DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

Spanish journalist Juan Luis Cebrian, former director of El Pais, the leading Spanish media, will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming Social Media Forum organized by the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel) and Unibe university for 17 and 18 March 2025.

The forum opens at 5pm on Monday, 17 March with the key note address by Juan Luis Cebrian. Panelists are Anibal de Castro, executive director of Diario Libre; Fausto Rosario of Acento and member of the board of Indotel; and Edith Febles (La Cosa como Es), investigative journalist, with Ramon Emilio Colombo Garcia as moderator, from 5 to 7pm.

On 18 March, a full day of presentations on fake news and social media with the participation of veteran journalist Ruddy L. Gonzalez; Ecuador lawyer and media consultant Juan Pablo Pozo Bahamonde; social media communications engineer Darian Vargas...

Adess and Superate would be joined in a super welfare agency, Direccion de Desarrollo Social, under Gloria Reyes, who at present directs the Superate program. The Presidency has not yet uploaded the decree to its website, but Decree 113-25 has been circulating.

As reported in Diario Libre, the Dominican government issued Decree 113-25 that will merge the Superate cards (whereby low income people receive cash deposits from the government) and the Administradora de Subsidios Sociales (Adess) into the new Ministry of the Presidency department.

Celso Marranzini / Diario Libre

Economist and business leader Celso Marranzini has refuted statements made by a former vice-president of the old Dominican Corporation of State-owned Electricity Companies (CDEEE), Ruben Jimenez Bichara, who called the current situation of the various electricity producers “unsustainable.” Marranzini said that he begged to differ. Celso Marranzini at present is the highest-ranking energy officer for the Abinader administration (president of the Consejo Unificado de las Empresas Electricas – CUED), comparative to what Jimenez Bichara was during the past Medina administration.

Responding to statements by his predecessor, Marranzini said that the current electricity situation is quite different from the one described by Jimenez Bichara, and that the current administration has managed to significantly better both efficiency and corporate...

The governor of the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, Hector Valdez Albizu, received the staff of the International Monetary Fund that are preparing for the upcoming visit by the IMF mission. The meeting served as a platform for the governor to present some of the government’s accomplishments regarding the national economy.

Valdez noted that GDP growth was at 5% for 2024, making it one of the highest in Latin America, and inflation was among the lowest, except for the countries that operate a dollarized economy.

The employment numbers are up, and the level of formal employment also improved. However, there still are more persons employed in the informal sector (54.8%) then in the formal, tax-paying, sector.

And, according to government numbers, inflation had been held in check for the previous 15 month period.

For Valdez, another important feature for the...

Raquel Peña / Diario Libre

As the keynote speaker at the Manuel Arsenio Ureña business conference, a breakfast event held in Santiago, current Vice President Raquel Peña told her audience that “[she] dreamed of walking up the stairs of the Presidential Palace as the President.”

Speaking on the topic of “Women Leaders Pushing Sustainable Economies,” Peña said that when she was asked by a reporter when she became the Vice President if she “had ever dreamed of such a thing?” She said “no”.

And she went on. “Now this question you are asking about dreaming about waking up those stairs as President? The answer is yes.”

She did not, however, say whether she would contend in the presidential primary of the ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM).

Several PRM government officers have expressed their interest in being the ruling party presidential candidate in the 2028...

Edgar Batista / Listin Diario

The Justice Department has requested that judges order the preventive custody of Edgar Batista Matos, who was recently deported from the United States. It seems that Batista Matos was the “captain” of the small craft that floundered off the coast of Guayacanes Beach as 60 persons attempted to travel to Puerto Rico.

Five persons drowned in the incident, and several have not accounted for, possibly because their reluctance to come forward or in the cases of those who perished in the capsizing.

Each of the people in the little boat reportedly had paid Batista Matos the sum of US$6,000 for the trip.

Prosecutor Yoanna Bejaran Alvarez, who heads the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Illegal Trafficking of Migrants and Human Trafficking (PETT), together with the prosecutor for this case, Aleika Almonte Santana, and other officials, requested this...

Defense counsel in the corruption case known as Antipulpo has requested that the court drop the case because of the statute of limitations. This decision could affect many other of the major corruption cases currently pending in the Dominican court system.

The defense lawyers are basing their arguments on Article 148 of the Criminal Process Code, which stipulates certain time limitations for criminal proceedings. According to this article the clock starts with the first arraignments of the accused.

The major point in this instance is that a decision to drop the Antipulpo case because of a statute of limitations could well affect such cases as Coral, Coral 5G and Medusa, all of which are currently plodding along in the system.

The Antipulpo case officially began on 29 November 2020 with the arrests and searches carried out against 27 people and 21 companies, all tied to the brother of former president Danilo Medina. In the case of the Coral indictments, this case began in...

The Traffic Safety and Transportation Agency (Digesett) can only seize your vehicle if you lack the necessary documentation, as per Transit Law 63-17, Diario Libre reports. Vehicle drivers need to show agents they carry a valid insurance policy and the registration proving ownership of the vehicle. When these are shown, the Digesett by law is only authorized to issue fines. The driver also needs to have a valid driver’s license.

Diario Libre says it is frequent for Digesett agents to seize motorcycles of those caught using the elevated road passes. What is correct, is for these motorcyclists to just receive fines.

Diario Libre reports that Digesett agents are abusing their power when they confiscate the vehicles unlawfully and cause significant hardship, especially for citizens who depend on their motorcycles for daily survival.

Nevertheless, the reality is that while the...

The Constitutional Court declared significant portions of articles 26 and 28 of Law 368-22 on Territorial Planning, Land Use, and Human Settlements unconstitutional, as reported in Diario Libre. The decision, outlined in ruling TC/1146/23, is grounded in the violation of municipal autonomy as enshrined in the Constitution.

The ruling, though issued in 2023, was not officially notified until 2025, creating a legal limbo for local governments and real estate investors. The challenge to the legislation was brought forward by Waldys Taveras, a municipal specialist and executive director of the Greater Santo Domingo Association.

Taveras argued that the law unconstitutionally granted authority to the Ministry of Economy, Planning, and Development and the Council of Ministers in approving construction and land use permits. These powers, he asserted, are the exclusive domain of...

The Loma Quita Espuela Foundation (FLQE) has been recognized with three prestigious awards in 2024 for its outstanding contributions to environmental conservation and sustainable development in the northeastern region of the Dominican Republic. The FLQE is located in San Francisco de Macoris, Duarte province.

The non-profit organization received the Brugal Believes in its People Award in the Environmental Defense and Protection category, presented by Casa Brugal. The foundation also earned the Dr. Julio A. Brache Arzeno Sustainability Award from the Rica Foundation in the Environment category, and the José Santiago Reinoso Lora Competitive Funds from the Cibao Association for Savings and Loans for the “Fertilizing Life Naturally” initiative.

Jesús Moreno Portalatín, president of the Foundation, along with members of the board of directors, visited the El Jaya...

The National Cattlemen’s Patronage (PNG) has announced the National Farm Fair (Feria Ganadera) will be held at the Ciudad Ganadera (Cattler City) in Santo Domingo from 21 to 30 March 2025.

The event this year hosts agro-business platforms, technology, educational settings, and entertainment for the general public. There will be exhibitions of livestock, artisanal products, fresh food sales, and more. This year, several gastronomic presentations featuring the best of Dominican agriculture prepared for the visiting public.

Last year over 100,000 persons visited the fair that takes place at the Feria Ganadera on the western side of the sea-bordering Malecon in the capital city.

During the press conference announcing the fair, Minister of Agriculture Limber Cruz Lopez and Agriculture Bank director Fernando Duran announced ample credit...

In recent years, the Dominican Republic has been positioning itself as a mecca for sports tourism. As part of this path, the Ministry of Sports has pledged its support for the traditional Félix Sánchez Classic, with its fifth edition set to take place on Saturday, 29 March 2025, at the Luguelin Santos Track in the Isaac Ogando Sports Complex, Bayaguana municipality, Monte Plata, a 78 km drive from the capital city.

The athletics meet has the backing of the local Federation of Athletics and the Ministry of Sports.

Felix Sanchez is the Dominican Republic’s only two-time Olympic Games gold medal winner in 400m hurdles (Athens 2004 and London 2012) and Luguelin Santos is the country’s only other medal winner in an Olympic Games (silver in the 200m in the London 2012). Both have continued active in the development of track in the Dominican...

The government-owned Institute of Technology of the Americas (ITLA) is set to become the first higher education institution in the Dominican Republic to offer a degree program in semiconductor manufacturing.

Coinciding with its upcoming 25th anniversary, ITLA announced the launch of the “Technologist in Semiconductors” studies program. This initiative aligns with President Luis Abinader’s decree 324-24, which declares the promotion, innovation, and development of the semiconductor industry a top national priority.

“At ITLA, we embrace and are committed to President Abinader’s vision of empowering an entire nation by beginning with academic training in semiconductors,” said ITLA Rector Master Rafael Féliz García. “This will lead to positive results that will boost and develop the semiconductor industry, positioning us as a leader locally and internationally in advanced...

The Dominican government accepted to enroll around 300,000 persons of the private corporation National Confederation of Transport Organizations (Conatra) in the government subsidized health plan (SeNaSa). The plan has both a contributory and subisidized category that was created for government workers and has enrolled domestic workers and thousands of unemployed aging persons, among others.

The pact will allow drivers and their families to voluntarily join the contributory scheme whereby they will contribute to the health plans. Yet, the agreement also establishes that those who do not qualify but meet requirements set by the National Council of Social Security and the Labor Health and Risk Supervision will be enrolled in the subsidized plan.

Dr. Santiago Hazim, director of SeNaSa signed for the health plan and Senator Antonio Marte, owner of Conatra for the transportation company...

The 27% income tax rate imposed on businesses in the Dominican Republic is hindering competitiveness and deterring foreign investment, according to the Regional Center for Sustainable Economic Strategies (Crees). The organization advocates for a transformation of the fiscal environment to promote a simpler, more neutral, and competitive tax system.

“The latest available data shows that companies in the Dominican Republic face a 27% corporate income tax rate, significantly surpassing the average of countries within the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD),” Crees stated in a post on the social media platform X. The OECD’s average stands at 21.5%, with the difference posing “a significant challenge to the country’s competitiveness in a world where nations continuously strive to attract investment and create more economic opportunities.”

Crees...

Bernardo Vega is known as a man with a brilliant mind. The many roles he has undertaken are impressive. The 87-year old former Central Bank governor has also been the Dominican ambassador to the United States and the director of the Dominican Museum. He is the author or editor of hundreds of books unfolding chapters of Dominican culture and historical themes. He also did a stint in investigative journalism, losing millions in legal fees for denouncing the truth and to fund the high cost of good journalism. He also championed political and economic polling in the country for many years.

Published in the 12 March edition of Diario Libre, the newspaper’s former executive editor Ines Aizpun interviewed the economist and historian on key subjects that provide insights regarding global affairs, Vega’s past work, and what more he will leave as his legacy.

In the interview, he...

Much uncertainty continues to affect Haitians regarding actions taken or to be taken by the Trump administration that could result in half a million deportations of Haitians benefited by TPS status. Haiti depends much on the remittances of its large population in the United States. The Trump administration is allowing those who had received TPS status to remain until August 2025.

Meanwhile, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has extended its ban on US flights to Port-au-Prince until 8 September 2025, citing ongoing security risks from armed gangs. The restriction, which affects major airlines like American, Spirit, and JetBlue, keeps Haiti’s capital cut off from direct commercial flights during the busy summer travel season, Haitian Times reports.

Haitian Times highlights that the Haitian authorities are expanding regional airports to...

Tourism Minister David Collado issued a statement on 12 March 2025 via X expressing his support to the family and friends and stressing the interest of the Dominican Republic in resolving the case of the 20-year old tourist who has been missing since the early morning of 6 March 2025. Sudiksha Konanki had traveled to the Dominican Republic for a spring break vacation that began on 3 March.

“I deeply regret the disappearance of Sudiksha Konanki and the pain her family is enduring. As a father, it moves me profoundly. As the Minister of Tourism, I am concerned and have been personally following the case from the outset, in coordination with the authorities,” he wrote on his account on X.

Likewise, the National Association of Hotels and Tourism (Asonahores) issued a statement on 12 March:“From the Association of Hotels and Tourism of the Dominican Republic (Asonahores), we...

The International Police (Interpol) has issued a Yellow Notice in the case of Sudiksha Konanki, the 20-year old Indian tourist whose whereabouts are unknown. She was last seen when headed for the beach at around 4:15am after partying at the discotheque of the Riu Republica where she was staying.

A Yellow Notice is a global police alert for a missing person. It is published for victims of parental abductions, criminal abductions (kidnappings) or unexplained disappearances.

The Yellow Notice can also be used to help identify a person who is unable to identify himself or herself.

This is a valuable law enforcement tool that can increase the chances of a missing person being located, particularly if there is a possibility that the person might travel, or be taken, abroad.

The procedure is that the police in a member country requests a Yellow Notice via their...

The US FBI, Dominican prosecutors, Interpol, a detective from the Sheriff’s Office of a community in Virginia state, and Dominican police are investigating the whereabouts of 20-year old Sudiksha Konanki, gone missing on the early morning of Friday, 6 March 2025 at the Riu Republica in Punta Cana. She was here with five friends on spring break vacation. She was last seen in a surveillance camera dressed in beach attire and headed with friends to the beach. While her girlfriends were still in night club attire from the partying they had been at that evening, Konanki is seen walking embraced with a friend made at the resort, identified as a person of interest in the case. The surveillance video shows the two seemingly tipsy from partying at the all-you-can-drink resort that evening.

What has to be answered is what happened at the beach that led the young woman to go...

Georges Antoine Thevenet / Noticias SIN

French national Georges Antoine Thevenet was sentenced on Wednesday, 12 March 2025 to one year in prison after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter stemming from a “negligent fumigation” incident. Thevenet is a woodmaking artist who worked with used wood yet was not a professional fumigation outfit.

This tragic event resulted in the deaths of Adelle Marie Ruiz León and her two-month-old daughter in their apartment in the upscale Piantini district.

An excess in the use of a toxic fumigation chemical in an empty apartment with termite problems and whose vapors seeped through the electricity piping to the apartment above intoxicating the family of four that was living there. The father and son survived. Yet the fumigation caused severe health issues for the deceased’s husband and the one-year-old son.

Judge Milagros...

Giralda Busto de Imbert passed away on 9 March 2025. She is credited for founding the Fundacion Fenix to bring relief to family suffering from addiction issues

The Fundación Fenix is a leading local private non-profit dedicated to helping families revert and survive addiction in the family.

Busto de Imbert is the second wife of national hero General Antonio Imbert Barrera, credited as one of the two survivors of the successful attempt to assassinate dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo in 1961. Busto married Imbert. He had widowed when his wife Guarina Tesson and daughter Leslie died in an airplane crash at take off from Puerto Caucedo in 1970. Busto acted as a beloved stepmother for Imbert’s sons Antonio Segundo and Oscar Jose.

Dealing with family issues, Busto would found the Fundación Fenix with other committed friends in 1994. The non-profit organization is recognized...

Deputy Luis Báez (Peravia-PRM) / Diario Libre

One would wonder if on the agenda of the legislators at the Chamber of Deputies in the Dominican Republic there are not more important bills to be studying and championing than the changing of the name of a province.

But, Deputy Luis Alcides Baez (Peravia-PRM) is convincing deputies and senators that the time is right to change the name of the southcentral province of Peravia. He insists that Maximo Gomez is a better name for the province. The general has a museum in his honor in Bani, capital of Peravia province.

The province received the name of Peravia for the wife of a little known relative of Christopher Columbus, Ana de Peravia, who had never lived in the province. No historic relevance or outstanding reasons for the naming have been found. To tell the truth, only now are people finding out where the name of the...

Carlos Gomez / Somos Pueblo

The wealth of Senator Carlos Gómez, a representative of the ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) for Espaillat (Moca) province, has sparked public debate after Somos Pueblo revealed that his declared assets surpass the combined budgets of seven major government institutions, including two ministries, three autonomous agencies, and two high courts.

According to his sworn financial disclosure, Senator Gómez boasts a fortune exceeding RD$9.94 billion, a sum that is more than the combined budgets of the Chamber of Accounts, the Ministries of Women and Youth, the Ombudsman’s Office, the National Public Defender’s Office, the Superior Electoral Court, and the Constitutional Court. These institutions collectively operate on a total budget of RD$7.84 billion.

Somos Pueblo reports that the growth of Gómez’s wealth is equally striking. Upon his election as...

The Third Collegiate Court of the National District has sentenced José Rosario, Melvin Valentín Peguero, and Oscar de la Rosa, Dionicio Mieses de la Cruz, Zafiro Nathaly Sánchez González, Engel Neftalí Vargas Soto, Alejandro Arturo Batista Bustamante, Robert Lee Eleuterio Paniagua Díaz and María Paula Murillo Vargas to 20 years in prison and a fine equivalent to 150 minimum wages each for their roles as leaders of a sexual exploitation network within the framework of Operation Cattleya.

The court found the accused guilty of human trafficking, determining they operated an illegal network that facilitated sexual exploitation. Additionally, other defendants linked to the operation—José Michael, Daniel Abreu, Cristina González, and Braulio Lugo—were convicted of procuring and sentenced to three years in prison.

The men will serve their sentences at the Najayo Men’s Jail and the...

It’s a procedure done in the most sophisticated hospitals around the world. A robotic gastrectomy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that removes part or all of the stomach using a robotic arm. The operation is carried out to treat stomach cancer.

The Homs of Santiago and its Bariatric and Metabolic Institute (Meta Integra) announced the carrying out of a successful total gastrectomy operation describing it as a significant milestone in the nation’s medical history and an accomplishment that underscores the hospital’s commitment to innovation and advanced technology in healthcare.

The operation was performed on Wednesday, 5 March 2025 by a team of physicians head by Dr. Hector Sanchez Navarro, deputy director of the Homs and chief of robotic surgery at the hospital. He was accompanied by Dr. David Rodriguez, oncological surgeon and Dr. James Hamilton...

The US Senate is reviewing the nomination received for the appointment of Leah Campos as ambassador to the Dominican Republic. The nomination was on the agenda of 10 March 2025.

Under former President Joe Biden, the Dominican Republic did not get an ambassador.

Leah Francis Campos was one of the first picks for ambassador announced by the US Presidency. She previously served as a CIA case officer and then a senior adviser for the Western Hemisphere for the House Foreign Affairs Committee. She is also the sister of Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy. Campos’ brother-in-law, former congressman Sean Duffy (Republican-Wisconsin), is the current US Secretary of Transportation.

In the face of European Union sanctions and the logistical challenges of Asian imports, Russia has begun importing beer from the Dominican Republic. The move comes as a response to the increased cost of European beers due to sanctions related to the Ukraine conflict.

According to Russian daily Kommersant, the importing company Mirovoi Trader has secured a license to bring in ‘Presidente’ brand beer from the Cervecería Nacional Dominicana.

Kommersant explains that the tenfold increase in duties on beer from “unfriendly” countries is pushing Russian importers to diversify their supply channels. The Russia media says that distributors are planning to start importing products from the Dominican Republic that cost less.

Kommersant reported the alcohol importer, Mirovaya Trader has already received a declaration of conformity for beer under the Presidente and Presidente Light...

The US FBI has joined the search for 20-year old Indian student Sudiksha Konanki, who went missing after partying with fellow US university students during their spring break vacation at Riu Republica in the Arena Gorda northern Punta Cana area. Yet, as of the morning of 12 March 2025, nothing concrete has come forth on her whereabouts.

While protocol calls for a 72-hour search, the Dominican government has continued the search six days after the woman went missing in the early morning of 6 March 2025. All resources managed by the government have been made available to find the missing woman or her corpse.

The Dominican government has assigned more than 300 men and women to the land, sea and air search operations. The searchers are combing the Atlantic Ocean following the known currents to locate the most likely drowned body of the young...

The streets of Santo Domingo erupted in color and energy on Sunday, 2 March 2025, as the National District Carnival parade filled the Malecón with thousands of enthusiastic spectators. The event was organized by the National District Municipality (ADN) and the Union of Carnivals of the District (UCADI) that awarded over two million pesos in prizes across various categories.

“Creación y Diversión” took home the top prize in the prestigious “Gran Comparsa” category, showcasing their creative prowess and artistic talent. This year’s event paid heartfelt homage to Milagros Ortiz Bosch, a celebrated figure in Dominican culture.

Over 80 “comparsas” or costumed groups and individual characters participated, contributing to an atmosphere overflowing with festivity and vibrancy.

Category winners:Carrozas (Floats):• First Place: La Fiesta de los Dulces• Second Place...

Fabio Fognini / ATP Tour Official Site

Cap Cana is hosting the Republica Dominicana Open, also known as the Cap Cana Challenger, one of the seven Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Challenger 175 category tennis tournaments to be held in 2025. The ATP Challenger 175 tournaments are the highest tier of annual men’s tennis tournaments on the ATP Challenger Tour, with 175 ranking points awarded to each singles champion.

The Cap Cana Cup is being held at the Racquet Village in Cap Cana, at the southern stretch of the Punta Cana resorts coast from 10 to 16 March 2025.

The tournament held in Cap Cana offers players and fans a stunning setting, just a short walk from the beach and many deluxe resorts. The players also get to compete in a first-rate tennis venue.

Cash prizes of US$250,000 are included in the tournament.

The 2025 ATP Challenger Tour...

In a new development, it is now known that the United States’ FBI investigators are assisting Dominican security and rescue teams as the search continues to solve the case of missing 20-year old Sudhiksha Konanki in Punta Cana. The parents, relatives and friends of Konanki are in Punta Cana while widespread efforts continue to find the University of Pittsburgh student who traveled to Punta Cana with five other girlfriends on 3 March 2025 for a spring break vacation.

The parents are asking the authorities to continue the search, finding strange the version of the last person who was with their daughter, 24-year old Joshua Steven Ribe, that their daughter most likely drowned. Ribe and Konanki remained at the beach after 4:15am when Konanki’s five girlfriends and another young man in the group returned to their hotel rooms after partying. The parents find it strange that the...

President Luis Abinader presented his administration’s Oportunidad 14-24, a program intended to turn around the lives of young people ages 14 to 24 years in vulnerable households. The program reaches out to youths who are not studying nor working but are in the capacity to do so (Ninis). It seeks to encourage vulnerable youths to engage in educational and work opportunities to learn new skills in short courses, finish school or university studies, get internships and jobs or become entrepreneurs. Abinader says that the program has been recognized as the most complete in Latin America.

The program has already reached out to 44,000 young people of which 14,000 have graduated after taking courses in IT, hair styling, accounting and the culinary and hospitality arts.

The program falls under the Gabinete Social of the Presidency.

Learn more...

President Luis Abinader issued on 28 February 2025, Decree 105-25 ordering rational use of public resources for spending. He ordered the fulfillment of administrative control measures in place, including a ban on the purchase of vehicles and the carrying out of travel and partying. The measure applies to all in government.

As reported in El Nacional, opposition legislators say this is a demonstration that the government has not been able to control wasteful spending and spending by politicians in office that are backing select presidential candidacy hopeful for the ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM). Given that President Luis Abinader cannot run for a third term, the PRM politicians are grouping around several possible candidates.

Read more in Spanish:

• El Nacional

Albert Ramdin / El Caribe

Suriname’s 67-year old foreign minister Albert Ramdin was elected the secretary general for the Organization of American States for the term 2025-2030 during the 56th Special Session of the General Assembly of the OAS on Monday, 10 March 2025. He succeeds Luis Almagro, who was first elected as OAS Secretary General in 2015 and re-elected in 2020 and whose term ends on 25 May 2025.

The US Departmehnt of State issued a note congratulating Ramdin for his election. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated:

“I look forward to working with Secretary General-elect Ramdin to uphold the OAS’s core mission of defending democracy, promoting and protecting human rights, as well as advancing security and economic prosperity throughout our hemisphere.

“We are committed to strengthening alliances with democratic partners to confront shared regional...

The City University of New York’s Dominican Studies Institute is promoting its 2025 Summer Internship Program. The deadline to apply is 21 March 2025.

The studies will be fully in-person from 2 June to 24 July 2025 at the City College of New York at 160 Convent Avenue, New York, New York.

The CUNY DSI’s Summer Research Internship Program provides undergraduate and graduate students with meaningful research experience in the field of Dominican Studies. Whether training in the humanities, social sciences, or STEM, selected participants will have the opportunity to work collaboratively and under the guidance of CUNY DSI’s one-of-a-kind multidisciplinary Research Unit.

The students will also have access to the Dominican Library, the premier repository of bibliographic resources documenting the Dominican experience in the United States, and the Dominican Archives...

Diario Libre reports that the defense is scheduled to present concluding statements on 24 March 2025 regarding the legal battle involving Alex and Magalys Medina Sanchez, siblings of former Dominican Republic President Danilo Medina, who are facing major corruption charges. The case, known as the “Antipulpo” case, has been ongoing for over four years, prompting the defendants’ lawyers to request its dismissal.

The prosecution counters that corruption cases should not be subject to statutory limitations.

Alex Medina, the main defendant, is accused of fraudulent contracting with a government power utility. His sister, Magalys Medina, is also accused in the case.

The defense argues that the prolonged duration of the case (over four years) exceeds the reasonable timeframe outlined in the Criminal Procedure Code (CPP), and thus, the charges should be dropped.

Wilson...

The Judicial Branch has overturned the sentence that had acquitted Venezuelan national Karla María Moya of charges related to impersonating a medical doctor and has ordered a new trial. The decision was made to reconsider the evidence supporting the accusation.

Last August 2024, Moya was cleared of charges that she had been pretending to be a doctor without a license. However, the Public Ministry appealed the acquittal and successfully secured a new hearing.

The Criminal Chamber of the Court of Appeals in the National District nullified Moya’s acquittal and ordered a retrial “for a new evaluation of all the evidence presented, for the reasons stated” in the original sentence.

Consequently, the Presidency of the Criminal Chamber of the Court of First Instance in the National District will assign a different judge to handle the case, as per Article 423 of the...

Blood Moon Eclipse / Space

Skywatchers across the Caribbean and much of North and South America are in for a treat on 13-14 March 2025, as a total lunar eclipse will grace the night sky. This celestial spectacle, often dubbed a “blood moon,” will be visible from virtually all Caribbean islands, providing a safe and captivating viewing experience for all.

Unlike solar eclipses, which require special eye protection, lunar eclipses are perfectly safe to observe with the naked eye. According to Space.com, this particular eclipse will be especially leisurely, lasting a total of six hours from start to finish.

Here’s a breakdown of the key times (in Eastern Daylight Time – EDT):• 11:57pm EDT on 13 March – 6am EDT on 14 March: The eclipse will be ongoing, with the moon gradually moving into Earth’s shadow.• 2:26am EDT – 3:31am EDT: This is the period of totality, when the moon will be...

Juan Soto / Listin Diario

In the Major League Baseball (MLB) 2025 season, four Dominican players are contenders for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award this year. In 2024, Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees and Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers won their respective league’s MVP awards.

First is Juan Soto. The Dominican slugger has boasted an on-base percentage of over .400 for the past seven years and is expected to repeat this. He is currently the #4 on the all-time list for achieving at least 25 home runs and receiving 125 bases on balls. Only Hall of Famers Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth and Ted Williams are currently ahead of Soto in this category.

And, also in the National League, there is exciting player Elly de la Cruz with his impressively fast pitches, stolen bases and seemingly impossible plays. It was nearly an endless streak of great baseball from a very young man...

132 players have registered to compete in the Corales Puntacana Championship, a PGA Tour event that awards 300 FedExCup points.

The 8th edition of the Corales Puntacana Championship will take place from 14 to 20 April 2025, at the Corales Golf Course in Punta Cana. The competitors are from 20 countries across five continents.

Billy Horschel, the American golfer, claimed victory in last year’s tournament, securing his eighth PGA Tour title. Horschel took home a prize of US$720,000 from the event’s total purse of US$4 million.

The PGA Tour is the premier professional men’s golf circuit in the United States, with over 175 tournaments held across six international tours.

The Corales Golf Course, located within the Punta Cana Resort, is also home to the PGA Tour event in the Dominican Republic. Designed by the renowned architect Tom Fazio, the course opened in 2010 and enables playing on cliffs, bays, natural ocean coves, inland lakes, and coral quarries along the Caribbean...

The GT Challenge of the Americas is set for 5 and 6 April 2025 at the Las Americas Track on Las Americas Expressway in eastern Santo Domingo. Teams from the Dominican Circuit Runners Club and Track Club RD are already gearing up for an intense competition against the powerful international participants for the local championship.

The GT Challenge of the Americas is an internationally acclaimed event, renowned throughout Central America and the Caribbean. It kicks off the national circuit racing championships, promising an exhilarating start to the racing season.

Adriano Abreu Sued, president of the Dominican Automotive Federation (FDA), emphasized the significance of this event as a testament to the growing strength of motorsports in the region.

Key figures from PAV Events, including Pablo Pou, Jacinto Peynado and Alfredo Nin, expressed...

Former Dominican Republic senior national volleyball team captain will compete in the upcoming Hato Mayor Beach Volleyball Tournament.

Prisila Rivera, former captain of the Reinas del Caribe, the Dominican senior world volleyball team, is now playing beach volleyball competitively. She will compete for the Dominican Republic’s master’s team (Las Olimpicas) at the 29th edition of the Hato Mayor/Vicentillo Easter Sports Festival Beach Volleyball Tournament.

She will be joined by joined by fellow ex-Reina del Caribe players Cosiris Rodriguez and Alexandra (Rosa) Casó. All three have extensive indoor volleyball experience, having competed in regional, Olympic, and World events.

The 29th edition of the Hato Mayor/Vicentillo Easter Sports Festival beach volleyball competition will take place at the Rancho Ecoturístico Doña Callita from Thursday, April 17th (technical meeting)...

The CCN consumer group recently announced the publishing of its Orgullo de mi Tierra collection book of 320 pages on the Pico Duarte, the Caribbean’s highest mountain. The mountain is a protected flora and fauna life refuge and primary source of water, but also a prime hike in the Caribbean. Hikers can marvel at its biodiversity as they make the climb up to 3,101 meters.

The book is for sale for RD$3,000 at Cuesta Libros in Santo Domingo and CCN stores around the country.

The book looks into the National Parks J. Armando Bermudez and Jose del Carmen Ramirez, with their many microclimates and unique habitats. The parks are the birthplaces for the country’s two most important rivers in the Central Mountain Range.

Recently temperatures of -5C were reported in Valle Nuevo, located in Juan B. Pérez Rancier, also in the Central Mountain Range (Cordillera Central) of the Dominican...

In the presence of President Luis Abinader, Tourism Minister David Collado, and renowned tennis player Rafael Nadal, Meliá Hotels International officially opened the first Zel branded hotel in the Caribbean, setting a new mark as it targets tennis fans, offering wellness and gastronomy. The event also marked the start of construction on the first “Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy” in America, located within the same resort complex.

Joining the inauguration were Meliá’s President and CEO Gabriel Escarrer, and Sports Minister Kelvin Cruz.

Situated in the province of La Altagracia, the all-inclusive Zel Punta Cana resort boasts 190 suites designed for groups and families, offering direct pool access, multiple restaurants, a gym, an event hall, and expansive terraces for relaxation and wellness.

President Abinader emphasized the significance of Meliá Group and...

The Hotusa Group Spanish hotel chain is expanding into the Dominican Republic with the re-opening of a legendary hotel as a five-star Eurostars branded hotel set for the final quarter of this 2025. The company will operate the Samana resort, named Eurostars Grand Cayacoa, under a lease agreement, as stated in a recent communication.

Hotusa markets its Eurostars brand as a collection of exceptional hotels, inspired by values that are closely linked to the world of art and culture. Luxury and sophisticated facilities and excellent attention to detail are promised to guests.

With this addition, the chain further expands its international presence, entering a new country and solidifying its commitment to the Caribbean region, where it already operates 12 hotels.

The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa 5*, situated on the southern side of the Bay of Samana will feature 295 rooms, two...

Reports are that Dominicans have heavily booked vacation stays at beach and mountain destinations, this coming Easter Week (13 to 20 April 2025). El Dia reports that Tourism Minister David Collado has said that leading resorts will be operating at 90%.

Tourism Minister David Collado said: “We are full in Bavaro and Punta Cana, and there is high occupancy registered for Bayahibe. Samana is enjoying its best times and Puerto Plata, too. These are good times for the tourism industry,” he said.

Easter Week is also a time to be in cities, that usually empty out as city residents hit the resorts. Shopping is good with many sales and cultural activities also abound.

Read more in Spanish:

• El Dia

The Abinader administration has announced the start of construction on a modern cruise ship terminal in Barahona, in the southwest. The announcement signals a significant investment in the region’s tourism infrastructure. The project, with an estimated cost of RD$713 million pesos (approximately US$12.4 million), is set to transform the southern province into a major tourist destination.

The new terminal, covering an area of 6,329 square meters (68,125 sq ft) with an additional 23,096 square meters (248,280 sq ft) of surrounding development, will feature:• A central plaza integrating the project’s different elements across 5,980 square meters (64,517 sq ft).• A combination of scenic design and materials.• Gazebo, parking for buses and cars.• 35 commercial spaces.• Recreational areas including restaurants, bars, a church, and spaces dedicated to showcasing rum production.•...

Dominican Republic-based Arajet has just opened bookings for its first flights to the New York-New Jersey area. The airline will be flying from Santo Domingo (SDQ) to Newark International Airport (EWR) starting 16 June 2025. The flight is still subject to US government clearance.

An estimated two and a half million Dominicans live in the New York-New Jersey area.

The airline says the introductory flights will be 30% off the regular fares. The airline website posts fares of US$173 for the one-way flight, and fares of US$262 round trip are being advertised.

The introductory fares lower travel costs are US$127 for EWR to SDQ and US$135 for SDQ to EWR.

The entry of Arajet as a competitor for the Dominican market is expected to impact the fares offered by several US airlines that already serve the market. These are JetBlue, Delta, American, United and Frontier...

Coinciding with Arajet’s announcement of flight bookings opening between Santo Domingo (SDQ) and Newark (EWR), JetBlue has escalated the competition with its “Big Spring Sale,” offering some of its lowest fares yet. This move signals an intense fare war between carriers serving US-DR routes. Arajet is booking flights from SDQ to EWR as of 16 June 2025 with roundtrip fares starting at US$262.

This JetBlue sale comes on the heels of Arajet’s announcement of its inaugural flights from the DR to EWR. The airline is already flying to San Juan, Puerto Rico and flights to Miami, Florida begin in April 2025.

Key fares from the Dominican Republic to the US and Puerto Rico for travel from 18 March to 11 June 2025:• Santo Domingo (SDQ) to New York (JFK): US$139• Punta Cana (PUJ) to Orlando (MCO): US$139• Santiago de los Caballeros (STI) to San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU): US$69

Read...

Frontier is announcing US$79 fares from Puerto Plata to San Juan, Puerto Rico. This opens up tourism to the north coast, a destination studded by beaches and accommodations.

The airline announces its flights from the Muñoz Marin International Airport (SJU) in San Juan to Puerto Plata’s Gregorio Luperon International Airport (POP) starts 19 June 2025. A service frequency of twice a week is scheduled.

Read more in Spanish:

• Frontier

In a significant move, Jamaica has lifted the visa requirement for Dominican Republic residents traveling to the island for tourism or business purposes for periods up to 180 days.

The announcement was made by Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, during a press conference at the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) in New Kingston on Monday, 3 March 2025. Bartlett described the measure as a historic milestone in tourist cooperation between Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.

The visa free travel is effective as of 4 March 2025.

Dominican Republic-based airline, Arajet offers non-stop flights from Santo Domingo (SDQ) to Kingston (KIN). Arajet also offers flights from Punta Cana (PUJ) to Kingston.

For Jamaica, the decision is also a step forward to benefiting from the millions of tourists that are visiting nearby Dominican Republic, a percentage of which could take...