NY.- The senator of the Dominican Republic, Iván Lorenzo, warned here that President Luis Abinader intends to privatize consular services.
Lorenzo, who came from the DR invited by “Prensa & Comunidad Hispana” (PreCoHis) to participate and be recognized during their Christmas gathering held last weekend in Upper Manhattan, said that he has submitted an initiative that seeks to modify the obsolete law 716 of 1944 on public functions of the Dominican Consulates = https://docs.republica-dominicana.justia.com/nacionales/leyes/ley-716.pdf
“I want to call on the Dominican community abroad to remain alert and defend this “attempt to privatize” in any scenario and whatever it may be,” said Lorenzo, before dozens of special guests (elected officials, businessmen, politicians, professionals, journalists, and community), present at the event.
“If we allow the government to do so, consular services will become more expensive, in addition, we would open the space so that it can also “trust” the national symbols later on,” he said.
“It is a claim, the only thing we can offer the diaspora, which makes so much sacrifice for the Dominican people, is to modify this law, because it is not possible that in the middle of the 21st century a Dominican is paying four times what a service is worth in New York in the DR, just to enrich political activists,” he said.
He recalled that on one occasion Milagros Ortiz Bosch said that the government was not going to be a booty for perremeista leaders, “however, we have asked over and over again that we approve this law, that we remove that booty that Dominican politicians have.”
“We are talking about how a consul can add more than a million dollars to his monthly account at the cost of the sacrifice of the Dominicans,” the senator pointed out.
Congressman Adriano Espaillat, who was late for the activity due to commitments related to his duties, exchanged views on community issues over the phone with Senator Lorenzo, who had left for New Jersey to fulfill community and family commitments.
In addition to Lorenzo, PreCoHis also recognized the well-versed and prominent sports writer from the DR, Héctor García, for his 53 years in communication and that with his sports approaches, comments and analysis he reaches Dominicans abroad, because sport is a of the things that we give the most follow-ups here and there.
García, when giving thanks, valued the Dominican community, expressing: “I had the honor of representing the newspaper El Nacional in 1984-85 in NY, I know the struggle, Dominican life, the value of this extraordinary community, it must be the best of all of us who have come to serve and seek this American dream”.
“I trust this community a lot, I don’t take little things that involve Dominicans, because we have a lot of value, we have contributed and will continue to contribute to the development of this great nation,” he pointed out.
For his part, Assemblyman from The Bronx, George Álvarez, when presenting the recognition to García, said: “It is a pride for us to be here seeing this type of recognition that is given to people who have really contributed to our community.” .
The event took place at restaurant 809 (La Casa Dominicana), located in Upper Manhattan, with a buffet, whiskey, wine, beer and soft drinks.
