DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

In a move that signals a massive realignment of the global and local energy sectors, a powerhouse consortium led by BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and the Swedish firm EQT has signed a definitive agreement to acquire The AES Corporation.

The transaction, valued at approximately US$33.4 billion including debt, will take the energy giant private, delisting it from the New York Stock Exchange. The deal carries significant weight for the Dominican Republic, where AES Dominicana has operated for over 25 years as a pillar of the nation’s electricity generation and liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure.

The detailsThe investor group, which also includes the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) and the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), will pay US$15.00 per share in cash. This represents a roughly 40% premium over the...

It all comes down to the actual commuters for whom Line 2C was built, those who live from Los Alcarrizos to Km 9, the metro service is a godsend, the same way it is for all others who prefer the service to other transport options, including private cars.

Diario Libre reports on the system that went into operation on Tuesday, 24 February 2026, with free service through Easter Week.

Users told Diario Libre the service needs to install the internal signage to notify the stops. This is key because the names of the stops do not correspond with the streets, neither for line 2C nor the previous lines. This makes the announcements key. Usually, the announcer will state the name of the station and the corresponding streets.

Riders also await when the test period is over after Easter so that changing cars is no longer necessary, as the Metro authority has announced...

People are complaining this first week of the switch in contractor of major delays in the new system for issuing drivers licenses, Diario Libre reports. Offices that should have been open, such as the one in Megacentro, did not open as announced on 2 March 2026 under the new operator, Consorcio Mobility ID. The consortium is made up by the suppliers: Midas Dominicana, S.A., G.E.T. Secure ID Corp., Consorcio STC, S.A. and Thomas Greg & Sons. The company received a five-year contract.

Noticias SIN reports there is high demand for the service and confusion regarding the new driver’s license rollout. Key changes include the elimination of simulators in favor of practical exams. The computerized simulators will no longer be testing what people know before authorizing a license. Instead, to get that first license, people will again to make an appointment with an...

The Dominican Republic has completed its preparation for the World Baseball Classic and its first game will be against Nicaragua on 6 March 2026 in Miami, Florida. The DR team last won a championship in 2013 and has not made the quarter finals since. Millions and countless hours have been directed to put together a team and expectations are high that the trophy will be won.

As the final preparation, the Dominican Republic’s national baseball squad, dubbed the “Dream Team,” wrapped up a highly anticipated two-game series of World Baseball Classic warm-up exhibition games against the Detroit Tigers at the Quisqueya Ball Park in Santo Domingo this week. A first game on 3 March 2026 gave fans a glimpse of the firepower on the Dominican roster. It ended with a crowd-exciting 12-4. The second game on the next day ended with a tie of 4-4 and...

Fresh off their exhibition series against the Detroit Tigers, the Dominican Republic’s star-studded roster has officially arrived in Miami, Florida, to kick off their 2026 World Baseball Classic campaign. Managed by baseball legend Albert Pujols, the Dominican team will compete in Pool D, with all of their first-round games scheduled to be played at loanDepot Park.

The Dominican Republic has assembled an unprecedented roster of current stars, hoping to navigate the unpredictable, short-series format of the tournament and secure a second championship. The first and only championship was that of “platano power” in 2013.

The Dominican Republic plays in Pool D alongside Israel, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Venezuela and Netherlands are singled out as the most challenging teams for the DR in this group. The Netherlands has defeated the Dominican Republic twice and...

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is officially underway, with Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) defeating Australia in the tournament’s first game, played by Pool C. 20 nations across four global venues are competing. The tournament features four pools (A, B, C, and D) with five teams each, battling in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the quarterfinals and then the finals in single-elimination rounds.

The series opens with the teams playing four games to decide the top two who will then move to the quarterfinals.

In its final pool-by-pool preview, MLB released its official forecasts predicting which nations will survive the opening round.• Pool A (Hiram Bithorn Stadium – San Juan, Puerto Rico): MLB predicts host nation Puerto Rico and Canada will advance over Colombia, Cuba, and Panama.• Pool B (Daikin Park – Houston, Texas): MLB forecasts the...

For decades, the DR had been a neutral keep-to-are-own-affairs country in the middle of the Caribbean. No more. Under the Abinader administration, the Dominican Republic seems to be aligning itself as an active partner with US geopolitics and the booming space commercial industry.

Last year, the government authorized its Greater Santo Domingo airports for military operations. A recent report in Acento and another in El Informe con Alicia Ortega look into advances towards the installation of the first spaceport in the Caribbean at a time when the demand for satellite launches have doubled and US commercial space launches are booming. Burton Catledge, the CEO of the Florida-based Launch on Demand that is promoting the spacesport, explains the chosen location in Pedernales, nearer to the equator than Cape Canaveral in Florida, makes it more economical for both government and...

The Dominican Oil Refinery (Refidomsa) announced it now has the capacity to store over 111 million gallons of fuel, enough to cover more than a full month of national consumption, a strategic move following global energy volatility.

The announcement is made at a time when the new Iran war is expected to impact fuel prices in the Dominican Republic.

The Ministry of Foreign Relations reports there are two Dominicans living in Iran and these are safe and in touch with Dominican mission officers. The same for several Dominicans who live in Dubai that are also in touch with local authorities, as reported in Listin Diario.

Meanwhile, the Dominican peso has appreciated to the US dollar with US dollars selling for a seasonal low of RD$60 to US$1. The Central Bank has not explained the appreciation, but sources says this could be the result of entry to market of millions in...

Dominican “Dream Team” vs Detroit Tigers exhibition game / Listin Diario

Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr. are making headlines after showcasing a new choreographed home run celebration during an exhibition game against the Detroit Tigers that served as warmup. The Dominican “Dream Team” won the first of two games, 12-4, fueling massive local expectations just two days before the World Baseball Classic officially begins on 6 March, with the Dominican team playing in Miami, Florida.

MLB in its coverage of the Detroit mentioned the remembrance ceremony for those who died in the tragedy of the early morning of April 8, 2025, when the roof of the popular Jet Set nightclub collapsed, leaving 235 people dead, including former Major League pitcher Octavio Dotel.

Nelsy Cruz, the sister of former Major League All-Star Nelson Cruz, who is the general manager of the...

A bus transporting tourists from Punta Cana International Airport to local hotels crashed near Cumayasa on Sunday, 1 March 2026. The accident occurred on the Curva del Km 10 on the Autovía del Este.

Reports confirm two fatalities and at least 19 injuries traveling in the late evening. CTVS News reports the Canadian Embassy is currently providing consular assistance to its citizens involved in the incident. The National Health Service told AP that 13 persons were injured, in addition to the two deceased.

The injured were taken to the municipal hospital in La Romana and those with serious injuries to a specialized trauma hospital.

The two named victims are 67-year old Collen Fullerton, de 67 años and 57-year old Kym Lafantasie.

As reported, they had landed at Punta Cana International Airport and were being transported by bus to their accommodations in Juan...

As of Monday, 2 March 2026, a new driver’s license format is available for Dominicans.

The new cards incorporate technological and security enhancements aligned with international standards such as ISO/IEC 18013-5, which regulates secure and verifiable driver’s licenses. This standard ensures that the document is globally recognized and harder to forge.

The license is made of high-security polycarbonate and personalized via laser engraving. It includes:• Microtext and holograms• Invisible inks and UV printing• Advanced Biometric Identification System (ABIS) to validate identity• A centralized unique history with auditable records

Additionally, theoretical and practical exams have been digitized with verifiable processes to reduce discretion in evaluations. In a second phase, the incorporation of the Mobile Driver’s License (mDL) is planned, allowing citizens to carry a digital...

In a coordinated effort to improve public safety and urban aesthetics, the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel), the Mayor’s Office of the National District (ADN), and the Unified Council of Electricity Distribution Companies (CUED) signed a strategic cooperation agreement on Thursday, 26 February 2026, to remove obsolete and unused aerial cabling across the capital, as reported in Diario Libre.

The agreement was formalized by Guido Gómez Mazara, president of Indotel; Celso Marranzini, president of the CUED; and Carolina Mejía, Mayor of the National District. The initiative targets the “visual pollution” caused by tangled wires and aims to mitigate physical risks to pedestrians and drivers caused by deteriorating infrastructure.

In recent years, residents of Santo Domingo have frequently reported “spaghetti” wiring falling into streets, posing...

Following an intensive search operation, a crocodile that had escaped from a local tourist attraction was successfully captured on Monday, 2 March 2026. The reptile had been missing since 25 February 2026, after heavy rains caused the Joba River, in northern Espaillat province, to overflow, allowing the animal to escape its enclosure at the Rugama Ecological Park in Islabón, Sabaneta de Yásica.

As reported, the crocodile was located around 5pm at Playa Laguna in Cabarete, just meters away from a popular tourist complex. The capture was a result of a joint operation utilizing specialized nets, following several failed attempts to secure the animal in previous days near Playa Encuentro.

Rudy Martínez, owner of the Rugama restaurant and ecological park, noted that the escape was likely triggered by the rising river levels. Once captured, the reptile was handed over to...

Jean Alain Rodríguez / Noticias SIN

A National District judge rejected a request by former Attorney General Jean Alain Rodriguez who had sought permission to travel to Spain for a medical appointment. The judge said he did not file the request correctly. Rodriguez is being tried in the National District judiciary for corruption when in office. On previous occasions he had also attempted to leave the country and was impeded to do so at the airport.

His case has been long in the judiciary. Sources primarily note his defense has instrumented several procedures to delay the hearings.

Read more in Spanish. El Caribe Noticias SIN...

A trough continues to be the primary weather driver for the Dominican Republic for the next 24 hours.Rainfall and thunderstorms are expected during the afternoon of 3 March 2026 as marine humidity interacts with the atmospheric system.

The weather in urban areas continues cool in the early mornings, yet the country will soon move on to warmer conditions as the winter season passes. In the capital city of Santo Domingo, morning lows of around 20C continue to prevail for the time being.

In the early morning of 3 March 2026, a Total Lunar Eclipse was visible from the Dominican Republic.

Read the daily forecast at: Indomet Noticias SIN

3 March 2026

Dominican participation in the XXV Anato Tourism Showcase in Bogota, Colombia, under Tourism Minister David Collado, was a large one, with 45 Dominican companies present. Minister Collado told reporters that in 2025, over 400,000 tourists from Colombia visited the DR, a 19% increase from the previous year.

The strength of the Colombian market resides in that the South American destination is also attractive to Dominican tourists, making it an attractive market for both countries.

There are reports of hundreds of deals signed, and major airlines announced new frequencies adding 1,400,000 seats.

Among these, Avianca from Colombia, announced flights from Medellin and Bogota providing over 320,000 seats, with an average occupancy of 82% in 27 weekly flights to Dominican airports. Copa, based in Panama, will have 718,000 seats, averaging 87% occupancy and 70...

President Luis Abinader officially inaugurated the Gabriel Escarrer Juliá Hospitality and Tourism School on Monday, 2 March 2026, marking a significant milestone in the country’s public-private educational partnerships.

The new training center is located within the Meliá Caribe Beach Resort and Meliá Punta Cana Beach complex in the Verón-Punta Cana municipal district. Operating under a “hotel-school” model, the facility was established through a strategic agreement between the National Institute of Vocational and Technical Training (Infotep), the country’s government-operated vocational training entity, and Meliá Hotels International.

During the ceremony, which coincided with the 91st anniversary of the birth of Meliá founder Gabriel Escarrer Juliá, President Abinader emphasized that the success of Dominican tourism rests on the quality of its...

In a pivotal move for national aviation safety, President Luis Abinader officially inaugurated a new C-Band Solid-State Dual-Polarization Doppler weather radar on 25 February 2026. The government reports the new WRS300 radar was a RD$250 million investment.

Located at the Dominican Aeronautical Complex adjacent to Las Américas International Airport (SDQ), the facility marks a historic milestone in the government’s efforts to modernize the national meteorological system and strengthen airspace operational security.

The director general of the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC), Igor Rodríguez Durán, emphasized that this project completes the high-tech radar network that now provides total coverage across the entire Dominican Republic. This system follows the 2022 installation of a radar at Punta Cana International Airport and a second unit...

President Luis Abinader was in La Romana to inaugurate the Atelón tourist dock on Isla Catalina. Isla Catalina is an off island that services day excursions and cruise ship passengers. The new dock is a Dominican Port Authority investment.

Jean Luis Rodríguez, director of the Dominican Port Authority (Apordom), stated that with this one, 22 docks have been delivered under the current administration, emphasizing the importance of public-private partnerships.

During the inauguration, the government also announced a public-private partnership for the construction of the Isla Catalina Beach Club. Isla Catalina is a Protected Natural Monument. The beach club would be built by Iberostar’s World2Meet. World2Meet representatives Juan Tomas Diaz and Tomeu Gili noted that the dock creates the “exclusive access” necessary for their clients to reach the island and the forthcoming beach...

Lopesan Hotel Group is significantly expanding its presence in the Dominican Republic. Currently, the Spanish chain operates the Lopesan Costa Bávaro Resort, Spa & Casino (1,042 rooms), which opened in May 2019 as its flagship property in Playa Bávaro.

Building on that success, the group has opened bookings for three new interconnected resorts scheduled to welcome guests in late spring 2026:

Lopesan Caoba Lagoon Resort, Spa & Casino: The complex’s centerpiece, featuring 552 rooms and a design inspired by tropical cenotes and expansive lagoons.

Lopesan Serenity Bay: A sophisticated, adults-only retreat offering 239 suites for guests seeking a quieter, more intimate atmosphere.

Lopesan Splash Cove: A family-oriented resort with 244 rooms, specifically designed for multi-generational travelers with five pools and dedicated activity zones.

All four properties will...

On 27 February 2026, the Dominican Republic celebrated its breakaway from Haiti in 1844. Part of the protocols for the day require the President of the Dominican Republic to address the Congress in what is called “a rendering of accounts.” The speeches, nearly always long by definition, recount the previous year’s challenges and how the administration dealt with them.

This year, President Luis Abinader spent a historic amount of time listing his administration’s accomplishments for the entire two terms of his government, including major roadworks. Nevertheless, capital investments are at a low, as part of the challenges that lie ahead. The President mentioned proposals that will deal with the key issues.

The President cannot run for re-election in 2028, nevertheless, his speech this time was the most vote-seeking style of his previous renditions. The...

Buried in the long speech to the Congress last Friday, 27 February 2026 was the announcement of an initiative to open several “dry ports” along the border with Haiti. These are basically container (multi-modal) and logistical hubs as well as customs stations, but removed from the sea.

President Luis Abinader’s announcement on 27 February 2026 specifically highlighted a network of dry ports acting as an “economic wall” on the border.

The border project is designed to be funded by the private sector and is estimated at over US$300 million investment through public-private partnerships rather than through public debt.

There is speculation this would be in great part an expansion of DP World investments in the Dominican Republic. DP World CEO in the Dominican Republic, Manuel Martínez, had already stated in February 2026 that their goal is to develop a “fully integrated...

According to multiple sources, the nearly country-wide blackout cost the Dominican Republic about US$200 million in lost goods and services. Commerce came to a halt, traffic got all tangled up, and basic services were stymied for many hours.

There are at least two ways to measure just how much money the blackouts cost. They make for interesting reading. One of the ways is to calculate the Cost of Energy Loss which is defined as the economic harm the nation’s economy suffers for each megawatt hour of energy not supplied.

“Experts” told the El Caribe newspaper that in an emerging economy such as ours, the cost per MWh is between US$8000 and US$20,000. Given the fact that during the blackout last week at least 25,000MWh were lost, the Cost of Energy Loss was easily US$200,000,000.

Another way to figure out the losses is to use the nation’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and the...

President Luis Abinader toured the northeast to see for himself the damages caused by very heavy rains over an extended period of time over the Independence Day long weekend. Residents in the town of Gaspar Hernandez in Espaillat province were the most impacted. The town lies between Cabarete and Rio San Juan.

The entire area experienced urban flooding, but in Gaspar Hernandez, it was catastrophic. Cars and small vehicles were swept away.

Previous alerts by the Center for Emergency Operations did not really prepare the region for the dowsing that came with these rains. The newly installed Puerto Plata weather radar did not make a difference in early warnings.

The Dominican Red Cross issued their Bulletin #7 on Saturday, and they reported that more than 3,200 houses and commercial establishments had been affected by the flood waters, and over 16,000 persons had...

In her opinion piece in Diario Libre on 5 February 2026, Ellen Perez argues that doubling the GDP per capita should not be the Dominican Republic’s primary objective. While the country has already achieved this feat twice since 2000, Perez points out that economic growth hasn’t translated into superior social outcomes; the DR still lags behind nations with lower GDPs in terms of the Human Development Index (HDI).

She speaks to the trap of diminishing returns. Following the example of Chile, Perez warns that growth inevitably slows as an economy matures, making linear projections of 5% growth unreliable.

She urges the government to focus on development versus growth. Despite rising incomes and better access to basic services, she points out that the DR suffers from a “bottom-tier” education system (ranking 79th out of 81 in PISA 2022) and weak institutional...

The Central Electoral Board (JCE) officially launched the countdown to the general elections in 2028. 2028 is the year for the holding of the municipal elections (20 February 2028), followed by the presidential and congressional elections (21 May 2028).

JCE presented a comprehensive calendar of administrative milestones and legal deadlines to political parties, civil society, and the media.

The announcement, led by JCE President Román Andrés Jáquez Liranzo and the JCE plenary, marks a record-breaking head start for the institution. By releasing the roadmap two years and one month ahead of the polls, the JCE has significantly outpaced the previous average preparation time of 15 months seen between 2012 and 2024.

Coinciding with the birth anniversary of founding father Ramón Matías Mella, President Jáquez Liranzo framed the early planning as a “trabucazo” (blunderbuss...

Commuters in Greater Santo Domingo should prepare for significant transit shifts as the Ministry of Public Works (MOPC) has in place a partial closure of the intersection at República de Colombia and Jacobo Majluta avenues to accommodate new roadworks in western Santo Domingo.

Commuters are advised to depart earlier than usual to account for potential bottlenecks during peak hours.

The closure marks the beginning of construction on a new underpass designed to alleviate chronic congestion and improve road safety at one of the capital city’s busiest transit points.

Officials stated that these routes are equipped with regulatory signage and traffic control devices to guide drivers through the modified flow.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Public Works, this provisional traffic configuration is expected to remain in effect...

Approximately 1,655 MWp from 20 projects (19 solar and 1 wind) successfully qualified for the next phase of the (tender EDES-LPI-01-2024 or EDES-LP-NGR-01-2025). For the first time, renewable systems are being required to incorporate Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) with at least four hours of autonomy.

Some 12 renewable projects were excluded, representing 1,027.10 MW. The largest of these are the Las Parras Energy (246.40 MWp), the Pimentel Energy (119.60 MWp), the Montecristi Solar Fase II (105.60 MWp, the Parque Fotovoltaico Caribe Farms Solar I (85.00 MWp) and the Helios Solar Park (92.40 MWp).

The evaluation of financial offers is scheduled for 7 April 2026, with the final awarding expected between 27 April and 25 May 2026.

The Department of Energy of the United States announced the approval of permit for Project Hostos. Caribbean Transmission Development Co., LLC (CTDC) had applied to the US Department of Energy (DOE) for the US Presidential Permit to allow for the construction, connection, operation, and maintenance of facilities for transmission of electric energy at the international border between the United States Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico) and the Dominican Republic.

The permit allows for a submarine cable capable of transmitting up to 700 MW of bidirectional energy. The timeline of the project estimates the completion of the project by January 2031. The cable will span approximately 150 km (93 miles) across the Mona Passage, connecting a new natural gas plant in the Dominican Republic (San Pedro de Macorís) to the Mayagüez substation in Puerto Rico.

The...

In a weekend operation targeting unconventional drug trafficking methods, the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) and members of the Public Ministry seized 96 scented candles filled with suspected cocaine at an international courier company in the National District. The DNCD press release did not indicate the name of the courier.

The inspection, part of a broader crackdown on creative concealment techniques, uncovered the illicit substance hidden within a shipment destined for Navarra, Spain. According to authorities, the package was dispatched by a woman claiming residency in Los Jardines, Santiago.

The substance has been referred to the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF) to determine its exact weight and chemical composition.

The DNCD stated that these “aromatic” tactics represent a persistent effort by international criminal structures to bypass established...

Andersson Mejía / FIBA

Outside of the Olympic Games, the FIBA World Cup is the most important tournament in basketball.

The Dominican Republic won both of its qualifier games (versus USA and Nicaragua) in the Window 2 of the Americas Qualifier for the FIBA World Cup. The DR wins ensured the team moves to the second phase.

The DR shocked the basketball world. On 27 of February 2026, coinciding with Independence Day in the Dominican Republic, the senior basketball team left USA basketball feeling a tornado had passed over them. The DR won all four quarters of the game against the United States, the game that should have been an easy win for Team USA.

The game was played at the Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California, home to the NBA G League San Diego Clippers. The game against Nicaragua was played on 1 March in Managua.

What is most impressive about the memorable Friday, 27 February...