Safe Country
"Yes, the DR/Punta Cana is Safe" Support for Punta Cana TV Episode |
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1PUNTA CANA TV – JULY EPISODE OUTLINE By Maria Williams – Broker- Reliable Realty SRL
This information has been provided to readers who have a strong interest in balanced news. The information provided below is (to the best of my knowledge) closer to the truth. Let’s face it, nowadays, it’s hard to know what is the truth in the media and online. So, if there is content that may not be 100% accurate, I claim no responsibility for others mis-information. This is my DISCLAIMER.
My latin mother is a very social and an active “young 81-year-old great-grandmother” (she’ll be mad at me for disclosing her age????) Whereas, my father was a calm, intellectual who loved his large family, reading the newspaper, crossword puzzles, research, a good discussion, and statistical data. He unfortunately passed away last August. He survived a heart transplant in 2004, a car accident 2005, then a bad fall in 2018 that sent him to the ER where he died of kidney failure from contracting MRCA in a US emergency room. I was raised in a hardworking middle class Christian family. My four siblings and I were taught that truth, integrity and morals were the most the important values. These core family values have been carried down generation to generation and remain firm. My business partner Todd and I selected the Punta Cana area as the best option for our “new life attempt.” After we physically researched other Caribbean and Central American countries, we found the east coast of the Dominican Republic (Punta Cana & Bavaro) to be the safest area to set up our real estate/ property management business. We feel comfortable in the DR because of its sincere people and its democratic government that's structured similarly to the US with the same three legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Starting a real estate/ property management (vacation rental) business in 2008 was not easy. We did not speak Spanish, there were dirt roads, limited housing to sell, only two gas stations (which ran out of gas often), and only a couple public internet areas. Most business owners at that time still manually wrote and calculated the costs. It was rare to find anyone who took credit cards. We worked hard, long, and sacrificed much to build our business. Now, less than ten years later, the area has had an entire face-lift thanks to all the foreign real estate investors. These investors are fueled by the impressive tourism economy with one of the highest and consistent (4-year average) GPD ratings in the world! The DR has caught the world’s attention! Since 2015, our agency has hosted several episodes on HGTV Caribbean Life. Additionally, I am featured on a local monthly television show called Punta Cana TV, where I discuss the real estate market and opportunities here. I also have an occasional presence in a couple international travel magazines, and have been featured on an international real wstate radio podcast. All these venues have gained our agency exposure and attracted a consistent market share. We now service approximately 85% North Americans clients.
I am a loyal American who loves the U.S. and our primary generous and caring Americans. However, after our employment was eliminated (downsizing in 2007) with other employment opportunities dwindling between 2006 – 2008, we sought out other opportunities abroad. I enjoy traveling, learning and adapting to new cultures. I am a person who fights for sound principals. I believe in strong and fair government. I think North Americans should serve for some time in their countries military, to become more disciplined, tolerant, and to better respect their country. I desire fair and balanced (international) news. I don’t believe hear-say… I look for the truth, expect the truth, and if in question, look for the truth through research. I am passionate and energetic in speech and action. I care about the world as a whole, and for a better future for all mankind, especially my children and grandchildren. I go after my goal to help cleanse the world of greediness one day and one person at a time. I don’t understand why so many people frown on being ethical and honest and instead prefer to cling to greed and propaganda. Money shouldn’t be our God, especially because the temptation and hunger to always have more is within us all. When I was a young teenager, I loved kids and babysitting so much, I forgot I got paid for it even though I needed the money! So, find and do what you love and change your course if needed. When I see something that needs to be done, I do it, even if it’s not in my job description. i.e. While walking my dog, I still pull weeds in the Cocotal, the condo community I live in. The gardeners do a great job, but they don’t have time to tackle every weed. Weeds need to be pulled as they will consume and strangle the intended tropical “happy plants.” Same principle applies to people of bad intent, and/ or money-hungry agendas, vs humble people who work hard and enjoy what they have rightfully earned.
I WARN ALL VIEWERS/ READERS; GOING FORWARD, I BE MAY BECOME INTENCE AND PASSIONATE about this recent news coverage – I realize some folks might feel I am “over the top” but I don’t care!
The following are excerpts from the article “Journalism’s First Obligation Is to Tell the Truth” BY BILL KOVACH/ TOM ROSENSTIEL@tbr1 “On this there is absolute unanimity and also utter confusion: Everyone agrees journalists must tell the truth. Yet people are fuddled about what “the truth” means…. This desire that information be truthful is elemental. Since news is the material that people use to learn and think about the world beyond themselves, the most important quality is that it be useable and reliable.… Truth, it seems, is too complicated for us to pursue. Or perhaps it doesn’t exist, since we are all subjective individuals. There are interesting arguments, maybe, on some philosophical level, even valid. So, what does a journalist’s obligation to the truth mean? …journalists themselves have never been very clear about what they mean by truthfulness. Journalism by nature is reactive and practical rather than philosophical and introspective. …The serious literature by journalists thinking through such issues is not rich, and what little there is, most journalists have not read.… Rather than defend our techniques and methods for finding truth, journalists have tended to deny they exist. Whether it is secrecy or inability, the failure by journalists to articulate what they do leaves citizens all the more suspicious that the press is either deluding itself or hiding something”.https://niemanreports.org/articles/journalisms-first-obligation-is-to-tell-the-truth/
6) ABOUT THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - LOCATION, SIZE, POPLULATION, CUTLURE, TOURISM, CRIME:
7) PEACEFUL DOMINICANS: 95% OF DOMINICATIONS ARE CHRISTIAN, primairly Catholic. It is the only country where the Christian cross and Bible are on its coat of arms and flag.
1. The DR encompasses about two-thirds of the Island called Hispanola. One-third is Haiti. Haiti is about 415.31 km from the Punta Cana International Airport, or 258.06 miles / 8+ hour drive away. 2. 3.The DR military is active along the DR/ Haitian border on a daily basis, fighting hard to keep the border closed to illegal immigrants who cannot support themselves. 4. Haiti is the 19th poorest country in the world. This is because of its bad and corrupt government, who does not care about its people. This is opposite of the Dominican Republic, where the government does its best to serve its people. The situation in Haiti is indeed a sad situation. However, the DR cannot financially support them. 5. Money, medical attention, supplies, food, materials and construction materials, continue to pour into Haiti from the DR, and from other countries, including the U.S. and Canada (as the top contributors in the world). Unfortunately, the Haitian Government seizes most of these resources for themselves and makes it difficult for outside organized world assistance. So, the Haitians are currently revolting against their own government (as it should be). 6. Despite the Dominican’s kind gestures to help the Haitian people, many Haitians want to make war with the DR for not allowing them to illegally stay here. But why should the DR Govt. let them? Those Haitians complaining have no real skill sets, lack education, and don’t want to legally attain residency. Some were born here by illegal parents, so they automatically get to call the DR their “Country of Birth”. Those who primarily revolt are those who have been rejected for employment by legal companies or resorts. However, it is true; Haitians do a very good job working on construction sites… and have helped tremendously in keeping the construction costs down, as it is true, the legal Haitian residents are willing to work for fewer wages than most Dominicans. They are happy to work and live here, even if for less as their country can be a “death sentence.” 7. The distance from Punta Cana (East Coast) and Haiti (west oast) is over an 8 hour drive. Even with the new highway, which has cut the time in most areas in half. 8. The distance from Punta Cana to La Romana (where Bayahibe Principe Resort is located where most of these deaths occurred), is nearly an hour drive away, and the Capital of Santo Domingo is now about a 2.5 hour drive from Punta Cana, even with the new highway cutting drive times in half! 9. The Dominican people come in all colorswith 72% multiracial. Like most Caribbean Islands, the Spaniards were the forefathers, who were (are) primarily white. There are black African roots, and many claim the (brown) Taino Indian has historical roots here as well. Dominicans come in variations of “white to dark chocolate.” European facial features and shapes, with body frames that differ somewhat from their black African roots. There is debate still about the Taino Indian integration, as it is believed all the Taino Indians died from diseases brought from the Spaniards.
8) PRIMARY INCOME FOR DOMINICAN FAMILIES: Let's keep the people and thier families fed!
9) ECONOMIC STATUS OF THE COUNTRY OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 1. THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC IS NOT A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY! That word hasn’t been used since the cold war and Americans need to stop using this. There is no starvation in this lush and plentiful country! 2. TOURISM provides the highest percentage of stable jobs in the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is also strong ontrade (sugar, coco, coffee, tobacco, fruits and vegetables, etc.), finance, and government services. These industries account for a little over half of the Dominican workforce and nearly half of the GDP. Service providers are among the nation’s more dynamic and rapidly growing businesses. 3. The Dominican Republic is considered a “rapidly growing developing country” and ranks 83 of 195 when comparing the richest countries. To provide some perspective and to keep the size of the country in perspective; The U.S is no. 13, Mexico #68, Costa Rica #80, China #87, Peru #96, Egypt #101, Cuba #107, and Belize #114. From the World Bank: “The Dominican Republic has enjoyed strong economic growth in recent years, averaging 5.1 percent annually between 2008 and 2018, the second highest in LAC. The pace accelerated to an average of 6.6 percent per year between 2014 and 2018 -- and 7 percent in 2018, fueled by robust domestic demand. It was also the fastest-growing LAC economy over that five-year period. The sustained growth has reduced poverty and inequality, helping to expand the middle class.”
*These are just a few of the reasons we selected the Dominican Republic to work and invest in vs. other places we physically visited: Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, and even Puerto Rico (a territory of the U.S. and where my mother is from). 10. COMPARING THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC’S TOURISM – TO DEATHS RATES OF OTHER COUNTRIES WHO RELY ON TOURISM
https://projects.jsonline.com/topics/mexico-blackouts-investigation/ 11. CRIME IN THE U.S.
12. COMPARING THE SIZE AND POPULATION OF A COUNTRY IS VITAL WHEN REPORTING CRIME
The closest match to the Dominican Republic is the US State of Georgia which is approximately 69,700 sq. km, while the Dominican Republic is approximately 48,442 sq. km. In 2018, however, Georgia’s 2018 reported population was approximately 4.9 million people, whereas the Dominican Republic reported approx. 10.77 million in 2017. This means the Dominican Republic has 5.8 million more people than those living in Georgia, although the country and state are about the same size. Sorry Georgia, I like you. My amazing daughter-in-law is from Georgia and I have been there several times. However, as mentioned, when comparing the closest state by SIZE and POPULATION, Georgia is the closest match. 13. GEORGIA CRIME IN 2018
14. HOW SAFE IS THE CARIBBEAN / LATIN AMERICAS AS A WHOLE? Balancing populatin to crime, your chances of being a victim of a crime, or dying form drugs or alcohol are much higher in the US.
1. PER THIS REPORT, the Dominican Republic is in the blue…and only 0.8 behind Panama (in the turquoise/ ranked safest). So, less than one point. The DR is safer than Costa Rica, and Puerto Rico, and much safer than Mexico, Brazil, Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, Honduras, and Jamaica. MEXICO AND COSTA RICA HAVE THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF DEATHS TO AMERICAN TOURIST ACCORDING TO THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT. From 2015-2018 some 953 American tourist died in Mexico of different reasons (like shootings). In Costa Rica 125 Americans died during the same time. The Inter-American Development bank (IDB) reviewed 50 of the most violent cities in the world. Tijuana Mexico is number one. In that list of 50 dangerous cities; Santo Domingo, Santiago, Puerto Plata (and of course not Punta Cana)did not even appear. In fact, the Dominican Republic was not a part of this “Top 50 dangerous city List” at all! For comparison, New Orleans (population 391,000 – June 2018)had 6.87 homicides per 100 thousand inhabitants. Whereas even the capital of Santo Domingo (estimated 2.2 million,and one of the largest and most populated cities in the world)showed. 8.66 per 100 thousand inhabitants.
15. TOURISM NUMBERS FOR THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ARE OFF THE CHART!
Since when did the word profit and job creation become dirty words? If resorts loose tourist, Dominicans and other nationalities working here lose jobs, businesses close, and the country will suffer significantly. So, the world must have balanced and fair new reports! 16. SO, AS OF JUNE 23, 2019 (date of this final report) WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED THUS FAR? 1. The World Health Organization and the FBI are in the Dominican now (June, 2019), investigating these resort alcohol related deaths. IN FACT, IT WAS THE DOMINICAN GOVERNMENT WHO INVITED THE FBI TO INVESTIGATE THESE SITUATIONS HERE. If the DR was guilty or worried about something they intentionally did, would they freely invite the FBI here to assist? Besides, WHY would the DR sabotage their own tourism? Why would resort workers contaminate alcohol, or why would resorts poison the air? What is their motive? This is the first things many Americans would say (or have said) when the tables were turned. According to Mr. Garra, a consultant in the DR, It was the Dominican Republic that got the FBI involved… not the other way around. 2. No one officially knows at this time what caused the mysterious deaths. According to the New York Post, police are investigating whether 7 of 8 American tourist deaths were poisoned by “counterfeit alcohol” supplied to the resort by outside providers and placed in the minibars of resort rooms. Venessa Vasquez at Delray Beach Medical Center talks about the dangers of bootleg alcohol / or mixing of methanol, (a type of alcohol not safe for humans) which could have been used to cut the liquor. Officials are working to find out who supplied the alcoholic beverages the victims drank before they died, to see if there were any dangerous chemicals in them. The U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo says at this point there is no solid proof the deaths are linked. 17) BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE STORIES IGNITED BY THE US: I am not cold and my sincere sympathy goes out to all the families of these victims. I don’t blame them for wanting answers. However, I can’t stand idly by and watch while this beautiful country has to endure so much unnecessary scrutiny! 1) January 22, 2019 – Jerry Curran (age 78) dies at the Dreams Resort in Punta Cana- had drinks with his wife and friends- goes to hospital and dies of a pulmonary edema and other causes. 2) April 2019, Robert Bell Wallace (age 67) dies at the Hard Rock Hotel in Punta Cana 3) April, 2019 – Shark Tank Host, Barbara Corcoran’s brother John (from NJ) found dead of a heart attack. Resort not disclosed. Smart sister. 4) May 25, 2019: American female Miranda Shop Warner (age 41) from Pennsylvania was found dead in her room at the Bahia Principe Resort in La Romana. Husband claims she had a drink with soda from the mini-bar and died in less than an hour. Respiratory failure and pulmonary edema. 5) May 30, 2019: Engaged American couple, Edward Holmes (63) and Cynthia Day (49) found dead in their room at Bahia Principe (La Romana). Same situation. Investigation still pending since both victims died of heart attacks at the same time, although medication was found on the scene. It is my understanding in the case of three of these deaths that the victims were known to have health or heart problems and were on medications. Were they mixing with too much alcohol and perhaps excessive fun? 6) June 10, 2019 - Leyla Cox (53) from NY dies of heart attack at Excellence, a Punta Cana Resort 7) June, 2019- Joseph Allen (55) from New Jersey found dead in an entirely different resort in Sosua (a 5.5 drive from Punta Cana). 18) NON-ALCOHOL RELATED DEATHS IN 2019
19) NEGATIVE STORIES ARE COMING OUT OF THE WOODWORK NOW...WOW! HOW MANY MORE "ATTEMPTED" HANDOUTS FOR MONEY? THE MORE THE PRESS TALKS ABOUT IT, THE MORE CASES OF ILLNESS OCCURING MONTHS AND EVEN YEARS AGO! October 25, 2018 - Awilda Montes from Queens, NY claims she vomited blood after drinking 7up from her hotel. She survived. June, 2018 - Yvette Monique Sport of Pennsylvania dies – Her death certificate said the cause of death was a heart attack. Her sister claims she took a drink from the mini-bar June, 2018 - Kaylynn Knulls says her boyfriend got sick at the same DR resort as the Denver couple claimed. She survived. July, 2018: David Harrison (age 45) dies of a heart attack at the Hard Rock. Alcohol was found in his blood. Now that the news is picking up on all these other “drink related stories”, they now want to re-open this case. NO DATE WAS NOTED: Colorado Couple claimed they were poisoned at a DR resort – They survived. 20. COULD SOME OR ALL OF THESE FACTORS BE THE REAL REASON FOR SOME OF THESE DEATHS? Excessive alcohol & eating, mixed with medication, existing medical conditions, being “over 50”, out of shape/ overweight, too much sun, resort clubbing/ dancing into wee hours of the morning???
The “Talbot Recovery Report;2018 Alcoholism Statistics You Need to Know: Alcoholism affects people from all walks of life. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 88,000 people die from alcohol-related deaths each yearin the United States. Alcohol continues to be one of the nation’s most preventable causes of death, second only to tobacco and a poor diet/sedentary lifestyle. Alcoholism has a profound effect on the entire body, especially the brain, heart, pancreas, mouth, liver and immune system. In spite of its negative impact, more Americans than ever before, consume alcohol on a regular basis.2 21. HAS THE WORLD GONE SUE HAPPY NUTS? – Now FORMER TOURISTS are claiming to have been sick while at a resort in the DR. Even as far back as 2014 REALLY???
On Christmas day of 2017, I was involved in a horrific car accident here. No other car involved, it just a freak accident when my car lost control when going over an approx. 10’ long dip in the new highway that quickly filled with water during a short tropical rainfall, causing my car to hydroplane, then rolling approx. 7-8 times before landing off the road into a sugar-cane field. Doctors both here and in the U.S. saved my life through 8 different surgeries over a year span. I am happy to report that thanks to prayer by many, and primarily because of my daughter and her family attending to my intense recovery of 6 of 8 surgeries over ten months iin Colorado, I feel blessed that today I am healing well! Here in Bavaro (Punta Cana) I have a great DO doctor who is also my physical therapist. As of this report, I now only limp a little, and my nerve damage is now minimal. My family, friends, and clients have been my inspiration. I am often told that God must have great plans for me. I do worry His plans might be bigger than I my abilities and that I might not be worthy enough. There are numerous good people in the U.S. and throughout the world, who, despite the negative and inflated news… are too busy working, raising families, and enjoying life. Perhaps many Americans are too afraid if they do speak out, their well-intended opinions and real-life stories will be embellished or distorted, even by the news, or worse yet, could be attacked by a biased or ill-willed person on social media. This is a shame because I thought we Americans still had “FREEDOM OF SPEECH.” 22) REGARDING THOSE WHO WANT QUICK CASH FROM OTHERS. In my opinion, many of these people are lazy, and have no respect or regard for what others have sacrificed much for…
23. SUMMARY- SO REALLY… HOW SAFE IS IT FOR AMERICANS TO TRAVEL TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC RIGHT NOW? 1. Even CNN has a positive report about the data does not match the public perceptions. 2. First, travel so the world stops thinking ALL Americans are ignorant. It’s important that Americans are more educated about geography, world history, and culture. 3. The best way to learn about other countries, is to visit (vacation), as well as to other safe countries. And even when traveling (even in the U.S.) always use common sense & caution. 4. The DR as a whole is still and has been considered a safe country compared to the rest of the world. Especially when comparing Mexico, Jamaica, Venezuela, and yes… even (especially) The United States. Even with the three deaths by possible contaminated alcohol in Punta Cana, the East Coast of the DR is still ranked as a specific province in having the lowest crime in the Caribbean. 5. Of the DR crime mentioned above, 68% of crime occurring in Santo Domingo, yet Santo Domingo is not even on the top “Dangerous World Cities List.” 6. More than 41 million tourists have visited the DR since 2012. Of which, 14 million came from the U.S. With over 6.6 million visitors in 2018 alone, of which approx. 2.8 million were American That’s nearly 43% of the tourist population in 2018 being American. Meaning a high number of American deaths is in part due to the high volume of American’s alone. 7. Dominican Republic is the fastest growing tourism destination of the insular Caribbean. 8. Dominican Republic is ranked 76th of 195 safest country in the world. But this statistic does not factor in population… bringing the Dominican Republic approximately into the upper 25thpercentile. 9. Crime in the DR is primarily robbery, and generally not violent, with the majority of these incidences occurring in the metro-city areas of Greater Santo Domingo with approximately 2,202,000 inhabitants, where most robberies occur among the Dominican locals themselves. 10. In 2018, total domestic homicides in the Dominican Republic continued to decrease, dropping to 1,353 compared to 1,561 in 2017 and 1,616 in 2016. I’d say, overall the Dominican Police and Military are doing a GREAT JOB! 11. Terrorism? Here’s an interesting tid-bit that no one has even mentioned and is the #1 fear of the world…. The Dominican Terrorism Threat (Local, Regional and International) says “There are no known organized domestic terrorist groups”. Santo Domingo experienced its first incident of Domestic terrorism in 2014 when a civilian male ignited an incendiary device on a crowded subway car, killing 1 person, and injuring dozens. None were tourists. THAT’S 1 INCIDENT PERIOD! PROVIING THE MAJORITY OF DOMINICANS ARE NOT VIOLENT PEOPLE!
24) PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS & CLOSING REMARKS FROM AN AMERICAN WHO LIVES AND & WORKS HERE A) GOVERNMENT / INVESTIGATION DEPT.
a. Remove tap access liquor bottles from all rooms. Add cameras for bartenders serving alcohol b. Stop importing / buying alcohol from questionable countries with histories of booze contamination/ bootlegging. c. Have tourists sign a waiver of liability for overdrinking, combining medication with over-drinking, and what the heck… even tummy aches from over-eating and sunburn ???? d. Offer great vacation incentives to Americans… “See it's Safe for Yourself” campaigns E)PUNTA CANA INTL.AIRPORT (and other airports) a. We already have one of the most beautiful airports in the world. Now please offer discounted airfare to Americans for now… sheer volume will make up for the loss in airfare revenue! F) MEDIA:
a. Now is the time to buy, as this embellished and inflated news always passes in time. b. Similar concept to buying strong – longevity contenders,(specific) stock when they are down for a bit… but you know they will rise up again. c. Already smart investors are taking notice and investing with more negotiation opportunities. H) TOURISTS:
Yup, the last two remarks are MY PLUGS on behalf of all our developers, repeat vacationing guests, and all the loyal property owner clients we have serviced for over 10 years here THE LAST PORTION OF THE TV EPISODE FEATURES AN AMERICAN WOMAN FROM KANSAS CITY. SHE AND HER PARTNER RENTED A CONDO IN OUR BEACH TOWN AREA OF Los Corales and El Cortecito (in Bavaro)…. MY CHALLENGE: If you love social media, and you also love the DR and have shared your POSITIVE stories about the Dominican Republic and especially Punta Cana (Bavaro, El Cortecito, Los Corales, White Sands, Cocotal), THANK YOU! If you have not shared your good experiences, then I challenge you to share your story on social media. This invite is ONLY offered to those tourists who have actually visited the DR please… AND OF COURSE, OUR REGULAR VISITORS. Whether you stayed in a resort or outside of the resort is not important. Mentioning how many times you have visited with no concerning issues, however, IS important. (No reporting of your own overindulgence or neglect please! THE NEW YORK POST - July 12, 2019. The Dominican government on Monday launched the #BeFairWithDR social media hashtag to try to keep up with the online spread of news, the report said. “Unfortunately, the unrelated incidents coincided in timing,” André Van Der Horst, the tourism adviser to the Dominican Republic government, told the Washington Post. “With social media today, we are exposed and require an immediate response to the current public relations dynamic, a new reality worldwide. “We are not used to this type of viral communicational outburst and are working with crisis management specialists to establish reaction protocols.” |
YES! PUNTA CANA IS SAFE, and so are other DR areas!
My full name is Maria Heydenburg Williams. I am from a suburban city near Grand Rapids, Michigan. I am the proud mother of 2 successful children. My daughter, a confident and intelligent mother herself, and my son, an easy-going and patient father, who, with their awesome spouses, have collectively, blessed me with eight beautiful and brilliant grandchildren (7 girls, and 1 boy). My mother is from Puerto Rico. My father is an American-European mix, primarily German. Both my parents met while serving in the U.S. Army. My father was military police. I personally served in the Army and my son is a Chief in the USAF (5th generation of military service!).
Yes, like the U.S. the DR is working hard to protect its border from illegal Haitians attempting to cross the border, and some trying to give birth to children just within the DR, so they can claim residency. 
