After 17 years, firearms will again be able to be legally imported into the Dominican Republic. President Luis Abinader enacted Decree 30-23 last Tuesday, 8 February 2023 with new dispositions in this direction.
Minister of the Interior and Police Jesus (Chu) Vasquez told reporters that the new imports will be strictly for the import of firearms to be used by security firms, just as specified in the decree. The decree calls for the Ministry of the Interior and Police to establish just what types of firearms will be allowed to be purchased abroad.
According to the reports in several newspapers, there are hundreds of firms that have licenses to sell firearms, but reports also indicate that close to twice that number deal in firearms but without formal permits.
In an encouraging note, Servio Tulio Castaños Guzman, the executive vice-president of the Institutionalism and Justice Foundation (Finjus) said that he was confident that the government was capable of handling the new arms imports over the coming six months.
Read more in Spanish:
Diario Libre
13 February 2023