We could be hearing more from Graciela Abinader, after she openly criticized the way people preach the bible and practice religion in the DR.
For the most part of the Luis Abinader presidency, his three daughters have kept a low profile. This week, the President’s second oldest daughter, Graciela Abinader, shared candid views on organized religion, sparking discussion on social media. Take note, the Abinader family is known as a follower of the Roman Catholic religion.
Graciela Abinader is a graduate of Notre Dame. She is also related to Columbia University, where she is a strategic advisor to the Columbia World Project.
Graciela Abinader stated in a social media post that while she remains separate from institutionalized religion, this distance does not extend to her faith itself. She emphasized the critical need for an academic and rigorous reading of sacred texts.
“I have stopped believing in religion,” Graciela Abinader expressed in a video posted to her social media accounts. “It’s just that many of the so-called fathers or ordinary people, readers of the Bible, interpret it with an ignorance that for me is far too frustrating. It’s not that I’ve stopped believing in religion, but rather in organized religion in the Dominican Republic.”
Her statement offers a candid look at her evolving spiritual views, distinguishing between personal belief and the structure of religious institutions.
So we could be hearing more from Graciela Abinader.
She studied marketing and political science at Kellogg Institute of Notre Dame University.
Graciela Abinader is a strategic Advisor to Columbia University World Project, where she contributes her expertise in public affairs, policy strategy, and legal frameworks to support institutional initiatives in the Dominican Republic.
Abinader is a researcher and strategist with a marketing, political science, and law background. She earned a B.B.A. in Marketing and Political Science from the University of Notre Dame, where she conducted research on judicial independence and its impact on democratic governance.
She is currently pursuing a law degree in the Dominican Republic at Instituto OMG, looking to specialize in anti-discrimination law and institutional equity reform with a focus on the environment.
The young Abinader worked at a premier government affairs firm headquartered in Washington, D.C., where her clients included Fortune 500 companies, leading nonprofits, and advocacy organizations. Her work focused on strategic policy development and coalition-building to create strong cohorts that advance legal frameworks and promote equity. She advises on cross-sector collaborations and initiatives that bridge academia, government, and global governance.
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22 October 2025