Biodigester Owner in Puerto Plata Pressures El Faro Latino to Remove Report

The request followed the publication of an investigative report documenting community complaints, ongoing legal actions and statements from authorities pointing to the absence of final permits. The report has intensified debate in the Dominican Republic and gained traction among diaspora communities in the United States and Europe, where the publication has an established audience. 

The project, promoted by Gestión Ambiental Punto Verde and linked to architect Francisco E. Veras Paulino, is located along a key route traveled by thousands of cruise passengers moving from Amber Cove to the historic center of Puerto Plata. The surrounding area includes residential neighborhoods, restaurants, a school kitchen serving hundreds of children, the Puerto Plata campus of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, and nearby tourist destinations such as Costambar and Cofresí, factors that have heightened public sensitivity around the development. 

During the call, Mr. Veras requested that references to his project be removed, arguing that the publication could affect him while the project remains in the permitting process. When asked repeatedly to identify specific inaccuracies or distortions, he did not provide concrete details. 

He reiterated that he did not want his business mentioned in the report and pressed for its removal, without submitting a formal request for correction or pointing to verifiable elements requiring amendment. 

El Faro Latino said the report was produced under investigative journalism standards, based on documented complaints, interviews with officials and a review of administrative processes. The outlet also noted that Mr. Veras retains the right to respond and present his version of events. 

Following the call, Mr. Veras sent messages to the newspaper’s director referencing potential legal implications, business reputation and media exposure. Those messages were later deleted, though the outlet said it retains records of the exchanges. 

In a subsequent call, he said he was meeting with a group to address the situation, offering no further details, in what the publication described as part of the pressure that followed the report’s release. 

The episode comes one day after the publication of the initial report, which detailed community opposition, ongoing legal disputes and the lack of permits cited by authorities for the biodigester project, located along one of Puerto Plata’s main tourist access routes. 

The investigation includes interviews with residents and officials who warn of potential environmental, public health and economic consequences if the project proceeds as planned. 

View previous report: Puerto Plata on alert over open-air biodigester under review by the Ministry of Environment 

El Faro Latino emphasized that it operates as a U.S.-based media organization, with its content governed by American law, including First Amendment protections for freedom of the press. 

The outlet said it does not remove content published under verified journalistic standards, while remaining open to including formal statements from Mr. Veras as part of his right of reply. 

The biodigester project remains under review by Dominican authorities, as tensions between the community, the company and the media continue to escalate. 

Opposition has been formally organized by a coalition of neighborhood associations from northwestern Puerto Plata, whose leaders have signed documents rejecting the installation. 

Among them are José Humberto Domínguez of Loma de la Bestia; Rose María Vélez of Urbanización San Felipe; Chris Cuates of Playa Cofresí; Arquímedes Ureña Vásquez, identified as a community leader; Rogelio Corcino Otaño of Maggiolo; and Rafael Vásquez, linked to Altagracia. 

Also listed are Gerardo Minaya Valdez of Las Mercedes; Segundo González Gómez of Las Tres Palmas; Hofranyi Bonilla García of Ciudad Universitaria; Rafael A. Santos Valenzuela, also identified as a community leader; and Lidia García of Los Domínguez. 

The signatures and official seals included in the documents point to broad, coordinated opposition from multiple communities, reflecting concerns over public health, environmental impact and the potential effect on tourism in Puerto Plata. 

This is a developing story.