Beneficiaries of the FEDA’s “Return to the Field” program say there was no evaluation before delivering the cows

Santo Domingo.-Several beneficiaries of the “Return to the Countryside” program in Santo Domingo Norte and Guerra claim that they received the cows without a prior technical evaluation to verify if they had the conditions to raise them. Rafael Antonio Rojas Silva, beneficiary in Santo Domingo Norte, reported that he was contacted directly to inform him that he had been selected. “They called me and told me that I had been awarded three heads of cattle. I went and received them,” he said. During the interview, he also acknowledged that the land where he keeps the animals has limitations. “You know we don’t have grass to keep her. We have many limitations,” he explained. Another beneficiary, Rubén Antonio Hernández Méndez, stated that he also did not receive a technical visit before the delivery. “They didn’t visit me,” he replied when asked if anyone had assessed his land.

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According to his testimony, he also did not have to present documents related to agricultural projects. “They didn’t ask me for any of that. Just the ID,” she pointed out. A relative of Eddy Geraldo Sánchez González, also a beneficiary in Santo Domingo Norte, described a similar process. “They didn’t analyze the space, they didn’t give him a contract or certification,” he explained. When asked if they should be enrolled in any agricultural program, they replied no. “Nothing, nothing,” he said. However, when asked about political affiliation, he responded that he did. “Yes, of course.” For Wandelpool, the absence of clear criteria in programs of this type is problematic. “In a social program like this, the selection criteria for the beneficiaries should be established from the beginning,” he explained.