VZCZCXYZ0010
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDG #0505/01 0671608
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 081608Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7612
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHWN/AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN PRIORITY 2030
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0736
RUEHGE/AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN PRIORITY 0950
RUEHKG/AMEMBASSY KINGSTON PRIORITY 2712
RUEHPO/AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO PRIORITY 1082
RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE PRIORITY 4518
RUEHSP/AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN PRIORITY 1773
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY 1633
RUCOWCV/CUSTOMS CARIBBEAN ATTACHE MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RUEFHLC/HQS DHS WASHDC PRIORITY
RUMISTA/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 000505 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CAR, INR/IAA; USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD; 
TREASURY FOR OASIA-JLEVINE; DEPT PASS USDA FOR FAS; USDOC 
FOR 4322/ITA/MAC/WH/CARIBBEAN BASIN DIVISION; USDOC FOR 
3134/ITA/USFCS/RD/WH; DHS FOR CIS-CARLOS ITURREGUI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: DR PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN PROVINCE OF SAMANA PREPARES FOR TOURIST 
BOOM 
 
 
¶1. (U) This cable is part of a series of reports on economic 
and political issues at the provincial level in the Dominican 
Republic. 
 
SAMANA PREPARES FOR TOURIST BOOM 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
(U) Tourism is on the rise throughout the Dominican Republic, 
and the northeastern province of Samana -- with its sparkling 
white sand beaches and world-renowned whale-watching -- is 
well placed to take advantage of this trend.  Authorities in 
the province expect tourism to take off with the January 2008 
completion of a new highway from Santo Domingo.  The 66-mile 
highway is being privately constructed and carries guarantees 
from the Government.  It will be operated by the firm 
Autopistas del Nordeste as a toll road and is expected to cut 
the travel time from the capital from four hours to two. 
 
(U) A second infrastructure improvement is the February 2007 
opening of the $80 million Catey International Airport, which 
is located in the western part of the province and can 
accommodate wide-body aircraft.  The new airport represents a 
significant upgrade for the region, since previously most 
tourists arriving in the north of the country had to fly in 
to Puerto Plata, 100 miles from Samana. 
 
(U) Overall, a key indicator of growth in the tourism 
industry is the number of hotel rooms in Samana, which is 
expected to triple in the next five years (to some 7,500). 
 
DEVELOPMENT HAS ITS COST 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
(SBU) The mayor of the province's capital city, also called 
Samana, is Bruno Carrasco Kery.  Young and quick to use 
snappy sound bites, Carrasco is a descendent of a group of 
African-Americans who immigrated to Samana in 1824 and 
established an English-speaking community.  The Mayor told 
POLOFF that he welcomes the increase in tourism and hopes 
that the new jobs and increased tax revenue will eventually 
transform his city.  At the same time, he is acutely aware 
that "development has its cost."  He cited an increased 
demand for prostitution and recreational drugs that he 
believes is related to the higher number of international 
visitors. 
 
(SBU) Carrasco views education as the key to preparing his 
constituents for the tourist boom.  He considers his office's 
school transportation service to be his signature program. 
The Mayor is actively engaging the central government 
authorities responsible for higher education.  In this area 
there have been important recent advances.  Until fairly 
recently, there were no universities in the area, so that 
students from Samana had to live and board in Santiago, 150 
miles away from their families.  However, two years ago, the 
Autonomous University for Adults opened in nearby Nagua and, 
just this month, the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo 
opened a branch in the same city. 
 
(SBU) Senator Prim Pujols Nolasco, who represents Samana at 
the national level, is also active in the area of education. 
His office administers a university scholarship program for 
constituents.  Another key concern for the Senator is the 
impact of narcotics trafficking on the province, which he 
believes has not only increased crime, but also "corrupted" 
his constituents.  As an example, Pujols told POLOFF that on 
several recent occasions multi-kilogram packages of cocaine 
-- presumably coming from errant air drops -- have been found 
by low-income fisherman, who then face intense economic 
 
temptation to sell the narcotics instead of turning it over 
to the authorities. 
 
RISING CRIME 
- - - - - - - 
 
(SBU) For Augustina Castillo, the District Attorney of 
Samana, the overall benefits of a growing tourism industry 
are a given.  Even so, she described the new toll road from 
Santo Domingo to her region as an "open door for criminals." 
Castillo believes narcotics trafficking is on the rise, and 
she is concerned that the reforms of the legal system could 
leave her city unprepared to combat drug dealers and other 
criminals.  The prosecutor supports the new Criminal 
Procedures Code, but said that the growing pains of the new 
system -- particularly the Code's requirement the police turn 
over the direction of investigations to prosecutors -- are 
still being felt in Samana. 
 
- - Drafted by Peter Hemsch 
 
¶2. (U) This report and extensive other material can be 
consulted on our SIPRNET site, 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo/  
HERTELL