DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

A shocking incident rocked Santiago’s transport sector on Wednesday, 3 December 2025, after Mario Ureña, the founder of the transport company Ruta SO, died suddenly during an interview broadcast live on the program El Café de Diario 55 for Santiago audiences.

The distressing moment, captured by the cameras, shows the union leader collapsing without warning while awaiting to speak on the set. Technical staff rushed to his aid.

Ureña’s death occurs amid a period of high tension in urban transportation, characterized by clashes between drivers, route disputes, and a climate of instability that he himself was attempting to mediate. According to union leaders, his absence could deepen the internal crisis and further complicate negotiations seeking to bring order to a historically conflictive sector.

The incident has caused a wave of commotion in Santiago and across the country, as the program’s production and transport representatives express their consternation over the...