SANTO DOMINGO. – The Dominican Government’s apparent increasing indifference to the various national problems, especially the constant blackouts, has everyone forgetting politics, the U.S. elections, and even baseball, while president Leonel Fernandez isn’t here to take the heat.

Despite the firm attitude by some agencies such as forcing officials to declare their assets, to abide by the norm that bans the import of vehicles with the steering wheel to the right, forcing public transport drivers to lower fares and the protection of the rivers, the population feels abandoned by the lack of electricity, exacerbated by the absence of Fernandez for 21 days, today in France and then on to the Middle East.

No organism has been able to solve the problem of the blackouts, although the customers pay the increases; nor have the lower fuel prices fully benefited the population.

 The sudden shutdown of some power plants, reportedly for “mechanical failures,” has led the national power system to collapse several times in the last few days, when the Government owes US$336 million to the power companies.