Valle Nuevo National Park: Two men detained for illegal logging

Two men, Juan Encarnación and Nery Encarnación, have been ordered into three months of preventive detention for illegal logging in the buffer zone of Valle Nuevo National Park in the Dominican Republic.

The judicial office in San José de Ocoa issued the coercion measure following allegations that the men destroyed approximately 30 tareas of land in the Yuna area of Loma La Placeta. The deforestation reportedly impacted several native and endemic tree species, including cabirma santa, pino macho, yagrumo, cigua, gmelina arbórea, manacla, and gina.

The Ministry Public has charged the individuals with violating multiple environmental protections, including the Constitution of the Dominican Republic, Law 64-00 on Environment and Natural Resources, Law 57-19 on the Forestry Sector, and Law 202-04 on Protected Areas. The defendants will serve their detention at the Baní Hombres public prison in Peravia province.