary work by his religious order to force his departure.
It all seems to be done.
Thursday, January 26
Juan Pablo Duarte
by
Rene
on Thu 26 Jan 2006 04:15 PM EST
A day like today back in 1813, Juan Pablo Duarte, one of the Founding Fathers of the Dominican Republic was born. In his patriotic effort, he is also credited with founding the secret society known as La Trinitaria.
Members of La Trinitaria took a sacred oath to give their flesh, life and property to the conclusive and final separation from the Haitian government then ruling the Eastern side of the island known as Hispaniola. They had the purpose to give birth to the Dominican Republic.
Duarte died in Caracas, Venezuela on July 15, 1876.
Thursday, January 5
Chief of UN Mission denies vacationing in the Dominican Republic
by
Rene
on Thu 05 Jan 2006 05:24 PM EST
According to Clave Digital news services, the Press Department of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) denied today recent news accounts attributed to Radio Kiskeya; the Haitian-based radio station reported that the mission's chief-field official vacationed in the Dominican Republic the last days of December 2005 at the premiere resort Casa de Campo.*
MINUSTAH's Press Department stated that Chilean Juan Gabriel Valdés -the chief official- remained in the Dominican Republic for less than four hours including time spent with his host, the Dominican President Leonel Fernández.
Presidential sources had already disclosed that the meeting took place at a villa owned by the Dominican Ministry of Foreign affairs within the luxurious location. Meeting took place by initiative of the Dominican President.
* R.V. Casa de Campo is a well-known location described as suitable for playing, pampering, relaxing and rejuvenating.
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