DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

In a recent interview with the program “Matutino Su Mundo,” former JCE president Roberto Rosario emphasized the board’s crucial role in bolstering national identity through the issuing of the national ID card. Rosario is a close aide to former President Leonel Fernandez, the presidential candidate for the leading opposition political party, the Fuerza del Pueblo.

Rosario asserted that, according to the Constitution, the JCE is responsible for managing both the civil registry and the electoral registry.

Rosario highlighted the role empowers the JCE to streamline and authenticate all documentation related to national identity. “Now more than ever, this is necessary,” he stated, “as there is always a potential risk of contamination within the civil or electoral registries.”

He sees the ID card renewal process as a historic opportunity to fortify the nation’s...

The absence of effective land use policies is taking a toll on Dominican agriculture. Official data reveals the country has lost a significant agricultural area over the past seven years, raising concerns about the sector’s sustainability and food security, El Dinero reports.

Between 2016 and 2022, the Dominican Republic witnessed a 9.2% reduction in its agricultural land, dropping from an average of 16,088,579.3 cultivated tareas (1 tarea = 629 square meters) in the initial three years to 14,612,751.9 tareas during 2020-2022. This downward trend is particularly pronounced in provinces like Barahona, where agricultural land loss exceeds 30%.

The Ministry of Economy, Planning, and Development’s (MEPyD) report, “Performance of the Dominican Republic’s Agricultural Sector (2016-2023),” shows that in 2022, the area of harvested land was 14,593,894.50 tareas, marking a 7.8% decrease...

In a recent statement, Senator Rafael Baron Duluc Rijo called for quick passing of an amber alert system focuses exclusively on minors. The system would adhere to internationally recognized standards. The bill calls for inter-institutional coordination, assigned responsibilities and prompt actions for locating missing children.

Highlighting the critical nature of the first hours following a child’s disappearance, Rijo underscored the necessity of issuing an immediate alert. “As a former judge and experienced lawyer, I’ve seen numerous cases where parents report their missing children, often to be met with responses like ‘maybe he’s just out with friends, let’s wait.’ Those initial hours can be crucial in determining whether the child is found or remains missing forever, as they are pivotal when someone goes missing,” he said.

Noting that this law should have been...

Source: El Dinero

Couples living without getting married are more than those who get married in the Dominican Republic. But to tell by the statistics, legally tying the knot is also popular, N Digital reports. By the high number of divorces, Dominicans don’t think twice about getting a divorce, too.

N Digital reports that the number of marriages has continued steady over the years, as per data by the National Civil Registration Department of the Central Electoral Board (JCE). From 2020 to 2024, there have been 231,162 marriages. This averages out to 128 civil weddings per day.

Indeed, there is a steady demand for civil wedding services, with officials working long hours—typically from 10am to 8pm.—both in offices and at private residences.

As mentioned above, these statistics exclude common-law unions and marriages performed by the Catholic and evangelical churches...

22-year old US student Joshua Steven Riibe left the Riu Republica on the same day of the court hearing that cleared him from police surveillance at the hotel room the Attorney General Office was paying for him to continue staying at the Riu Republica. Riibe was investigated in the case of missing 20-year old Indian student Sudiskha Konanki. The court, nevertheless, did not order the Dominican authorities to return his passport and cell phone.

In Santo Domingo, Riibe received an emergency passport from the US Consulate and traveled on 20 March 2025 back to the United States via Puerto Rico. He is from Rock Rapids, Iowa. He studies land surveying at the St. Cloud State University in Minnesota.

Riibe had arrived to Punta Cana for a spring break vacation on 1 March. On 6 March, he became the last person to be with the Indian tourist Sudiksha Konanki, here with five friends...

Joshua Steven Riibe and Sudiksha Konanki / Noticias SIN

Mediaticos reports that the case of the 20-year old Indian woman who went missing in a Punta Cana beach has been one of mega media coverage. The consultancy firm on media said that media listening reached millions of views.

The disappearance of Sudiksha Konanki, the young Indian student from the University of Pittsburgh, in Punta Cana grabbed national and international public attention for two weeks. Her disappearance case, which occurred at the beach of the Riu República resort, sparked a media frenzy and social media conversations and abundant speculations on what could have happened, significantly surpassing the usual visibility of the Punta Cana destination.

Photos of the turquoise waters with light waves crashing into shore made primetime TV newscasts as the investigators combed the beach...

A Police colonel was caught on video confronting noise control agents that had been trying to do their job. The good news is that the agents were protected by cameras that took footage of their actions and the reprimand by the raging Police colonel. This led to an investigation and the suspension of the Jarabacoa chief.

The Ministry of Interior & Police is on a crusade to reduce noise impacting residential areas. The recent video shared on Noticias SIN and social media shows the difficult task those on the noise-fighting units need to deal with, especially when a higher-ranking officer does not agree with their controlling the businesses in their town.

The video circulating widely on social media captures a heated confrontation between a Dominican police colonel and agents from the Alcohol Control Corps (COBA) during an operation in the...

The mountain area of Constanza, in the tallest mountains of the Caribbean, is enjoying or suffering from extreme low temperatures. The weather report is that the thermometer dropped below zero on the early morning of 19 March 2025. A cold front has moved our way. A temperature of -4°C (25°F) was reported in the valley area of Constanza.

Noticias SIN reported that the phenomenon even surprised the locals. The mountain landscape was transformed into a winter wonderland with ice formations.

Experts attribute this abrupt temperature drop to a combination of seasonal climatic factors and particular atmospheric conditions. Jean Suriel of CDN Weather had forecast a cold front would be passing our way.

Meanwhile, in the capital city and coastal areas the temperatures have been pleasant — around 20°C (68°F) in the early morning.

Read more in...

Cristobal Marte, former Minister of Sports and creator of the Reinas del Caribe, the women’s volleyball development scheme, describes Ricardo “Gioriver” Arias as one of the greatest icons of Dominican volleyball and a true talent scout. Gioriver Arias had also been honored, with the naming of the Volleyball Palace at the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center in his honor.

The sports director passed away on 19 March 2025. He was 85 years old and died from several health complications. He had dedicated his past 60 years to develop the sport of volleyball in the Dominican Republic. Arias himself is a former volleyball player, who was inducted to the Dominican Sports Hall of Fame in 2012 for his athletic achievements

“We have lost the father and promoter of volleyball,” Priscilla Rivera, former captain of the Dominican national team (“Reinas del Caribe”), told El Dia. “Gioriver...

Progress is being made on the preparations of the venues and people that will be directly involved in the 25th Central American and Caribbean Games to be held in Santo Domingo from 24 to 8 July 2026. The first time the regional games were held here was in 1974 for the 12th edition. For that occasion, the then Balaguer administration built the country’s first major sports center, the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center.

These are the same installations that now are undergoing a major revamping and modernization. The 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games are being used to renovate all the sports facilities in the capital city. This is expected to turn Santo Domingo into a strong competitor for international sports events in the future.

The Dominican Republic is already becoming a major sports tourism city and the capital city...

Dominican Republic’s Central Bank Governor Héctor Valdez Albizu met with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) executive director for Brazil and head of the country’s chair, André Roncaglia, and the IMF mission led by Emilio Fernández-Corugedo at the conclusion of their “Staff Visit” to the country. The visit aimed to assess the Dominican economy’s performance and prospects ahead of the upcoming Article IV consultation later this year.

Key points from Governor Valdez Albizu:• Strong economic performance: The Dominican economy performed well in 2024, growing by 5.0%, one of the highest rates in Latin America.• Controlled inflation: Inflation has remained within the target range of 4% ± 1% for the last 15 months, standing at 3.56% year-over-year in February 2025, with underlying inflation at 4.21%.• Optimism despite uncertainty: Valdez Albizu expressed optimism about the future...

The Dominican Republic exports eggs to Cuba, Haiti, and Guyana, with an average monthly volume of 50 million eggs, according to Agriculture Minister Limber Cruz. This information came in response to inquiries about the country’s egg exports and whether they include the United States, where eggs are costing unprecedented highs due to the threat of bird flu, as reported in Listin Diario.

The bad news is that the Dominican Republic does not export eggs to the United States. The primary reason for this is the poultry industry’s vaccination requirements against avian influenza. Agricultural expert Manuel González Tejera (Manegonte) explains that the country is still not certified by the USDA/APHIS as free from Newcastle disease, a certification required for exporting to the US market. This process has been pending for several years.

According to the Dominican Aviculture Association...

As is happening around the rest of the world, plastic is gaining as the preferred media of payment in the Dominican Republic.

A report in El Dia states that the preference for cash payments in the Dominican Republic has declined by 9.5% in the last four years, dropping from 65.5% in 2019 to 55.9% in 2023. This shift indicates a growing trend towards digital and modern payment methods.

According to the 2024 National Survey of Financial Inclusion and Education (ENIEF) report, the country is experiencing significant changes in the population’s payment habits.

“This transition aligns our payment practices with international standards and reflects our progress towards a less cash-dependent economy,” the report states.

The report also highlights that between 2019 and 2023, the number of individuals with at least one savings, checking, payroll, or time...

Haitians have long found work in the Dominican Republic’s agriculture and construction sectors. Now, they are increasingly turning to public transportation, primarily as unofficial “pirate” drivers, a trend that is fueling resentment among their Dominican counterparts, Diario Libre reports.

Dominican taxi and motorcycle drivers complain that these unlicensed Haitian operators undercut fares and avoid paying transport association dues.

“They take our passengers, and they don’t have the same responsibilities we do,” said Alejandro Núñez, a Dominican taxi driver. Many drivers view the “pirates” as unfair competition, noting they don’t contribute to the established system.

Diario Libre reports that the so-called pirate drivers often operate outside the formal syndicated transport associations system, which requires significant upfront investment. Joining a...

The judge who heard the request for allowing freedom of transit for 22-year old US citizen Joshua Steven Riibe has ruled in his favor. Judge Edwin Rijo of the Higuey jurisdiction ordered the release of Riibe from the 24/7 police surveillance that had been accompanying him in his extended stay at the Riu Republica resort in the northern Arena Gorda section of Punta Cana. Media reports say the Attorney General Office has been covering the cost of Riibe’s extended stay for collaboration in the investigations.

Riibe’s counsel had requested freedom to move, the right to return home to his family and that his passport be returned to their client.

The judge said that the local prosecutors are free to continue the investigations into the disappearance of 20-year old Indian citizen Sudiksha Konanki who came for her spring break vacation. Judge Rijo emphasized that all of...

The family of Sudiksha Konanki has asked the Dominican Police to make a formal declaration of death. In a letter to the Police (Criminal Investigations Department – Dicrim) they accept the conclusion of the investigators in the case that their daughter has most likely drowned. They previously had asked the Police to widen the investigation beyond the search at sea. Dominican Tourist Police, Police Criminal Department investigators, the attorney general of the country, the provincial prosecutor and US FBI agents and two detectives from the Loudon County Sheriff office have participated in the ongoing investigations.

The letter addressed to Jose del C. Ramirez de la Rosa, of the Dicrim (Police Investigation Department) requests the legal declaration of death for their daughter.

The letter states:“We, Subbarayudu Konan[k]i and StreeDevi Konanki, the parents of Sudiksha...

The Tourism Police Department (Politur), in collaboration with the Organization of American States (OAS), the Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism (CICTE-OAS), and the Canadian Embassy in the Dominican Republic, are holding the “National Tourism Security Workshop.” The event, aimed at facilitating the exchange of best practices in regional tourism security, is taking place on 18, 19 and 20 March 2025 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santo Domingo.

The workshop has coincided with the investigations into the case of a missing Indian student of the University of Pittsburgh who had come for a spring break vacation and now is believed to have drowned. What is known is she went swimming at around 5am at the beach of her hotel with a US student she had met that evening when partying. The friend reported they were swept by a wave.

The...

The directors of the leading print media met at the Unibe university to discuss the implications of social media and the widespread circulation of fake news and speculations that people accept as valid. The event was organized by the Unibe and the board of the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel)

The leading media directors acknowledge the reach social media has had in the Dominican population, where most people are not aware the social platform programs speculate and create attention-grabbing stories to gain views.

Guido Gómez, president of the Indotel board, explained the 2-day journalism at the university sought to gather national and international experts to give their opinions on the role of journalism and democracy and social media Internet platforms. He argued that the disinformation and fake news circulating on social media is a...

The beloved comic strip Mafalda is at the National Gallery of the Palace de Bellas Artes with an exhibition that invites visitors to immerse themselves in the world created by Argentine cartoonist and graphic humorist, Joaquín Salvador Lavado Tejón, known as Quino, Diario Libre reports. The exhibition is open until 31 March 2025.

“The World According to Mafalda” takes people to the decade of the ’60s and early ’70s by opening the doors to the apartment of Mafalda’s neighbors, as well as corridors with the biographies of the characters, vignettes and objects with the classic remarks by Mafalda, and Quino’s biography presented by the graphic humorist, Miguel Rep.

Visitors can also enjoy animated shorts of this character, an exhibition of games from the time, an area where they can identify the characters through their objects and characteristic expressions, as well...

The Dominican Republic is undergoing a profound digital transformation, solidifying its position as the Caribbean’s digital hub in 2025, 7 Dias reports. With an explosive growth in Internet and social media usage, the country is leading the region in internet connectivity.

According to the “Digital 2025” report, the statistics paint a striking picture: the Dominican Republic is not just connected; it’s revolutionizing the way it lives, works, and communicates.

7 Dias says the recent statistics indicate that by 2025, the Dominican Republic has reached a historic milestone: 10.2 million Internet users, representing an impressive 88.6% of its total population. This marks a 5.6% growth compared to 2024, leaving only 11.4% of Dominicans disconnected, a digital divide that is rapidly shrinking. Mobile connections are also on the rise, with 10.3 million active lines...

The US dollar exchange rate has surged in the Dominican Republic, nearly reaching the government’s projected year-end rate of 63.11 Dominican pesos per US dollar within the first three months of 2025.

President Luis Abinader addressed the issue in his 17 March 2025 press conference stating that the country continues to have its highest foreign currency reserves ever, and that remittances, tourism receipts, foreign direct investment, and exports continue at record levels. He said he trusts veteran central bank governor, Hector Valdez Albizu has the situation under control.

On Friday, 14 March 2025, the Central Bank set the official exchange rate at RD$62.62 for purchase and RD$62.99 for sale, rates that remain in effect on Monday, 17 March. However, commercial banks are reporting transactions ranging from RD$61.50 to RD$62.70 for purchase and as high as RD$63 per US dollar for...

President Luis Abinader announced during his Monday, 17 March 2025 press conference that the US government has revoked the export impediment against Central Romana sugar exports. Effective 23 November 2022, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had banned shipments of raw sugar and sugar-based products produced in the Dominican Republic by Central Romana Corporation. A new order allows the exports.

Following through with the announced plan to get more power users to pay for the service, Edesur Dominicana announced that it has dismantled 7,700 illegal electrical connections and regularized service for hundreds of customers in a series of anti-fraud operations across seven provinces.

The actions have been primarily carried out in San Cristóbal, Barahona, Bahoruco, Independencia, Pedernales, San Juan and Elías Piña provinces, where hundreds of thousands of people received free power services. The efforts are part of the company’s ongoing effort to combat electricity theft and ensure fair service for all consumers.

Furthermore, as part of its regularization efforts, Edesur teams offered payment plans to customers with outstanding debts. Those who were using the service without having a contract were registered and a meter installed.

Before disconnecting illegal...

There has been much speculation in the case of missing 20-year old Sudiksha Konanki, an Indian 20-year old resident of Loudon County, Virginia and student of premed at the University of Pittsburgh who is missing since the dawn of 6 March 2025. She came to Punta Cana with five girlfriends on 3 March for spring break.

The local authorities have given privileged treatment to 22-year old Joshua Steven Riibe, from Rock Rapids, Iowa and a senior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, the last person known to have been with the young woman. As of 17 March 2025, he has never formally been arrested but instead has been asked to remain in a hotel room under 24/7 Politur surveillance to allow for collaboration with the investigators in the case. His passport has been kept by the authorities. He has said he has spent his time in his room...

Environmentally-minded neighbors denounce that a group of invaders in Hato Nuevo have been filling wetlands and ravines near the Haina-Manoguayabo River with trash and debris. This action further exacerbates the pollution affecting the river, a vital water resource for communities within its 564.15 square kilometer basin.

The Dominican Republic, a signatory to the Ramsar international treaty promoting wetland conservation and sustainable use, faces a stark contradiction with the destruction of these essential ecosystems. Wetlands are crucial for biodiversity and environmental balance, acting as climate regulators, carbon sinks, and natural sponges that prevent flooding.

According to the Verdor magazine of the Academy of Sciences of the Dominican Republic, the country has 6,561.17 square kilometers of wetlands, representing 13.5% of its territory...

Dominicans are known for their predominance in baseball in the United States. But now, Dominican basketball players are moving up the ranks.

El Dia reports that several Dominican players will be participating in the NCAA March Madness tournament, starting Tuesday, 18 March 2025, one of the biggest stages in college basketball.

El Dia reports:This year’s exclusive list of Dominican players includes R.J. Luis Jr. (St. John’s), Koby Brea (Kentucky), Gerónimo Rubio De La Rosa (Columbia Lions), Andersson García (Texas A&M), Chris Mañón (Vanderbilt), and Christian Fermín (VCU Rams).

R.J. Luis Jr. has been one of the standout players for St. John’s, helping secure the team’s spot in the NCAA tournament, which serves as a key platform for future NBA hopefuls. Born in 2002 to Dominican father Reggie Luis Charles and Ecuadorian mother Verónica Luis, R.J. was recently...

Aleksandar Kovacevic from New York City won the 2025 Cap Cana Cup, a ATP Challenger 175. He defeated Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-3 in just 71 minutes to win his second trophy of the year and become the first American to win a Challenger Tour 175 title. This is Kovacevic’s biggest career title.

Kovacevic dropped just six points behind his first serve and saved five of the six break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

He competed at the state-of-the-art tennis courts at Cap Cana, the best tennis venue in the country.

The Dominican Republic previously held Davis Cup tournaments at the 2003 Pan American Games facilities at the Mirador del Este and the La Bocha Tennis Club facilities in the city of Santo Domingo. Rafael Nadal has announced the start of construction of a Rafael Tennis Center and prime tennis facilities at his hotel, Zel Punta Cana, part of...

The capital city welcomes the best of carnival from all around the Dominican Republic for the mega carnival scheduled for the Malecon parade in Santo Domingo on Sunday, 23 March 2025. The Gran Desfile Nacional de Carnaval 2025 will start at around 3pm and the parade will continue into the first hours of the evening, to be followed by live entertainment.

The parade closes the almost two-month carnival season in the Dominican Republic and is organized by the Ministry of Culture. RD$5 million in prizes will be delivered to the best parading groups from all around the country.

Read more in Spanish:

• Presidencia

Hotel Santiago Curio Collection by Hilton / Diario Libre

Hilton, in partnership with Santiago Center, officially opened the Santiago, Curio Collection by Hilton hotel on Sunday, 16 March 2025. The event was attended by President Luis Abinader, Vice President Raquel Peña, and Minister of Tourism David Collado.

“We are very pleased to celebrate the first milestone of Santiago Center: the inauguration of the Hotel Santiago, Curio Collection by Hilton. This is a tangible testament to our commitment and our desire to contribute to the transformation that this wonderful city is experiencing,” said José Miguel González Cuadra, director of Santiago Center.

The 177-room hotel is centrally located on Av. Juan Pablo Duarte corner Av. Estrella Sadhala in Santiago city.

The hotel is adjacent to the largest and newest mall in Santiago, the soon to open Santiago Agora Mall. The...

Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced the awarding of two of its Strategic Partner award to Dominican properties during the Corry Oakes Strategic Partner Award presented at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar during Hyatt’s 2025 Americas Owners Conference.

The Corry Oakes Strategic Partner Award celebrates a company’s culture, philosophies, and strong, multi-brand relationship with Hyatt.

The two winning Dominican hotels were in two separate categories – Best New Property (Secrets Tides Punta Cana) and Best Adaptive Re-Use (Hyatt Centric Santo Domingo).

The Best New Property Award acknowledges recent hotel openings award and was presented to Secrets Tides Punta Cana & Spa (Codelpa) opened in January 2024 in the Uvero Alto north section of Punta Cana. It is the first Hyatt hotel owned by Alvaro Pena, regarded as an industry visionary in the Caribbean. The all-suite resort offers nine restaurants...

There is yet no closure in the case of the missing 20-year old Indian national and resident in Virginia state, Sukhadi Konanki, who had traveled to Punta Cana for her spring break vacation on 3 March 2025. She is registered as a premed student at the University of Pittsburgh.

Her whereabouts are unknown as of 6 March 2025. The Dominican government has invested millions in an unprecedented multi-agency search for evidence to resolve the case. The story continues to be headline news in the DR and has made major media in the United States.

Konanki was reported missing to the Police at around 4pm on 6 March, after not returning to her hotel room from a sojourn on the beach with fellow tourist US citizen 24-year old Joshua Steven Riibe at around 5am on that Thursday. Riibe has been described as a person of interest in the case. Statements published regarding the...

Spanish journalist Juan Luis Cebrian, former director of El Pais, the leading Spanish media, will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming Social Media Forum organized by the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel) and Unibe university for 17 and 18 March 2025.

The forum opens at 5pm on Monday, 17 March with the key note address by Juan Luis Cebrian. Panelists are Anibal de Castro, executive director of Diario Libre; Fausto Rosario of Acento and member of the board of Indotel; and Edith Febles (La Cosa como Es), investigative journalist, with Ramon Emilio Colombo Garcia as moderator, from 5 to 7pm.

On 18 March, a full day of presentations on fake news and social media with the participation of veteran journalist Ruddy L. Gonzalez; Ecuador lawyer and media consultant Juan Pablo Pozo Bahamonde; social media communications engineer Darian Vargas...

Adess and Superate would be joined in a super welfare agency, Direccion de Desarrollo Social, under Gloria Reyes, who at present directs the Superate program. The Presidency has not yet uploaded the decree to its website, but Decree 113-25 has been circulating.

As reported in Diario Libre, the Dominican government issued Decree 113-25 that will merge the Superate cards (whereby low income people receive cash deposits from the government) and the Administradora de Subsidios Sociales (Adess) into the new Ministry of the Presidency department.

Celso Marranzini / Diario Libre

Economist and business leader Celso Marranzini has refuted statements made by a former vice-president of the old Dominican Corporation of State-owned Electricity Companies (CDEEE), Ruben Jimenez Bichara, who called the current situation of the various electricity producers “unsustainable.” Marranzini said that he begged to differ. Celso Marranzini at present is the highest-ranking energy officer for the Abinader administration (president of the Consejo Unificado de las Empresas Electricas – CUED), comparative to what Jimenez Bichara was during the past Medina administration.

Responding to statements by his predecessor, Marranzini said that the current electricity situation is quite different from the one described by Jimenez Bichara, and that the current administration has managed to significantly better both efficiency and corporate...

The governor of the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, Hector Valdez Albizu, received the staff of the International Monetary Fund that are preparing for the upcoming visit by the IMF mission. The meeting served as a platform for the governor to present some of the government’s accomplishments regarding the national economy.

Valdez noted that GDP growth was at 5% for 2024, making it one of the highest in Latin America, and inflation was among the lowest, except for the countries that operate a dollarized economy.

The employment numbers are up, and the level of formal employment also improved. However, there still are more persons employed in the informal sector (54.8%) then in the formal, tax-paying, sector.

And, according to government numbers, inflation had been held in check for the previous 15 month period.

For Valdez, another important feature for the...

Raquel Peña / Diario Libre

As the keynote speaker at the Manuel Arsenio Ureña business conference, a breakfast event held in Santiago, current Vice President Raquel Peña told her audience that “[she] dreamed of walking up the stairs of the Presidential Palace as the President.”

Speaking on the topic of “Women Leaders Pushing Sustainable Economies,” Peña said that when she was asked by a reporter when she became the Vice President if she “had ever dreamed of such a thing?” She said “no”.

And she went on. “Now this question you are asking about dreaming about waking up those stairs as President? The answer is yes.”

She did not, however, say whether she would contend in the presidential primary of the ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM).

Several PRM government officers have expressed their interest in being the ruling party presidential candidate in the 2028...

Edgar Batista / Listin Diario

The Justice Department has requested that judges order the preventive custody of Edgar Batista Matos, who was recently deported from the United States. It seems that Batista Matos was the “captain” of the small craft that floundered off the coast of Guayacanes Beach as 60 persons attempted to travel to Puerto Rico.

Five persons drowned in the incident, and several have not accounted for, possibly because their reluctance to come forward or in the cases of those who perished in the capsizing.

Each of the people in the little boat reportedly had paid Batista Matos the sum of US$6,000 for the trip.

Prosecutor Yoanna Bejaran Alvarez, who heads the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Illegal Trafficking of Migrants and Human Trafficking (PETT), together with the prosecutor for this case, Aleika Almonte Santana, and other officials, requested this...

Defense counsel in the corruption case known as Antipulpo has requested that the court drop the case because of the statute of limitations. This decision could affect many other of the major corruption cases currently pending in the Dominican court system.

The defense lawyers are basing their arguments on Article 148 of the Criminal Process Code, which stipulates certain time limitations for criminal proceedings. According to this article the clock starts with the first arraignments of the accused.

The major point in this instance is that a decision to drop the Antipulpo case because of a statute of limitations could well affect such cases as Coral, Coral 5G and Medusa, all of which are currently plodding along in the system.

The Antipulpo case officially began on 29 November 2020 with the arrests and searches carried out against 27 people and 21 companies, all tied to the brother of former president Danilo Medina. In the case of the Coral indictments, this case began in...

The Traffic Safety and Transportation Agency (Digesett) can only seize your vehicle if you lack the necessary documentation, as per Transit Law 63-17, Diario Libre reports. Vehicle drivers need to show agents they carry a valid insurance policy and the registration proving ownership of the vehicle. When these are shown, the Digesett by law is only authorized to issue fines. The driver also needs to have a valid driver’s license.

Diario Libre says it is frequent for Digesett agents to seize motorcycles of those caught using the elevated road passes. What is correct, is for these motorcyclists to just receive fines.

Diario Libre reports that Digesett agents are abusing their power when they confiscate the vehicles unlawfully and cause significant hardship, especially for citizens who depend on their motorcycles for daily survival.

Nevertheless, the reality is that while the...

The Constitutional Court declared significant portions of articles 26 and 28 of Law 368-22 on Territorial Planning, Land Use, and Human Settlements unconstitutional, as reported in Diario Libre. The decision, outlined in ruling TC/1146/23, is grounded in the violation of municipal autonomy as enshrined in the Constitution.

The ruling, though issued in 2023, was not officially notified until 2025, creating a legal limbo for local governments and real estate investors. The challenge to the legislation was brought forward by Waldys Taveras, a municipal specialist and executive director of the Greater Santo Domingo Association.

Taveras argued that the law unconstitutionally granted authority to the Ministry of Economy, Planning, and Development and the Council of Ministers in approving construction and land use permits. These powers, he asserted, are the exclusive domain of...

The Loma Quita Espuela Foundation (FLQE) has been recognized with three prestigious awards in 2024 for its outstanding contributions to environmental conservation and sustainable development in the northeastern region of the Dominican Republic. The FLQE is located in San Francisco de Macoris, Duarte province.

The non-profit organization received the Brugal Believes in its People Award in the Environmental Defense and Protection category, presented by Casa Brugal. The foundation also earned the Dr. Julio A. Brache Arzeno Sustainability Award from the Rica Foundation in the Environment category, and the José Santiago Reinoso Lora Competitive Funds from the Cibao Association for Savings and Loans for the “Fertilizing Life Naturally” initiative.

Jesús Moreno Portalatín, president of the Foundation, along with members of the board of directors, visited the El Jaya...

The National Cattlemen’s Patronage (PNG) has announced the National Farm Fair (Feria Ganadera) will be held at the Ciudad Ganadera (Cattler City) in Santo Domingo from 21 to 30 March 2025.

The event this year hosts agro-business platforms, technology, educational settings, and entertainment for the general public. There will be exhibitions of livestock, artisanal products, fresh food sales, and more. This year, several gastronomic presentations featuring the best of Dominican agriculture prepared for the visiting public.

Last year over 100,000 persons visited the fair that takes place at the Feria Ganadera on the western side of the sea-bordering Malecon in the capital city.

During the press conference announcing the fair, Minister of Agriculture Limber Cruz Lopez and Agriculture Bank director Fernando Duran announced ample credit...