DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic
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Travel from Chile and Argentina to the Dominican Republic is on the rise as the South Americans discover the comfort and style of the Dominican beach resorts. Dominicans are also booking excursions to discover the fjords and cultural attractions of the two South American countries. The enhanced non stop flights are making travel easy.
Minister of Tourism David Collado says the expectation is for travel from Chile to reach 200,000 visitors this 2025.
Chile now ranks among the fastest-growing outbound markets to the DR. In 2024, almost 150,000 Chileans visited. Of these, 145,005 were Chilean tourists, with the remainder being Dominican residents in Chile. Some 52,661 visitors have come from Chile in the first four months of 2025.
Improved air connections are the main factor spurring the flow of tourists, with competition from the DR-based airline Arajet making a difference.
In 2024, airlines —including Arajet— transported the 150,412 travelers between Santiago (Chile)...
Aeromexico has officially launched a new daily direct flight between Mexico City and Punta Cana, a strategic move aimed at bolstering tourism and strengthening the ties between Mexico and the Dominican Republic. The inaugural flight touched down on Thursday, 26 June 2025, marking a significant expansion for the airline in the Caribbean.
The new route, which will operate throughout the summer, offers seamless connections from 40 destinations across Mexico, making it easier for travelers from various Mexican cities to reach Punta Cana. The flights will be serviced by Boeing 737 aircraft, featuring both premier and tourist cabins.
This adds approximately 10,000 monthly seats to Aeromexico’s offerings, doubling the airline’s current capacity to the Dominican Republic, which already includes 10,000 seats on the Mexico City-Santo Domingo route. Aeromexico offers daily flights from Las...
Island Princess cruise ship, operated by Princess Cruises, is set to make its highly anticipated return to the Dominican Republic on 8 July 2025, marking its first visit in over 15 years. The vessel will dock at the Amber Cove terminal in Puerto Plata, a significant inclusion in the country’s busy summer cruise schedule
The mid-size cruise ship has capacity for 2,200 guests and 900 crew. It is known for its abundance of outdoor space, compared to other Princess ships of smilar size. Island Princess feels larger and quieter due to ample outdoor areas on the top and promenade decks. This provides guests with more space to relax outdoors and enjoy scenic views.
The Dominican Port Authority (Apordom) announced the news, highlighting the return of the Island Princess as a strong indicator of renewed confidence from cruise lines in the nation’s port infrastructure.Jean Luis...
Listening to jazz at the Casa de Teatro cultural venue on Arz. Meriño Street in the Colonial City in July is a plus for locals and foreigners alike.
On the program for Thursdays in July are these presentations:3 July: Thelonious Garcia (Dominican Republic / France)10 July: Eliezer Paniagua Trio (Dominican Republic)17 July: Negra Candela (Spain)24 July: Andres Barrios (Spain – Jazz & Flamenco)31 July: Rafael Mirabal y Sistema Temperado and Niccole Meza (Dominican Republic)
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The Dominican Republic has emerged as a powerhouse in the Caribbean egg export market, and now offers the lowest egg prices across the entire continent. This impressive performance is detailed in the “Datos Productivos Latam 2024” report, compiled by the Latin American Egg Institute (ILH) of the Latin American Poultry Association (ALA), as reported in N Digital.
The report highlights that the Dominican Republic exports a remarkable 20.73% of its total egg production, amounting to 820 million units. This makes the nation the top proportional exporter in the Caribbean. Pavel Concepción, president of the Dominican Poultry Association (ADA), emphasized that the country accounts for 45.77% of all eggs exported from the Caribbean region. He attributes this leadership to a modern, highly technical, and efficient production infrastructure that has allowed the Dominican Republic...
Accessing credit continues to be a costly challenge for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or Mipymes in the Dominican Republic. Borrowing for a small business is much more costly than financing a new vehicle — despite a generally stable monetary environment. Car financing rates of 9.75% are available, up from around 8% in past years.
Yet, at the close of the first quarter of 2025, the average interest rate for small business loans stood at a low of 14.3% and an average interest rate of 16.7% as of March 2025, according to figures from the Superintendence of Banks, El Dia reports.
This disparity persists even though the Central Bank has held its policy rate steady throughout 2025, following a cumulative reduction of 125 basis points in the second half of 2024. These moves were expected to ease borrowing costs, but the data shows little relief for small business...
After severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of the People’s Republic of China on 18 May 2018, trade between China and the Dominican Republic has indeed expanded—but with minimal benefits for the Caribbean nation.
Diario Libre reports that from 2020 to 2024, bilateral trade exceeded US$22.4 billion, citing statistics from the Dominican Export and Investment Center (ProDominicana). Yet, the bulk of that figure stems from Chinese exports flooding the Dominican market. The resulting trade deficit has ballooned to nearly US$20 billion over that period, exposing a relationship that many now see as one-sided.
Imports from China soared by almost 78% in four years, reaching US$5.2 billion in 2024, up from US$2.9 billion in 2020. These imports include a wide range of products—over 5,000 in total—led by laptops and tablets (US$616.9 million), smartphones (US$607.7 million), and...
A recent crackdown by the Dominican Ministry of Labor has unearthed over 300 labor violations across 13 businesses on Duarte Avenue in Santo Domingo, with Labor Minister Eddy Olivares Ortega specifically calling out foreign, particularly Chinese, employers for their “contempt” for workers’ rights and local labor laws.
The extensive operation, led by the Ministry’s Inspection Department, revealed 207 violations of the Labor Code and 123 breaches of Regulation 522-06 on Occupational Health and Safety. Olivares Ortega showcased the official warnings and photographic evidence, highlighting the severe risks posed to employees.
“All these violations run contrary to the employers’ obligation to guarantee an adequate and safe work environment as stipulated in our Constitution, Article 62.8; Article 436 of the Labor Code; Article 13 of Convention 81 of the International Labor...
Serious allegations over potential elimination of the gorgeous forestry outside the National Botanical Garden land have been making headlines in the press and social media.
The Environmental Commission of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) has made a grave allegation concerning the possible encroachment and fragmentation of protected lands belonging to the Dr. Rafael L. Moscoso National Botanical Garden.
The complaint, backed by prominent environmentalist and political leader Domingo Contreras, along with Nelson Bautista, director of the Green Action Foundation (Fundación Acción Verde), raises alarms over reported topographic surveys being conducted by personnel from the Ministry of Public Works.
These activities, allegedly linked to the planned extension of the Jacobo Majluta Avenue, have fueled fears of an imminent threat to one of the capital’s most...
A Canadian citizen was reported dead from accidental drowning after midnight. Media reports are that Canadian Dorian Christian MacDonald had traveled to Puerto Plata on a solo vacation. What is known is that he was last seen walking on the beach at around 2am on 20 June 2025 and then was reported missing.
His family has set up a Go Fund Me to gather funds to bring him home to Nova Scotia. The process is long, slow and expensive for bringing the body home. It includes flights, international paperwork, funeral coordination and preparation of the body.
Reports are that the corpse was found in the water on the Maimon Bay beach outside Senator Hotel where he was staying. First responders were rushed to the scene after receiving a call around 3am, and the body was located about an hour later when it washed ashore.
The family would have received the official autopsy report...
Weather forecaster Jean Suriel says the Dominican Republic is still under the impact of Saharan dust. The dust is good for agriculture, but it impacts those who are allergic and leaves the country under grey skies.
Suriel says this is the sixth wave of African dust. On the positive side it reduces the impact of the frequent rains that have affected the country this year, and the likelihood of hurricanes, but it also enhances the summer weather.
Suriel forecasts the Saharan dust will continue through Wednesday, 2 July 2025.
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Dominican national basketball team players Andrés Feliz, playing for Real Madrid, and Jean Montero, playing for Valencia Basket, had standout seasons in the recently concluded Spanish basketball year, which ended with Real Madrid winning the Liga Endesa.
27-year old Feliz, who plays the position of guard in the Dominican national basketball team, was instrumental in Real Madrid’s success, especially shining in the finals against Valencia. In one key final game, he scored 18 points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out three assists, helping Madrid secure the first point in the final series.
Feliz became only the second Dominican to be on a Spanish championship winning team. The first was Chicho Sibilio, who was on five championship teams.
21-year old Jean Montero had an outstanding performance for Valencia Basket, the Endesa runner up team. Montero was included in the Best...
The Central Electoral Board (Junta Central Electoral – JCE) announced that, beginning Tuesday, 1 July 2025, Resolution No. 09-2025 will take effect. This resolution introduces a standardized format for all civil registry certificates and adjusts the fees for various services offered by the institution, both in the Dominican Republic and abroad.
Key changes include the consolidation of certain service fees, streamlining of procedures, and a reduction in processing steps to improve public access and efficiency.
The JCE emphasized that civil registry certificates—whether extracts or full versions—that were issued before 1 July 2025, and contain a QR code will remain valid.
As of 1 July 2025, the civil registry certificates for birth, acknowledgment, marriage, divorce, and death will be issued in a single, unified format. The categories of “extract” and “full...
Indotel is giving telecoms 30 days to disconnect SIM cards that are not tied to a verified identity –a cedula (ID card), passport or residency card with the photo of the individual.
Cell phone activation on prepaid plans has been allowed without these requirements in the past, enabling thousands who do not have IDs to have smart phones in use.
The Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel) has mandated mobile service providers to verify the identities of all prepaid users within 30 days. The move, formalized through Resolution No. 064-2025, aims to combat the illegal use of phone lines, enhance user protection, and assist law enforcement in criminal investigations.
The resolution was announced during a press conference held at the Indotel Cultural Center, amid rising concerns over the widespread activation of phone lines without proper identification — a loophole that...
Top diplomatic and government officials from the Caribbean were here for the Ministry of Foreign Relations’ tribute to the English-speaking intra-Caribbean migration, the “Cocolo heritage” in the Dominican Republic. The industrious migrants from the English-speaking islands brought with them significant cultural, economic and social contributions.
For the occasion, the Ministry of Foreign Relations inaugurated on 28 June 2025 the Monument to the Cocolos in San Pedro de Macoris. The monument is a permanent tribute to the migrants’ crucial role in the development of the Dominican sugar industry.
The events continued with the launch on 29 June of the book “Contributions of the Cocolos to Dominican National Identity.” The book delves into the wide-ranging influence of these immigrants across the nation’s economy, culture, sports, and academic and literary spheres.
Beyond...
The Dominican Republic has 24 industrial manufacturing free zones, most in the interior provinces, and the industrial district located in West Santo Domingo. These areas play an important part in the economic development of each region.
This information was released by the Center for Industrial Development and Competitiveness, known as Proindustria, as part of the celebrations associated with the Day of Micro-, Small, and Mid-sized Enterprises (Mipymes).
The agency noted that towns such as Villa Altagracia, Cotui, Barahona, and Salcedo still have plenty of space for installing new industries under the umbrella of the free zone laws. There is also land available in El Seibo and Higüey.
The fact is that Proindustria promotes both local and foreign investments in these industrial parks and provided the buildings according to the specific...
During the 55th General Assembly of the Organization of American States, celebrated in Antigua and Barbuda this past week, the delegates, at the behest of the United States, passed a resolution to support the multi-national security mission currently in Haiti. The resolution, almost an afterthought, was passed with urgings from the US and Haiti, during the very last session of the assembly.
The resolution urges members of the OAS to give support, according to their means, to the mission currently in Haiti and headed by Kenya. The resolution suggests that member states could assist the mission through contributions to the UN Trust Fund, as well as direct assistance to the Haitian police. All of these efforts, according to the document, are guided towards the celebrations of general elections in Haiti.
The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet on 30 June in New York to discuss continued...
In a frank interview with Listín Diario, Spanish colonel and geopolitical analyst Pedro Baños weighed in on the deepening crisis in Haiti, the role of foreign intervention, and the global balance of power, including US foreign policy, the Middle East conflict, and the influence of global powers.
On 25 June 2024, the first convoy of an international security force arrived in Haiti with one goal: to restore public order — at any cost. A year later, the Multinational Security Support Mission, led by Kenya and backed by the United Nations, has failed to stabilize the country, says Baños.
“It is very difficult to stabilize a country with foreign forces. Stabilization must come from within — with external assistance, yes — but from within,” said Baños, 64, during the Desayuno de Listín Diario interview.
According to the retired Spanish colonel, what Haiti urgently needs is not...
The Dominican Republic must play a proactive role in promoting peace, investment, and job creation in neighboring Haiti, argues economist Humberto Cristian, a member of the Haiti Studies Unit at the P. Alemán Center of the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), as reported in Listin Diario.
In a recent opinion piece titled “Emotion-Driven Migration Policies and Their Impact on National Life,” Cristian emphasizes that current immigration measures alone are not enough to prevent future crises. He points to Haiti’s significantly higher birth rate and warns that, without political and economic stability, the situation could deteriorate further in the next decade.
“If we don’t eliminate the power of gangs and restore political order, in 10 to 15 years, we may face an even more severe crisis than today,” Cristian cautions.
The ongoing instability in Haiti, Cristian...
Growth forecasts for 2025, initially pegged at a robust 4-5%, have been significantly downgraded. The Ministry of Economy and Central Bank reports for May 2025, are tempered outlooks for the nation’s economic performance in the current year.
This development comes as a key point of discussion among financial analysts and policymakers, who are now scrutinizing the factors contributing to this altered projection. The initial optimism, which suggested a dynamic expansion, appears to be giving way to a more cautious assessment. Further details on the revised growth expectations and the underlying reasons are anticipated to shed more light on the Dominican Republic’s economic trajectory for 2025.
While the Dominican Republic has historically been one of the fastest-growing economies in Latin America and the Caribbean, outpacing the regional average with a 5% average GDP...
The National Institute for Ground Traffic and Transportation (Intrant) warns new anti-congestion and safety measures are ready to go into effect on 1 July 2025. Drivers whose vehicles are towed away because they were illegally, poorly, or dangerously parked, will be responsible for the towing costs as well as the parking fees at the Intrant yard. And the Intrant says Digesett is serious about penalizing for left turns on restricted intersections.
All this is part of the new “RD Is Moving” program set up by the Intrant and other agencies as a way to reduce traffic jams throughout the city of Santo Domingo as well as the National District.
Interestingly enough, this information was provided not by an officer of Intrant, but rather by a spokesperson for the Banreservas Trust, Shyam David Fernandez, noted those parking where they shouldn’t face a fine of RD$1,000 in...
Jakaira Veras García, of the Collegiate Court of the Judicial District of Puerto Plata, and fellow judges Venecia Rojas and José Juan Jiménez, issued their verdict on the high-profile case of MLB leading slugger Wander Franco accused of child sexual abuse.
The Puerto Plata court found Wander Franco, the Tampa Bay Rays shortstop, guilty of sexual abuse and exploitation of a minor in the Dominican Republic. He was sentenced to two years in prison, but the sentence was suspended on the condition that he must not approach or have contact with minors for sexual purposes. Franco was fined approximately US$3,650.
The court recognized that Franco had been pressured and blackmailed by the minor’s mother, who sought financial gain.
Meanwhile, the mother of the minor, Martha Vanessa Chevalier, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined around US$11,050 for her role in the sexual...
Will Koby Brea follow in the footsteps of Karl Anthony Towns, a fellow University of Kentucky player today regarded as one of the leading basketball players in the NBA?
Dominican national basketball team player Koby Brea was recently drafted in the 2025 NBA Draft with the 41st overall pick. He was initially selected by the Golden State Warriors but his draft rights were immediately traded to the Phoenix Suns. Koby Brea is expected to make the Suns’ roster next season, initially as a bench player with the opportunity to grow into a more significant role due to his shooting skills.
Brea is known for his elite 3-point shooting, having made 43.5% of his three-pointers in his final college season at the University of Kentucky. He is projected to be a second-round pick who will likely start his NBA career as a reserve.
Sports analysts see him with the potential to develop into a starter...
The Abinader administration has contracted DGA Group, a global advisory firm, for consultancy services regarding security, people trafficking, drug trafficking, migration policy and human rights.
Diario Libre reports the contract is for advisory services to the Ministry of the Presidency for 12 months for RD$102,923,175. The firm will present recommendations for the country to improve its reputation for handling the Haitian crisis and for the strengthening of bilateral relations with the Trump administration.
As reported, Minister of the Presidency Jose Ignacio Paliza requested the services on 15 April and the contract was signed on 20 June 2025.
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The Dominican Republic achieved a significant diplomatic breakthrough on Wednesday, 25 June 2025 by securing that the United Nations Security Council schedule a meeting for Monday, 30 June to discuss the ongoing crisis in Haiti. Diario Libre reports the meeting was scheduled in response to the request made in a letter by four sitting and past Presidents of the Dominican Republic.
Diario Libre reports the meeting was requested by the A3++ group—which includes Sierra Leone, Somalia, Algeria, and Guyana—following the public release of a letter signed jointly by Dominican President Luis Abinader and former Presidents Danilo Medina, Leonel Fernández, and Hipólito Mejía. The letter was addressed to the leaders of Security Council member states and delivered through the Dominican Republic’s diplomatic mission to the UN.
Particularly noteworthy is that the letter reached...
Imports from Haiti to the Dominican Republic dropped sharply by 48.83% during the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to preliminary figures from the Dominican Republic-Haiti Bilateral Trade Report published by the Customs Agency (DGA). The imports reflect a decline in free trade manufacturing.
From January to May 2025, Dominican imports from its neighboring country totaled just US$4.12 million, a steep decline from the US$8.2 million recorded during the same stretch in 2024.
The report notes that imports under the free trade zone regime saw a year-on-year decline of 51.67%, while those classified under the “consumption dispatch” regime actually surged by 113.39%.
By trade regime, free trade zones accounted for the vast majority—92.82%—of imports, with the remaining 7.18% falling under the consumption dispatch category.
The...
Alexandra Cedeño, the director of Sustainable Mobility at the National Transport and Transit Institute (Intrant), is on a media tour to explain to the population in Greater Santo Domingo the new measures that 700 newly outfitted Digesett agents will be supervising implementation as of 1 July. Greater Santo Domingo is about the National District, the capital city with about one million inhabitants and the surrounding province of Santo Domingo with around two million inhabitants, who mostly work and study in the National District.
The new RD Se Mueve (DR Moves) strategy is being rolled out in phases in the National District and has four key components. These are the scheduled management of 11 main avenues, optimized traffic light network at 100 intersections, parking regulation, and left-turn restrictions at 25 intersections in the National District.”
The main intention of the traffic reform is to reduce accidents and shorten commute times in Greater Santo Domingo.
Engineer...
The government bank, Banreservas continues to overcharge seniors for driver license renewals, despite an official order to the contrary. Banreservas continues charging more than double the authorized fee — a discrepancy that has sparked public complaints and confusion, Listin Diario reports.
The National Institute of Traffic and Land Transportation (Intrant) confirmed to Listín Diario that as of November 2024, the renewal fee for driving licenses in categories 2, 3, 4, and 5 for individuals over 65 years old is RD$950. The decision reflects the shorter two-year validity period for seniors’ licenses, compared to four years for those aged 18 to 64.
However, Banreservas, the state-owned bank responsible for processing the payments, still charges RD$1,900 for these renewals — the full price for a four-year license.
A physician, Dr. Hernández, told Listín...
The Dominican Republic is steadily positioning itself as a leading academic hub in the Caribbean and Central America, with growing international interest in its higher education system. According to the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology (Mescyt) Franklin García Fermín, the country is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for students, particularly in fields like medicine, engineering, and STEM disciplines.
Currently, around 600,000 students are enrolled in higher education across the country, with about 120,000 studying online. The Dominican Republic has 57 universities and multiple technical and specialized institutes catering to both local and international learners.
At a meeting hosted by Listín Diario, Minister García Fermín explained that this vision is already materializing through collaboration with key international bodies, such as the United...
President Luis Abinader attended the graduation class for the 37th promotion of the Voluntary Military Service Values Training Program (Servicio Militar Voluntario – SMV). 5,536 graduated after receiving training in civic responsibility, ethics, military discipline, and community service. The graduation took place at the Sans Soucí Convention Center in Santo Domingo, was led by President Luis Abinader and Minister of Defense Lieutenant General Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre.
The graduates, who came from 24 provinces across the country. With this latest class, the SMV has now trained and graduated 89,337 participants over the course of its 23-year history, the Presidency reported on 25 June 2025.
During the ceremony, Minister Fernández Onofre emphasized the symbolic significance of the venue. “This is not a military barracks, nor a traditional classroom,” he...
Vitelio Mejía / 7 Días
The Presidency is moving forward the initiative to provide Santo Domingo with a MLB-standard baseball stadium.
President Luis Abinader has named the former president of the Supreme Court of Justice Jorge Subero Isa to chair a special advisory commission in charge of determining the feasibility of constructing a modern baseball stadium on government-owned land in the Ensanche La Fe sector of the National District.
Other key public officials and private sector experts on the commission are the Minister of Sports, the general manager of the Development and Export Bank (Bandex), the executive director of the National Baseball Commissioner’s Office, and legal specialists Angélica Noboa Pagán, Elka Shecker Mendoza, Olivo Rodríguez Huertas. Edgar Torres Reynoso will serve as executive director.
According to the official decree (No. 306-25), the commission’s...
Ligia Díaz, senator for the province of Azua, called on authorities to take urgent action against illegal motorcycle races irregular held on the busy Baní-San Cristobal-Santo Domingo highway, warning that the activity poses a serious threat to road safety.
Speaking during a session of the Senate, Díaz described the motorcyclists involved as “a danger” to the many drivers who use the route daily.
“Motorcycle racing is causing serious problems from Baní all the way to the 6 de Noviembre [San Cristobal] highway. These riders are not only endangering their own lives but also those of everyone traveling on this heavily trafficked road,” the senator stated.
The statements by the Azua deputy were backed by the Peravia (Bani) province senator. Julito Fulcar, who is the spokesperson for the ruling PRM in the Chamber of Deputies, called for the directors of the National Police, the...
On a media tour for his new book, “Geohispanidad: La potencia hispana en el nuevo orden geopolítico,” Spanish geopolitical analyst, Pedro Baños was in Santiago on Tuesday, 24 June 2025 for the Dominican launch of his latest book. The Fundación El Demócrata, Grupo Estrella, and the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) hosted the book presentation at the PUCMM Health Sciences Auditorium on its Santiago campus.
Pedro Baños is a Spanish colonel in reserve. He was formerly the Chief of Counter-Intelligence and Security for the European Army Corps. He is one of Europe’s top specialists in geopolitics, terrorism and intelligence.
He is a former professor of Strategy at the Centro Superior de Estudios de la Defensa Nacional and head of the Geopolitical Analysis Area of the Spanish Ministry of Defense.
He is a prolific writer. Previous...
The Dominican government is collaborating with the US Embassy for the repatriation of the corpse of US citizen Ellen Frances Hulett who died when detained by Migration authorities. The Tourism Police had taken the woman into custody on 22 June 2025 in Sabana de la Mar, eastern Hato Mayor province, after she showed signs of mental distress.
A press release from the Migration Agency explains the local authorities are collaborating with the US Embassy and the mother of the deceased woman.
Hulett would pass away on 23 June while under institutional supervision and receiving medical care, rthe Migration Agency reported in its press release on the case.
According to an official statement released Tuesday, 24 June 2025, Hulett’s case has been handled with what authorities describe as “the utmost institutional rigor,” ensuring respect for human rights and in close...
The City Hall of the National District says it needs to find another location for discarded debris and items that are being stored in their location in the Mirador del Sur Park. Listin Diario had denounced that residents of the city park area had complained the area was growing as a garbage dump. The City Hall responded and removed much of the garbage that had more than 90 days but says it needs to find a new location and thus will continue to storage new garbage.
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President Luis Abinader said his administration is monitoring the worsening of the crisis in the Middle East “hour by hour.” The President said the conflict between Iran and Israel can significantly impact hydrocarbons and fuel prices in the DR. The President made the remark when addressing a journalist question during the 23 June 2025 weekly press conference.
Speaking during the press conference, the President said that the DR only imports 20% of its total hydrocarbon imports from the Middle East.
Already shipping fares are up, as shipping lines are applying the shipping contingency charges. Minister of Industry and Commerce Victor (Ito) Bisono said that the cost of cargo shipping is up. “Nobody wants their ship to be sunken and the normal insurance does not cover war contingencies,” he explained.
A report in Noticias SIN explains that even when the conflict...
The Dominican Republic is a leading regional cacao producer and exporter. The challenge ahead is to increase local consumption and export more finished products, a report in El Dia reveals.
Meanwhile, stimulated by rising international prices, cacao exports have experienced a significant increase in revenues for their crops. From January to May 2025, raw cacao and cacao byproduct exports reached US$128.98 million, marking a 56.48% increase compared to the same period in 2024, when exports totaled US$82.43 million, according to the Customs Agency (DGA), as reported in El Dia.
This surge helped consolidate cacao as the country’s second most exported product under the national trade regime, contributing to an overall export total of US$5.64 billion—an 8.62% year-on-year growth.
Data from ProDominicana, the national export center, presents an even more optimistic figure: US$247.7...
Everybody can do their part and not buy or order dishes with conch, locally known as lambi. The molusk needs the time from 1 July to 31 October to breed so that the species still continues to be available locally.
The Dominican Council of Fishing and Aquaculture (Codepesca) has announced a nationwide ban on the capture and commercialization of Strombus gigas (also known as Lobatus gigas or queen conch).The ban covers all individuals of the species at any stage of their life cycle, as well as their shells.
The scientific and common name for the banned species are:Charonia variegate (caracol fotuto), Cassis tuberosa (Pata de Mulo), Cittarium pica (Burgao), Astraea coalata (Burgao Santa Maria).
The ban applies to the owners and managers of supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, fishery and fishermen. These should abstain from consuming, fishing, storing, purchasing or trading in the sea...
Anibal de Castro, executive editor of Diario Libre, has editorialized against the Dominican Republic continuing to be part of the Central American Parliament. Politicians and legislators receive cushy perks and generous wages in US dollars for their participation. People have always asked what the DR gets out of this. Costa Rica many years ago chose not to participate. Other regional participants are Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. Each country appoints 20 legislators to the regional entity.
Anibal de Castro writes in the editorial on 23 June 2025:“For the Dominican Republic, the Central American Parliament (Parlacen) is like a wicker chair in a fire: purely decorative and utterly useless. Its existence has no impact on real political life, plays no role in the region’s meaningful debates, and certainly doesn’t respond to the urgent needs of...
The Constitutional Court of the Dominican Republic in May 2025 issued a landmark ruling banning the public use of nicknames to identify high-profile corruption cases in the judiciary.
In Ruling No. TC/0225/25, the court upheld a constitutional appeal filed by Jean Alain Rodríguez Sánchez, former Attorney General, effectively prohibiting the Office of the Prosecutor (Public Ministry) from using the label “Caso Medusa” to refer to his criminal case. The decision is binding across the judicial system and must be applied to all individuals facing criminal proceedings.
The ruling clarifies that code names or aliases may still be used internally by investigators to prevent information leaks during pre-trial investigations. However, once cases enter the public domain, all defendants must be referred to by their legal names.
“Throughout all stages of the criminal process...
Educa, the pro-education private non-governmental organization, has named Yahaira Sosa Machado as the new director. She replaces Enrique Darwin Caraballo who served in the role for 13 years.
Sosa Machado is an expert in public policies and international trade. She holds a Law degree from the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), graduating Cum Laude. She also earned a Master’s in International Business from Aix-Marseille University in Provence, France. Her academic background includes studies in Trade Negotiations at Florida International University (FIU) and International Arbitration at American University in Washington, DC. She is certified in quality management of production processes (Calidena) and in Leadership for Creating Public Value from HarvardX. She is fluent in Spanish, English, and French.
She built her career at the Ministry of Industry and...
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off the Dominican Republic coast on Monday, 23 June 2025, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. The quake was at a depth of 2 km (1.24 miles), USGS said. The earthquake occurred off the coast of Miches, in central eastern Dominican Republic.
The USGS reported the M 5.7 earthquake occurred 77 km NNE of Punta Cana.
The epicenter, with a depth of 2 km, was initially determined to be at 18.86 degrees north latitude and 68.02 degrees west longitude.
The earthquake occurred after 10:45pm when most people had gone to sleep. Witnesses say it was felt as far west as in the capital city of Santo Domingo. No damages were reported.
Diario Libre reports there have been more than 75 replicas of lesser magnitude were reported.
The state university, Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD) National Seismology Institute registered...
Torrential rains and powerful gusts of wind battered several areas of Puerto Plata on the north coast of the Dominican Republic on Tuesday, 24 June 2025, causing damages to roofs of homes and downing trees and signs, sparking fear among residents, CDN reported.
Whascar García of the Civil Defense in Puerto Plata reported multiple incidents. Notably, fallen trees blocked sections of the Luperón Tourist Highway, particularly near the La U area between Tubagua and Yásica Arriba, as well as in El Choco, in the municipality of Sosúa.
In the town of Los Hidalgos (El Mamey), high winds ripped zinc roofs off several homes, leading to significant material losses. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Other affected areas included the Puerto Plata–Navarrete highway, where fallen trees disrupted traffic in sectors such as Las Avispas in Maimón. Damage was also reported in...
The Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the General Fine Arts Agency (DGBA) and the National Gallery, is inviting the general public to Arte en Bellas Artes, a special exhibition showcasing a representative selection of works from the Palace of Fine Arts’ permanent collection, N Digital reports.
The exhibition opens Thursday, 26 June 2025, at 6:30pm at the National Gallery of Fine Arts located in the Palace of Fine Arts on Av. Independencia and Av. Máximo Gómez. The inaugural event will be attended by cultural authorities, artists, and prominent figures from across the Dominican arts community.
Organized by the Arts Management and Outreach Department of Bellas Artes, the exhibition is part of the DGBA’s 85th-anniversary celebrations, which officially take place on 19 July.
Arte en Bellas Artes is described as a journey through iconic pieces that highlight the...
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