DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

As part of efforts to keep Easter Week vacations safe, the Ministry of Tourism announced security measures for international and domestic tourists. To safeguard local and international tourists, Resolution DJ/002-2025, issued by MITUR, reinforces restrictions on various activities at beaches nationwide from Monday, 14 April to Sunday, 20 April 2025.

The directive explicitly prohibits the operation of aquatic vehicles such as jet skis, wave runners, and banana boats. Additionally, the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages on the beaches by street vendors is banned, and all parties and events are prohibited at beaches and public swimming areas across the Dominican Republic.

The resolution, titled “Special Regulations during the Holy Week 2025” is applicable to tourism establishments, including hotels, restaurants located in tourist zones, activity operators, and areas comprising the beaches and resorts of the Dominican Republic.

There is a ban on the use of...

This past week, the media has been abuzz with the testimonies of those who were at the JetSet Club on 8 April 2025 and with expert opinions on the collapse of the roof and legal perspectives.

President Luis Abinader has entrusted the Oficina Naiconal de Evaluacion Sismica y Vulnerabilidad de Infrastructura y Edificaciones (Onesvie) to prepare a technical report on what happened. The report would be ready in three months. The president of the Codia, the Engineers, Architects and Surveyors Guild, had said they were prepared to carry out a report in a week.

The Attorney General Office is in charge of the investigations. At the Attorney General Office, Wilson Camacho, former director of Administrative Corruption and today director of the Prosecution Department together with National District prosecutor Rosalba Ramos are designated to lead the investigation.

The debris...

President Luis Abinader has officially established the Integrated Plan of Santo Domingo (PISD) through a recent decree, aiming to coordinate the efforts of all public institutions involved in development projects within the National District. The initiative, unveiled on February 25th alongside Mayor Carolina Mejía, outlines a comprehensive urban master plan for the capital city.

Key components of the PISD include the construction of the Trinitarios bridge, a marina, and a cruise port situated off the coast of the Hotel Jaragua, the Paseo 30 de Mayo, and the Malecón Deportivo. The plan also encompasses interventions in coastal areas, improvements to road connectivity between major highways, the preservation of the historical city center, and the expansion of strategic infrastructure for tourism and the economy.

Decree 142-25, signed on March 20th, designates...

A significant environmental undertaking aimed at revitalizing the Yaque del Norte River was officially announced on Monday, 14 April 2025 by the Santiago City Hall (Alcaldía de Santiago) and the Economic and Social Development Council of Santo Domingo (CODESSD), in collaboration with key local entities ACIS, APEDI, and CDES. The ambitious “Yaque del Norte Green Women Network” program will focus on a circular economy model and place over 150 women at the forefront of environmental stewardship in Santiago, backed by an investment exceeding RD$14 million.

The initiative will progressively work to clean up the vital river through the collection and recycling of solid waste. It also includes community education initiatives centered on environmental care, all driven by the leadership of more than 150 women from various riverside communities.

During the launch event held...

The Ministry of Labor, now under Eddy Olivares, has called for persons employing domestic labor to give their workers a 30% increase, effective 1 May 2025.

A statement from the Ministry of Labor explains that the 30% wage increase for domestic workers does not apply to those already earning more than the minimum wage of RD$10,000. In those cases, the official explained that workers and employers have the discretion to negotiate contracts outside the scope of the minimum wage, with agreements made based on what is mutually agreed upon between the parties, as long as it is above the minimum threshold.

He further clarified that if the agreement is based on a daily rate, “the worker only pays for the day worked, meaning the minimum wage does not apply. Instead, it is based on a daily calculation of the 13,000 pesos,” he explained.

The wage increase for domestic...

Miguel Marte, director of Civil Defense for Santo Domingo North, was one of the first responders at the scene of the roof collapse of JetSet Club at 12:45am on 8 April 2025 during the concert by Rubby Perez. He worked in the rescue operations in the stage area and found the corpse of merengue singer Rubby Perez. Many rumors had circulated that Perez had survived the collapse of the roof and was singing to help the responders find and rescue him. There were stories he had been taken to the hospital. This was not true.

Marte explains how he found the body of Rubby Perez. He says in the process, he helped rescue the corpses of six or seven who were removed from under the debris in the area of the stage for the orchestra, yet he kept looking for the body of Rubby Perez. He says the work was very dangerous because of the vulnerability of being hit by a concrete beam and other...

The Police arrested Rafael Rosario Mota, 32, also known as “Foster,” for allegedly fabricating a heroic narrative surrounding the recent tragedy at the Jet Set nightclub. Rosario Mota is accused of accepting payment for interviews in which he falsely claimed to have rescued 12 victims from the rubble, including news presenter Elianta Quintero, as reported in Diario Libre.

The National Police announced the arrest late Tuesday, 15 April 2025, stating that Rosario Mota was taken into custody as he exited another interview with a digital platform. Police allege that he was continuing his “media tour” of manipulated information and fabricated statements, repeating his false claims in exchange for money.

According to a press release, Rosario Mota not only allegedly faked his heroic actions, undermining the efforts of legitimate first responders and police officers...

Minerva del Risco, a leading local poet and poetry promoter, announces that 35 Latin American writers will participate in 16 talks together with publishers, critics, journalists, academics and readers to talk literature and exchange ideas, Diario Libre reports. The event will be take place from 27 to 29 June 2025 at the Kimpton Hotel of Calle Las Mercedes, in the Colonial City.

The festival seeks to recreate the Hay Festival held in Cartagena, Colombia. Del Risco is working closely with cultural promoter, Yulissa Alvarez in making this version of the Colombian event for the Caribbean.

Both Del Risco and Yulissa Alvarez in 2023 carried off the very successful Centroamerica Cuenta that brought together the literary elite of the region for talks in the Colonial City.

Del Risco explains that the festival incorporates three discussions centered around society and politics. “It’s not...

Antonio Espaillat / Listin Diario

Antonio Espaillat, the owner of the JetSet Club, where so far 231 persons died as a consequence of the concrete roof collapse, has yet to appear for a TV program or the media. He has only sent written and videotaped messages to the general public.

His whereabouts have not been made known by the local media. Litigation lawyer Vinicio Castillo Seman urged that Antonio Espaillat voluntarily visit Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso.

Meanwhile, Noticias SIN reports that the first criminal case was presented by lawyer Felix Portes in defense of a family that lost several of its members. The owners of JetSet Club are accused of involuntary murder.

Noticias SIN reports that Portes has prepared to sue Inversiones E y L, S.R.L., Jet Set Club, Antonio Espaillat López, Ana Grecia López, the Dominican state and the City Hall of the National...

President Luis Abinader dedicated the first part of the La Semanal press conference on Monday, 14 April 2025 to honor the 565 rescue workers who participated in the gruesome effort to save people and recover corpses after the roof of the JetSet Club collapsed in the capital city at 12:44am on Tuesday, 8 April 2025. During the press conference, the President saluted the rescue workers at the Presidential Palace as he met these to recognize these “heroes and heroines.”

JetSet Club was frequented by people of all social strata and was known for its live merengue, bachata and salsa performances on Mondays that would run into 2 or 3am on the next Tuesday. The 8 April 2025 tragedy was interrupted by the crashing roof after merengue artist Rubby Perez and orchestra had only performed three songs that fatal Tuesday.

President Luis Abinader said that “the government wants...

The Joint Task Force reported that the number of people who died in the JetSet Club roof collapse that occurred early on 8 April 2025 at the JetSet nightclub has risen to 231. 221 died in the disaster area and 10 in hospitals. The task force highlighted the efforts of the institutions involved in the rescue operation and urged caution during the Easter holiday. The Abinader administration has picked up the tab so that the best of public health medical attention can be available for the victims.

Interior & Police Minister Faride Raful provided the update during a press conference following the 87th meeting to monitor the citizen security plan, chaired by Vice President Raquel Peña, with the presence of New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Minister Raful expressed gratitude to the rescuers and commended the healthcare personnel for their swift response to the families of the...

The owner of the nightclub where 231 persons lost their lives after the roof collapsed on 8 April 2025 is also a mega radio station businessman.

N Digital reports that Antonio Espaillat Lopez is the second-largest owner of radio frequencies in the Dominican Republic. He is only surpassed by Juan Ramón Gómez Díaz who owns 71 radio stations, including many provincial stations.

Reportedly, he is the owner of 50 of the 219 FM frequencies, or 22.83% of the radio stations. These are gathered as part of the Radio Cadena Comercial (RCC Media) group.

Among the stations are La 91, Zol FM, Caliente 104, 100.1 FM, and more. They are managed by Mon Lluberes.

In an interview with Hoy, he had announced investments in the Jalao Restaurant in upper Manhattan. The original Jalao Restaurant in the Colonial City announced the temporary shutdown in solidarity with the JetSet...

NASA has announced the winning student teams in the 2025 Human Exploration Rover Challenge and the Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo (Intec) team is a big winner with five first places and one second place award. Two awards this year went to the Don Bosco polytechnical school in Santo Domingo.

This year’s competition challenged teams to design, build, and test a lunar rover powered by either human pilots or remote control.

The awards won by Intec were:First place Remote-Control College/University Division titleSecond place in the Human-Powered College/University DivisionTask Challenge Award / Remote-Control in the College/University DivisionProject Review Award in the Remote-Control in the College/University DivisionTeam Spirit Award in the Human-Powered DivisionSTEM Engagement Award Human-Powered in the College/University Division

The Instituto...

The National Forensic Institute has issued death certificates without the place of the death, when the corpses were taken from the JetSet Club to the Inacif for the autopsies. The death certificate just lists the address of Av. Independencia Km 6, El Portal neighborhood, a large area.

Noticias SIN reports on the perceived irregularity. The families are concerned this will bring delays and obstacles when the legal cases go to trial, as reported in Noticias SIN.

Read more in Spanish:

• Noticias SIN

Three teams of Dominican university students participated this year in the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) 2025 Undergraduate Seismic Design Competition. The event gathered 48 university teams from all over the world. It took place from 31 March to 3 April 2025 at the University of California, Berkeley.

Unibe, PUCMM and Intec sent teams this year. PUCMM did best, being included in the top 10 best proposals. The overall score ranking of the universities was PUCMM (11th), Intec (17th) and Unibe (30th).

The Seismic Design Competition is an annual competition that challenges undergraduate student teams to design and construct a balsa wood tower to withstand earthquake motions.

The teams design a model structure capable of surviving conditions simulating an earthquake. Each team designs a complex tall building model, made from balsa wood...

Mario Vargas Llosa, the renowned Peruvian writer and Nobel laureate, passed away on 13 April 2025 in Lima, Peru. He was a Peruvian, Spanish and Dominican citizen (2023).

In his writing, Vargas Llosa has reflected on aspects of Latin American politics and history, including those of the Dominican Republic.

One of the most significant references to the country comes in his novel “The Feast of the Goat” (La Fiesta del Chivo), published in 2000. The novel is set in the Dominican Republic during the final days of the Trujillo dictatorship, focusing on the political repression and the atmosphere of fear and cruelty under Rafael Trujillo’s regime. Although the novel is a work of fiction, it draws heavily on real historical events and the dictatorship’s impact on the people of the Dominican Republic.

Read more in...

Arajet, the Dominican Republic’s main carrier, inaugurated its flights to the United States with a first route from Las Americas International Airport (SDQ) in Santo Domingo to the Miami International Airport (MIA) in Miami-Dade County, Florida on 11 April 2025.

The flight carried 189 passengers on a Boeing 737 MAX 8 named Los Haitises and was welcomed by MIA officials and representatives from the US and Dominican governments.

In Miami, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue welcomed the flight with a water cannon salute before the aircraft was parked at gate E10. The Dominican and American flags were seen waving outside the cockpit in celebration that Friday.

Arajet is operating four weekly flights between Santo Domingo and Miami. The schedule is set to increase in time for summer to daily flights. For summer, the airline will be adding daily service also on the Punta Cana...

The Dominican Republic is gearing up to host one of the most anticipated events in the golf world, the Corales Puntacana Golf Championship, from 17 to 20 April 2025. The PGA Tour again returns to the scenic and challenging Corales course of the Puntacana Resort & Club, designed by Tom Fazio, with several holes bordering the beach.

The Corales Puntacana Golf Championship will feature 132 players from 20 countries, making it the most important golf tournament held in the Dominican Republic.

The festivities actually kicked off on 15 April with a private Pro-Am event, where professional golfers teamed up with amateur players from the event’s corporate sponsors. This exclusive event sets the tone for the competition, offering a unique opportunity for business leaders and golf enthusiasts to rub shoulders with some of the best players in the world.

The official Pro-Am...

If you happen to be in the Dominican Republic in March or April ask, ask and ask until you find where you can try the famous Habichuelas con Dulce. The dessert is unique to the country.

Call it a second cousin to the US baked beans, the strange combination is strange, but actually delicious.

If you feel up to it, supermarkets will sell you a package with all the ingredients needed to make the sweet.

Chef Wandy shares his secrets with El Nacional. Meanwhile, you can also check the online recipe by Dominican Cooking.

Read More:

• Dominican Cooking
• El Nacional

Early on, the Ministry of Interior & Police had announced mega parties were banned on the beach and in mountain areas for Easter Week. Easter Week peak time is from Thursday, 17 April to Sunday, 20 April 2025.

At the same time, the Center for Emergency Operations (COE) announced that 49,000 staff and volunteers will be collaborating to contribute to creating conditions so that people can enjoy their vacation time and return home safely.

The Ministry of Tourism had issued Resolution DJ/002-2025 on Monday, 7 April 2025, outlining a series of special and restrictive measures aimed at ensuring the safety of both tourists and citizens during the Easter holiday, from 14 April to 20 April 2025. The resolution, supported by laws and regulations governing the tourism sector, imposes restrictions on hotels, beaches, resorts, and recreational centers to safeguard the...

The devastating JetSet Club tragedy, claiming over 226 lives, serves as a too painful reminder of the urgent need to move beyond a deep-seated culture of wishful thinking and negligence in the Dominican Republic towards proactive prevention. The prevailing culture manifests itself in the reliance on divine protection rather than diligent enforcement of standards to prevent disasters.

The ghostly or divine coincidences of the victims of the 8 April 2025 JetSet Club tragedy presents an opportunity to rise to the challenge and save hundreds of thousands of lives in the future.

The collapse of the concrete roof of the JetSet Club took with it the lives of two offspring of the founder of the Banco Popular, one of the most powerful banking groups in Latin America. It took with it the life of the governor of Montecristi, Nelsy, sister of Nelson Cruz, who is...

Among those killed in the JetSet tragedy of 8 April 2025 was the son of former president of the Senate and today Minister of Public Works Eduardo Estrella, 35-year old Eduardo Guarionex Estrella Cruz. Estrella Cruz served as Vice Minister for Cooperation and International Relations at the Ministry of Housing. Estrella Cruz is survived by his parents and three other siblings.

Estrella Cruz had married Alexandra Grullon just last year. She is the daughter of the late Alejandro Grullon, founder of the Banco Popular and only daughter of his widow, Melba Segura, the woman behind the Sur Futuro benefit organization, one of the most important in the country. They were celebrating the birthday of Jhoana, wife of his brother-in-law, Eduardo Grullon, both of whom also died in the tragedy.

Eduardo Estrella is a former senator for Santiago and a political figure for...

President Luis Abinader early on designated highly respected engineer Leonardo Reyes Madera to lead the investigations of the collapse of the roof of the JetSet Club. Reyes Madera is the director of the National Office for Seismic and Structure Vulnerability (Onesvie).

Amid concerns in the general public that the “clean up” of the site would have swept away the evidence of what caused the tragedy, Reyes Madera said the evidence was taken to the Feria Ganadera site as investigations into what caused the apparent structural failure at the city night club advance.

At present, the materials are being analyzed by a team of local and international experts as part of the forensic report on the building. This report will be key in identifying and clarifying the possible causes of the tragedy, in accordance with the protocols established by the relevant...

In an interview with Tony Dandrade (producer of Primer Impacto, Univisión), Zulinka Perez, the daughter of Rubby Perez, who was performing at the JetSet Club on 8 April 2025, the night when the roof collapsed, denied the versions that Rubby Perez had survived the tragedy.

The media had reported that he was found because he was singing. His daughter, who was with him, said this was not true, that he died at the site.

The roof crashed on her father and another around 400 people, and he died instantly. She was on the stage with him when it happened. He was buried by the concrete. When the crane arrived, they were able to recover his corpse.

Perez said the collapse of the roof was not an accident, but rather the result of “negligence.” She said she is prepared to sue. “….so that the owner be held responsible before so many people, so many lives, so many...

As of 2am of Tuesday, 8 April 2025, the National Forensic Sciences Institute (Inacif) was against the worst catastrophe handled in its history. The collapse of the roof of the JetSet Club presented an unprecedented challenge the pathologists were not prepared for.

The corpses would be delivered to the Inacif to carry out the autopsies and the slow and tedious legal procedures to certify these persons as dead and indicate the causes of death. The delays in handing the corpses to the grieving families caused the relatives to despair.

The media shared the pain and sorrow and frustration of the relatives who awaited the bodies to be delivered to them. Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso one evening was at the Inacif to listen to the relatives and express her solidarity and urge these to be patient.

On Sunday, 13 April 2025, the Minister of Public Health Victor Atallah and the director of the lnacif...

There are seven medical doctors among the fatal victims of the JetSet Club tragedy that so far has claimed 226 persons. The doctors and their family were enjoying the concert by Rubby Perez when the roof collapsed on them.

CDN reports that the doctors practiced various medical specialties and testimonies all speak of their dedication to public health.

Among the victims are:• Dr. José Maldonado, a cardiologist at the National Police Hospital• Dr. Joselyn Rosado, an anesthesiologist at Marcelino Vélez Santana Hospital• Dr. Bibiana García, a general practitioner at Juan Pablo Pina Hospital in San Cristóbal• Dr. Yadira Cueto, a urologist at Ciudad Juan Bosch and Reynaldo Almánzar Hospitals• Dr. Lorraine Fernández Vargas, an internist at Dr. Antonio Musa Hospital• Dr. Melissa Tejada Sosa, a general practitioner at the Sanitas medical center• Dr. Mariona Ruiz, a...

New York City Mayor Eric Adams arrived to Santo Domingo on Sunday, 13 April for a two-day visit to stand in solidarity with the Dominican community. New York City is regarded as the second largest city in number of Dominicans, with around 700,000 residents, or 8% of the population.

“As the mayor of the city with the largest Dominican population outside of the Dominican Republic, Mayor Adams is making the trip to express heartfelt condolences and support to the families who are grieving, including many New Yorkers and their loved ones who have been directly affected by this tragedy,” the mayor’s office’s advisory announcing the trip read.

Adams is joined in the visit to pay respect to the victims of the deadly roof collapse by NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, who was born and raised in the Dominican Republic before emigrating...

The Francisco del Rosario Sanchez Bridge, also known as the “17”, will be closed down during Easter Week for repairs.

The recent JetSet Club tragedy that took 226 lives for an apparent structural failure spurred hundreds of complaints who feared the imminent collapse of the aging bridge.

Complaints regarding the delaying of the repairs had been in the media for weeks.

The note from the Ministry of Public Work stresses that a very high-grade group of local and foreign engineers and technicians, including those who designed and built the bridge, will carry out the repairs.

Geologist and member of the Dominican Academy of Sciences, geological engineer Osiris de León, is calling for urgent legal reforms to mandate periodic inspections of building structures across the Dominican Republic. While current laws ensure sound construction practices at the outset, he warned that ongoing environmental stressors—such as seismic vibrations, acid rain, and coastal salt—gradually compromise structural integrity, as reported in Diario Libre.

Furthermore, he acknowledged that while the Dominican Republic has sound laws and regulations governing construction, a critical legal and procedural gap exists: the lack of required follow-up assessments of aging structures.

De León emphasized that public buildings should be regularly assessed to prevent future risks.

He particularly highlighted the risk to hospitals, schools, stadiums, churches, and theaters. “These structures...

The National Institute for Traffic and Transportation (Intrant) is in the final phase of ending left turns from Av. Winston Churchill onto Av 27 de Febrero in the capital city. The move would be made to relieve congestion on the street, Diario Libre reports.

Going south on Av. Winston Churchill, drivers will need to cross the 27 of February and continue two streets to the intersection of Av. Sarasota with Av. Jimenez Moya (as the Churchill is renamed at that more southern point). At present, drivers have the option of doing a U-turn at the Av. 27 de Febrero intersection, to then take an eastbound street to Av. Abraham Lincoln to take the Av. 27 de Febrero in the eastbound direction. It is not clear if this U-turn will continue to be allowed.

Although the traffic lights have yet to be re-programmed, the signage referring to left turns has been covered up with...

Preventive public health measures are working. The majority of monitored diseases continue to show a downward trend, according to the latest report from the Department of Epidemiology (DIEPI) of the Ministry of Public Health, which covers Epidemiological Week 13.

Diseases such as leptospirosis, cholera, Covid-19, human rabies, and vaccine-preventable illnesses—including meningococcal disease, diphtheria, and polio—are all experiencing decreased incidence. Notably, no cases of cholera or rabies have been reported so far this year.

Dengue cases also remain low, with six new cases reported this week, primarily affecting children aged one to four. A total of 58 cases have been confirmed so far this year.

Malaria cases increased slightly, with nine new infections confirmed this week. These cases remain confined to known hotspots in San Juan, Azua, and Santo...

After an average Monthly Manufacturing Activity Index (IMAM) of just 50.7 points in February 2025, Dominican productive activities bounced back in March. The Index for March was set at 54.8 points, a very acceptable number.

There are five variables for calculating the index: sales, production, jobs, inventories, and delivery times. Activities that surpass the threshold of 50 points mean that manufacturing is positive and climbing from the previous month.

Set forth by the Dominican Republic Industries Association (AIRD), the IMAM over the previous three months was also above 50 points. However, upon a closer look at the number, it can be seen that only two of the variables were indeed showing an upward trend. Sales volume went from 43.1 points up to 56/3 points, and production went from 44.9 points to 59.6 points in March. But, jobs dropped from 60.7 points to...

The prosecutors for the Dominican state are asking for RD$23.9 billion in damages in the corruption case being made against Alexis Medina, the brother of former President Danilo Medina.

According to the indictment in the so-called Anti-Pulpo case, Alexis Medina used his position as the brother of the President of the Republic to create shell companies that vied for government contracts in areas where neither he nor his partners had any experience, any qualified personnel, or any equipment. These so-called “commercial entities” benefited from contracts covering everything from A-to-Z on the government’s shopping list. This list of the nearly two dozen commercial entities offered services of medical equipment and services, live animals and vehicles. And so much more.

The prosecutors provided evidence that the contracts were pushed forward by...

Dominican Republic’s Paris Olympics gold medal winner Marileidy Paulino (400m) competed in the 200-meter event at the first Grand Slam Track, the newest of athletics races. In the Grand Slam Track competition held in Jamaica, she finished in second place with 22.93 seconds, a season’s best time. Gabby Thomas of the United States was first with 22.62.

In the past four years, Paulino had been concentrating on the 400m and now it looks like she will take on competing in both events. Paulino had not competed in the 200m since the Pan American Games in Santiago de Chile in 2023. Paulino won the gold medal of that event, clocking in at 22.74.  

The GrandSlam competition in Jamaica (4-6 April 2025) was the first of four scheduled three-day events – each of the next three take place in the United States. 96 athletes competed across three days in Jamaica. The next meet runs from...

The Weather Institute (Indomet) announces rainy weather for most of the Easter holidays that began on Palm Sunday, 13 April 2025. Easter Week is the peak of domestic vacation time in the Dominican Republic, with schools off for the entire week.

Indomet reports that a passing active trough will bring rains to most of the country, mentioning the southeast (including Greater Santo Domingo), the southwest, Puerto Plata, Santiago and Bonao, the Central Mountain Range and the border provinces.

Read More:

• Indomet
• Diario Libre