DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

President Luis Abinader designated his Customs Agency director, Eduardo “Yayo” Sanz Lovaton to be his Minister of Industry & Commerce and Small Business. Nelson Arroyo is sent to head the Customs Agency for the remainder of the Abinader presidency with Decree 3-26.

Sanz Lovaton is a graduate in law from the PUCMM with a masters in international law from the Centre d’Études Diplomatiques et Stratégiques (CEDS) in Paris, France. He is a long-standing professor of law from 2003 to 2016 and was managing partner of the law firm Staff Legal from 2004 to 2020.

Sanz Lovaton is included among the aspirants to be the ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) presidential candidate in the 2028 presidential elections. He is also the current national secretary of finances of the ruling PRM party and as a member of the board of the PRM, he was political director of the Abinader presidential campaign in 2020.

Sanz Lovaton replaces Victor (Ito) Bisono Haza who was named Minister of Housing...

Francisco Oliverio Espaillat Bencosme has been named Minister of Agriculture. He is best known as a leading rice producer who has spearheaded surviving imported rice and labor problems by mechanizing most of his farms. He also offers the mechanization services to smaller farms.

An agronomy engineer and graduate of the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), Espaillat Bencosme brings over three decades of experience in the national rice sector. He was recognized by the Dominican Agribusiness Board (JAD) as Agro-Entrepreneur of the Year in 2021.

He replaces Limber Cruz who was not named to a new position.

The appointment is part of the significant cabinet reshuffle made official in Decree No. 2-26.

President Luis Abinader has appointed Pedro Porfirio Urrutia Sangiovanni as the new director general of the Tax Agency (DGII).

A Certified Public Accountant with a master’s degree in Tax Law and Tax Advice, Urrutia Sangiovanni is a founding partner of the firm Moore ULA. His background includes participation in the drafting and revision of legal frameworks related to the country’s tax and corporate systems.

The appointment, formalized Tuesday, 6 January 2026, via Decree 2-26, marks Urrutia’s first foray into a cabinet-level position. He succeeds Luis Valdez Veras, who had led the agency since August 2020 through a period of significant digital transition.

While Urrutia is a fresh face in the halls of public administration, he is a heavyweight in the private sector, regarded as a highly rated tax advisor and Certified Public Accountant.

His career has been defined by his role as a bridge between complex fiscal policy and business operations.

Urrutia’s influence on...

The Tax Agency (DGII) is set to close 2025 with a strong fiscal performance, projecting accumulated revenues of RD$913.14 billion. This figure represents a 7.9% increase compared to 2024.

With December’s collections, the DGII has now exceeded its estimated revenue targets for 64 consecutive months, marking a significant milestone for the Tax Administration.

The year-end projection indicates a compliance rate of 100.9% regarding the goal established in the Reformulated National Budget, surpassing estimates by RD$8.34 billion.

For December alone, projected collections stand at RD$80.32 billion, reflecting a 15.5% growth and an increase of RD$10.81 billion compared to December 2024. This monthly total represents a compliance rate of 109.7%, exceeding estimates by RD$7.11 billion.

DGII Director General Luis Valdez Veras stated that these results reflect strengthened tax management and the effectiveness of strategies implemented to promote voluntary compliance, improve...

President Luis Abinader switched positions for his Minister of Women and Superate social agency. Gloria Roely Reyes Gómez has been designated Minister of Women by Decree 2-26.

A lawyer with training in International Law and Microfinance, Reyes Gómez served as a congressional deputy for the National District’s Constituency No. 5 (2016–2020). She previously held the position of Supérate program director, where she oversaw social assistance and development policies.

Mayra Jimenez who had served as Minister of Women since 2020 is now appointed to head Superate, the government social development agency. Jimenez holds a Law degree from the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM). She further specialized her expertise with a masters in Economic Regulation Law at the PUCMM and specialization in Public Management Leadership at Barna Management School.

While the position of Minister has more ranking in government, the position at Superate handles a mega budget...

Geanilda Vásquez, who has been serving as the consul general of the Dominican Republic in Miami, has been promoted to coordinator of the Social Policies Cabinet (Sismap) of the Abinader administration. A lawyer, businesswoman, and seasoned politician, Vásquez brings decades of experience in public management, the private sector, and political organization to the role. She replaces Francisco Antonio Peña Guaba, who was not appointed to a new position in Decree 2-26.

A native of Moca, Vásquez is a foundational figure in the ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM). She served as the party’s first acting president following its formation in 2012 and later became the first woman to compete for the party’s presidential nomination in 2014.

Her political career began in the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), where she rose through the ranks to become the first woman to hold the position of National Secretary of Organization. In 2006, she was elected as a council member (regidora)...

The Ministry of Foreign Relations and subsequently the Presidency of the Republic have published on their websites the remarks of its Vice Minister of Foreign Relations Francisco Caraballo on the Dominican Republic’s official position regarding the situation in Venezuela following the extraction of Nicolas Maduro by US military forces.

Speaking during the meeting called by the Organization of American States (OAS) on Tuesday, 6 January 2026, Vice Minister of Bilateral Foreign Policy Francisco Caraballo reaffirmed the Dominican government’s refusal to recognize the legitimacy of Nicolás Maduro’s administration before the Organization of American States (OAS). Caraballo said on Tuesday, 6 January 2026 that the Dominican government cannot validate a “de facto regime” seeking to perpetuate itself against the will of the Venezuelan people.

The position was...

Newly implemented verification protocols for foreign patients have led to a marked decline in demand for medical services by Haitian nationals in Dominican public hospitals, according to the latest data from the National Health Service (SNS), El Dia reports. Most of these services were free for the Haitian migrants and their offspring, putting a heavy burden on the finances of the Dominican health system.

The largest demand for foreign health care is for birthing services. The SNS figures, spanning from April to November 2025, reveal that births among Haitian women in public hospitals have dropped by nearly half in some facilities, while overall consultations and emergency visits have seen a similar downward trend.

Since the protocol was launched on 21 April 2025, the demographic makeup of patient care in the national public network has shifted significantly. In April...

The Vuelta Ciclística Independencia Nacional is gearing up for its 47th edition. The Dominican Republic’s premier cycling event is scheduled to run from 23 February to 1 March 2026, once again positioning the country as a key destination for international competitive cycling.

Jorge Blas, president of the Dominican Cycling Federation (Fedoci), confirmed that the event is expected to feature 15 international teams alongside 10 local squads.

For Dominican athletes, this edition carries significant weight beyond the trophy. The Vuelta will serve as the primary training ground and selection trial for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games, which Santo Domingo will host later that summer (24 July – 8 August 2026).

“This 47th edition is expected to provide elite-level preparation for our national cyclists as they look toward the Central American and Caribbean Games...

The Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation has released the schedule for the Caribbean Series that this year will be played in Guadalajara, Mexico with a second Mexican team instead of team Venezuela. The Caribbean Series that matches teams from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Venezuela this year was scheduled to be played in Venezuela. But the political and military tensions forced a relocating of the series. Mexico had hosted the series in 2025 and is scheduled to host in 2027, but stepped in and offered to host the event in 2026.

The 2026 Caribbean Series will now be hosted by the Charros de Jalisco of the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico. The event will feature the champions of Puerto Rico’s LBPRC, the Dominican Republic’s LIDOM, both finalists from Mexico’s LAMP, and a team representing Panama. The Caribbean Series schedule is from 1 to 7 February 2026...

The race for the Dominican Winter Baseball League (Lidom) Championship has tightened significantly following pivotal matchups on 6 January 2026. The Toros del Este (La Romana) have officially claimed sole possession of first place, while the Aguilas Cibaeñas (Santiago) have successfully clawed back into contention.

The momentum in the league has shifted over the last 48 hours. After defeating the Leones on 5 January to force a tie, the Toros continued their hot streak with another victory over the Escogido, the capital city team. This marks four consecutive wins for the Romanenses, catapulting them to the top of the leaderboard and leaving the Leones in second place.

Meanwhile, the Aguilas came out on top in their turn against the Gigantes del Cibao. Following the rainout on Monday, 5 January, the Aguilas took care of business in the rescheduled game on 6 January at...

As the country prepares to return to normal after a very long Christmas and New Year holiday period, President Luis Abinader published Decree 1-26 on 5 January 2026 designating a new presidential legal advisor and the new Minister of Justice.

The government’s top legal team will now be led by former Supreme Court president Jorge Subero Isa who in the first executive act of the year was appointed the Legal Advisor to the Executive Branch. He will replace Antoliano Peralta Romero who had been the presidential legal advisor since the start of the Abinader government in August 2020. Peralta will be the country’s first Minister of Justice, a position created in a reshuffling of judicial and legal roles of the government.

For Subero Isa it is a return to paid public service. He had been assisting the President as head of the commission for jail reform. In his new role, he will...

After the extraction of Nicolas Maduro and his wife from their living quarters in Caracas, Venezuela, in the early hours of Saturday, 3 January 2026, President Luis Abinader took to his X account to say that the Dominican government is following the events. At the same time, he noted that the Dominican Republic had not recognized Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela. He went on to reiterate that the Declaration of Santo Domingo, issued in August 2025, called for the recognition of the “popular will as expressed at the ballot boxes.”

Abinader also said that he is willing to collaborate with the re-establishment of democracy and peace in Venezuela. He also recalled the historic solidarity between the two nations, adding that the Dominican Republic will always be on the side of democracy.

The Presidency and the Ministry of Foreign Relations have...

Thousands of travelers over the New Year’s holidays saw delays and cancellations of their flights to and from the Dominican Republic after the airspace was shut down for the US intervention in Venezuela. The cancellations mostly affected those traveling to Puerto Rico.

A report in Diario Libre had a stranded traveler impacted by the cancellation on 5 January saying that JetBlue was rebooking him for 14 January. JetBlue is the leading carrier serving the United States.

The New York Times covered the situation of the cancelled flights in the Caribbean after the US FAA grounded US flights stranding travelers, highlighting how the situation impacted vacation time for thousands.

The Christmas-New Year’s holiday in the Dominican Republic is always a time for exercising extra caution when commuting on the major highways and thoroughfares. The Center for Emergency Operation (COE) prepares for the event by mobilizing tens of thousands of troops, police and highway agents and volunteers. These are supported by hundreds of vehicles, including ambulances, tow trucks, mobile workshops, and aid stations along the most traveled roads.

During the New Year’s wrap-up press conference, Center for Emergency Operations (COE) director, retired general Juan Mendez reported that 7.6 million vehicles were registered using the toll highways, a slight increase over the previous year. Regarding the traffic fatalities, Mendez noted that 18 occurred during the New Year’s celebrations, and overall, a 31% reduction from the 2024-2025 holiday numbers. There...

In most countries, the birth of children just after midnight on 1 January, is celebrated as a special welcoming of the new year. This year, in the Dominican Republic there were multiple early morning births that celebrated the arrival of 2026. One of the occasions was the birth of triplets at 9am on Thursday, 1 January. These were two girls and a boy at the Women’s Maternity Hospital in East Santo Domingo.

Then, at the Dr. Reynaldo Almanzar Maternity Hospital, in Monte Plata, the first to arrive in the new year was Samara, an 8-pound baby girl who arrived via C-section.

Over in San Lorenzo de los Mina, in East Santo Domingo, at the Maternal-Infant Hospital, a young, 19 year-old mother had her baby at 12 midnight.

At the nation’s largest maternity hospital, Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia, the first baby to arrive was a health 7-pound, 5-ounce baby girl, who...

The resumption of the 2025-2026 school year following the Christmas holidays has begun with conflicting directives. The Ministry of Education (Minerd) had officially called for classes to resume on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, while the Dominican Association of Teachers (ADP) insists the break does not officially end until the next day.

The Ministry issued a formal call to parents and guardians across the country to ensure attendance and punctuality for students in both the public and private sectors.

According to the Ministry’s official calendar, the holiday break began on 19 December 2025 with the return to classrooms scheduled for 6 January. This date was selected because the Three Kings Day holiday was officially observed on Monday, 5 January.

“Every hour of teaching is fundamental to strengthening learning, reducing educational gaps, and advancing towards higher...

The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic is forecasting a GDP growth for 2026 to be in the range of 4.0% to 4.5%. Inflation is expected to be in the area of 4% (+/-1%) for the next two years. At the same time, greater economic activity is predicted, driven by the flexibility of monetary conditions and the increase in private investments. 2027 is also predicted to be in line with current forecasts.

Read more in Spanish:

• El Dia
• Central Bank

The Dominican Republic continues to solidify its position as a leader in the Caribbean region in the fight against drug trafficking, money laundering, and related crimes, executing unprecedented operations against organized crime structures in the country’s history, a press release from the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) reports.

The press release explains that under the framework of joint strategies and the firm mission of the Dominican government, the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD), with support from the Armed Forces, the Attorney General’s Office, the Customs Agency, state intelligence agencies, and international cooperation (mainly US Marshals Service and US Drug Enforcement Administration), confiscated approximately 48,335 kilograms (48.3 tons) of various illicit substances during 2025.

According to official statistics, authorities carried out operations at...

Minister Victor Atallah / Ministry of Public Health

The Dominican Republic has concluded 2025 with a significant public health milestone, reporting zero deaths from dengue fever and a historic reduction in cases, according to the Ministry of Public Health.

For the first time in a full calendar year, the country recorded no fatalities associated with the mosquito-borne illness, positioning the Caribbean nation as a regional benchmark for disease control.

According to the Epidemiology Department’s Week 50 bulletin, the country has seen a drastic decline in transmission. In the final four weeks of the reporting period, only 34 cases were notified. The total accumulated cases for 2025 (weeks 1 through 50) stand at 320, with an incidence rate of 3.10. This represents a 76% reduction compared to figures from 2024.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has...

The Dominican National Congress approved nine loan agreements requested by the administration of President Luis Abinader throughout 2025, authorizing more than US$1.43 billion in new sovereign debt, Diario Libre reported in a recap of the allocation of the funds.

According to contracts reviewed by both legislative chambers, the funds are earmarked for budget support, public health, sanitation, electrical energy, potable water, road infrastructure, transportation, environmental projects, and the strengthening of the agricultural sector.

While the ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) leveraged its congressional majority to ratify the agreements without procedural obstacles, the measures faced uniform rejection from opposition legislators. Dissenting lawmakers argued that the tangible results of the government’s borrowing strategy remain unseen.

Some of these financing...

The Ministry of Culture officially inaugurated the “Berklee in Santo Domingo 2026” international academic program on Monday, 5 January 2026. The initiative has gathered nearly 200 young musicians from across the Dominican Republic for a week of intensive training at the National Conservatory of Music, the Eduardo Brito National Theater, and various other cultural venues.

The program is organized by the Ministry of Culture in coordination with the General Directorate of Fine Arts, the National Conservatory of Music, and Berklee College of Music. It is sponsored by the AES Dominicana Foundation and Itabo.

This year’s cohort was selected from a pool of over 1,000 applicants hailing from different provinces throughout the country.

The opening ceremony was led by Vice Minister of Creativity and Artistic Training Amaury Sánchez, representing the Minister of Culture...

The woman, Alicia Santo Diaz, 54, who authored and performed an “altered” version of the Dominican National Anthem, was arrested upon arrival at the Las Americas International Airport (SDQ) late last week. Accused of “insulting” the anthem, Santo Diaz was later remanded to house arrest. Her arrest came at the behest of a judicial order dated back to August 2025 and signed by Judge Fatima Veloz of the Tenth Court of Instruction of the National District.

The accused lives in the United States. She is charged with violating several articles of Law 210-19 on the use and display of the national symbols of the Dominican Republic. Another woman, Yoseli Castillo Flores is also listed in the court’s accusations.

At the arraignment, prosecutors asked for a million-peso bail bond, periodic appearances at the court, and an impediment on leaving the country. The presiding magistrate...

A state of weather alert was in effect since early Monday, 5 January 2026 in Puerto Plata city following intense rainfall. The deluge, which started in the pre-dawn hours, left major thoroughfares completely flooded. Heavily affected areas included the Malecón, Avenida Luis Ginebra, the Avenida Colón and the connector road between the city’s two ports.

The situation was particularly critical in the southern and western sectors of the city. The overflowing of several creeks in these neighborhoods caused water levels to rise above the waist in some areas, severely hampering traffic and posing significant risks to pedestrian safety.

City officials were deployed to the affected zones since early Monday morning. Mayor Diomedes Roque García (Roquelito) said work crews were active removing debris and at creek cleaning operations aimed at accelerating the drainage...

The Toros del Este (La Romana) defeated the Leones del Escogido (Santo Domingo) on 5 January 2026 to force a tie for first place of the Dominican Professional Winter Baseball League Championship. The win was the Toros’ third consecutive victory and their fifth in six games, allowing them to pull even with the Leones at the top of the leaderboard.

The Aguilas Cibaeñas (Santiago), after comfortably leading all throughout the regular season, is now 2.5 games behind. The Gigantes have yet to win a game in the round robin series to decide the playoff teams.

There are still five games to be played including the game between the Águilas Cibaeñas and Gigantes del Cibao that was rained out in San Francisco on 5 January. This game has been rescheduled to be played at the Julian Javier Stadium in San Francisco de Macoris on Tuesday, 6 January.

The other games are:Wednesday, 7...