Santo Domingo.-  Tourism minister Francisco Javier Garcia affirmed Sunday that the government wants the people to understand the importance of development, from the South’s economic standpoint, "which can develop only through tourism," when asked about the alleged real estate fraud with lands around Bahia de las Aguilas.

Garcia said the government will not enter into discussions around comments of a real estate fraud, even when “perhaps they’re telling the truth.”

"Maybe what’s being said is the truth, and that’s not the scenario that we wanted to find to develop Pedernales, but we have only two choices, sit back and continue to let the South languish and become poorer, or take an action to convert and modify Dominican Republic’s map of poverty," Garcia said during a meeting of the heads of public relations of government agencies.

PRs meet

The Presidency’s commission in charge of developing the Southwest met yesterday with the heads of public relations of government agencies and programs and commentators linked to the Administration and others to coordinate the official position regarding the lands in litigation at Pedernales province, including Bahia de las Aguilas.

"We just want to empower you of a series of Government decisions for you to help us spread and explain them so that Dominicans can understand the true value," said Presidency press director Roberto Rodriguez, although the meeting was behind closed doors.

"The purpose of this meeting is to develop an effort of persuasion, of offering information. Our interest is to link all sectors, television, print, radio, as well as cable channels, on this government decision," the official said.