Eduardo Estrella took office as the Minister of Public Works on 26 February 2025. On 4 March, President Luis Abinader announced he was appointing several new vice ministers to be part of Estrella’s team.
These are Miguel Ángel Logroño Di Vanna who is named vice minister for Supervision and Controls at the Ministry. He will be responsible “to guarantee the correct implementation of infrastructure projects.” In 2022, Logroño Di Vanna was honored by President Luis Abinader during an event at the Presidential Palace to recognize past ministers and secretaries of public works for their contributions to infrastructures and important buildings undertaken by the Ministry of Public Works.
Also appointed is Fernando Hiram Taveras Rodríguez who is named vice minister for Road Maintenance of the Ministry. The task is defined as the person in charge of supervising and improving the conditions of roads and highways nationwide. Hiram Taveras had been serving as representative of the private sector in the Civil Aviation Board since 2020.
Fernando Augusto Moore Guzmán was named vice minister for Planning and Technical Regulation. He is responsible for the regulations and strategic planning at the Ministry.
Oliver José Nazario Brugal is named the vice minister for Regional Coordination, in charge of coordinating projects around the country. At the time of his appointment he was serving as director of the Puerto Plata Water Corporation since 2020.
Engineer Eduardo Estrella was appointed to the position amidst major criticism for delays in public works under his predecessor, Deligne Asención who is secretary of organization of the ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM). Asención was named minister without portfolio.
71-year old Rafael Eduardo Estrella Virella was born 5 June 1953 and is a civil engineer, politician and former senator for the province of Santiago (1994-1998 and 2020-24) and president of the Senate from 2020 to 2023.
During the last administration of long-term President Joaquin Balaguer he served as Minister of Public Works (1991-94) after having been vice minister under Balaguer from 1998-1990. News reports have always highlighted he left that position with a good performance record.
Estrella was the first presidential candidate for the Social Christian Reformist Party after the death of Balaguer. He resigned from that organization to build another party Dominicanos por el Cambio, after fellow party leaders preferred to ally with the then-ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD).
In 2020, he received the backing of the ruling PRM to preside the Senate in which the PRM had the majority.
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Presidency
5 March 2025