DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

The Academy of Sciences of the Dominican Republic (ACRD) issued an urgent environmental alert on Monday, 16 February 2026 warning of severe degradation and toxic cyanobacteria blooms in the Hatillo Dam, the largest freshwater reservoir in the insular Caribbean.

Through its Commission for Natural Resources and Environment, the Academy reported a “drastic change” in water quality and coloration. The reservoir is currently blanketed by a thick, pasty green layer caused by a massive proliferation of Microcystis, a genus of cyanobacteria that poses a direct threat to the ecosystem and the populations relying on the basin.

Located in Cotuí, Sánchez Ramírez province, the Hatillo Dam is a cornerstone of Dominican national security. Sanchez Ramirez is the location of the Barrick Gold mining corporation with its large tailing reservoir. The company is building a second tailing reservoir...

Renowned Dominican television host and producer Mariasela Álvarez announced on Monday, 16 February 2026 that her flagship variety show, “Esta Noche Mariasela,” will cease broadcasting later this month. The final episode is scheduled to air on 26 February, marking the end of a successful 14-year run in its current format.

During the live broadcast on Color Visión (Channel 9), Álvarez shared the news with her audience, citing “deeply personal reasons” for the decision. The Miss World 1982 winner described the choice as one of the most difficult of her career, noting that it followed months of reflection and consultation with her team.

“This has been a very difficult decision to make, first for us, the people who work for you every day; for television, which we know needs programs and voices like ours; but above all for you, our faithful audience,” Álvarez...

The Dominican Republic’s tourism sector has kicked off 2026 in high gear, welcoming 1,219,606 visitors by air and sea in January. This represents a 5.5% increase compared to the same period in 2025, which saw 1,155,484 arrivals.

“The year 2026 looks very positive for the Dominican Republic,” stated Tourism Minister David Collado during a results presentation held Wednesday at the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) auditorium. Collado noted that January’s figures are 14.2% higher than in 2024 and a staggering 61% increase over 2019, the final pre-pandemic year. These figures underscore the country’s successful long-term recovery strategy and its rising status as a premier Caribbean destination.

Air arrivals break recordsFor the first time in a January period, air arrivals surpassed the 800,000-mark. A total of 825,847 passengers arrived by air...

The US Embassy in Santo Domingo reminds travelers that one of the most important steps before traveling abroad is to consider purchasing international medical insurance. The US Department of State strongly urges US citizens and US residents to consult with their medical insurance company prior to departure to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and if it covers emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation.

A note in the US Embassy website reminds Americans that US medical insurance plans seldom cover health costs incurred abroad unless supplemental coverage is purchased. Medicare does not cover medical costs outside the United States. Many travel agents and private companies offer insurance plans that include coverage for medical care overseas, including emergency services and evacuations.

The US Embassy makes the point that those seeking medical attention may...

In a move to add to the Dominican Republic’s standing as a premier regional healthcare hub, Arajet and the high-tech medical center Médico Express have signed a strategic alliance to streamline medical tourism across the Caribbean and the Americas.

The agreement, inked by Arajet CEO Víctor Pacheco and Médico Express executive president Dr. Alejandro Cambiaso, aims to bridge the gap between international patients and world-class healthcare through affordable, direct air connectivity. Dr. Cambiaso is one of the leading promoters of medical tourism in the Dominican Republic.

By integrating Arajet’s expansive flight network with the clinical excellence of Médico Express, the partnership creates a seamless “health corridor” for travelers seeking specialized treatments, advanced diagnostics, and preventive care. For many in the region, the high cost and logistical complexity...

Sandy Gabriel / El Día

The second edition of the renovated format of the Cabarete Jazz Festival is scheduled to take place on 6 June 2026, once again transforming the iconic northern Puerto Plata coastal town into a global epicenter for jazz and Caribbean culture.

Produced by Cabarete Tango and Mishu Music, the event aims to solidify Cabarete’s reputation as a premium destination where luxury, art, and nature converge. The festival organizers emphasized that the upcoming edition will build on the “before and after” impact of the 2025 event, which saw sold-out crowds and performances by legends like Arturo Sandoval and Paquito D’Rivera.

The 2026 roster features a vibrant mix of international stars and local virtuosos, designed to take attendees through a diverse history of jazz and tropical fusion:

Alfredo Rodríguez: The Cuban-born, Quincy Jones-mentored pianist known for his explosive...

The La Romana International Airports (LRM) can be reached by non-stop regular flights from North America and Europe. The airport is the choice airport for those heading to Casa de Campo. It is also equidistant from Juan Dolio (to the west) and Punta Cana (to the east), and is about an hour and a half from the capital city of Santo Domingo.

The airport is especially convenient for Casa de Campo as it is located just five minutes from check-in at the resort. The airport is also about 20 minutes away from beach resorts located in the Dominicus or Bayahibe areas.

As of January 2026, LRM offers direct flights to 9 destinations across 5 countries, connecting the Dominican Republic with major cities in North America and Europe. Below is the complete breakdown of airlines and routes connecting the world to La Romana from October 2025 through April 2026, making it easier for travelers to plan their...

The La Saladilla Beach Club announced it has reopened after a major upgrade of facilities to add accommodations for the luxury market. Under the ownership of entrepreneur Enric Dolsa, the renovated establishment operates on a low-density lodging model. The property’s philosophy centers on providing a tranquil environment where guests can connect with the natural landscape, El Nacional reports.

“The concept of the hotel is based on fewer guests, greater exclusivity, and an atmosphere of calm,” Dolsa explained. “Here, you pay more to enjoy more.”

The hotel’s culinary offerings emphasize intimacy, featuring personalized breakfasts served on private terraces or via room service. The current midday menu focuses on fresh, seasonal ingredients. Plans are underway for an evening restaurant that will fuse traditional Dominican flavors with European techniques...

The Dominican Republic is solidifying its status as a premier global golf destination, as the PGA TOUR officially announced that the 2026 PGA TOUR Americas season will culminate on the island’s shores.

The season finale, the PGA Ocean’s 4 Tour Championship presented by Scotiabank, is scheduled to take place from 15 to 18 October 2026. The event will be hosted at the PGA Ocean’s 4 course, located within the Playa Nueva Romana residential community.

Playa Nueva Romana is located between the beach destinations of Juan Dolio and La Romana and is about a 40 minute drive from the capital city of Santo Domingo. This venue holds the distinction of being the only course in the country affiliated with the PGA of America.

The championship serves as the decisive milestone for the tour’s third season. It will feature the top 60 players from the season-long points standings, all vying for professional...

President Luis Abinader is set to embark on a high-level diplomatic tour in March 2026, with bilateral meetings with world leaders including Donald Trump (United States), José Antonio Kast (Chile), and Emmanuel Macron (France) on the agenda.

According to a report from the Ministry of Foreign Relations (Mirex) and the Presidency of the Dominican Republic, the itineraries focus on strengthening international alliances and solidifying the country’s position in global strategic discussions.

The Dominican government emphasizes that this diplomatic push is intended to project the nation’s influence in major global arenas and foster economic and political dialogue with key Western partners.

Key agenda highlights:• United States (7 March): President Abinader will travel to Miami to participate in a presidential summit convened by US President Donald Trump. The meeting aims to...

At the ten-month mark since US President Donald J. Trump set 10% tariffs on all imported goods from the Dominican Republic, something that cost local exporters some US$396 million as of last November, the Dominican authorities are gearing up for some serious talks with the US on tariffs and duties.

United States (7 March): President Abinader is scheduled to travel to Miami, Florida to participate in a presidential summit convened by US President Donald Trump. The meeting aims to address regional security and common international interests. The meeting could be the replacement of the Summit of the Americas that would have been held in December 2025 in Punta Cana but was postponed indefinitely.

According to sources at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, so far there have been some 18 meetings, both in person as well as virtual, to discussed the issue ever since the tariffs...

The BanReservas program to support and encourage start-ups, Cree Banreservas (Banreservas Believes) is financing three start-ups that will receive RD$4.4 million each. These new businesses are Inventory Count, Asistensi, and Nebula Ecosystem.

These entities will receive the attention of mentors, and have the accompaniment of experts to help them obtain success.

The executive president of Banreservas, Leonardo Aguilera, noted that this program has given assistance to more than 270 start-ups, through an investment portfolio in excess of RD$100 million in seed capital.

Read more in Spanish:

• Al Momento

The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic has released the inflation numbers for January, and the 0.4% for a year-on-year rate just blow 5% (4.98%), pushed by an increase in food prices.

According to the Central Bank, the monthly Consumer Price Index can be explained mostly by the increases registered in the group of food ad non-alcoholic beverages, which accounted for 45.68% of the inflation, as there was a 0.68% overall increase in these items.

The inflation rate was also influenced by increases in hotels and restaurants, education, diverse goods and services, and housing. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in transportation costs, but overall, the year-to-year inflation is placed at 4.98%. The index excludes some items that normally do not respond to the nation’s liquidity issues, such as those foods that can vary wildly in price, and fuels and services that are...

The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD) reported Sunday, 15 February 2026 that remittance inflows reached US$982.8 million during January 2026, marking a 5.0% increase compared to the same month last year. This robust start to the year suggests that the upward trend observed throughout 2025 remains firmly in place, providing a critical cushion for the national economy.

According to the BCRD, these funds from the Dominican diaspora act as a “multiplier effect” for the nation, driving domestic consumption, boosting local investment, and providing vital financial support to the country’s most vulnerable sectors.

US economic resilience drives growthThe Central Bank identified the economic performance of the United States as the primary engine behind the figures, with 79.4% of all formal flows originating from the United States. Analysts point to a stable American labor...

President Luis Abinader has inaugurated a new public transport corridor along the Independence Avenue, there will be electric buses on JF Kennedy and Nuñez de Cacerez, and the much-awaited Line 2C of the Santo Domingo Metro System in entering final trials before entering into operation on the scheduled date of 24 February 2026.

The new corridor on Independence Avenue will serve an estimated 40,000 persons a day. It joins three other corridors serving Charles de Gaulle, Nuñez de Caceres, Winston Churchill avenues. Over 200 buses are in service on these lines, certainly an improvement over the old OMSA efforts at public transportation. The bus charge is RD$35 for the routes.

The National Confederation of Transportation Organizations (CNTU) has announced the introduction of electric buses on the John F. Kennedy and Nuñez de Caceres corridors in an effort to provide...

The Dominican government has instituted a program called “The Plan to Reduce Newborn Mortality” and the results have been encouraging. In 2025, the mortality of newborn babies dying before 28 days was down 42% with respect to 2021.

The National Health Service (SNS) made it clear that in 2021, after the Covid-19 pandemic, the mortality rate for newborn infants was the highest it had been in more than 10 years. However, between 2024 and 2025, the mortality rate was down 16.8%.

Ten of the nation’s maternity hospitals were the basis for this program. These hospitals included the nation’s largest, La Altagracia in Santo Domingo and San Lorenzo in Los Mina.

Hospitals around the country were also part of the project, including the Maternity Hospital La Altagracia in Higüey and Juan Pablo Pina in San Cristobal.

According to the press release, health officials attribute this...

Yeni Berenice Reynoso / El Caribe

Dominican Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso has ordered a sweeping criminal investigation into illegal land occupations and potential real estate fraud across the nation’s protected areas. To spearhead the effort, Reynoso has established a high-level task force dedicated to dismantling criminal networks that have illicitly acquired property titles within national parks and ecological reserves.

The task force is coordinated by Deputy Attorney General Wilson Camacho, head of the Specialized Prosecution Office for the Prosecution of Corruption (Pepca). The elite team also includes high-ranking prosecutors from various legal disciplines: Mirna Ortiz of Pepca; Francisco Contreras, head of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for the Defense of the Environment; Ramona Nova from Anti-Money Laundering; Ana Burgos of Real Estate Investigation; and Gedeón...

The recent Vatican intervention in the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo has laid bare a long-festering crisis of transparency within the Dominican Republic’s most powerful religious institution. The effective removal of Metropolitan Archbishop Francisco Ozoria Acosta from administrative and financial governance, relegating him to a largely ceremonial role, is being viewed by observers not as an isolated scandal, but as the inevitable collapse of a system long protected by institutional silence and a lack of external oversight. Ozoria has yet to reach the retirement age of 75 years in October of this year.

A culture of institutional silenceFor years, allegations of mismanagement and irregularities within the archdiocese remained a matter of vox populi, widely discussed in private and local media but met with persistent silence from the Church hierarchy. It was only after reports of...

The United States’ Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has closed its office at the US Embassy until further notice. The story made international media headlines.

While the physical office is shut down, bilateral anti-drug cooperation remains active. The US Embassy explicitly has stated that the fight against narco-terrorism will continue at the same “robust pace” through other channels (such as the Miami and Puerto Rico field offices) while the internal investigation is conducted.

To corroborating the continuing drug trafficking operations of DEA agents in the DR, the National Drug Control Agency reported that in the early hours of Sunday, 15 February 2026 the largest narcotics seizure in the history of the Dominican Republic’s fight against organized crime was carried out in the waters south of Baní, carried out in close tactical coordination with United States authorities. The cargo...

In February 2026, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the longtime Chairman and CEO of DP World, was removed from his leadership positions following the release of thousands of unredacted documents from the US Department of Justice. DP World is majority shareholder and owner of the Caucedo Port in Santo Domingo and operates the Punta Cana Logistics Center in Punta Cana. He has visited the Dominican Republic on several occasions.

BBC reports that Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem’s exit as chairman and chief executive comes after newly-released files showed the Emirati mogul appears to have exchanged hundreds of emails with Epstein over a decade.Being mentioned in the files is not a sign of any wrongdoing, and the BBC has approached Sulayem for a comment.

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Austin Kennethe Wells / Wikipedia

A baseball catcher holds a key strategic role in the game. The catcher acts as the “field general” or “quarterback” of the defense, responsible for calling pitches, framing strikes, blocking balls, throwing out baserunners, and managing the pitcher’s performance. Positioned behind home plate, he controls the game’s pace, aligns the infield, and offers leadership.

Team DR managers, Nelson Cruz and Adrian Beltre have chosen Austin Wells to be the catcher of the Dominican Dream Team to the World Baseball Classic. The 2026 World Baseball Classic is an international professional baseball tournament between 20 national baseball teams, planned to be the sixth iteration of the World Baseball Classic (WBC), and to be played from 5 to 17 March 2026.

Austin Wells was recently confirmed to be one of the assigned team catchers. The 26-year-old was born in...

Economist Miguel Collado Di Franco writes in Diario Libre that high taxes and the complexity in filing is the main obstacle to the formalizing of small business. The finding is confirmed in surveys carried out by the Central Bank and the Ministry of Industry & Commerce.

While large businesses in the Dominican Republic enjoy major tax reduction schemes, such as free zones and the tourism sector, small businesses are penalized with the regular tax schemes conceived for all businesses.

Collado says this reality is behind the low rate of formalization of small businesses that prefer to stay outside of the tax radars, keeping low profiles. Surveys indicate that 85% of small businesses are informal operations, or about 404,000 entities.

Collado says that in addition to the tax burden, the companies also cringe under the burden of high electricity costs. The red tape required to get...

Dominicans are preparing to celebrate Valentine’s Day, a day dedicated to friendship and romance. With this in mind, El Día newspaper brought together a panel of experts to identify the most iconic romantic songs in the Dominican Republic’s history. The list celebrates the enduring legacy of local composers and performers who have shaped the romantic “cancionero” (songbook) across generations.

According to the report by Fior Taveras, these pieces continue to thrive on digital platforms and radio stations, proving that the Dominican Republic’s romantic repertoire remains a vital part of the national identity.

The crown jewel: “Por Amor”Topping the selection as the most emblematic Dominican song of all time is “Por Amor,” composed by Rafael Solano in 1968. The song gained international fame after being performed by Niní Cáffaro, and it has since been covered by numerous global...

The Dominican government successfully placed US$2.75 billion in sovereign bonds on the international capital markets on 11 February 2026. The issuance was conducted through the Ministry of Finance and is split into two tranches to manage the nation’s financial obligations and capital investment needs for the 2026 fiscal year.

The placement consists of an eight-year bond and a twelve-year bond. According to reports from the Ministry of Finance and local news outlets, the transaction was heavily oversubscribed, reflecting continued investor confidence in the country’s macroeconomic stability and tourism-led growth.

However, the new borrowing comes amid growing scrutiny regarding the government’s adherence to its own fiscal guidelines. A separate report from Diario Libre highlights that the government failed to comply with its own Public Debt Management Strategy during the 2025 fiscal cycle...

Marking its 28th anniversary, the Metropolitan Bus Services Operator (OMSA) has unveiled a sweeping modernization plan for 2026, headlined by the launch of the country’s first electric bus corridor and the acquisition of hundreds of new vehicles to bolster public transit.

Onésimo González, executive vice president of OMSA, confirmed an expansion of service with the incorporation of 200 new electric units this spring.

In addition to the electric initiative, the agency is set to significantly scale its capacity. González confirmed 200 new 90-passenger electric buses will soon be added to the 27 de Febrero Avenue service. Furthermore, the current administration reported a savings of RD$524 million, which will be reinvested to purchase an additional 35 to 45 buses.

Units will be assigned to a route in the historic Ciudad Colonial. This move is designed to establish a “sustainable...

The service industry has solidified its position as the primary engine of the Dominican labor market, El Dia reports. According to recent data from the Dominican Social Security System (SDSS) for November 2025, the sector accounts for 1,265,240 contributing workers out of a total private-sector pool of 1,695,256 employees.

The dominance of this sector is not limited to headcount; it also leads in the number of contributing employers. Of the 107,266 private-sector employers registered, the service subsectors, led by commerce, represent 83.81% of the total. Specifically, commerce alone accounts for 32.81% of all contributing employers, followed by “other services” at 21.34%.

Historically, this reliance on the service sector reflects the Dominican Republic’s transition from an agrarian economy to one centered on tourism and retail, which now accounts for approximately 60% of the nation’s...

Manuel Estrella and Yayo Sanz Lovatón / El Caribe

In a move to further solidify the Dominican Republic’s position as a premier regional logistics and manufacturing hub, the National Council of Export Free Zones (CNZFE) has officially greenlit the development of the Savanna Free Zone Park. The project was formalized through a contract signing between the Minister of Industry, Commerce, and MSMEs, Yayo Sanz Lovatón, and the president of the Board of Directors of Grupo Estrella, Manuel Estrella.

Located in the Boca Chica area, near the Las Americas International Airport and the Punta Caucedo Multimodal Port and Logistics Center, the park is designed to be a high-tech ecosystem integrating medium and advanced technology companies. According to the development plans, Savanna aims to attract high-value-added manufacturing and efficient services through a dedicated logistics...

A recent ruling by the Superior Administrative Court (TSA) ordering the exclusion of private land from the Jaragua National Park registry has triggered a firestorm of criticism from environmental groups and legal experts. The decision, which favors the company Inversiones del Sur, S.R.L., has been labeled a “dangerous precedent” that could undermine the integrity of the National System of Protected Areas (SINAP).

The court’s decision stems from a legal dispute involving the Gadhala-María family, that argues that their property rights were being violated by administrative omissions. They claimed that although Law 266-04 reduced the park’s boundaries two decades ago, the official cadastral records were never updated to reflect these changes, preventing them from developing or selling their land.

Jaragua National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, is a critical...

A high-ranking member of the Dominican Air Force has been extradited to the United States to face federal charges of drug trafficking and money laundering, according to government records.

Pedro José Espinal Arthur, a captain in the Air Force who served as the military coordinator for the Migration Agency at La Romana International Airport until May 2024, was handed over to US authorities in late January. The extradition was finalized through Decree No. 48-26, signed by President Luis Abinader.

The chargesEspinal Arthur is facing a multi-count indictment in the US District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. According to the judicial documents, the former officer is charged with:• Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.• Aiding and abetting the distribution of controlled substances.• Conspiracy to commit money laundering and facilitating...

Freezing temperatures have returned to the mountainous region of Valle Nuevo, Constanza, where a minimum temperature of -1°C was recorded for the evening of 10 February 2026. This drop in temperature is part of a broader cooling trend affecting the central Cibao region and northwestern provinces due to a stationary cold front currently over the Dominican Republic.

Local meteorological reports confirm that the intense cold in Valle Nuevo resulted in frost formation, specifically in the Rancho en Medio area near the entrance to Alto Bandera in the Valle Nuevo National Park in La Vega province.

Other reports of low temperatures are for”• Santiago: 14°C• Constanza and Jarabacoa: 13°C to 14°C• Moca, La Vega, and Bonao: Lows between 13°C and 14°C

The Dominican Institute of Meteorology (Indomet) predicts that these pleasant, cool temperatures will persist for...

Anyone who has had the opportunity to tune into Channel 9, Color Vision, on Wednesdays, as of 8pm, is treated to an enormous display and variety of Dominican artistic talent. The producers accurately describe the show as being a mirror of the Dominican identity.

The reality show has several months in the happening. On Wednesday, 11 February the reality decided who would be the 10 finalists. Their stories are ones of resilience and passion more than outstanding innate talent. The winner will receive an award of RD$3 million.

The following are the ten finalists for Dominicana’s Got Talent, slated to compete for the RD$3 million grand prize on Wednesday, 18 February 2026, on Color Vision.

• Roblox: A high-energy dance group known for their intricate choreography and synchronized movements.

• Royalty: A vocal ensemble characterized by powerful, soulful...

The Spanish royal family formally recognized Dominican Republic’s athletic icon Marileidy Paulino on Wednesday during a high-profile ceremony at the Royal Palace of El Pardo. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia presented Paulino with the prestigious Ibero-American Community Trophy (Trofeo Comunidad Iberoamericana) for 2023, an award honoring the athlete who most distinguished themselves in international sports throughout the year.

The recognition primarily celebrates Paulino’s historic gold medal in the 400 meters at the 2023 Budapest World Championships. At age 29, she secured her legacy as the first Dominican woman to ever stand atop a world championship podium in athletics—a feat she later cemented by capturing the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

While Paulino could not attend the ceremony in person due to her ongoing training and...

After two years of delays, the 2C extension of the Santo Domingo Metro is set to begin operations for the general public on 24 February 2026.

As the first metro line built under President Luis Abinader’s administration, the project broke ground in February 2022. The 7.3-kilometer stretch, which connects the María Montez station at Kilometer 9 of the Duarte Highway to the Los Alcarrizos municipality, was originally scheduled to open in February 2024.

The government has attributed the significant delays to a decentralized construction strategy, which involved dividing the project among more than 30 different contractors. While officials intended for this approach to distribute the workload across multiple local companies, it led to logistical challenges and timeline setbacks. Additionally, the quality of construction has remained under public scrutiny throughout the...

President Luis Abinader issued Decree No. 84-26 on Monday, 9 February 2026 appointing Rafael Santos Badia to head the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (MESCYT). He had served in government as the director of the vocational training center, Infotep. He will replace Franklin Garcia Fermin who had been in the position since August 2020 and has not been named in another role in government.

The appointment comes as the administration continues to navigate a proposed merger between MESCYT and the Ministry of Education (MINERD), a project aimed at streamlining the national educational system. Garcia Fermin was a strong opponent to the announced merge of the Ministry of Higher Education with the Ministry of Education.

A veteran educator and lawyer, Santos Badía has extensive experience in vocational training and legislative reform, previously served as a...

In Decree 84-26, President Luis Abinader appointed Geraldo Espinosa Pérez as the new Comptroller General of the Republic. Espinosa Pérez, a seasoned accountant with over 24 years of experience in the public sector. Previously he had served as Sub-Comptroller.

He succeeds Félix Antonio Santana García in a move described by the Presidency as a step toward enhancing the transparency and efficiency of state financial controls.

Read more in Spanish:

• Presidency

The Dominican government has announced that the 2026 National Agricultural Fair (Feria Agropecuaria Nacional) will offer a major financial boost to the country’s farming sector, headlined by specialized low-interest loans aimed at modernization and genetic improvement.

The event, organized by the National Patronage of Cattle Ranchers (Patronato Nacional de Ganaderos), is scheduled to run from 12 to 22 March 2026 at the Feria Ganadera facilities in the capital. The fair has the backing of the Ministry of Agriculture.

A central highlight of this year’s fair is the involvement of the Agricultural Bank (Banco Agrícola). Fernando Durán, the bank’s administrator, confirmed that loans will be made available at a preferential annual interest rate of 6%. These funds are specifically earmarked for the acquisition of machinery, equipment, livestock, and new technologies...

President Luis Abinader officially launched the first phase of a historic transformation and environmental cleanup of the Duquesa landfill on Tuesday, 10 February 2026. The landfill site is located in northern Santo Domingo.

The initiative is a new phase in the major effort toward sustainable solid waste management for Greater Santo Domingo’s 3.8 million residents.

The program is being executed by the Ministry of Environment with financial backing from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).

The project, which carries a total investment of US$110 million, aims to mitigate long-standing public health risks and environmental degradation. During the ceremony, President Abinader emphasized that the intervention is not merely a closure of a dump site...

The Superintendency of Health and Occupational Risks (Sisalril) has announced a significant increase in medical coverage for traffic accidents under the Family Health Insurance (SFS) plan.

Effective 1 February 2026, the new coverage ceiling for medical care resulting from traffic incidents has been raised to RD$1,393,380.00. The adjustment aims to provide greater financial security for affiliates facing emergency medical costs in a country with high road incident rates.

The increase reflects the government efforts to act after the accidents. The Abinader administration has built new traumatology hospitals on highways that have been effective in reducing traffic accident deaths. Nevertheless, important preventive actions have yet to be taken in areas such as enforcing traffic laws for motorcyclists, known to cause around 80% of the accidents, and...

The Migration Policy Observatory (OPM) has officially inaugurated its new Data Center and digital platform at the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), marking a significant expansion in the oversight of national migration strategies.

The initiative aims to bridge the transparency gap regarding the enforcement of the 15 security and migration measures established by President Luis Abinader last year. By integrating technology and academic rigor, the OPM seeks to transition from internal monitoring to an open, participatory model.

Citizen-led oversightThe new digital portal, opm.com.do, serves as a “window to the public,” allowing citizens to actively participate in the surveillance of migration policies. Through the platform, users can report incidents that contradict the national legal framework.

To ensure the credibility of these reports, the system...

According to the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by Transparency International, the Dominican Republic continues to show progress in its fight against corruption.

In the latest Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), released in February 2026, the Dominican Republic is ranked 99th globally out of 182 countries. The country received a score of 37 out of 100. This marks the fifth consecutive year of improvement, as the nation has climbed steadily from its 2020 low point, when it was ranked 136th with a score of 28 and a regional position of 18th out of 33 countries in the Americas.

The report, analyzed locally by Participación Ciudadana, indicates that while the country has managed to avoid the sharp declines seen in several neighboring nations, it has yet to achieve the structural breakthroughs necessary for a significant leap in the...

Nelson Espinal Báez / RC Noticias

For decades, the Dominican Republic has been the buffer zone for Haiti with the country benefiting from trade and low cost labor, but also absorbing an uneducated and undocumented population and thus picking up heavy social costs. For decades, Haiti has continued in the grasp of a small group of business people who live abroad but control the country’s borders and supplies.

There has been hope for US involvement to bring major changes that will reinstate Haiti on the road to development. But a recent column by Nelson Espinal Baez in Diario Libre warns the buffer zone role of the Dominican Republic in regards to Haiti may be instead strengthened by the Trump administration.

In his recent column for Diario Libre, Nelson Espinal Báez, a lawyer who is an Associate MIT-Harvard Public Disputes Program at Harvard Law School, presents a sobering...

The Dominican Republic is bracing for the high-octane return of its most storied cycling event. The Dominican Cycling Federation (FEDOCI) has officially released the six-stage route for the 47th Vuelta Ciclistica Internacional Independencia Nacional, set to sweep across the country from 24 February to 1 March 2026.

The Vuelta Ciclistica Independencia Nacional is widely considered the crown jewel of Dominican cycling and is a top-tier regional event known for its grueling stage races. The race is the longest and offers the most diverse terrain challenges.

For 2026, the race has regained its UCI 2.2 classification. This is a major distinction; many regional races are “National Events,” but a UCI ranking allows professional teams to earn international points, which significantly boosts the quality of the peloton.

What makes the...