Quote:
Originally Posted by liam1
also there is more drugs here now because before the international traffickers (Colombians, Venezuelans and Puerto Ricans) used to pay the Dominicans for their services in cash, about 2 years ago they began paying them more but instead of cash money in drugs, in other words if they owned the Dominican 15K they would not pay them 15K cash but 20K worth of cocaine, and then the Dominicans have to turn the coke into cash, that's why there is so much coke on the streets now.
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With respect, liam1, the payment of kind rather than cash started during the 2000-2004 administration so it has been in place about 5 years & initially coincided with a period of high inflation here, so 'assets' had to be turned into cash & thus the market was created. I believe that it also started top down i.e. with the high ranking DR military etc who were protecting drug routes; (some say the 'etc' covers some politicians, some of the judiciary, even some Ministers). It was they who were paid by the international traffickers in product. One of the saddest realities is that those high ranking officers et al. created the market here which goes all the way to crack in the barrios & thus brought to their own people a blight which will be almost impossible to eradicate. I wrote an article last November which comments on some of this:
Offshore Living News Offshorewave » Crime, Drugs And Expat Security In The Dominican Republic - by Ginnie Bedggood