Environmental advocates have leveled sharp accusations against the Ministry of Environment claiming the government body has shifted from being a regulatory watchdog to a “facilitating agency” for corporate interests. Since August 2024, the Ministry of Environment is under Paino Henriquez, a highly reputed corporate lawyer. It is his first position in government.
Critics argue that the Ministry’s handling of the Los Negros case in Azua provides concrete evidence of its complicity with both national and foreign capital. The controversy centers on three power-generating barges owned by the Turkish firm Karpowership. According to the environmentalists, the ships burn “Bunker C,” which they describe as one of the dirtiest fuels in the world. They allege the barges emit thick black smoke and persistent noise that have degraded a “natural paradise into a living hell.”
The National Committee for the Struggle Against Climate Change (CNLCC) and the Institute of Lawyers for the Protection of the Environment (INSAPROMA) issued a joint statement on Thursday, 22 January 2026, rejecting a recent government report. The official investigation concluded that the floating power plants anchored in the area do not pose an environmental risk, a claim the organizations describe as “false and mendacious.”
The impact on the local population is reportedly severe. The organizations claim that a significant portion of the Los Negros community has been forced to relocate to escape respiratory illnesses. Children and the elderly are said to be the most affected.
The groups also mention expert testimony from Gregory Howard of the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW). Howard noted that these barge generators are built to International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards intended for ships in motion on the high seas. Consequently, they are permitted to emit up to 15 times more nitrogen dioxide than a typical coal-fired plant of the same size in the United States.
Sacrifice zones
In a scathing testimony, activists highlighted the emergence of what they term “sacrifice zones,” or areas where environmental protections are allegedly waived to accommodate high-impact industrial projects. According to the advocates, these regions are being systematically “filled with zero zones” where environmental degradation is a predetermined outcome.
They allege that this partnership allows for the unchecked pillaging of the country’s natural resources with total impunity, prioritizing industrial profits over public health and ecological preservation.
The group identified several provinces and municipalities currently facing this crisis:
• Azua: Specifically citing the Los Negros community.
• Peravia: Noted for ongoing environmental pressures.
• Cotuí (Sánchez Ramírez): Long a focal point for mining-related concerns.
• Manzanillo (Monte Cristi): Identified as the most recent addition to this list of industrial hubs.
“Instead of protecting natural resources and the environment, the Ministry of Environment unscrupulously supports the transformation of the country into sacrifice zones,” the statement reads.
The core of the accusation suggests a systemic failure where the very institution designed to safeguard the Dominican Republic’s ecosystem is instead paving the way for its destruction. For the residents of Azua and beyond, these policies represent a direct threat to the health of their communities and the future of their local environments.
Legal and political tensions
The outcry comes as the Civil, Commercial, and Labor Chamber of the Court of First Instance in Azua reviews an injunction (recurso de amparo) filed by the community to force the removal of the barges.
The CNLCC and INSAPROMA alleged that the government is pressuring the judiciary and releasing “misleading” reports to prevent the court from ruling against the Turkish company. They characterized the Ministry of Environment as a “facilitating agency” for large-scale capital rather than a protector of natural resources.
“It is shameful to tell the people of Azua that there is no pollution when everyone there is a witness to it,” the groups stated, warning that the country is being filled with “sacrifice zones” like Peravia, Azua, and Montecristi.
The organizations concluded by inviting the media and the public to visit Los Negros for “just five minutes” to see the smoke and breathe the air for themselves.
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Listin Diario
22 January 2026