A 13-year old is said to be the gang leader in Villa Faro, a densely populated low-income in eastern Santo Domingo. Community leaders raised their concerns and investigative journalist Nuria Piera aired a report in her Saturday, 25 October 2025 edition on Channel 9. The community leaders point to state neglect and a lack of educational, sports and cultural activities as the main drivers of this social crisis.
The case of Angel, nicknamed “El Diablón” (The Big Devil), a 13-year-old boy alleged to be the leader of the youth gang Bloque Z (Block Z), has gone viral on social media due to images showing him armed alongside other adolescents.
His desperate mother, Sheily, stated on the investigative program Nuria Piera Investigación that she has handed him over to authorities multiple times, but he has been released due to his status as a minor. He was recently detained with another teenager, although the National Police denies the arrest was due to media pressure.
Villa Faro, a community of over 123,000 residents, faces a worrying proliferation of youth gangs: local reports indicate that at least 14 groups and 11 drug distribution points operate across just 15 streets.
The community leaders say that the public spaces are abandoned or unfinished and parks have become zones for drug consumption and the melting down of stolen materials. They also say the lack of school capacity exacerbates the issue, with 2000 to 3,000 would-be high school students left out of the education system. They complain the local sports, arts and culture spaces survive solely through community effort and call for state support.
A local leader lamented: “Children here grow up without options, without positive role models. Even Pan-American sports medalists are ignored by the authorities.”
The community demands a comprehensive response that incorporates education, culture, sports, and security. A mother from the sector concluded, “It’s not just about arresting the children, but about preventing them from reaching that point.”
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Hoy
27 October 2025