Johnny Ventura, the most popular merengue orchestra band leader of all times, was sworn in as mayor of Santo Domingo. The widow of former PRD leader José Francisco Peña Gómez, Peggy Cabral was sworn in as vice mayor. In his first speech as mayor, Ventura said that top priorities of his administration would be to decentralize the municipality and to secure more resources to develop city government plans. He also advocated for harmonious relations with the Presidency.
