Even President Leonel Fernández likes to compare the potential of the Samaná area in the north-east with that of Monte Carlo.
It is easy to understand the emphasis. Over the past 25 years the industry has grown apace. Tourist arrivals have soared since charter flights brought long-haul package holidaymakers from
Back then, his main claim to fame had been his role as right-hand man to a former Marxist president, Juan Bosch. In the early 1970s he had helped Mr Bosch form the left-wing pro-Cuban Dominican Liberation Party, the principal aim of which was to campaign against US influence in
“We sometimes pay the bill, but then they usually end up charging us for electricity we’ve not used, so then we go on strike,” says Ms Miranda, a scrum of three children lurking round her feet waiting for supper.
At the other end of the social spectrum, in Santo Domingo’s