Foreign Relations Minister Roberto Alvarez has flatly denied allegations that the Dominican government is seeking to bypass or reverse a landmark Constitutional Court ruling on nationality, following warnings from political figures regarding international pressure over Haitian migration and citizenship rights.
As the media reported on Saturday, 17 January 2026, Alvarez emphasized that the Ministry of Foreign Relations (Mirex) remains in full compliance with all decisions issued by the Dominican state’s legal bodies.
“What I have seen in the press has absolutely nothing to do with the institutional position of the ministry,” Alvarez stated, responding to claims that the government might be softening its stance to satisfy the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR).
The controversy centers on Ruling 168-13, a 2013 ruling by the Constitutional Court that established that children born in the Dominican Republic to undocumented migrants are not automatically entitled to Dominican citizenship.
The ruling effectively solidified the principle of jus sanguinis (right of blood) over jus soli (right of the soil) for those in transit or residing illegally in the country. While the government maintains this is a matter of national sovereignty, international bodies and human rights organizations have frequently condemned the move.
The Foreign Minister’s clarification comes on the heels of sharp warnings from prominent Dominican figures who fear “shadow sectors” within the government are conspiring with foreign interests:
• Pelegrín Castillo, president of the National Progressive Force (FNP), warned of maneuvers to recognize the jurisdiction of the IACHR, despite that body’s history of questioning Dominican nationality laws. Castillo argued such actions would violate Article 3 of the Constitution and could trigger “popular resistance.”
• Milton Ray Guevara, former president of the Constitutional Court, labeled the IACHR an “enemy of the country.” He asserted that resubmitting to the court’s jurisdiction would be a “direct betrayal” of the nation’s founders and warned that any attempt to curtail sovereignty would provoke a massive public outcry.
While international pressure persists to solve Haitian problems in the Dominican government, according to Minister Alvarez, the Dominican government maintains that defining citizenship is an inalienable right of a sovereign state.
Read more in Spanish:
El Nacional
Hoy
19 January 2026