DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

First Lady Raquel Arbaje, along with her daughters Graciela, Esther, and Adriana, is among more than 1,000 individuals who have signed an open letter rejecting the current draft of the Dominican Republic’s proposed Penal Code reform. The letter, addressed directly to President Luis Abinader, warns that the legislation represents a “serious setback” for human rights in the country.

The document has garnered support from a wide cross-section of Dominican society, including activists, legal scholars, journalists, academics, civil society organizations, and concerned citizens. Signatories argue that the proposed code, in its current form, could have profound ethical and social consequences—particularly for women and girls.

Among the central concerns raised is the limited legal definition of femicide, which recognizes only three specific circumstances under which the...