Great image for the country Lie-onel, thank you so much!

Way to go Octavio Lopez!! Who got the $300,000.00? How many people lose their jobs when this company pulls out? Would it not have been better to negotiate a price difference between the 2 types of bauxite and levied a tax on it? All politicians need to develope a code of honor.........and use pistols when they rob people. At least then the victim is left with some self respect, he/she can always say........." Yes, I was robbed, but he had a pistol". I thought the name of the game was to attract foreign companies and investors not drive them away. Man, talk about counterproductive.

It goes to show you that these people in the Leonel government are bottom feeders.

Looks like Octavio Lopez got caught with his hand in the cookie jar! Knowing some facts about the company, Sierra Bauxita Dominicana (www.sierrabauxita.com) they are the only ones who were serious about establishing a business in Pedernales. This latest looks like a cash grab by a corrupt politcian. Octavio's response doesn't make sense either - a company that has been exporting bauxite for 4 years suddenly is denied business? How did Octavio's company pull it off? My guess is that He (Lopez) issued himself or his bagman business front a permit. The news release said that bill of lading on the export was signed off by a grain company - a company that probably doesn't even know what bauxite is! This is the 21st century and the Dominican Republic is not Venezuela -- these acts of corruption should not even happen let alone be tolerated! In the end, it is the people of the Dominican Republic that suffer while fat cats like Octavio buy condos in Miami.

Another company was quite serious about settling in Pedernales: Cementos Andinos. The Colombian-owned company first introduced its Portland cement 3 or 4 years ago, at a price abour 40% cheaper than the local competitors. Vans and vans and vans of cement left from Pedernales to the various distribution points the company had all over the country, and they did a very good job of badly damaging the road from Pedernales to Barahona, running in surcharge. That's not to mention the accidents.

Then, mysteriously, it ceased its activities for maybe 2 years, until they'd resume again, albeit at a slower pace.

Colombian owned cement Company. In Pedernales, just on the border. That can afford to undersell all the competition, and operates erratically?

Anybody knows anything?

5they did the same thing to a german tour company about 10 years ago in puerto plata.... the greams had to flee back to their country the dominicans that took over the business lasted about 6 months ... guess they knew nothing about runing this company but saw big bucks and wanted all the profits not the 35% the germans where paying...... lol.. love it in this country.. and they want americans to invest..... lol..... please, please, please i will stick to wells fargo bank.....

We decided that the payoffs were too high and didn't want to give these bums more money under the table. Let THEM mine the bauxite...

"5they did the same thing to a german tour company about 10 years ago in puerto plata"

Let me see 10 years ago that would be 1998 the PLD and Lie-onel were in power!

Inetresting pattern, eh!

Careful everyone. This is two paragraphs in a DR newspaper. You know there is more to the story on both sides and I'd be willing to bet a couple of factual errors by the paper also.

In Texas Hold'um you would not bet with only one card down on the table so why would you stake your reputation on forming an opinion about two paragraphs in a local paper?

It seems that the DR is always willing and open to foreign investors and companies establishing in the country. After they turn a profit or produce some kind of asset that can be seized, the politicians find a way to get in the mix. Cementos Andino is still constructing thier plant, but at a very slow pace. Rumor has it that they are out of funds. They do continue to grind clinker and make cement, but there is a consortium of Cement producers on the island and they do not welcome the Columbians into thier territory. Naturally, Cementos Andino then finds much opposition trying to do business in the DR - political obstacles.

Regarding Escotts comment, again rumor has it that SBD was paying Octavio under the table, obviously not enough. He (Lopez) probably took a large settlement on the baxuite taken from the American company in exchange for ongoing payments - both to the Govt and to his own bank account. Not a very smart man this Octavio. Actually, quite stupid this Octavio.