DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

In a move that has sent ripples through the Dominican political and academic landscape, President Luis Abinader has dismissed Rafael Féliz García from his position as rector of the Las Américas Institute of Technology (ITLA), a government-owned technology higher learning institute. The dismissal, formalized through Decree 39-26, follows a series of investigative reports that have cast a shadow over Féliz García’s rapid financial growth and administrative ethics.

The Executive Branch announced the removal late Friday, 23 January 2026, effectively revoking Féliz García’s appointment which had been in place since July 2024. While the official communique framed the move as part of an “institutional strengthening and evaluation process,” the timing coincides with a major scandal involving alleged salary kickbacks at the institute.

According to investigative journalist Nuria Piera...