President Luis Abinader has appointed engineer Jhael Isa Tavárez as the new executive director of the Office for the Reorganization of Transport (Opret), according to Decree No. 652-25. The announcement comes after the backup power systems of the Santo Domingo Metro System failed following a national blackout on Tuesday, 11 November 2025 that impacted most of the country from 6 to 14 hours. The Opret reported that the power backup systems were under maintenance.
Rafael Antonio Santos Perez, the replaced Opret director, calling in to Hoy Mismo, the Wednesday after the blackout, explained that the Santo Domingo Metro has 18 power plants with 2.2 megawatts each, but these were under maintenance at the time of the blackout.
The Presidency says the removal of the director is part of a sweeping reorganization of institutions linked to the nation’s Integrated Transportation System, aiming to optimize the planning, operation, and sustainability of mass public transit across the country.
In addition to his new role at Opret, Isa Tavárez will keep his role as the executive director of the Trust for the Development of the Mass Transit System (Fitram). He will serve ad honorem in that role. Fitram is the key body responsible for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the National Mass Public Transport Network.
The Presidency says that the dual designation is intended to ensure seamless coordination and strategic direction as the country moves toward a more integrated and efficient system.
Isa Tavárez brings a decade of experience and technical background to the position. As Fitram’s executive director, he directly supervised crucial infrastructure projects such as the Monorail and Cable Car in Santiago, and Lines 1, 2, and 3 of the Santo Domingo Cable Car, all integral parts of the current system.
He is a civil engineer from Intec and holds a Master’s degree in Transportation Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in New York, earned via a Fulbright Scholarship. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering Systems with a concentration in Transportation at the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM).
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17 November 2025