In crisis management silence is not golden – it usually makes things worse. The manager of JetSet Club, Antonio Espaillat took 15 days to release answers to questions regarding the tragedy that happened when the roof of the nightclub collapsed killing 232 persons, included customers, staff and performers.
At the time of the collapse of the roof of the nightclub during the Rubby Perez merengue concert, Espaillat was in Las Vegas, Nevada attending a radio and TV innovations expo. Espaillat is said to own at least 50% of the radio stations in the country. He is also the owner of the Jalao nightclub in the Colonial City. He is also the owner of the Jalao and Jet Set Lounge in Manhattan, all businesses that have not reopened after the tragedy of 8 April 2025.
Espaillat would return from Las Vegas to Santo Domingo arriving on 8 April in the afternoon. He taped two notices expressing solidarity and sorrow for the event. He said during the interview with Edith Febles that he had visited the ground zero site but did not make public his presence in the country nor was available for interviews.
To break his silence 15 days later, he authorized the taping of an interview on Sunday, 21 April with well-respected journalist Edith Febles for El Dia Monday morning program on Telesistema, Channel 11, of the Corripio media group.
Throughout the interview, he repeatedly pressed the point of all his losses in the family business, the deaths of friends and frequent customers, and his openness to reach out to the victims. He stressed that he could have been there as he was a regular at the Monday live concerts many times with his mother and other relatives. The VIP area where he would have been seated was the most impacted by the roof collapse.
Throughout the interview, he repeatedly stressed that he was unaware that there were structural weaknesses to the roof that collapsed killing 232 persons inside the nightclub at 12:45am on Tuesday, 8 April 2025. He said he “never” received a recommendation regarding major problems with the roof from government entities, city government, fire department or insurance company.
In his opening remarks, he mentioned that his sister, Maribel Espaillat, who was at the club that night, was the first to call him, noting that there had been “an explosion” and then the roof collapsed. His sister called him from under debris while she waited to be rescued.
Espaillat repeatedly distanced himself from criticisms there had been negligence on his part. “If it was something that could have been avoided, you can be sure I would have tried to do so. My sister my mother and myself were constantly there. There was no warning. We were all surprised,” he said.
On the only occasion he expressed knowledge of the costs of the roof repairs was when asked about a report that has circulated with a recommendation by an engineer who said with RD$4 million the roof could be fixed. Espaillat said that with that kind of money only a corner of the roof could be fixed. He said the report from the engineer was fake news. During the interview, he said if he had been told to check or repair something he would have seen through with it.
In the company registration papers, Espaillat is registered as co-manager with his aging mother. During the interview, Espaillat explained how JetSet Club was everything for him, as he grew up in the business started by his mother that opened when he was only six years old.
Espaillat says that he is the first who wants to know what happened and is awaiting the expert opinions. President Abinader appointed an investigating committee, led by Onesvie, that has said the report would be forthcoming in three months. The president of the Engineers, Architects and Surveyors Guild (Codia) had said it was obvious there was structural failure and that the Codia could present a report in a week’s time.
Espaillat has urged that the case become a landmark one with new systems installed to prevent a repeat impacting other businesses or public spaces.
The interview was the headline news for the day, with media and the general public commenting on the opinions of the entertainment industry businessman. Preliminary reports point to water filtrations that weakened the roof, with the perfect storm of the intense vibration of the merengue concert. Espaillat said employees were constantly applying roofing materials for the leakages. During the interview, he denied that anyone had ever questioned the structure of the roof.
Espaillat last week named lawyer Jorge Luis Polanco, the government’s lead negotiator with corruption cases as his defense. During the interview, Espaillat reached out to the vulnerable saying he was open to assist with educational costs of the orphans. He said he has been in contact with three persons who said they would not sue.
Meanwhile, the interview coincided with the announcement of the mother of businesswoman Catherine Najri Nadal whose family is calling for compensation of RD$300 million and the arrest of Antonio Espaillat. Lawyer Felix Portes continues on a media tour explaining the position of his customers.
The very vocal Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso has yet to reveal when she will convene Espaillat for questioning as her agency investigates the tragedy. People have constantly wondered about the delay in public legal actions regarding the man who is the general manager of the business.
The government is included in several of the compensation claims on grounds that it failed in its role to ensure that the place was safe. The Abinader administration has announced that the government is working on assisting vulnerable families with RD$30,000 for a six months as the case is heard. Jompeame Foundation has secured RD$3 million to assist the most vulnerable.
N Digital reports that the tragedy has left 136 orphans. In an interview with N Digital, the former president of the Engineers, Architects and Surveyors Guild (Codia) said that the collapse was the result of structural negligence on behalf of the JetSetClub company and the state. “The fact that Antonio Espaillat would say he never supervised the roof reflects there was total negligence,” Tejada told N Digital.
Follow the story in Spanish:
Edith Febles with Antonio Espaillat
Hoy
Hoy
Hoy
Noticias SIN
Noticias SIN
Noticias SIN
N Digital
N Digital
N Digital
Diario Libre
Esta Noche con Mariasela
Somos Pueblo
Jose Peguero
Jose Peguero – Reemberto Pichardo
CDN Julissa Cespedes
Felix Portes interview
Esto no es Radio
US News
24 April 2025