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I don't know. Killings seems to imply someone purposefully killed these people. I thought the cause of most of these deaths were either undetermined or natural causes. It just sounds like sensationalism and fear mongering to call them killings at this point. Regardless, it seems too soon to say that. Also, as AntonioR pointed out, United States tourists die every year in the Dominican Republic.
Not that it matters to most people everywhere, but some individuals...
According to ABC, World News, of New York, of 6/18/1920, it is up to 10 American tourists now, that have been killed in the Dominican Republic.
I will give you my rendition of who or whom are doing these killings:
1. An employee of the Hotel where most of them are happening, who has issues with Management.
2. A Serial Killer, who has gone unnoticed for myriad of years, and wants recognition, that is why he only chooses American Citizens, or have lived in the USA, and have had issues that he feels are unjustified, with Americans.
3. According to ABC, World News, of New York, the victim of this week, had a drink that was in the room, for his enjoyment. So there appears to be a connection with Room Service. It could be a waiter, a restaurant employee, housekeeping employee, or an outsider, with no ties to the Hotel where it is happening.
4. It could also be a prostitute male or female. These are very much prevalent in the hotel industry, in all hotels, world-wide. Perhaps someone that had been sexually abused, male or female, as a child, and it is now, "Pay-Time."
5. It could be someone posing as a friend of the victims, who have come to rob them, since they know that most Americans have money, in cash and credit cards, and kills them to silence them.
I have a few other assumptions, but I will hold off, for now. The Punta Cana Police Headquarters have been very-tight-lipped, about the killings, even with the families of the deceased, and have given them zero details even though many of the killings have happened to people in their own rooms.
I'm more of this opinion....and if I had to choose, one, maybe #2. I imagine some guy that is just tired of 'serving' Americans who appear to be on perpetual holiday.
Probably someone who has dreamed of murder anyway....and just feels like it's an easier target and a worthy target.
Speaking of Puerto Rico, my wife, daughter, and I went to Puerto Rico before Maria. Spent some time in San Juan, Vieques Island, El Yunque, Ponce, Cabo Rojo... we were impressed. San Juan has history and the country is beautiful. Food was good too. Had some of the best Puerto Rican gumbo in Esperanza.
Speaking of Puerto Rico, my wife, daughter, and I went to Puerto Rico before Maria. Spent some time in San Juan, Vieques Island, El Yunque, Ponce, Cabo Rojo... we were impressed. San Juan has history and the country is beautiful. Food was good too. Had some of the best Puerto Rican gumbo in Esperanza.
Overall PR is a nice island to visit. The effects of Hurricane MarÃa are gone for tourism and that island is doing well when it comes to that. It is mostly a different tourism from the DR. For one thing, the vast majority (something like over 80%) of tourists are from the USA mainland. The other thing is that there are few all-inclusive resorts in PR, most are a la carte. Given the same segment in both islands, I say in PR is a little more expensive, but in DR you get more of the natural scenes. The a la carte hotels also tend to be newer in the DR. The DR focuses on all-inclusive and is a more international market, although there are hotels of all types and of all budgets in most destinations. PR (basically San Juan) is also the base for most cruise ships that ply the Caribbean waters (Miami is the other one), so it shouldn't be a surprise they get many cruise tourists hoping on the ships.
Cuba depends on Canadians, Europeans, and Latin Americans. Its also revolving around all-inclusive and Varadero is its main beach destination, though there are more.
Jamaica also depends on all-inclusive, but the clientele there is overwhelmingly America.
Cancun in Mexico is quite mixed in the hotels, but clientele is overwhelmingly American.
Other small islands in the Caribbean are more niche markets (Aruba is one of the major islands for this, but is mostly a la carte with Palm Beach being its main destination and overwhelmed by Americans; St Barts is much more selective and they charge an arm and a leg for even a bottle of water; St Martin is more a cruise destinations although the island has some resorts; you see the twin peaks of St Lucia in just about any brochures to the Caribbean; etc.)
Cartagena in Colombia is up and coming, but I think they are still dominated by Colombians from inland that go there on vacation. In recent years it has got a lot of positive attention from the American media. Down there it is very hot, because the Trade Winds don't reach that far south. There you get the true tropical weather.
Overall PR is a nice island to visit. The effects of Hurricane MarÃa are gone for tourism and that island is doing well when it comes to that. It is mostly a different tourism from the DR. For one thing, the vast majority (something like over 80%) of tourists are from the USA mainland. The other thing is that there are few all-inclusive resorts in PR, most are a la carte. Given the same segment in both islands, I say in PR is a little more expensive, but in DR you get more of the natural scenes. The a la carte hotels also tend to be newer in the DR. The DR focuses on all-inclusive and is a more international market, although there are hotels of all types and of all budgets in most destinations. PR (basically San Juan) is also the base for most cruise ships that ply the Caribbean waters (Miami is the other one), so it shouldn't be a surprise they get many cruise tourists hoping on the ships.
Cuba depends on Canadians, Europeans, and Latin Americans. Its also revolving around all-inclusive and Varadero is its main beach destination, though there are more.
Jamaica also depends on all-inclusive, but the clientele there is overwhelmingly America.
Cancun in Mexico is quite mixed in the hotels, but clientele is overwhelmingly American.
Other small islands in the Caribbean are more niche markets (Aruba is one of the major islands for this, but is mostly a la carte with Palm Beach being its main destination and overwhelmed by Americans; St Barts is much more selective and they charge an arm and a leg for even a bottle of water; St Martin is more a cruise destinations although the island has some resorts; you see the twin peaks of St Lucia in just about any brochures to the Caribbean; etc.)
Cartagena in Colombia is up and coming, but I think they are still dominated by Colombians from inland that go there on vacation. In recent years it has got a lot of positive attention from the American media. Down there it is very hot, because the Trade Winds don't reach that far south. There you get the true tropical weather.
My wife and I aren't really "all-inclusive" people. We like to fly in, rent a car and drive, experience the culture and food. Possibly a different accommodation every night, depending on where we happen to be at the time. That's why don't go on cruises either. To us the point of going to another country is to see the country, not a resort.
We have discussed Colombia and will go there one day. Time and money are the only obstacles at this point.
It is weird that Americans would spend their tourist dollars in a country that exploits, nearly outright enslaves the vulnerable people of Haiti. The DR seems quite the despicable country to be vacationing in in the first place. Not sure why the big surprise over tourists being robbed, mistreated, killed, maybe just because they have not figured out the exact way they are dying.
My wife and I aren't really "all-inclusive" people. We like to fly in, rent a car and drive, experience the culture and food. Possibly a different accommodation every night, depending on where we happen to be at the time. That's why don't go on cruises either. To us the point of going to another country is to see the country, not a resort.
We have discussed Colombia and will go there one day. Time and money are the only obstacles at this point.
Colombia is a very interesting country. Its like several countries in one, because every region has its own cultural taste. I wouldn’t travel by land through much of the countryside there. Not only are paramilitary soldiers still active in some parts of the countryside, that country is also quite big. It may not seem too big in a map, but in person the place is huge. The rural areas and small towns around the major cities should be fine for exploring. Most of the people live inland, mostly in valleys of the Andes where the weather isn’t tropical despite the country is so close to the equator. In Bogotá a jacket and an umbrella is necessary all the time while in Cartagena is very humid and hot. Very beautiful country if you ask me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tdr22
It is weird that Americans would spend their tourist dollars in a country that exploits, nearly outright enslaves the vulnerable people of Haiti. The DR seems quite the despicable country to be vacationing in in the first place. Not sure why the big surprise over tourists being robbed, mistreated, killed, maybe just because they have not figured out the exact way they are dying.
Link above may not work, google opendemoccracy(dot) net 'beyond trafficking and slavery'
The sugar industry has always had some issues with the workers. It didn’t matter if most were Puerto Rican, from the English Caribbean or Haitian. With that said, there is nothing in the website of the role American investors (they basically developed the sugar industry) played in the sector and imposing the working conditions that never were good enough to attract a largely Dominican workforce. Last time I also checked there were less than 30,000 people working in the sector and that was a few years ago. The number of people working in the sugar fields has been going down for quite a few years now as, supposedly, the sugar industry mechanize all its operation. Exports from the sugar mills all goes to the USA, every single crystal that is exported of that stuff.
All sugar mills are basically owned by international investors. The largest one (and it has been for over a century) is the Central Romana in the eastern DR, with its main sugar mill at La Romana and its fields extending through the La Romana, El Seibo, and La Altagracia provinces. It owns almost half of the eastern DR land which that zone is the size of Puerto Rico or Connecticut. The original owners were Americans that expanded from Puerto Rico, then it was owned by the NYC based Gulf + Western Company. It lastly was sold to a Florida based owner, which also owns Florida Crystals (also producing sugar in previous swamp of South Florida.) They are among the richest people in Florida with a brother donating to the Democrats and another brother donating to the Republicans. The owner lives in a beachside palatial mansion in Palm Beach, Florida. He basically is putting his hand twice in the cookie jar, because the US has a sugar quota with the DR. There has been years that the DR needed to import sugar to cover its national demand because its national production wasn’t enough to cover the US market and the Dominican market. That’s like importing sand to the Sahara Desert. Americans overpay for their sugar compare to the rest of the world thanks to the US protecting its sugar producing and having a quota with the DR.
Most Dominicans have nothing to do with the sugar industry and neither have most of the Haitians living in the DR. You are also much more likely to consume sugar made in the DR in the USA than in the DR, especially on the years 100% of the sugar consumed in the DR is imported. Seems to me that the real battle is suppose to take place in the supermarkets of the USA than anywhere else.
The other thing is that people here can figure out you have never been to the DR, so I guess your appreciation of the country is as erroneous as the US media has been for the past couple of weeks.
My appreciation of the country..........wow, I lived in the Carib, the DR is Not respected in the majority of the islands, I now live in Maui, we just shut down sugar cane (even tho no slavery involved nor Needed) just a couple of years ago. Good grief, why the**** do you think we quit buying sugar from that despicable place ????
My appreciation of the country..........wow, I lived in the Carib, the DR is Not respected in the majority of the islands, I now live in Maui, we just shut down sugar cane (even tho no slavery involved nor Needed) just a couple of years ago. Good grief, why the**** do you think we quit buying sugar from that despicable place ????
So you have never been to the DR much less lived there, but claims to know the place. Case taken. Some 30 million people have vacationed there in the last 5 years. Most of them probably don’t agree with you.
In the mean time, the DR is still number one in tourism for Central America and the Caribbean. Last I checked, Punta Cana has the best connections to Europe and one of the best in North and South America of any airport in Latin America.
Number one manufacturing center in Central America and the Caribbean. One of the largest middle class and growing in that region too. An active commerce, the only Caribbean country to be self-sufficient in most foodstuff, its one of the few economies in the Caribbean that is actually booming, one of the most active ports in the region, one of the best roadway system in Latin America, number one and a leading country in several manufactured products in several countries and in some areas also worldwide, etc.
Just this month or maybe it was last month in Mexico the DR won the prize of the best destination in Latin America.
The country that had converged the most in Latin America and one of three Latin countries that is actually closing the gap with the developed world.
I also found out that in 2017 (the most recent year) sugar exports was around $97 million. It would actually take more than a decade to reach the billion dollar mark, let alone billions. What else are they lying about? (https://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profi...y/dom/#Exports)
Last edited by AntonioR; 06-21-2019 at 06:41 AM..
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Some 30 million people have vacationed there in the last 5 years. Most of them probably don’t agree with you. 
