DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic
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Once a symbol of opulence, Villa Caracola, an oceanfront estate allegedly tied to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, now stands in ruins in the exclusive Cap Cana resort in the Dominican Republic, Diario Libre reports. The multimillion-dollar property, located near Playa Juanillo, has been left to decay following its seizure by US authorities over alleged connections to corruption and drug trafficking networks.
Spanning over 3,000 square meters of construction on a 6,000-square-meter lot, the mansion was originally purchased for approximately US$13 million and later resold for US$18 million. The transaction involved Venezuelan businessman Samark José López Bello, designated by the U.S. Treasury Department as a frontman for former Venezuelan Vice President Tareck El Aissami and a key figure managing assets linked to Maduro.
Designed by the prestigious architectural firm Campagna Ricart & Associates, known for high-end developments like the new St. Regis Cap Cana, the villa...
High surf and wind gusts caused the downing of several trees and impacted traffic along the northeastern coastal roads. As reported in Listin Diario, plantain trees in Las Galeras were impacted, causing damages to small farmers. As far south as Santo Domingo, the wind gusts and high surf were experienced. The government had issued a ban on small boats taking to sea for all of the country.
A catamaran yacht in Luperon Bay, likewise, was impacted by lightning that caused it to be severely damaged by fire, Listin Diario reports. A video confirmed the fire happened after the lightning struck.
The government has maintained red flags for beaches along the northeastern coasts and ordered small boats to stay in docks.
The most intense rains were felt in Oviedo (Pedernales) on the southwestern coast with 128 millimeters and in Cabrera (María Trinidad Sánchez), on the northeastern coast with con 84.6 millimeters.
The Weather Institute (Indomet) expects conditions to be back to...
Tourism Minister David Collado announced that July 2025 is another historic month for Dominican tourism. Some 863,785 tourists arrived at the different airports around the country. Added to that number are 189,051 cruise passengers, for a monthly total of 1,052,836 visitors, an all-time high for July. This represents a 3.4% increase compared to last year and 12% more than July 2023.
The country’s total arrivals are now more than 7.1 million tourists for the first seven months of the year. The DR is the leader in arrivals in the Caribbean and Central America. The DR is only second to Mexico in arrivals in Latin America.
According to Collado, from January to July 2025, the country received a total of 7,197,844 visitors, marking a 3.2% increase over the same period in 2024, a 14% rise compared to 2023, and an impressive 49% jump from 2019 — the last full pre-pandemic year.
During an event held at a Santo Domingo hotel, Minister Collado explained that 5,377,878 tourists...
Arajet announced it achieved a new record in passengers transported in July 2025. According to data from the Civil Aviation Board (JAC), Arajet transported 128,178 passengers, not including an additional 15,000+ transit passengers. This surge in traffic pushed the airline past the 140,000-passenger mark for the first time in a single month.
The remarkable performance landed Arajet in the third spot for passenger traffic in the Dominican Republic for July. It followed only behind industry giants JetBlue (463,000) and American Airlines (216,000). For the first time, Arajet surpassed major US carriers Delta (126,000), United (123,000), and Copa (112,000).
The airline’s success also highlights its dominance within the local market. Arajet accounted for 80% of all passengers flown by Dominican airlines, with Sky High at 15% and other smaller carriers like Air Century, Red Air, and Panorama Jets making up the remaining 5%.
Arajet CEO and founder Víctor Pacheco expressed his...
President Abinader has officially launched the construction of a modern passenger terminal at the Las Américas International Airport (SDQ – AILA), backed by a US$250 million investment. The addition of the three-level terminal will enable the airport to handle more aircraft, streamline passenger processes, and significantly enhance traveler comfort and convenience.
The investment will practically double the capacity of the airport that mainly serves the capital city.
The airport was first inaugurated in 1959 as the Punta Caucedo International Airport, and the airport was renamed Aeropuerto Internacional de las Americas in 1962 with a second terminal opening in 2008.
The new terminal will add 33,000 square meters of space and 10 new boarding gates, enabling the airport to serve an additional 4 million passengers annually.
The new terminal will include a state-of-the-art arrivals area with an automated baggage handling system and four conveyor belts. The departures area...
President Abinader has officially launched the construction of a modern passenger terminal at the Las Américas International Airport (SDQ – AILA), backed by a US$250 million investment. The addition of the new three-level terminal will enable the airport to handle more aircraft, streamline passenger processes, and significantly enhance traveler comfort and convenience.
The investment will practically double the capacity of the airport that mainly serves the capital city. The airport was first inaugurated in 1959 as the Punta Caucedo International Airport, and the airport was renamed Aeropuerto Internacional de las Americas in 1962 with a second terminal opening in 2008.
The new terminal will add 33,000 square meters of space and 10 new boarding gates, enabling the airport to serve an additional 4 million passengers annually.
The new terminal will include a state-of-the-art arrivals area with an automated baggage handling system and four conveyor belts. The departures area...
This past weekend, Hard Rock Café opened to the general public in the tourist town of Sosúa, half an hour from the provincial capital. The Café is scheduling live music presentations.
The store, American food and live shows venue opened amidst skepticism of expats in the area that it would happen, as a thread in DR1 Forums reflects.
The Hard Rock Café is catering to domestic and foreign tourists, including cruise ship tourists, and the many foreigners who live in the Puerto Plata area.
There are Hard Rock Cafés in Santo Domingo and the Punta Cana area.
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The German Embassy in Santo Domingo launched the 2025 edition of Master of the Ocean with an exclusive cocktail event at the ambassador’s residence, led by Ambassador Maike Friedrichsen to announce the 20th edition. The competition will take place 17 to 21 September 2025 in Cabarete, Puerto Plata.
Master of the Ocean features competitions in five disciplines: surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, stand-up paddle, and wing foil. Events are held at the Encuentro Beach (surf and SUP) and Cabarete Beach (kite, windsurf, and wing foil), both offering ideal conditions for each sport and delivering an unmatched spectacle.
The launch brought together prominent figures from the sports, tourism, and local communities, including Leoni Perthold, a Dominican-German water sports athlete and entrepreneur; Adolfo Ramírez, a renowned judge and sports tourism entrepreneur in Cabarete; and Francis González, overall champion of Master of the Ocean and third-place winner in the 2023 and 2024...
Erreway is scheduled to perform at Santo Domingo’s Palacio de los Deportes in the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center on 17 October 2025. The Palacio de los Deportes is being remodeled in time for the Central American and Caribbean Games scheduled for July 2026.
Erreway is an Argentine pop music group formed during the television series Rebelde Way, consisting of Camila Bordonaba, Felipe Colombo, Luisana Lopilato and Benjamín Rojas.
Erreway had earlier been announced to be the inaugural concert for the Santo Domingo Arena. The group is now selling tickets online.
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The Presidency issued Decree 461-25 on Sunday, 17 August 2025 with numerous key appointments in government. These are:
Leonardo Aguilera Batista has been appointed the new executive president of Banreservas, the government commercial bank. Since 2020, Aguilera had been the president of the board of Refidomsa. An economic advisor and political consultant with more than three decades of experience, he is the founding president of the Cibao Economic Center (CEC), one of the most reputable polling companies in the Dominican Republic. Aguilera has consulted in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Haiti, and El Salvador, and is the author of several books on economics and politics.
Samuel Pereyra Rojas has been named the president of the board of directors of the Dominican Petroleum Refinery (Refidomsa). Since the start of the Abinader administration in August 2020, Pereyra had...
For the second consecutive year, President Luis Abinader did not give the traditional state of the nation address to coincide with the opening of the second half session of Congress on 16 August 2025. Last year, the excuse was that the President was concentrating on showing solidarity for the victims of the collapse of the store in San Cristobal on 14 August. This 2025, the Presidency said the President was busy with preparations for the passing of Hurricane Erin, that was marking Category 3-5 as it moved through the Caribbean.
President Luis Abinader is regarded as the most accessible President of all times. He is constantly speaking to the population. He is also accessible to journalists during the weekly press conference on Monday that he has sustained for years.
Meanwhile, the majority ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) in the Senate and Chamber of Deputies voted to...
The Santo Domingo Metro Office (Opret) announces successful test rides for the Metrro Line 2 that reaches Los Alcarrizos.
President Luis Abinader has said he will ride the Metro Line 2 on its test run in September 2025. The extension of the mass transit service to Los Alcarrizos, the most populated bed city of the National District, is expected to be available to the general public as of February 2026. The line has been built during the Abinader administration.
Read more in Spanish:
Most of the Dominican Republic has recently suffered rolling blackouts that are explained as the result of the shutdown of one of the two twin plants at the Punta Catalina II power station for technical reasons. Punta Catalina is the largest power generation plant in the country, and when it has problems, these are felt.
Punta Catalina power station (Central Termoeléctrica Punta Catalina) is an operating power station of at least 752-megawatts (MW) in Punta Catalina – Hatillo, Azua, Dominican Republic. Azua is a two hour west drive from the capital city.
According to the Unified Board of Electricity Distributors (CUED), a combination of the near-record heat, the disconnection of several small generation stations for normal maintenance, and the non-programmed shutdown of Punta Catalina II all contributed to the blackouts that touched nearly the entire country.
There...
Long-standing Customs Agency director, Eduardo Sanz Lovaton was recently in India and came back convinced India is a growing economy and a strategic market for Dominican exports.
He wrote for Noticias SIN that India with its population of 1.4 billion, is already a key Dominican trading partner. Over the past seven years, bilateral trade has totaled US$5.67 billion, with a significant average growth of 52.2% since 2021. Most of this trade is raw gold for refining.
This has enabled the Dominican Republic to maintain a positive trade balance with India, with a surplus of US$1.04 billion over the same period, placing India in the top three for countries with which the Dominican Republic holds a positive trade balance.
Sanz Lovaton says a key achievement of his recent official trip to India was to sign a Mutual Recognition Agreement for Authorized Economic Operators...
The Ministry of Higher Education has just issued a new standard that regulates the work relationship of apprentices and interns. The National Higher Education Council has approved the new guidelines for these student workers.
One part of Resolution 02-2025 states that the “Practice Center” (where the intern or professional student is learning the trade) can provide economic support for the student’s transportation and food. In addition, the council urges all institutions of higher education to include internships in the regular curriculum as a manner of providing a deeper understanding of the workplace.
The resolution also states that the temporary nature of the internship of apprenticeship do not represent a work contract by the agency providing the hands-on learning experience. These young, budding professionals are also prohibited from taking part in...
Juan Alexis Medina Sanchez, the brother of former President Danilo Medina was sentenced to seven years of prison, following the deliberations of the judges regarding a file of 3,455 pages involving 27 persona and 21 companies. The case was the first to be heard at the start of the government of President Abinader.
The Second Collegiate Court of the National District sentenced Juan Alexis Medina Sanchez to the seven years in prison for bribes, asset laundering and criminal association during the Danilo Medina administrations (2012-2016, 2016-2020). He was ordered to serve the sentence in the Najayo Men Jail in San Cristobal and to pay a fine of 150 minimum government wages. The case was known here as Anti Pulpo, in regards to the many tentacles of the accused. A court ruling would order that the Anti-Pulpo name could not be used in the future as official name for the...
Defense Minister Lieutenant General Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre met with Carlos Ruiz Massieu, the UN Secretary-General’s special representative for Haiti and head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), at the Ministry of Defense (MIDE) headquarters in Santo Domingo last week.
The meeting focused on international cooperation, border security, and coordinating multilateral efforts to address the Haitian crisis. Attendees included BINUH chief of staff William P. Gardner, political officer Caroline McQueen, and Gilberto Núñez from the Ministry of Foreign Relations.
Fernández Onofre emphasized that the Ministry of Defense is maintaining constant vigilance and readiness, and that it values cooperation with the UN to find sustainable solutions.
The meeting comes as the United States announced its support for UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s...
With still two weeks before the brunt of the hurricane season starts in September, Hurricane Erin served as a wake up call for Dominicans. MikeFisher weather forecaster for DR1 described the storm as “this very out of the ordinary Super Storm Erin.” He wrote: “I don’t remember a storm growing from TS to Cat5 that fast, there for sure have been just a few in history. And a Cat5 around our turf already by mid-August, I assume, the historics will also name out of the ordinary. It shows how ready ocean surface temps and all around conditions are out there on our highway.”
Hurricane Erin indeed is a fickle storm that seemed to have not made up its mind where to hit and instead chose a path that is taking it to open Atlantic Ocean waters.
The storm intensity has been up and down, fluctuating from a Category 3 storm to a Category 5 storm. But the good news iss that as forecasted, the storm...
After months of rumors, SD Concerts has announced the cancellation of the performance of Shakira in Santo Domingo. The concert had been scheduled for 26 September 2025 in the Felix Sanchez Olympic Stadium. The announcement simply said, “due to circumstances beyond our control.”
Ticket holders are being reimbursed for their purchases.
This year, 2025 has not been kind to concert promoters, with concerts by Sting, the Mexican duo Jesse & Joy, Camila, Greeicy, and the Live Land Music Festival all cancelled for different reasons. At least one other concert, that of Mexican singer Christian Nodal, had to be postponed due to unfavorable conditions of the grounds of the Estadio Quisqueya baseball stadium. No date has been announced for this concert. One show, that of Anuel AA, had to be moved ahead four days after the stage collapsed after heavy rains.
On the positive side, Rod...
The world’s best female 400 meter runner, Marileidy Paulino, once again conquered the race in the Diamond League meets, this time at thew Kamila Skolimowska Memorial competition in Silesia, Poland held on Saturday, 16 August 2025.
With her win on Saturday, Paulino was the first to qualify for the 400m final and now will await the selection of the other contestants that will compete in the Lausanne Diamond League meet.
To win in Poland, Paulino had to dig deep to once again outrun her arch-rival Salwa Eid Naser, the Nigerian now running for Bahrain and herself a former world champion. The Dominican won the race by just 0.09 seconds, 49.18 against 49.27. This is Paulino’s third victory in the Diamond League.
The race came with US$10,000 for the qualifying meet and RD$50,000 for the final.
After winning three Diamond League meets, Paulino is the top winner in the race with...
As a final preparation for the Americas Basketball Cup, the Dominican Republic played Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The AmeriCup 2025 will be held 22 to 31 August in Managua, Nicaragua.
The DR team is coached by Argentinean Néstor “Che” García.
The DR is in Group C and will start the group phase playing against Nicaragua, Argentina and Colombia.
Group B teams are Panama, Venezuela, Canada and Puerto Rico.
Group A teams are USA, Brazil, Uruguay and Bahamas.
The DR’s first AmeriCup game will be against Colombia on 22 August.
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A recent case of a passenger on a cruise ship stopping in the Dominican Republic is a reminder of the importance of having comprehensive insurance when traveling.
The passenger on the cruise ship Oasis of the Seas was rushed for emergency medical care after the vessel docked at the tourist port of Cabo Rojo on Monday, 11 August 2025. The ship’s medical crew determined he needed more care than they could provide. The 63-year-old man, a Jamaican national residing in Miami, Florida, had reported chest pains that began while the ship was still at sea.
The passenger, identified as Richard Augustus, was taken on shore and stabilized by emergency responders from the 911 National Emergency and Security System, along with staff from the Department of Pre-hospital Emergency Care and the Emergency and Urgency Regulating Center.
Upon arrival, Augustus was...
This Saturday, 16 August 2025 is a holiday in the Dominican Republic. The date commemorates when the Dominican Republic was restored after being under Spanish tutelage when local politicians feared Haiti would continue to control the country.
The date is also when Congress starts its second term of the year and when the President is scheduled to speak from Congress.
On 16 August the President takes center stage, delivering a state of the nation-style address to the National Congress. This speech serves as both a retrospective on the previous year’s performance and a forward-looking roadmap.
Traditionally, the President’s address is more than just a speech; it is a comprehensive report on government management. The administration presents a detailed breakdown of its budgetary and financial stewardship from the past year, offering a transparent look at how public...
President Luis Abinader was at Las Americas International Airport on Wednesday, 13 August 2025 for the inauguration of the state-of-the-art US$10 million courier terminal. Customs Agency director, Eduardo Sanz Lovaton explained the facility is the result of a successful public-private partnership.
The terminal, which was built with no cost to the Dominican government, will increase the airport’s package processing capacity by 186%, allowing it to handle over 4 million additional packages annually. Spanning more than 4,800 square meters, the facility is equipped with cutting-edge technology, including advanced X-ray equipment to expedite inspections and bolster national security.
According to Sanz Lovatón, the new terminal will help the country become a “world-class logistics hub.” It is designed to operate 24/7, offering faster dispatch, improved security, and...
The Central Electoral Board (JCE) says it is just waiting to open the envelope with the Emdoc consortium proposal to award the contract for new IDs in the Dominican Republic. The bidders are associated with Veridos GmbH, the German company that has been in charge of the cards for six million IDs in Haiti from 2019 to 2025.
An editorial in Diario Libre is questioning that the new Dominican ID is costing RD$6 billion (around US$100 million), when in 2014 the IDs for Dominicans had cost US$17 million.
Diario Libre reports that Emdoc is a consortium led by the Panamanian company GSI International Inc, represented in the Dominican Republic by Bernardo A. Perez Diaz. Perez Diaz appears in Linkedin as COO Grupo Upax / Amazon Web Services Admin. The company shareholders are Panamanian Jose Alberto Lisac Velez (50%), Juan J. Borja Papini (46%) and...
Asif Shamin and Gabriel Tellerías / Tata Motors
The Indian vehicle manufacturer announces it has partnered with Equimax for the distribution, sales, service and support of its commercial vehicles in the Dominican Republic. Tata Motors is India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer.
The announcement is made by Asif Shamim, head of international business for Tata Motors and Gabriel Tellerias, president of Equimax in the Dominican Republic.
The product lineup includes the Tata Super Ace for agile last-mile delivery, the Tata Xenon pickup for rugged utility, the Ultra range of trucks (T.6, T.7, T.9) for smart intra-city logistics, and the LPT 613 tipper for construction and infrastructure applications.
Tata Motors’ commercial vehicles are sold in over 40 countries worldwide, with a portfolio that spans sub-1-tonne mini-trucks to 60-tonne heavy-duty...
DR1 readers will have to follow up to learn about what the judges have decided in the case against the brother Alexis Medina Sanchez and sister of former President Danilo Medina. The today top two (Yenni Berenice Reynoso and Wilson Camacho) in the Attorney General Office had prepared a humongous file with 21 physical persons and 19 companies charged which then required thousands of hours for deliberations. All this in a country where the Penal Code does not allow for accumulated sentencing.
Alexis Medina Sánchez is the lead accused of bribery, asset laundry and extorsion to win government tenders in more than 20 government entities during the two governments of his brother Danilo Medina (2012-2016 and 2016-2020).
Danilo Medina’s sister Carmen Magalys Medina Sanchez has been accused of “irregularities” in processes from the Fondo Patrimonial de las...
When it comes to wealth in the country, mayors command a striking share of the pie, Diario Libre reports. Out of the 158 mayors currently in office, 112 have declared assets totaling RD$4.46 billion, according to the most recent sworn statements submitted to the Chamber of Accounts between April 2024 and July 2025.
Diario Libre reports that the 15 Dominican mayors who have disclosed the most worth are:San Jose de las Matas: Ramón Reyes Estévez (Net worth RD$747.7 million)Cotuí: José Eugenio Montilla de la Cruz (Net worth RD$230.9 million)Constanza: Francisco Antonio Marte Hernández (Net worth RD$155.8 million)San Francisco de Macoris: Antonio Díaz Paulino (Net worth RD$136.4 million)San Rafael del Yuma: Francisco Antonio Rodríguez Aponte (Net worth RD$115.3 million)Higuey: Karen Magdalena Aristy Cedeño (Net worth RD$112.7 million)Comendador: Liriano Morillo...
28 companies have been penalized by the Migration Agency (DGM) for employing undocumented foreign workers, in violation of General Migration Law 285-04 and its Regulation 631-11. The DGM disclosed the information in a detailed report shared with Diario Libre, highlighting ongoing efforts to enforce immigration laws and uphold public order and national security.
To date, fines collected from sanctioned businesses amount to RD$1.5 million. However, several companies have yet to settle their penalties, with some cases still pending before the courts.
In the Dominican Republic the fines for carrying out irregularities are relatively low, motivating unscrupulous owners to go ahead and commit the violations and then just pay the fines.
Companies that have paid fines:
Mudan Confort Collection – RD$450,000Wan Xin, Importadora Sexy Leidy, Importadora C&KY, Supertienda...
A historic ring, a gift from national hero Juan Pablo Duarte to his fiancée, has been recovered by authorities after a brazen theft from the Instituto Duartiano Museum, Diario Libre reported. The ring, along with another valuable piece, was stolen from a display case by a man posing as a tourist on a guided tour.
The incident occurred on August 5, 2025, when the man entered the Instituto Duartiano in Santo Domingo’s Colonial City, pretending to be interested in a guided tour. According to a statement from the Public Ministry, the man took advantage of a moment of distraction to slip into an exhibition hall and steal two gold rings from a display.
One of the stolen rings bears the image of Juan Pablo Duarte, the founding father of the Dominican Republic. The second, and arguably more significant piece, is a ruby ring that Duarte gifted to his fiancée, Prudencia Lluberes...
Two senior officers in the Dominican military have been removed from their posts after denouncing alleged drug trafficking operations involving members of the country’s own intelligence and anti-narcotics agencies, El Nacional reports.
The colonels are:Colonel Rafael Antonio Morales Herrero – Dominican Air Force (FAD)Colonel Rafael Antonio Morales Herrero revealed that he was dismissed from his role as Director of Internal Affairs for the Armed Forces on 30 July 2025, after investigating approximately 30 suspected drug trafficking cases. These cases reportedly implicated personnel from the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) and the National Intelligence Agency (DNI).
Morales alleges that some officers within these agencies are actively facilitating the shipment of drugs through airports and seaports by disabling key security systems—such as scanners, X-rays, surveillance...
Diario Libre is following up on the elimination of a large area of mangrove in Samana with the suspected use of glyphosate to prepare the area for real estate development. Marvin del Cid, environmental reporter for the newspaper, explained the authorities suspect a strong herbicide was used, such as glyphosate.
Likewise, in an editorial on 13 August, De Buena Tinta, Diario Libre highlights the damages to the formerly pristine El Astillero area where Halassia testudinum and Syringodium filiforme prevailed in what had been a refuge for manatees, sting rays and turtles.
In December 2023, Diario Libre had reported that there were more than 300,000 square meters of mangrove in a privately-owned property between El Astillero and El Limon on the north side of the peninsula. These were decimated in less than two weeks.
As reported in Diario Libre, the Foro Ambiental de Samaná...
The Cuesta Brava Neighborhood Association and the Institute of Lawyers for Environmental Protection (Insaproma) filed a formal criminal complaint this week against Environment Minister Armando Paino Henríquez and Vice Minister of Housing and Buildings Danny Israel Santos Comprés for violation of environmental laws and the intent of building a private development in a protected city area. The complaint, which includes a civil party constitution, accuses the officials of enabling the environmental degradation of the Santo Domingo Green Belt, specifically in the Cuesta Brava sector of Arroyo Hondo.
The legal action was submitted to the Specialized Environmental and Natural Resources Prosecutor’s Office by attorney Euren Cuevas Medina, who represents both organizations.
According to the complaint, the officials allegedly used their positions to facilitate a high-impact real estate...
Former executive editor of Diario Libre, now occasional editorial writer for the newspaper, Ines Aizpun dedicated the AM spot on Wednesday, 13 August 2025 to a problem the Abinader administration has preferred not to tackle. That of the lawlessness allowed to motorcyclists in the Dominican Republic.
She looks into the case of a woman driver whose vehicle was assaulted by a motorcyclist who threw a rock at her, damaging her front window, and how the woman reacted ramming into the very surprised motorcyclist. Aizpun writes about how people on social media have applauded the action.
She concludes: “We are fed up.”
She says the incident is a reading into what people feel about this situation in which around two million lawless motorcyclists are every day placing everyone’s lives, including their own, in danger while the authorities look the other way.
She...
The Dominican Republic is a country where the authorities for decades have looked the other way and allowed motorcyclists to blatantly violate traffic laws. Now Listin Diario points out the situation is on the verge of getting worse.
The newspaper focuses on the impact of thousands of minors driving motorcycles that adds to the local security problem.
Motorcyclists are behind 80% of traffic accidents, but the government has yet to begin to enforce these comply with traffic regulations. Thousands of motorcyclists themselves have been maimed or have died in the clashes. Minors driving motorcycles with the same lenience of the authorities will increase the local security risk.
The government has yet to install available technologies to correct the situation and rely on Digesett agents who seem to have been instructed not to let the motorcyclists be.
Read...
The United States government has seized an oceanfront mansion in the Dominican Republic reportedly linked to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, as part of a broader asset forfeiture operation totaling more than US$700 million, Diario Libre reports.
The property, known as Villa La Caracola, is located in the upscale Cap Cana resort area in the eastern Punta Cana tourism area. As reported, the location was confirmed to Fox News by US Special Prosecutor Pamela Bondi.
The US government has established a bounty of US$50 million for information that would lead to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
As reported, the Cap Cana property is one of 3,000 square meters of living space on a 6,000-square-meter lot. The mansion boasts nine bedrooms —each with its own en-suite bathroom and private terrace— as well as ten bathrooms, a formal dining...
Tropical Storm Erin continues on its westward course. As of Wednesday, 13 August in the afternoon, Erin was located approximately 2,050 km east of the Lesser Antilles, moving westward at a speed of 28 km/h. The system is expected to maintain its westward trajectory, gradually decreasing in speed over the coming days and turning to the north.
Meanwhile, Erin is producing maximum sustained winds of 75 km/h, with higher gusts, and forecasters anticipate a gradual strengthening in the days ahead. Most spaghetti tracks show the storm heading north away from the Caribbean.
Nevertheless, authorities are closely monitoring the storm’s development and path, urging the public to stay informed through official updates.
Isolated showers are forecast for the weekend, but for the most part, the Saharan Dust continues to bring grey skies and lots of sunshine.
The sweltering heat is what is most...
The Central Electoral Board (JCE) is awaiting to resolve legal matters to open the winning proposal for the new ID cards (cedula) in the Dominican Republic that was impugned by competitors. The JCE is in charge of the civil registry in the Dominican Republic.
As it stands, only one company passed the final phase, Americo Rodriguez, director of ID for the JCE told Despierta con CDN on Channel 37, as reported in El Caribe. The JCE had said the ID process would begin this fall, but it is delayed by the legal dispute.
Rodriguez explained that all claims by competitors had to be submitted by 12 August 2025 and this will be studied and decided upon for a new date for the opening of the only accepted proposal.
Most IDs in the Dominican Republic expired in 2023, with the JCE issuing a temporary validation for their use.
The Dominican Republic is about to launch a new national ID...
The duty free manufacturing sector continues to expand attracting major global clients for assembly of electronics and other high tech components, said Claudia Pellerano, president of the Free Zone Industries Association, during a recent meeting organized by the Minister of Industry & Commerce Victor Bisono to present what’s new in the sector with the attendance of President Luis Abinader.
During the meeting, Bisonó delivered the National Strategy for the Promotion of Semiconductors (Enfis) to the President.
The DR seeks to take the leap to be a regional player in the production of the high tech components for the United States market.
The Free Zone sector at the close of 2024 represented 3.1% of the GDP and has 198,450 formal direct jobs.
Read more in...
A report in Diario Libre today explains the numerous new programs the Abinader administration has unfolded over its first five years. Many of these programs are renamed and relaunched. Diario Libre checked the archives and found at least 62 launching of projects in spectacular launches of projects. The number is more than 100 if those launched by the Vice President, government ministers and agency directors is added.
It seems it is modus operandi to launch a program to meet a demand and then wait for people to forget about the demand as they wait for the new project to resolve something. This until another program is launched when the old one wasn’t good enough.
Moreso, a report in El Nacional says that the number of persons employed in the already bulging central public sector has increased by 7.7% from July 2023 to July 2025 (from 429,612 to 462,903), according to data from the Ministry of Public Administration (MAP).
From July 2024 to July 2025, the number of central...
It seems it’s pretty much up to the builder whether the current law to protect neighbors and pedestrians is complied with. Diario Libre reports that some builders disregard the law, while others right nearby are seen spending the extra cash to prevent accidents.
In the report by Adalberto de la Rosa in Diario Libre, he points out the Ministry of Housing and Edifications should ensure the application of the law.
Nevertheless, he said it is normal for construction projects across Santo Domingo to put pedestrians at risk by violating urban safety regulations. Many sites lack essential safeguards like protective netting and covered walkways, exposing the public to potential hazards.
Journalists observed numerous building sites in both the National District and Santo Domingo province that fail to install safety nets. These nets are crucial for protecting people...
Many Dominicans are surprised to learn that 28-year old Jennifer Ventura, who on Sunday, 10 August 2025 won the Miss Dominican Republic crown is a practicing civil engineer. She has especially made the people of southwestern Barahona province proud. The province last won the title in 1985.
As reported in Diario Libre, Ventura captivated both the judges and the audience with her charisma, runway elegance, and intelligence. But beyond her poise and beauty queen charm lies a woman with a strong academic background and a clear purpose.
She holds a dual degree in civil engineering from the Iberoamericana University (Unibe) and Florida International University. She furthered her education with a master’s degree in business management from IMF University in Madrid and various diplomas in areas like risk assessment, safe buildings, and project management.
Diario Libre reports that...
Rafael Antonio Morales Herrero / El Nacional
Colonel Rafael Morales Herrero has been dismissed from his post after publicly denouncing an alleged corruption scheme involving senior officers from the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) and the National Intelligence Agency (DNI), El Dia.
The dismissal, which surfaced Tuesday, 12 August 2025, was confirmed by sources to El Día, who also reported that Colonel Eudy Mercedes Ramírez Bautista was likewise removed from his position.
Both dismissals reportedly followed the revocation of their US visas by the US State Department, according to the same source.
The Attorney General Office that had received the claims of corruption filed by Morales Herrero has not issued a statement.
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The National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) reports seizing boxes of pineapple for export from Punta Cana to Germany with cocaine. Some 30 packages of cocaine were found stashed inside the fresh pineapple cargo that was destined for Frankfurt international airport.
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The US Department of Justice informs that a massive “grandparent scam” operating out of the Dominican Republic has been dismantled, leading to charges against 13 individuals. The transnational scheme allegedly defrauded more than 400 elderly victims in the United States, including at least 50 in Massachusetts, of over US$5 million.
The scheme, orchestrated by what authorities are calling a sophisticated “call center” operation, targeted seniors with an average age of 84. The perpetrators tricked victims into believing that a grandchild or other close family member was in trouble and desperately needed money.
According to charging documents, the operation was led by Oscar Manuel Castanos Garcia. His call centers in the Dominican Republic employed English-speaking co-conspirators who followed scripts to impersonate a grandchild who was in a car...
The big question is why? Why did vandals wreck the year-old religious landmark boulevard in Higuey, the bed city for the Punta Cana area. In an act of brazen destruction that has shocked the nation, vandals armed with sledgehammers and mallets in early morning hours severely damaged the recently inaugurated Vía Sacra, the spiritual and cultural landmark located in the heart of Higüey, adjacent to the iconic Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia.
The attack took place in the early hours of Monday, 11 August, less than a year after the project was unveiled by President Luis Abinader on 13 August 2024, following a RD$115-million investment by the Dominican government, as reported in Listin Diario.
The Vía Sacra, a 9,300-square-meter sacred corridor comprising fourteen intricately carved stone monoliths representing the Mysteries of the Virgin, was designed to guide pilgrims...
The Chicago White Sox organization broke ground Tuesday, 12 August 2025 to build a new state-of-the-art baseball academy in Boca Chica, in the province of Santo Domingo, an upgrade from their current facility in the same area.
The US$12 million baseball player training center for Dominican and regional players is developed by JN Academy Design, as reported by Noticias SIN. The facility is scheduled for completion in about a year.
Noticias SIN reports that once operational, the academy will serve as a top-tier training ground for hundreds of young players and coaches, while also delivering a substantial economic and employment boost to the surrounding area.
Minister of Sports Kelvin Cruz and the National Baseball Commissioner Junior Noboa were present for the ground-breaking ceremony. White Sox director of player development Paul Janish touched on the importance of the...
JetSmart has announced the launch of two new international routes connecting Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, with the Colombian cities of Medellín and Cali, in time for the Christmas season traffic. The flights would start 5 December 2025.
JetSmart flies direct from Santiago de Chile to Punta Cana. It also lists flights to Colombia from Punta Cana to the cities of Bogota (BOG), Cartagena (CTG), and Santa Marta (SMR) on its booking engine.
With the expansion of Medellín and Cali, the Dominican Republic joins the airline’s growing network across Latin America, which currently spans nine countries. Flights to Medellín will operate on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays, while service to Cali is scheduled for Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
According to a company press release, the flight time between Punta Cana and Medellín is approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes. The route to...
The Dominican Republic will host the prestigious PAMAC Destination Summit in June 2026, in recognition of the extraordinary growth maritime tourism has had recently in the country. The past event was held in Aruba in June 2025.
The PAMAC conference is a popular platform that includes senior executives from the cruise tourism industry, both from cruise lines and other industry partners. Organized by the Florida and Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), this event brings together FCCA Platinum Members and cruise executives for focused discussions, site visits, and strategic meetings to strengthen partnerships and enhance the cruise industry in the Caribbean and related regions. The summit aims to foster alignment, trust, and innovation between cruise line executives and destination stakeholders.
The announcement of the DR hosting the event was made during the signing between FCCA and the Ministry of Tourism of a Presidential Strategic Partnership Agreement, reinforcing the...
The Dominican Republic and the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) formalized a Presidential Strategic Partnership Agreement, reinforcing the country’s growing leadership in Caribbean cruise tourism. The agreement was signed in Santo Domingo with the participation of President Luis Abinader, the president of FCCA Adam Ceserano and Tourism Minister David Collado. Adam Ceserano oversees all aspects of FCCA operations, membership benefits, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and event production.
Running through December 2026, the agreement aims to increase cruise passenger arrivals and investment while creating a national strategy to employ Dominican talent in the cruise industry. It also is intended to facilitate private meetings with cruise executives to develop local services, products and sourcing opportunities.
Adam Ceserano, president of FCCA, in the...
Nigerian Afrobeats superstars Ayra Starr, Shallipopi and Ruger are scheduled to perform at the Afro Nation Festival set for Punta Cana, Dominican Republic from 7 to 9 November 2025.
According to the organizers, the Grammy-nominated Nigerian superstar Ayra Starr will be headlining the music fiesta, alongside American rapper, Sexy Redd and South African hitmaking star, DJ Maphorisa.
Afro Nation is a three-day annual music festival founded in 2019 by The Malachite Group to unite the African diaspora through music, dance, food and fashion.
The festival showcases African and international artists across genres such as Afrobeats, Amapiano, RnB, Hip Hop, Dancehall and more.
The annual fiesta, which featured Burna Boy, Wizkid, Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj, held in Ghana, Puerto Rico, Miami and Detroit has evolved into a global platform for African talent...
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