The National Council of Participación Ciudadana (PC), the Dominican chapter of Transparency International, has elected veteran attorney and civic activist Francisco “Pancho” Álvarez Valdez as its Coordinator General for the 2026-2027 period.
The election took place during the organization’s 32nd General Ordinary Assembly, marking the third time Álvarez Valdez will lead the influential non-partisan movement.
Álvarez Valdez previously served as Coordinator General in 2000 and 2012. He succeeds Leidy Blanco García, who held the position for the 2025-2026 term.
A legacy of civic activism
A member of Participación Ciudadana since 1997, Álvarez Valdez has been a cornerstone of the organization’s efforts to promote institutional transparency and judicial reform. Prior to this new appointment, he was a key member of PC’s Political Analysis Commission, where he frequently provided expert commentary on high-profile anti-corruption cases and electoral integrity.
“This third term comes at a critical juncture for Dominican democracy, as we continue to push for the strengthening of institutions and the acceleration of judicial processes in cases of administrative corruption,” the organization noted in its official announcement.
Professional and academic background
Beyond his civic leadership, Álvarez Valdez is a highly respected figure in the Dominican legal and academic communities. He is a senior partner at the law firm Headrick Rizik Álvarez & Fernández, specializing in litigation, arbitration, and banking law. He serves as a professor at both the National University Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU) and the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM).
He is the current president of the board of directors for Profamilia and has previously served on the boards of the National Association of Young Entrepreneurs (ANJE) and the Dominican Association of Business Lawyers (ADAE).
The election was held against the backdrop of the 32nd General Assembly on 24 March 2026, where Participación Ciudadana issued a formal alert regarding the “sluggishness” of major corruption trials currently in the Dominican courts. The assembly emphasized that justice delayed is justice denied, urging the judiciary to avoid procedural tactics that lead to the expiration of legal deadlines.
During the 32nd assembly, participants issued a call to end impunity and for faster corruption trials. The non-partisan watchdog warned that national progress and public trust in the justice system are impossible without the effective prosecution and punishment of corruption.
“Enough of subjecting an entire people to poverty through the enrichment of public officials and their private allies,” the organization stated, expressing profound concern for the second consecutive year over the sluggish pace of high-profile cases.
A backlog of major cases
The Assembly highlighted six major corruption scandals currently stalled or moving slowly through the courts, urging the judiciary to reach resolutions for all pending cases within 2026. The movement specifically alerted the public to the following proceedings:
• Alexis Medina Sánchez (2020): The only case to reach a sentence (issued in 2025), which is currently in the appeals process.
• Adán Cáceres (2021): Involved in the “Operation Coral” investigation.
• Jean Alain Rodríguez (2023): The former Attorney General facing charges in the “Operation Medusa” case.
• Donald Guerrero (2023): Former Minister of Finance implicated in the “Operation Squid” (Calamar) case.
• Intrant (2024): Investigations into procurement irregularities within the National Institute of Transit and Land Transportation.
• SeNaSa (2026): Recent allegations involving the National Health Insurance agency.
Alignment with global anti-corruption standards
This local demand for accountability coincides with President Luis Abinader’s participation in the OECD Global Anti-Corruption & Integrity Forum in Paris. During the forum, Abinader reaffirmed that integrity remains a “strategic axis” of the Dominican state, emphasizing his administration’s commitment to transparency on the international stage.
However, Participación Ciudadana maintains that the domestic reality must match this rhetoric, insisting that the “tardiness” of the judiciary in processing these voluminous files undermines the fight against graft.
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Participacion Ciudadana
Hoy
26 March 2026