The Dominican Republic continues to need to spend more on its security due to external factors – mainly dealing with crime from Haiti and drug trafficking. President Luis Abinader announced he will be signing an agreement with Portugal as early as this week to acquire at least two, and potentially four, offshore patrol vessels. President Luis Abinader announced that these new additions to the Dominican fleet will significantly bolster the nation’s efforts to combat drug trafficking in the region.
The agreement is the culmination of a year-long process, stemming from Abinader’s visit to Portugal approximately 12 months ago. Since then, the deal has been under continuous negotiation.
“From that visit, we have now reached an agreement to acquire at least two, perhaps even four, offshore patrol boats, which we did not previously possess in the Dominican Republic,” Abinader stated during his weekly “La Semanal con la Prensa” briefing on Monday, 16 June 2025. “They are preparing these vessels for us — boats they utilize themselves to combat drug trafficking, and we will use them for the same purpose. There’s already talk of it being four, and we are signing the agreement perhaps this very week.”
The President attributed the successful negotiation to the strong relationship he has forged with his Portuguese counterpart, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and the consistent follow-up on topics discussed during bilateral meetings.
Abinader emphasized this as an example of effective international relations. “I use this as an example because this is how these relationships function: you start working, you identify potential, you follow up, and that’s how we can achieve what we are in this case, already getting to the point where I believe the first ship will arrive by the end of this year,” he said.
Read more in Spanish:
Listin Diario
La Semanal
17 June 2025