DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

The storm that came to stay has caused flooding and lots of economic losses from lock down. Tropical Storm Melissa was born well to the south of the island of Hispaniola (Haiti and the DR) but has overstayed its welcome in the Caribbean. The storm has kept the slowest pace of storms in the decades, moving 2km to 6km per hour at times and just lingering in the Caribbean.

Since the effects began to be felt in the Dominican Republic on Monday, 20 October 2025 in the afternoon, it seemingly tiptoed as it made its way north, a bit to the east, and then to the west, always spreading out its bands and impact.

Indeed, what began last week as an interesting low pressure area out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean has become Hurricane Melissa, a major hurricane now over Jamaica by the time this article is read. It missed a direct hit to the Dominican Republic by several hundred...

The passing of Tropical Storm and now Hurricane Melissa has exposed deep flaws in city urban planning and management. The widespread flooding and damage caused by Tropical Storm Melissa are not mere acts of nature, but a stark reflection of structural failures in how the nation’s cities are planned and managed, according to leading environmentalist Luis Carvajal, as reported in El Dia

In a scathing assessment in El Dia, Carvajal argued that the true culprits behind the storm’s impact are not water or extreme weather, but rather “institutional weakness, permissiveness, lack of maintenance, and regulatory capture.”

The expert emphasized that water, when properly understood and managed, is an asset. “The water, well understood and managed, is an ally; it can always be beneficial. Only humans, with our decisions, prevent it from being so and turn it into a threat,” Carvajal...

Just two and a half months after being officially inaugurated by President Luis Abinader, a section of the brand new Bani Bypass Highway is showing significant cracks and construction deficiencies, raising immediate concerns about the quality of the infrastructure.

Listin Diario reporters observed the damage during a Saturday, 25 October 2025 tour of the roadway, which was opened to the public on 14 August 2025. The affected area is specifically located just before the entrance to Galeón in the Peravia province.

The cracks, or fissures, are visible within the asphalt of the new highway structure. At the site, more than three plastic traffic barriers are being used by authorities as a temporary measure to prevent drivers from passing over the visible indentations.

When questioned, employees of the RD-Vial Trust, located at the nearest toll station...

In the Epidemiological Report #41, the Ministry of Public Health has reported that there has not been a single case of cholera in the Dominican Republic so far this year. In 2024, the ministry reported 15 cases over the same time frame. Unfortunately, Haiti has reported a now outbreak of cholera, with 17 reported cases, so far.

Given the extreme political and social conditions in Haiti at the present time, combined with the copious amounts of rain that are being shed on much of the country by Hurricane Melissa, the outlook for controlling the outbreak is not very positive. Therefore, the Dominican authorities have established a series of protocols for trans-frontier business and travel.

Health officials have stiffened inspections on foods coming in from Haiti, the hospital in Dajabon has been equipped to treat possible cholera patients, and no pre-cooked foods will be...

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC – CEPAL) has adjusted its forecast for the region and now says that GDP for 2025 will be 2.4% and 2.3% for 2026. This is a sightly higher forecast than at the beginning of the year when ECLAC predicted a 2.2% growth in GDP for the area. In the specific case of the Dominican Republic, the reports lowered the forecast from a 3.7% growth in GDP to a 3.4% increase.

This forecast still places the Dominican Republic well inside the top ten countries with the highest GDP growth. According to the United Nations agency, there are external factors that are contributing to the slight downturn in GDP growth, such as changes in international commerce due to the tariffs announced by the United States.

Read...

Social subsidies are double the cost of the frozen income tax exemption, Diario Libre reports, questioning the increasing spending on welfare programs by the Abinader administration.

The Dominican government’s expenditure on social subsidies significantly overshadows the cost of fulfilling a long-ignored legal mandate for annual salary indexation, according to a recent analysis.

In 2024 alone, the government spent a colossal RD$37.11 billion on just two major social assistance programs: the Aliméntate food subsidy (RD$29.68 billion) and the Bonogas fuel subsidy (RD$7.43 billion). This total for just these two programs is more than double the estimated revenue the government would forgo by adhering to the country’s tax law—an estimated RD$18.2 billion annually.

The feature in Diario Libre’s economic section points out that the disparity highlights a critical debate over...

Formal savings in the Dominican Republic, defined as money saved through regulated financial institutions, have seen significant and sustained growth over the past few decades, an article published on its website by the Association of Banks of the Dominican Republic reveals. This trend is crucial as it provides households and businesses with a safer, wider range of financial products and services, while simultaneously expanding the resource base for financing investment and strengthening the stability of the financial system.

The percentage of savings deposits, when measured as a share of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), has increased substantially, rising from 18% in 1996 to 42% in 2024.

Likewise, the percentage of adults with a banking account in the Dominican Republic went from 51% in 2021 to 65% in 2024, according to the World Bank global...

For years, those in the know have been warning of a disaster in the making. It is here. Now.

The Laguna de Cabral, a vital wetland in the province of Barahona, is facing rapid collapse, prompting a stark warning and an urgent plea for a state of emergency declaration from a leading environmental authority.

Luis Carvajal, coordinator of the Environmental and Natural Resources Commission at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), warned that the lagoon “is drying up rapidly” due to water diversion, describing the situation as an escalating environmental catastrophe.

The severity of the crisis was visually confirmed by the production team of the program Toda la Verdad, hosted by journalist Odalis Castillo, which visited the site. Their cameras captured a largely dry lagoon and the desperate testimonies of fishers and farmers demanding intervention...

A 13-year old is said to be the gang leader in Villa Faro, a densely populated low-income in eastern Santo Domingo. Community leaders raised their concerns and investigative journalist Nuria Piera aired a report in her Saturday, 25 October 2025 edition on Channel 9. The community leaders point to state neglect and a lack of educational, sports and cultural activities as the main drivers of this social crisis.

The case of Angel, nicknamed “El Diablón” (The Big Devil), a 13-year-old boy alleged to be the leader of the youth gang Bloque Z (Block Z), has gone viral on social media due to images showing him armed alongside other adolescents.

His desperate mother, Sheily, stated on the investigative program Nuria Piera Investigación that she has handed him over to authorities multiple times, but he has been released due to his status as a minor. He was recently detained with...

President Luis Abinader called work and school off and ordered most Dominicans in the capital city and provinces under red alert to stay at home on Thursday, 23 October 2025 following recommendations from the Center for Emergency Operations (Coe) and the Weather Institute (Indomet). He authorized that only gas stations, supermarkets and essential services remain open to 10pm in Greater Santo Domingo and the seven provinces.

The main concern is that the outerbands of Tropical Storm Melissa will continue to bring consistent rains that may cause urban flooding. The storm is practically stationary, moving at 2-4 km per hour and is more than 400 km to the south of the southwesternmost point of the Dominican Republic on the channel between Haiti and Jamaica.

Essential services allowed to remain open in red alert areas are supermarkets, clinics, corner grocery stores, gas...

The Dominican Republic successfully executed a sovereign bond issuance in international markets, raising $1.6 billion, the government announced Wednesday, 22 October 2025.

The 10-year bonds were placed at a fixed rate of US$5.875%, according to a statement from the Ministry of Finance and Economy. The placement drew strong investor interest, with demand soaring past US$5 billion.

The Ministry of Finance and Economy highlighted the success despite a global financial climate “characterized by high financial volatility and persistent pressures on global rates.”

The government also underscored the country’s improved risk profile, noting that the Dominican Republic is currently at its “historical lowest level” on J.P. Morgan’s EMBI country risk index, hovering around 200 basis points.

Proceeds from the bond sale will be allocated to key development initiatives, in line...

The Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) announced the launch of a Bloomberg Lab during its successful Business Week 2025: “Leading the Future” event held last week.

The announcement of the Bloomberg Lab was a highlight of the Business Week, which was hosted by the university’s School of Business. This new space is designed to significantly enhance the practical training of students by providing access to Bloomberg’s financial data, analysis tools, and global market information.

With this opening, PUCMM becomes the only university in the Dominican Republic to feature such a dedicated academic facility. The lab directly supports the event’s overall theme of promoting innovation, critical thinking, and preparing young leaders to tackle global challenges with vision and commitment.

Bloomberg Lab is a dedicated classroom or facility at...

After a high-level monitoring meeting chaired by President Luis Abinader on Tuesday, 21 October 2025, the Abinader government accepted recommendations of the Center for Emergency Operations (COE) and the Weather Institute (Indomet) and ordered the suspension of classes on Wednesday and Thursday (22-23 October) in provinces under Red Alert due to the impending threat of Tropical Storm Melissa. These are those on the Caribbean Sea coasts.

The Presidency is preferring to err in the name of prevention as it continues to monitor the storm. On Wednesday, corrections may be taken regarding whether activities are resumed on Thursday.

Indomet is warning of the slow-moving storm pace and that if this continues, the country could be under its impact through Friday and Saturday. Weatherman John Morales says that if this happens, the forecast for 250mm of rain could...

The climate change agenda has become a fundamental driver for economic and social transformation in nations worldwide, according to Max Puig, president of the Dominican Republic’s National Council for Climate Change and Carbon Market (CNCCMC). Puig made the remarks while participating in the preparatory meeting for COP30 (Pre-COP) held in the capital of Brazil.

During his address, Puig, who also serves as the CNCCMC’s executive vice president, stressed that the severe impacts of climate change are compelling societies to transform. “The grave effects of climate change force all societies to transform, modifying their modes of production and consumption, and conditioning their development agendas and new forms of social organization,” he stated.

The senior official warned that climate change and its associated risks are reconfiguring the global economy. He underscored...

In a strategic move to buttress its national electric system, the Dominican government is planning a massive 54% increase in installed thermal energy capacity by 2028. This ambitious expansion, part of the nation’s sustainable transition plan, aims to guarantee stability and security amidst growing energy demands.

Minister of Energy and Mines, Joel Santos, unveiled the roadmap during the “Energy Transition in the D.R.” forum, organized by the Dominican Association of the Electric Industry (ADIE). The plan centers on sustainability, security, and confidence as the foundational pillars for the sector’s development.

Thermal energy (or energia termica) is essentially the energy of heat. In the context of electricity generation, thermal power plants (which can use sources like natural gas, coal, or even geothermal energy) convert this heat...

The General Tax Agency (DGII) officially began the renewal period for the Vehicle Circulation Tax (Marbete) 2025-2026 on Tuesday, 21 October 2025, calling on vehicle owners to comply promptly to avoid penalties.

The agency announced that the process applies to 2,086,756 eligible vehicles, with an estimated revenue target of RD$3,433,806,000.00.

The cost of the annual vehicle permit (el marbete) remains the same as the previous period, based on the vehicle’s manufacturing year:RD$1,500.00 for vehicles manufactured up to the year 2020.RD$3,000.00 for vehicles manufactured from 2021 onwards.

Vehicle owners have multiple options to complete the renewal process, both digitally and in person:Electronic renewal: Available on the DGII’s website ( www.dgii.gov.do ) and the DGII Móvil app until Sunday, 18 January 2026.In-person renewal: Available at 47 authorized financial institutions...

The Ministry of Energy and Mines confirmed the successful rescue of 80 workers who were temporarily trapped following a partial gallery collapse at the Cerro de Maimón mine in the Dominican Republic. Crucially, all personnel emerged unharmed from the incident.

The event, a landslide that partially obstructed a gallery at the Chinese-owned Corporación Minera Dominicana (Cormidom) operation—which extracts copper and zinc—occurred on Tuesday, 21 October 2025 in the afternoon. Following the collapse, the 80 workers were isolated in an underground section.

No injuries or communication issues were reported among the isolated workers.

The mining company immediately activated its emergency and evacuation plan. The first group of workers reached the surface at 3:21pm, with the last of the 80 exiting the mine by 4:30pm.

Government authorities, including the Ministry...

We could be hearing more from Graciela Abinader, after she openly criticized the way people preach the bible and practice religion in the DR.

For the most part of the Luis Abinader presidency, his three daughters have kept a low profile. This week, the President’s second oldest daughter, Graciela Abinader, shared candid views on organized religion, sparking discussion on social media. Take note, the Abinader family is known as a follower of the Roman Catholic religion.

Graciela Abinader is a graduate of Notre Dame. She is also related to Columbia University, where she is a strategic advisor to the Columbia World Project.

Graciela Abinader stated in a social media post that while she remains separate from institutionalized religion, this distance does not extend to her faith itself. She emphasized the critical need for an academic and rigorous reading of sacred texts.

“I have...

A Katherine Hernandez of CDN Channel 37 remark questioning the efficacy or complicity of intelligence agencies in the Dominican Republic with drug trafficking has been a recent leading trending topic. She pointed out that the country has about the same number of intelligence agencies as the United States but none of these were able to alert the Presidency and the city government of the capital city that had two men in high positions while these were being investigated for drug trafficking in the United States.

“It is without pardon that in the Dominican Republic there are so many intelligence agencies and here nobody knows anything,” Hernandez stated on 15 October 2025 on Despierta con CDN. She made the comment in the context of her remarks regarding the analysis by the morning show participants of the new cases of ruling party PRM members accused in the US judiciary of...

Minister David Collado and his daughter Analia Collado / Diario Libre

Tourism Minister David Collado, was officially recognized by the UN Tourism (World Tourism Organization) as the “Minister of the Americas” on 16 October 2025, an honor that solidifies the country’s leading role in the global tourism industry despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty. The distinction comes as the Dominican Republic takes on the presidency of the UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Americas.

In accepting the prestigious award, Minister Collado attributed the merit to a country that “decided to set aside political, personal, and partisan interests” in favor of the national interest. He recounted that, prior to taking office in August 2020, he immediately reached out to the sector’s veteran leaders to coordinate a unified strategy to combat the Covid-19 pandemic...

Arajet has secured its position as the third-largest airline in the country based on the number of passengers transported during the third quarter of 2025. The airline is based at both Las Americas International and Punta Cana International airports.

According to official figures released by the Civil Aviation Board (JAC), Arajet flew 354,437 passengers between July and September 2025. This impressive performance places the airline ahead of major international carriers like Delta, United, and Copa, and is only surpassed by US giants JetBlue and American Airlines.

The robust growth in Q3 marks Arajet’s most successful quarter in its three years of operation. The JAC data indicates the low-cost carrier was responsible for transporting 7.3% of all passengers entering and leaving the country during this period.

Arajet executives, however, assert that their true reach...

Hyatt is promoting the opening of the Royal Beach Hotel Punta Cana JdV by Hyatt Hotels in the El Cortecito residential and Los Corales/Bavaro beach area. Hyatt has become the leading hotel chain in the Punta Cana area.

The new hotel is centrally located on the Punta Cana beach strip and near the Cocotal Golf Course and dozens of attractions. The hotel is not an all-inclusive resort but offers most of the features of all-inclusives. It is about 15 km from the Punta Cana International Airport.

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• Hyatt

President Luis Abinader declared a forthcoming renaissance for Puerto Plata’s hotel sector on Tuesday, 21 October 2025, when he presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the Meliá Bergantín Beach hotel in Puerto Plata. Melia was one of the pioneers of the Punta Cana destination in the early 80s.

Punta Bergantin is together with Miches (on the East Coast) and Pedernales (on theSouthwest Coast), a new tourism destination developed under the Abinader administration, this time for the North Coast.

The plan is for the resort to offer approximately 400 rooms, which includes the management of a 100-apartment condohotel. The resort has an opening target by the high season of 2026.

During the symbolic ground-breaking ceremony, President Abinader highlighted the profound local impact of Meliá Bergantín Beach, the first hotel slated for construction within the Punta Bergantín...

Gloria Ceballos, the director of the National Weather Institute, says the country needs to prepare for the worst scenario from newly formed Tropical Storm Melisa. The worst scenario translates to historic rainfall.

Ceballos drew a stark comparison, referencing the 267 millimeters that fell on the National District on 4 November 2022, and the over 400 millimeters recorded on 18 November 2023, which resulted in catastrophic flooding. She said that 300 millimeters can be expected between Wednesday, 22 October and Thursday, 23 October.

“To give you an idea of the rainfall totals expected with this system… it has a wide cloud field,” Ceballos emphasized, urging the public to take the threat seriously.

The weather system is on track to pass to the south and is expected to bring intense rains, wind gusts and abnormal waves, especially to the Caribbean coast. The storm could impact...

President Luis Abinader has moved to clarify the complex diplomatic situation surrounding the upcoming X Summit of the Americas in Punta Cana, stating that while the Dominican Republic is the host nation, the United States remains the principal convener and is ultimately responsible for the attendee list, as reported in Listin Diario.

The high-stakes presidential summit, set for 4-5 December 2025, has been mired in controversy following the Dominican government’s announcement in late September that Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela were not invited. The exclusion was justified on the grounds that these nations are not members of the Organization of American States (OAS) and were also absent from the previous summit in Los Angeles in June 2022.

Speaking to reporters, President Abinader drew a clear distinction between the roles of host and convener, emphasizing that the Summit of...

Leah Francis Campos, named United States Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, is set to arrive to Santo Domingo on Wednesday, 22 October 2025. She will be the first US ambassador since January 2021 at the end of the first Trump administration.

Her first official act will be to present her Letters of Credence to the Minister of Foreign Relations Roberto Alvarez and subsequently to President Luis Abinader.

Minister Alvarez himself shared the information during his participation in the Monday, 20 October weekly President press conference, La Semanal, at the Presidential Palace. Alvarez shed light on why the US had gone several years without confirming a diplomatic representative in the Dominican Republic. He explained that the delay was due to “internal political reasons in the United States,” specifically pointing out that the US Congress had opposed the...

The Dominican Republic is on track to determine the definitive net reserves of rare earth elements by the end of 2026, a crucial step in understanding the true commercial value of the country’s deposits, Minister of Energy and Mines Joel Santos explained during an interview with El Caribe and CDN 37.

Santos revealed that the government has made progress in the rare earth exploration process in the last 12 months that typically takes three years.

The immediate goal is to declare gross resources by the end of next year, which means confirming or possibly increasing the initial observations. However, the more complex step—determining the net reserves—will take longer.

Rare earth elements comprise 17 different elements. Up to now, the reported figures refer to a gross volume that includes other minerals.

“What has happened is that some people have been...

Energy Minister Joel Santos listed power systems that are getting ready to connect with the national grid and what else is coming in an interview with El Caribe and CDN 37.

Santos says nearly 200 new megawatts (MW) is expected to be incorporated to the national grid by the end of October. The new systems are:

• The SIBA project will add 68 MW as it completes its cycle.• Energas in San Pedro de Macorís will integrate an additional 130 MW.• A recently installed power barge in Azua has also added capacity.

Mid-term security and storageYet, he explained that crucial stability will come in the medium term as new systems go on the grid in the next three years. These are:• Early 2026: Energía 2000 in Manzanillo will add 411 MW.• Mid-2027: A new project in Boca Chica will integrate the country’s largest-ever unitary gas plant, with 467 MW.• 2028: An additional 240 MW project and two ‘twin’...

The Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) is implementing a sweeping new security protocol and major infrastructure upgrades following the tragic on-campus shooting death of a security employee by a student.

The rector announced the new measures during the wake for the security guard, who was fatally shot by a Law student in a shocking incident on campus. The rector lamented the loss, stating, “We are failing in elementary things; it is not possible that people who are doing their duty have their lives taken. What happened is very regrettable; a member of our university family has lost his life in a fatal incident.”

In response to the tragedy, the UASD is moving quickly to reinforce safety across the entire university grounds:• Increased personnel and surveillance: The university will immediately increase the presence of security staff and install surveillance cameras at...

New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto has once again cemented his status as the premier Dominican player in Major League Baseball, becoming the first player ever to win the Juan Marichal Award in consecutive seasons. The honor, which recognizes the best Dominican-born player in MLB, was announced on Monday, 20 October 2025, a date that coincided with the 88th birthday of the legendary Hall of Famer the award is named after, Juan Marichal.

Soto, 26, was voted the most complete player of the year after his first season with the Mets. He received 443 total points and secured 56 first-place votes from a jury of 100 sports journalists and analysts from the Dominican Republic and the United States. His final tally comfortably outpaced runner-up, Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez (319 points), with Junior Caminero, José Ramírez, and Freddy Peralta rounding...

The 2025 Major League Baseball playoffs start Friday, 24 October 2025 at the Rogers Centre stadium in Toronto, Canada. It’s a best-of-seven series. It’s Toronto’s first World Series since winning back-to-back championships in 1992 and 1993. The Dodgers are the 2024 defending champions.

All eyes are on Blue Jay’s slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr, best known for hitting difficult pitches. Fellow Dominicans, outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, first baseman Enrique Hernandez and Jose Lima play with the Dodgers.

The World Series games are:Game 1: Oct. 24, Dodgers at Blue Jays (8 p.m. ET, FOX)Game 2: Oct. 25, Dodgers at Blue Jays (8 p.m. ET, FOX)Game 3: Oct. 27, Blue Jays at Dodgers (8 p.m. ET, FOX)Game 4: Oct. 28, Blue Jays at Dodgers (8 p.m. ET, FOX)Game 5: Oct. 29, Blue Jays at Dodgers (8 p.m. ET, FOX)Game 6: Oct. 31, Dodgers at Blue Jays (8 p.m. ET, FOX)Game 7: Nov. 1, Dodgers at Blue...

President Luis Abinader addressed the inaugural session of the 81st General Assembly of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA). He told his audience that “any government that fears the press, fears the truth.” Abinader stressed the fact that government transparency, strong journalists, concerned citizens all produce a climate of freedom of the press.

Abinader strongly emphasized his government’s commitment to transparency, saying that criticisms only improve government. He also talked at length about the administration’s legislation that covers freedom of the press and the media, in order to bring it up-to-date in the era of digital communications, social platforms, disinformation and artificial intelligence. He also pronounced his litany regarding a free press: “Without a free press, there is no transparency; without transparency there is no...