After national park veto, groups call for more protests

Santo Domingo.- Dozens of civil society organizations of central La Vega province on Thursday called for a massive concentration next week to support the law that creates Loma Miranda National Park, vetoed Wednesday by president Danilo Medina despite have passed by an overwhelming majority in Congress.

La Vega Diocese bishop Antonio Camilo, the Vega Real Cooperative, the Dominican Teachers Association (ADP) and other social groups headed the call to protest in from of La Vega’s Cathedral starting 10am next Wednesday.

Camilo reiterated the Diocese’s opposition to mining at Loma Miranda, and in one occasion described the company Glencore Falcondo a “latent threat.”

Falcondo’s planned nickel mine at the proposed protected area got a boost with Medina’s veto, whose observations of the legislation were immediately adopted by the Senate.

The President’s refusal to sign the bill into law has also rallied environmentalists and other groups who’ve vowed to protect Loma Miranda as a nature reserve, with planned protests in varioius parts of the country.