DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

President Luis Abinader and First Lady Raquel Arbaje addressed the Dominican nation with an emotional Christmas message, highlighting the importance of unity, solidarity, and the fundamental values that guide the country, while also warning against the dangers of ambition and an excessive love for wealth.

In a video broadcast, the President reflected on the true meaning of the holiday, emphasizing that “it is a time to reaffirm the values we learned in our homes: respect, honesty, and humility.”

He further underscored that Christmas should be “like that simple and silent night in which Jesus was born, without ostentation or grandeur.”

First Lady Raquel Arbaje joined the President in the address, stating, “I am here, not only as his life partner but as an ally in the cause of serving and positively transforming our nation.” She called on Dominicans to engage...

The Dominican Weather Institute (Indomet) forecasts excellent weather conditions for outdoor activities as the country approaches the New Year celebrations, with a high-pressure system dominating the local forecast.

According to Indomet, the atmosphere is currently characterized by low humidity, favoring mostly sunny skies and scarce rainfall across the majority of the national territory. The overall trend is one of stability.

For Monday and Tuesday (29 and 30 December 2025), the weather conditions will remain highly favorable for outdoor festivities. The prevailing high-pressure system will maintain sunny conditions with very limited cloud cover.

Indomet notes that while the chance of rain is minimal, widely isolated and weak showers cannot be entirely ruled out for the Atlantic coast and mountainous systems due to local geographical effects on the northern coast...

A feature in Hoy newspaper on 28 December 2025 explains the white phenomenon that coats the Valle Nuevo, the mountain plateau that sits between 2,200 and 2,400 meters above sea level in central La Vega province. The area’s highest peak, Alto de la Bandera, reaches an elevation of 2,842 meters. The area is frequented by those who want to experience the coldest it gets in the Caribbean.

For years, around this time of the year, social media regularly shares images of Valle Nuevo covered in a pristine white layer. These often leave Dominicans in awe, as the landscape appears to be a Nordic country rather than a scene from a Caribbean island. While the scenery frequently sparks rumors of snowfall in the tropics, meteorologists clarified for Hoy newspaper that the white blanket is actually a distinct phenomenon known as cencellada blanca, or rime ice.

Rime ice...

Monsignor Carlos Tomás Morel Diplán warns that prioritizing profit over patient care leaves the vulnerable without hope. The Coadjutor Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo in his Sunday, 28 December 2025 sermon, voiced deep concern regarding what he describes as the dehumanization of the healthcare system, warning that the prioritization of economic interests over patient care is stripping hope from the most vulnerable sectors of society.

Morel Diplán cautioned that when medical attention is governed by profit rather than human dignity, the value of a sick person’s life diminishes in the eyes of society.

During his address, Monsignor Morel Diplán lamented that hospitals and health services often place financial goals above the care of the individual. He asserted that a society failing to protect its sick is, fundamentally, a society without hope.

He...

Despite the government sending over 48,000 men and women into the streets and highways to prevent tragic happenings, this holiday season has again been very deadly. The government effort is called “Christmas and New Year’s Awareness of Life 2025-2026” and is being manned by thousands of volunteers and members of the armed services and the National Police. Over 1,000 aid stations have been located around the country. Just like during Easter Week, these aid stations are supported by hundreds of ambulances, dozens of rescue trucks and mobile workshops, and even two triage centers and three helicopters.

In the very first bulletin, the Center for Emergency Operations (COE) reported three fatalities, 26 accidents and more than 30 injured, just hours after the operation began. The second bulletin came just after Christmas Eve, and the numbers climbed: six...

A five-foot water pipe leading to the filtering and distribution station of La Noriega that serves the Santiago Water and Sewer Corporation (Coraasan) as well as the Dura Moca water treatment plant in Moca, exploded in the hamlet of La Zanja in the municipality of Sabana Iglesia in Santiago province.

The massive break partially destroyed or damaged at least four houses in the area, cut off ground communications in the immediate area, and knocked out the water supply for the Central Cibao System that supplies water to Moca, Tamboril and Santiago de los Caballeros.

The break happened near noon on Christmas Day. There were no human injuries or fatalities. Authorities immediately declared the area to be a disaster zone and heavy equipment and technicians were on the scene in the shortest of time.

Close to a million people were left without water. Coraasan has...

Airlines accepted passengers to board without their e-ticket with the Dominican Migration Agency suffered technological downtime on 27 December 2025. The e-ticket is the online migration form all travelers to the Dominican Republic need to fill out for entering and departing the country. There is no charge for the submitting of the form that needs to be filled out and filed online prior to traveling.

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• Presidency
• Noticias SIN
• E Ticket
• Diario Libre

Eight years ago, almost half of the houses in the Dominican Republic had electricity service between 20 and 24 hours a day. Today, that figure is closer to 80% (79.91 to be exact), in spite of the blackouts. The National Statistical Office (ONE) has just released the Yearly Environmental Statistics for 2025.

The reports indicates that in 2024, 57.7% of houses received the service 24 hours, and 8.5% received electricity for 20 hours a day. Between 2015 and 2024, the number of houses connected to the different electricity distributors rose from 2.9 million to 3.7 million.

According to the report, 2021 was the best year for electricity service, when 85.7% received between 20 and 24 hours of service (69% received 24 hours service). However, blackouts are still a very bothersome and persistent issue, as many will recall the near-nationwide blackout that occurred last...

The major winter storm that blanketed the northeast of the United States over the Christmas holidays also caused major flight delays and many cancellations for flights in and out of the airports in and around New York City: Newark, La Guardia, and John F. Kennedy (the famous JFK International).

JetBlue, which serves Las Americas, Santiago, Puerto Plata, and Punta Cana, announced 14 cancelled flights. American and United also had major delays leaving airports in the New York area.

It is always a wise move to check with the airlines before leaving to the airport to pick up a friend or a family member.

The winter storms caused well over a thousand flights to be delayed and over 300 flights were cancelled just over Christmas. And, there are more storms headed towards the Northeast of the United States this week. Just be careful.

Read more in...

As part of its commitment to support stability efforts in neighboring Haiti, the Dominican government has provided emergency medical evacuations and tertiary care to 47 personnel attached to the international security mission, according to the Ministry of Foreign Relations (Mirex).

Data provided by the Ministry of Foreign Relations to Noticias SIN indicates that between 31 July 2024 and 1 November 2025, Dominican authorities have assisted 46 soldiers from the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission. The majority of these personnel were Kenyan nationals.

Following the mission’s recent transition into the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), mandated by the United Nations Security Council, an additional Kenyan soldier was evacuated to Dominican territory on 12 November for specialized medical attention.

Officials reported that two of the...

The Dominican Republic’s free zone sector ends the year with around US$7.9 billion in exports from traditional manufacturing free zones export physical goods, and service sector free zones, known as call centers “export” services, and this revenue is calculated into the sector’s total contribution to the GDP.

Miguel Lama, president of the Santiago Free Zone Corporation (CZFS), announced the sector has reached a historic milestone, surpassing 200,000 direct manufacturing and service jobs. The sector currently registers 200,134 positions, marking the highest employment figure in its history.

The 200,134 job figure includes the approximately 36,000 to 40,000 direct jobs generated specifically by call centers and BPOs. The jobs in call centers have attracted thousands of young people. The call centers and BPOs are typically the third or fourth largest employer within...

For years, gambling has been woven into the fabric of daily life in the Dominican Republic, a reality fostered by a permissive regulatory environment that has allowed betting shops to saturate the national geography. From lottery bancas on nearly every street corner and slot machines in low-income barrios to the unchecked rise of mobile betting apps, the state has effectively covertly supported an ecosystem where wagering is not just accessible, but inescapable, Diario Libre reports.

While this proliferation generates some tax revenue, it has birthed a devastating, less visible public health crisis: a surge in gambling addiction, Diario Libre warns.

According to health experts, the normalization of gambling has masked a pathology that is destroying mental health, household economies, and social stability. What appears to be harmless entertainment, a culturally sanctioned...

The Dominican Republic honors the life of outstanding plastic arts painter Ada Balcacer who passed away in Miami, Florida where she had relocated to Miami when she was 70 years ago. She died on Christmas Day. She was 95 years old.

Ada Balcácer is celebrated for her ability to translate the blinding luminosity and rhythmic chaos of the Caribbean into a distinct visual language. Renowned for her mastery of “tropical light,” her canvases have featured fractured, prism-like compositions where folklore, flora, and the female form dissolved into vibrant washes of color and energetic lines.

Due to her outstanding performance and continuity in her contribution to the art world, she won the National Prize for Plastic Arts in 2011, being declared by the jury as “an artistic personality of Caribbean dimension, whose aesthetic and theoretical approaches, and the quality of its...

The New York Knicks defeated the Hawks, 128-125 in a thriller of a game in Atlanta on 27 December 2025 that could have gone either way. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with a team-high 36 points along with 15 rebounds and 3 three pointers for the Knicks, while Jalen Brunson tallied 34 points, 5 assists and 4 three pointers in the game. Onyeka Okongwu recorded 31 points, 14 rebounds and 6 three pointers. The Knicks improved their record to 22-9 with the win, while the Hawks fall to 15-18 for the season.

Follow the game: NBA Listin Diario Knicks vs Hawks game 27 December 2025

29 December 2025

Juan Soto, the Dominican outfielder who in 2025 secured the most lucrative contract in professional sports history, has reaffirmed his commitment to represent the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March 2026.

Speaking in an exclusive interview on the program “Siendo Honestos,” hosted by Katherine Hernández on CDN Channel 37, the New York Mets star discussed the unique pressure of his new status, his desire to play alongside fellow Dominican superstars, and the family traditions that keep him grounded.

Despite his massive success in Major League Baseball, Soto was unequivocal about the significance of the WBC. “Nothing compares to the World Baseball Classic,” Soto stated. “You see an entire stadium full of the Dominican Republic flag. That is something truly beautiful.”

For Soto, the tournament represents a unique convergence of talent and patriotism. He...

The Aguilas Cibaeñas was tops in the standing for most of the regular season of the Dominican Professional Winter Baseball Championship. But the semifinal round to decide the playoff teams starts it all over. Any of the four teams in the round robin can be the 2025-2026 championship team.

The round robin began on 27 December 2025 and continues through 17 January 2026. There will be rest days on 31 December and 1, 6 and 12 January 2026.

The ultimate winner will earn the opportunity to represent the Dominican Republic at the 2026 Caribbean Series in Guadalajara, Mexico from 1 to 7 February 2026.

The round robin began on 27 December 2025 with a clash in Santiago, where the Leones del Escogido defeated the Aguilas Cibaeñas at Estadio Cibao, a great disappointment for the loyal Aguilas fans.

In the nightcap, the Toros del Este delighted their fans with a win against...

DR1 News will not be updated on Wednesday, 24 December 2025 on occasion of the Christmas Eve celebrations. The news will be compiled for the Monday, 29 December edition.

The local tradition is that Christmas is a time for meetings of family and friends.

Remember DR1 Forums are open 24/7 for posting news and comments.

Best of holiday celebrations to our DR1 News readers!

During a Sunday Mass at the Santa María De La Anunciación University Parish, Monsignor Carlos Tomás Morel Diplán, called on Dominicans to reclaim the spiritual essence of Christmas, urging a shift away from materialism toward family unity and social integrity.

Morel Diplan was named Santo Domingo coadjutor bishop in November 2025. The role gives Morel Diplan control of the Santo Domingo Diocese and places him in the capacity to replace current Archbishop of Santo Domingo Francisco Ozoria. The latter is expected to resign when reaching 75 years next year.

In advance, Pope Leo passed on to Monsignor Morel administrative and financial capacities for the Archbishop Office of the capital city and Santo Domingo municipalities. The Pope also designated Father Manuel Ruiz to a new diocese created in Santo Domingo East with autonomy over this new area...

The Punta Catalina Thermal Power Plant (EGEPC) has concluded its 2025 fiscal year with record-breaking transfers to the Dominican state totaling US$258.4 million as of 3 December 2025. The figures solidify the facility’s position as one of the nation’s most potent public assets for cash generation.

With this latest performance, the cumulative contribution of the Punta Catalina Electric Generation Company between 2023 and 2025 has reached US$562.9 million. These funds were funneled into the national economy through a combination of public debt amortization, dividends, and tax payments.

According to a statement released by EGEPC, the 2025 results represent the highest annual contribution since the plant began operations. Management described the year as a “turning point” for the facility’s role in national public finance.

Despite a year defined by fiscal restrictions...

The Ministry of Public Works, acting through the RD Vial Trust, has officially launched the bidding process for the design and construction of a new overpass at Kilometer 28 of the Duarte Highway.

The project is designed to eliminate one of the most notorious traffic bottlenecks at the entrance to Santo Domingo, providing a long-awaited solution for thousands of commuters and commercial drivers traveling to and from the municipality of Pedro Brand.

The initiative is more than just a bridge; it is a comprehensive structural intervention. According to the MOPC, the project will integrate several key features to streamline movement:• Removal of traffic lights: The plan includes the elimination of two major traffic signals currently causing significant delays in Pedro Brand.• Traffic segregation: New side roads (marginales) and expanded lanes will separate local...

Minister Faride Raful / Listín Diario

Interior and Police Minister Faride Raful issued a stern warning on Monday, 22 December 2025 against an entertainment industry she claims “thrives on disorder,” following a violent weekend that left two young men dead during holiday festivities.

Speaking after a weekly citizen security meeting led by President Luis Abinader, Raful addressed the ongoing struggle to curb noise pollution. She noted that government efforts to enforce tranquility have met significant pushback from commercial interests that disregard the rights of local residents.

“There has been considerable resistance from the start because this belongs to an industry that generates disorder and does not care about the rights of the citizens in the surrounding area,” Raful told reporters.

The Minister emphasized that the state is “obligated to guarantee peaceful...

Nelson Arroyo / Noticias SIN

Nelson Arroyo, executive vice president of Seguros Reservas, the insurance division of the state Banco de Reservas, issued a firm rebuttal on Monday, 22 December 2025 against warnings from economist Juan Ariel Jiménez regarding the state-owned insurer’s financial stability. Jimenez was Minister of Economy during the government of Danilo Medina and today is a professor at the University of Harvard in Boston. Arroyo dismissed the claims as “unfounded” and lacking “technical rigor.”

The exchange marks a sharp escalation in tensions within the financial sector. Arroyo expressed regret that Jiménez, whom he described as a typically prudent voice within the political opposition, would issue judgments he believes are designed to capitalize on the public sensitivity following recent controversies surrounding Senasa.

“There is an attempt to seek political...

Authorities at the Ministry of Agriculture authorized the import of 4.7 million quintals in 2024, a move local producers claim destabilized the market.

Rice is more than just a staple in the Dominican Republic; it is the cornerstone of the national diet and a symbol of agricultural pride. For nearly two decades, the country has boasted a self-sufficiency rate of 106%, keeping annual imports to a minimum, usually hovering around half a million quintals.

However, 2024 emerged as a statistical anomaly that disrupted years of market stability, Diario Libre reports.

According to data from the General Customs Agency (DGA) and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce (MICM), the government in 2024 authorized the highest volume of foreign rice purchases in decades. Over 4.7 million quintals entered the country last year, carrying a price tag of US$152.6 million.

To put that figure...

Metropolitan Archbishop of Santiago, Héctor Rafael Rodríguez / Diario Libre

The Metropolitan Archbishop of Santiago, Héctor Rafael Rodríguez, has issued a sharp critique of the state’s regulatory frameworks following the recent scandal involving the National Health Insurance (Senasa).

The prelate questioned the apparent lack of effective oversight mechanisms designed to prevent financial insolvency, operational failure, and potential acts of corruption within public institutions.

Speaking to members of the press, Archbishop Rodríguez expressed concern that the crisis at Senasa suggests a systemic failure in governance. He argued that the situation likely escalated because the entity was operating without sufficient checks and balances.

“It gives the impression that no one was controlling it, no one was supervising it, and that is...

Christmas is the time to enjoy traditional tropical music. Several well-known performers prepare Christmas extravaganzas to delight their fans.

Performances scheduled for this year in the capital city are:26 December. D’Parranda Navideña. Mily Quezada, Fernando Villalona, Conjunto Quisqueya 9pm. Hotel La Fiesta, Jaragua Renaissance, Santo Domingo.

26 December. El Super Can Navideno. Jossie Esteban, Miriam Cruz, Pochy Familia, Los Villalona. 10pm. Hard Rock at Blue Mall, Santo Domingo.

27 December. Navidad en Salsa. Yiyo Sarante. 9pm. Hard Rock.

See more shows at: Uepa Tickets

23 December 2025

Dominican fans had high hopes of watching New York Mets Juan Soto play for the Tigres del Licey. He had announced the Mets had cleared him so he could play. But this will not happen. The Gigantes del Cibao on 22 December 2025 did the unexpected and defeated the Tigres del Licey to clinch the fourth slot to make it to the playoffs of the Dominican Winter Professional Baseball Championship. A triple by Marcos Hernandez made the difference. Ironically, Hernandez had previously played for the Licey.

The Leones del Escogido saved face for the capital city by defeating the Estrellas Orientales to qualify for the playoffs, too. Hector Rodriguez, who has just been recruited to play for the Cincinnatti Reds, decided the game for the Escogido. He had been cleared by the Reds to play that one game.

The regular season has practically ended with the Aguilas Cibaeñas, Toros del Este...

Air Caraïbes launched seasonal, direct flights from Paris-Orly (ORY) to Samaná (AZS). This is the only European airline to offer direct service to Samana. The triangular route (Paris-Samana-Santo Domingo-Paris) enables combined trips. Tourists can combine Samana with Santo Domingo.

The inaugural flight was on 15 December 2025. The airline is offering one flight initially, increasing the schedule to two weekly (Mondays and Saturdays) starting from 12 January 2026 through the winter season.

Air Caraïbes is a French West Indian airline that has its headquarters in Les Abymes, Guadeloupe. The airline’s main base of operations is at Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport in Guadeloupe, with a focus city at Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport, near Fort-de-France in Martinique. Air Caraibe flies Airbus A350s.

The Air Caraibe flights to Samana seek to bring more French...

Tourism Minister David Collado officially inaugurated a reorganization project in Bayahíbe on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, with works starting with a new parking and pedestrian complex. The new parking area was designed to end years of traffic gridlock in one of the country’s busiest coastal hubs.

The parking project is a RD$213,467,118 development that spans 26,000 square meters. The development was made possible largely through land donations from Central Romana, signaling a significant public-private partnership for the region.

The parking facility has spaces for 58 buses, 157 light vehicles and 58 motorcycles. The pedestrian infrastructure includes 2,364 square meters of new sidewalks, a pedestrian bridge and specialized trails. Storm drainage systems, cobblestone paving on the North Street and modern lighting were installed. A dedicated Tourism Police (Politur) station, public...

Legendary composer and singer Juan Luis Guerra has announced ticket sales for two concerts in Santiago this 2026. A first concert was scheduled for Saturday, 21 February 2026, but after it promptly sold out a second concert was staged. This will be at the same Estadio Cibao but a day earlier, on Friday, 20 February.

The concerts are coordinated by SD Concerts.

Read more in Spanish:

• Diario Libre

President Luis Abinader officially opened the first phase of the revitalized La Caleta Underwater National Park on Monday, 15 December 2025, marking the completion of a RD$420 million (approximately US$7 million) project designed to rescue a site of immense historical and environmental value and the swimmable public beach closest to the capital city.

The park area is 120,000 square meters and 2.74 linear kilometers. The park has new pedestrian paths, parking, viewpoints and children’s play areas. There is an area for the Tourism Police (Politur), bathrooms and vendor modules.

A Ministry of Tourism press release explains that the renovation ends more than 40 years of neglect, transforming a once-deteriorating coastal area into a modern hub for sustainable tourism and marine conservation.

Located adjacent to the road stretch leading to Las Américas...

The Dominican Republic is a prime Caribbean destination for major live music in 2026. Following a wave of announcements starting in late 2025, several global icons and Latin music legends have already locked in their dates for the upcoming year, Listin Diario reports.

From pop and electronic to urban and rock, here are several of the international stars and festivals booked for the Dominican Republic in 2026:

Global superstars & pop icons• Morrissey: The legendary English singer is scheduled for a historic performance at the Altos de Chavón Amphitheater on 25 January 2026.• David Guetta: One of the world’s most famous DJs will bring his “Monolith Tour” to Santo Domingo at the Estadio Quisqueya on 26 March 2026.• Chayanne: The Puerto Rican “King of Latin Pop” returns with his “Bailemos Otra Vez Tour” on 11 April 2026, at Estadio Quisqueya in Santo Domingo• Ed Sheeran: The...