A project from the Cartographic Institute is sparking controversy in the Dominican Republic, with local leaders in the province of Pedernales raising alarms. The proposal seeks to redraw the province’s borders, which community members fear will drastically shrink its territory and benefit powerful, outside interests.
Pedernales is a border province located in the southwestern part of the country, sharing a boundary with Haiti to the west. It’s known for its stunning coastline and potential for tourism development. However, according to information discussed with local mayors, the new plan would annex a significant portion of Pedernales’ land to the neighboring province of Barahona.
Community and local leaders are vehemently opposing the plan, claiming it’s a front for “dark interests” aiming to seize valuable land. In a widely shared social media message, residents issued a warning to everyone from local officials and farmers to investors and legislators:
“Brothers and sisters of the media, friends of Pedernales, provincial authorities, agricultural producers, livestock farmers, local investors, legislators, the governor’s office, mayors, and civil society, it is good that you know about the big problem that is happening with the territory of Pedernales. Some clever people have managed to mutilate the geographically registered quota to reduce it and annex it to Barahona.”
The community also notes that the new border would no longer be at the Los Cocos bridge but would instead be moved closer to the Juancho school, a change that would directly reduce the province’s jurisdiction.
The message further cautions that if people don’t act quickly, a “group of politicians and mobsters with particular interests” could strip the province of its resources. They point out that the land in question includes valuable beaches, mountains, and agricultural areas that have become a target for opportunists due to the recent boom in tourism development.
Residents are urging both provincial and national authorities to intervene and stop what they are calling an attack on Pedernales’ territorial integrity.
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El Nacional
16 September 2025