Authorities, community, company and mediators are working on the creation of a commission to guarantee the monitoring and resolution of disagreements
LA VEGA.- This Wednesday the second meeting of the dialogue for the resettlement of communities located in mining areas in Cotuí, Sánchez Ramírez province, was held.
The meeting took place in the bishopric of La Vega and was headed by the Minister of Energy and Mines, Joel Santos; Monsignor Carlos Morel Diplán; the Ombudsman, Pablo Ulloa; Juana Barceló, president of Barrick Pueblo Viejo; Rolando Muñoz, director of Mining; Roberto Núñez, mayor of Bonao and Martín Guzmán, for the communities.
The main objective of the meeting was that each of the parties will present three representatives to form a monitoring commission that facilitates a solution to the disagreements.
In this process, the Catholic Church and the Ombudsman will act as ethical and constitutional guarantors, accompanying the Ministry of Energy and Mines in the process of searching for a solution favorable to both parties: communities and the company.
Priests Juan Gabriel Belén, Johnny Durán and Osvaldo Concepción, SJ participated on behalf of the Catholic Church. Lorenzo Herrera, Harold Modesto and Sandra Nogué attended on behalf of the Ombudsman.
The community was represented by Matilde Manzueta Sosa, Martín Guzmán Tejada and Fernando Peña, while Barrick Pueblo Viejo appointed Giselle Varela, Grant Beringer and Isaac Luciano as its delegates.
The Ombudsman, Pablo Ulloa, highlighted that the meeting made progress on key issues, including the standards for evaluating homes, in addition to analyzing additional information required by the affected communities.
“A commission will be created as soon as the collection of necessary information is completed, ensuring that it is of quality to advance the pertinent work,” said Ulloa.
The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 20, where the work programs that are being progressively established will be followed up.
“This environment of dialogue and trust has grown with the joint effort of all parties,” said Ulloa.
