The woman, Alicia Santo Diaz, 54, who authored and performed an “altered” version of the Dominican National Anthem, was arrested upon arrival at the Las Americas International Airport (SDQ) late last week. Accused of “insulting” the anthem, Santo Diaz was later remanded to house arrest. Her arrest came at the behest of a judicial order dated back to August 2025 and signed by Judge Fatima Veloz of the Tenth Court of Instruction of the National District.
The accused lives in the United States. She is charged with violating several articles of Law 210-19 on the use and display of the national symbols of the Dominican Republic. Another woman, Yoseli Castillo Flores is also listed in the court’s accusations.
At the arraignment, prosecutors asked for a million-peso bail bond, periodic appearances at the court, and an impediment on leaving the country. The presiding magistrate accepted the prosecutor’s requests. No trial date has been set.
During an event held last year at the Spanish Cultural Center, altered verses associated with the LGBPQ community were set to the music of the Dominican National Anthem. The music and lyrics of the National Anthem are consecrated in the Dominican Constitution.
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Diario Libre
El Dia
6 January 2026