DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic’s Embassy in Canada officially launched Dominican Week in Canada 2025 in Ottawa, a two-day promotional event to position the country as a key economic partner on the world stage. The high-level event, set for 15 and 16 October 2025 focuses on the country’s leadership, economic dynamism, attractions, and investment opportunities.

A delegation of high-level business figures traveled to Canada for the event. These included: Fernando Capellán, president of Grupo M; Giselle Valera, president of Barrick Pueblo Viejo; Jaak Rannik, vice president of Grupo Rannik; Gustavo De Hostos, president of the Dominican-Canadian Chamber of Commerce; Claudia Pellerano, president of the Dominican Association of Industrial Free Zones; and Luis Emilio Rodriguez, director of the La Romana International Airport.

Dominican Ambassador to Canada, José Blanco Conde...

In a significant move to modernize the national power grid, the Unified Council of Electricity Companies (CUED) has unveiled a public tender for up to 600 megawatts (MW) of new renewable energy generation. Marking a national first, the bidding process mandates the inclusion of battery energy storage systems as an essential part of the proposed project.

The initiative aims to transform intermittent renewable sources into baseload power, thereby strengthening the electrical system’s stability and ensuring a reliable supply nationwide.

“I am seeing great interest [from bidders] which will definitely improve the situation for the distributors, and even more so with batteries,” stated CUED president Celso Marranzini, highlighting the transformative potential of the technology.

For years, numerous solar renewable energy parks have been installed. This is the...

What do the Central Electoral Board (JCE), National Institute of Transport and Transit Agency (Intrant) and Passport Agency (DGP) have in common? A recent report in El Caribe calls attention that the same technology provider that services Haiti is the contractor for technological solutions for the new ID, new driver licenses and new passports.

When asked during the 13 October 2025 press conference to comment on that a Haitian supplier had been contracted for key Dominican identity documents, President Luis Abinader said he was not aware.

Read more in Spanish:

• El Caribe
• La Semanal

President of Colombia Gustavo Petro and President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum / El Caribe

Given the political divide in the region, the Ministry of Foreign Relations of the Dominican Republic had concentrated more on the business summit for the Summit of the Americas, the leading regional event scheduled for 1 to 5 December 2025 in Punta Cana.

The Ministry of Foreign Relations had delayed sending out the invitations to the Summit of the Americas, acknowledging the lack of cohesion in the region and the new realities introduced by the Trump administration. The reality is that the Summit of the Americas is an event created by the United States government, which apparently can decide who gets invited and who does not, regardless of the opinion of the host country

The political summit of heads of government is a key part of the event and the controversial...

The Aguilas Cibaeñas announced that their board of directors member Fabio Augusto Jorge Puras will be taking a temporary leave of absence as he is investigated by the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and US judiciary for drug trafficking. Local news media mention he allegedly has ties to drug trafficking networks operated by Quirino Ernesto Paulino Castillo and former Dominican congressman Miguel Gutierrez, both convicted in the US judicial system.

Jorge Puras had been named in 2021 advisor on free zone industries to the Abinader Presidency. He was removed in May 2025 as the probe uncovered evidence that eventually led to his indictment in September 2025 by a Miami court.

The Aguilas Cibaeñas announced that their board of directors member Fabio Augusto Jorge Puras will be taking a temporary leave of absence as he is investigated by the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and US judiciary for drug trafficking. Local news media mention he allegedly has ties to drug trafficking networks operated by Quirino Ernesto Paulino Castillo and former Dominican congressman Gutierrez, both convicted in the US judicial system.

The highly anticipated third season of the nation’s premier talent, Dominicana’s Got Talent, aired on Wednesday, 15 October 2025 at 8pm on Color Visión, Channel 9. The contest grants RD$3 million to its single winner.

The 2025-2026 winner will follow in the footsteps of 13-year old Babyrotty (2019) and religious singer Keren Montero (2021), who won the first and second seasons, respectively.

Dominicana’s Got Talent had united thousands of viewers to witness the captivating stories of the participants.

This new season introduces changes to the format. A fresh hosting duo, Enrique Quailey and Lorenna Pierre, will take the reins of the show. The esteemed judging panel sees the return of familiar faces Nashla Bogaert, Waddys Jáquez, and Pamela Sued, who will be joined by renowned actor and comedian Irving Alberti.

The number of Golden Buzzers has been increased to...

The Ministry of Culture has released the downloadable program for the International Theater Festival (XII FITE 2025). The event is set for 19 to 30 October and will have its main focus in the capital city, but dozens of theater presentations are scheduled for other provinces.

Coming from abroad to perform during the event are companies from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, France, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Spain. Spain is the guest country.

This year, the event honors Freddy Ginebra, the founder of Casa de Teatro.

Read more in Spanish:

• Ministry of Culture
• N Digital

Gaspar Antonio Polando and Augusto Jorge Puras / Noticias SIN

The US government earlier this year had notified the Abinader administration that two individuals working in the Dominican government were suspect of involvement in the exporting of cocaine to the United States.

Following, President Luis Abinader would cancel the appointment ofFabio August Jorge Puras (alias Vecino) (Decree 273-25 in May 2025) as honorary free zones sector advisor to the President (Decree 241-21). Noticias SIN reports that in addition to Jorge Puras being a free zone advisor to the Presidency, he also served as a high-ranking executive for the Aguilas Cibaenas baseball team, based in Santiago de los Caballeros

In the same drug trafficking case, Gaspar Antonio Polanco Virella (alias El Grande), a former director of Public Services at the National District and...

The Dominican Republic cemented a “transcendental step” in its technological evolution on Tuesday, 14 October 2025, with the signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with NVIDIA, the global leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and accelerated computing, the Abinader Presidency reports.

The strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Dominican Government and NVIDIA is designed to accelerate the country’s national AI strategy and establish a foundation for digital sovereignty in the region.

The partnership, signed at the Presidential Palace, is set to establish the Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence (CEIA), a dedicated hub for training, research, and innovation. In the press release announcing the new center, President Luis Abinader goes on record promising it will transform the nation into a regional leader in digital sovereignty...

A recent study by the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) has cast a harsh spotlight on the struggling state of pre-university education in the Dominican Republic, warning of serious flaws in the national assessment system. Despite billions invested in public schooling, the research reveals a troubling disconnect between grade passing and actual learning, with only a fraction of graduates demonstrating satisfactory academic performance.

The Danilo Medina administration in 2012 was the first Dominican government to allocate extensive funding for public education after years of national protests demanding 4% of GDP established by law be allocated to the sector. As of 2012 this happened, but the money would mainly go to building schools and raising the salaries of public teachers and administrative staff without structural changes to ensure quality education. The...

Jose Villanueva Acebal / N Digital

The Presidency announced it is presenting the candidacy of Leandro Jose Villanueva Acebal to lead the UN Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (Unodc).

The nomination follows a suggestion made recently by the US government that had encouraged the presenting of a Dominican candidate to head the UN body entrusted with the global fight against drugs and crime.

The proposal for the US backing of a Dominican candidate was recently conveyed to President Abinader by Rebecca Márquez, director of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs at the US State Department. Márquez made the announcement while citing the Dominican government’s “solid track record of commitment to the UN and strong drug control practices.”

Márquez has noted that the current UNODC executive director, Ghada Waly, is set to step down in November 2025...

The Dominican Professional Baseball Winter League (Lidom) kicks off on Wednesday, 15 October 2025 for the six-team 2025-2026 Lidom Championship. Dominican Winter Baseball, known as pelota invernal, resumes action after an eight-month hiatus.

Following a thrilling tournament that saw the Leones del Escogido crowned local and Caribbean champions (Serie del Caribe) in one of the most exciting finals in recent memory, all six teams enter the season as favorites, each boasting a strong nucleus of players for the four month-long championship. The 2025-2026 season is dedicated to the Cooperstown Hall of Famer, Juan Marichal.

Opening day matchups

Inaugural day action will take place in Santo Domingo, San Pedro de Macorís, and Santiago.

Santo Domingo: The reigning champions, the Leones del Escogido will play visit their eternal rivals, the Tigres del Licey at the Quisqueya...

President Luis Abinader has declared that the Dominican Republic is set to “make history” by hosting the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games in 2026, which is shaping up to be the largest sporting event in the region’s history. The Games are expected to draw over 6,000 athletes competing for a record 3,244 medals.

Meanwhile, Sports Minister Kelvin Cruz announced that the government is investing more than RD$5 billion (approximately US$85 million) in sports infrastructure nationwide to prepare for the event.

Speaking at the fencing pavilion of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center, where the weekly “LA Semanal con la Prensa” press conference was moved, President Abinader detailed the significant progress being made.

In a move aimed at bolstering the performance of Dominican athletes, the government made a historic contribution of RD$315 million...

The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD) reports a significant surge in remittances sent by Dominicans living abroad. Remittances are the greatest injection of hard currency into the Dominican Republic. These are channeled to the country for investing in property, businesses and for the welfare of relatives and friends of those who have migrated.

Between January and September 2025, the total amount of remittances reached US$8.91 billion, an increase of $914.1 million (11.4%) compared to the same period in the previous year. The September remittance total was US$991.8 billion.

The Central Bank reports that year-over-year growth of remittances is 11.9% compared to September 2024. This marks an increase of US$105.6 million.

The Central Bank says that the funds from the Dominican diaspora are crucial, as they have a “multiplier effect” on consumption, investment, and...

Several past presidents of the Dominican Engineers and Architects Association (Codia) now say the recent Abinader administration decision to build a monorail in Santo Domingo instead of continuing with the metro lines is a planning mistake, as reported in N Digital.

A coalition of former presidents from the Dominican College of Engineers, Architects, and Surveyors (Codia) sharply criticized the proposed Santo Domingo Monorail project, labeling it a “planning error” that is destined to be “saturated” from inception due to technical, legal, and financial limitations.

The powerful rebuke was delivered by engineer Thomás Frías Sosa on behalf of the signatories. While clarifying that the professionals are not opposed to mass transit, they warned that the chosen monorail model is “technically limited, financially risky, and legally questionable.”

Frías Sosa stressed that...

The Ministry of Youth has joined the bandwagon and is now promoting the new Tarjeta de la Juventud, a welfare card that targets young people. Those who are approved will receive a stipend of RD$2,500 a month. The cards will be issued in collaboration with the Presidency welfare agency, Direccion de Desarrollo Social Superate.

Those who qualify need to be 18 to 35 years old and show low income status.

The program expects to reach out to 10,000 young people, Minister of Youth Carlos Valdez announced.

He said the cards will also be made available to university students, young mothers, and persons with disabilities.

Read more in Spanish:

• Ministry of Youth card
• El Dia

Despite the Ministry of Housing and Buildings order to shut down after serious structural problems were found at Chinese megastores in operation, several owners have chosen to open discreetly. N Digital reports on the case of Suplax.

Read more in Spanish:

• N Digital
• N Digital
• Diario Libre

Tourism Minister David Collado headed the re-opening ceremonies of the remodeled and expanded tourist wharf at Miches, in El Seibo province. The Miches area is regarded as the country’s newest beach destination. Miches is an hour and a half drive north of Punta Cana International Airport.

The RD$51.4 million wharf in Playa Arriba restores the facility that was impacted by Hurricane Fiona in 2022. Collado noted that tourism in Miches is on the upswing, and this tourist dock area will improve the visitor experience of both foreign and domestic tourists. The installation is designed for small craft, launches and catamarans which provide service to locals and tourists alike. The entire structure is illuminated for nighttime use.

The engineering of the new structure is designed for resilience. The pier is built on galvanized metallic piles driven into the seabed and...

Mark your calendars! From the 17th until the 19th of October 2025, the National Botanical Garden is celebrating the National Plant and Flower Festival, one of the most important and emblematic urban festivities held each year.

There is something for everyone, and beginners and experts alike will find interesting items, classes, and workshops. And this year, there will be international exhibitors from Ecuador, Puerto Rico and Canada.

This is also a good time to stock up on gardening supplies, such as soil, fertilizers, and new plants.

Orchids will be on sale, as well as most of the endemic plants of the Dominican Republic, including a wide variety of succulents, fruit trees, and Christmas flowers.

The festival will be open from 9am until 6pm from Thursday, 16 October until Sunday, 19 October. Admission is RD$200 for adults and RD$75 for children. Admission includes entry to the sales areas, the recreational areas, the museum and a train ride.

There will be food...

Santo Domingo draws leading performers from all around the world. This Tuesday, 14 October 2025, Rod Stewart will be hosting a concert for his fans at the newly remodeled Softball Stadium in the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center. The stadium was prepared for concerts, especially part of the remodeled sports venues readied for the July-August 2026 Central American and Caribbean Sports Games.

Diario Libre has reported on how the show venue for the concert has been changed on several occasions. The concert is a production by SD Concerts (Saymon Diaz). It had been announced for the new Arena Santo Domingo, then for the Olympic Stadium and now for the current Softball Stadium in the JPD Olympic Center.

Tickets are for sale: Tuboleta.com.do CDN ...

Dominican Paris Olympic gold medal winner Marileidy Paulino capped off an intense 2025 with a 50.07 win of the invitation-only Athlos NYC athletics competition in New York City on 10 October. The win also came with US$60,000 in prize money.

She defeated her arch rival throughout the year, Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain who clocked in second with a time of 50.94. Naser is coached by Dominican Jose Ludwig Rubio.

Athlos NYC Women’s 400 M Final

Place | Athlete | Country | Time——————————————————1 | Marileidy Paulino | Dominican Rep. | 50.072 | Salwa Eid Naser | Bahrain | 50.943 | Henriette Jaeger | Norway | 51.244 | Alexis Holmes | USA | 51.745 | Lynna Irby-Jackson | USA | 51.936 | Amber Anning | Great Britain | 52.86

Next year, Paulino is expected to duel Sydney McLaughlin and Salwa Eid Naser throughout the 2026 season.

In comments after the race, Paulino expressed her...

Vice President Raquel Peña decorated Dominican community leader Augusto Taveras with the 2025 “Oscar de la Renta Emigrant Award.” This is the seventh edition of the prestigious award that is sponsored and organized by the Ministry of Foreign Relations (Mirex).

During the event, Taveras’s remarkable journey since arriving in New York in 1971 was presented to the general public during the awards ceremony held at the National Theater.

Taveras, who founded the Rancheros Unidos Foundation in New York, USA, was recognized for his transformative work in his homeland, the farming community of Los Ranchos de Babosico in Santiago de los Caballeros. The foundation has reportedly changed the lives of hundreds of rural families by donating over 500 fully equipped homes.

Beyond housing, the awardee has been instrumental in supporting the construction of educational, sports...

President Luis Abinader traveled to Mexico on Friday, 10 October 2025 with his family to attend the wedding of his niece Rita Lulo Abinader who married Héctor Alessandro Vogliotti Simental on Saturday, 11 October. He traveled with First Lady Raquel Arbaje and his three daughters.

He returned on Sunday, 12 October to participate in the inauguration of new government-built apartment buildings in Ciudad Real Ecologica in East Santo Domingo. The apartment complex falls under the Plan Nacional de Viviendas Familia Feliz, developed by the Ministry of Housing (Mived).

President Luis Abinader and First Lady Raquel Arbaje led the sixth annual Senior Citizen of the Year and Protector of the Elderly awards ceremony on Friday, 3 October 2025, recognizing the altruism and dedication of older adults throughout the year. The awards are a national tribute to the country’s elderly population.

The Senior Citizen of the Year award was presented to the esteemed teacher and folklore dancer Josefina Miniño, honoring her as a source of inspiration. Miniño was recognized for her tireless work as a teacher, dancer, and choreographer, sharing her successes, experiences, and knowledge with all generations.

Sister Agripina Acosta, director of the La Santisima Trinidad Home for the Helpless Elderly, received the Protector of the Elderly award. She was honored for her outstanding 57 years of work in welcoming and caring for...

After taking part in the International Forum on Mental Health and the Prison System in the Dominican Republic, Vice President Raquel Peña told reporters that the head of the National Office for Prison Reform had, indeed, delivered to her office a brief on the strategies that will be taken to improve the nation’s prisons, as reported in Listin Diario.

As she was questioned by reporters regarding the small number of psychologists working within the prison system, the Vice President noted that there are budget requisitions that will provide better mental health cars for inmates. She emphasized that President Abinader has said that he wants to provide good care for those persons with mental issues and that are currently inmates in Dominican prisons.

Later on, Roberto Santana, the head of the Prison Reform Office (Onaprep), told reporters that the brief that he had delivered...

To have a monorail or not to have a monorail? The recent government decision to build a monorail system in Greater Santo Domingo as part of the process to reduce traffic jams in the city. The proposed mass transit system will join together with the current Metro system and the cable cars that cross the Ozama River, the river that divides the capital city from the densely populated East Santo Domingo municipality.

However, the huge project has met with sharp criticisms from opposition party Fuerza del Pueblo (FP), especially regarding the tender process for the project. Former President Leonel Fernandez is the leader of the FP.

Teodoro Tejada, a former head of the Dominican College of Engineers, Architects, and Surveyors (Codia) has come out in defense of the government choice, saying that the complaints voiced by the political party are not accurate and do not...

Last week, journalist Ines Aizpun recalled how the motorcyclist violations got started decades ago when writing her opinion column for the Diario Libre.

She explained that decades ago, police looked the other way and allowed a family to board a motorbike. She wrote: Two adults, two kids, and a birthday cake balanced on a motorbike—it was once a scene that could even draw a smile. Yes, it was unsafe and illegal, but who could say no to a birthday celebration? Those were different times. Those were different riders.

Back then, running a red light was unthinkable. Later, doing it in front of a traffic officer was unimaginable. But gradually, what was once shocking became routine. Not normal, just common.

She highlighted: Today, the violations come in packs: riding against traffic, overtaking on the right, speeding down sidewalks, reckless stunts, knocking off side mirrors...

The Dominican Republic has the potential to double its GDP in the next ten years. Rene Grullon, the chief executive of the country’s largest private financial group, Grupo Popular, recently went on record giving his recommendations of the structural changes and decisions that need to be taken. The doubling would position the Dominican Republic as a developed country in the Caribbean.

The goal of doubling the Dominican Republic’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2036 is more than just an economic target; it is a “moral pact between generations,” according to Rene Grullon, CEO of Grupo Popular, the largest banking group in the country.

Addressing the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic (AmChamDR), Grullon outlined a compelling vision for achieving sustained economic growth, improved quality of life, and a more equitable society. He called for a united effort...

The Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) has approved a significant modification to the Regulation for Parcel Regularization and Demarcation (Deslinde), a move designed to greatly expand the scope of land regularization and streamline the process of obtaining clear property titles.

The Supreme Court ordered the amendments to Regulation No. 790-2022 after a year-long consultation period. The changes, enacted by the SCJ’s full panel, aim to make regularization the general rule for legally establishing and individualizing a specific portion of a larger parcel of land.

Crucially, the new regulation reserves the demarcation process (deslinde) as an exception, applicable only at the judicial stage and specifically for cases that are inherently contradictory or litigious and require court intervention. This marks a strategic shift to prioritize administrative regularization over...

The Ministry of Housing and Edifications (Mived) on Friday, 10 October 2025 ordered the provisional and preventative closure of operations at the Euphoria nightclub in Santo Domingo Este after inspectors confirmed the venue was operating without the required construction licenses, technical inspections, or final certifications. This action was taken due to repeated violations of Law 161-21 and applicable regulations, as reported in N Digital.

According to the administrative file, the situation began months ago. Mived had first issued a suspension notice on 17 June 2025, after discovering that remodeling work was being carried out at the site without valid permits or necessary supervision.

The legal process was complicated by the owners’ lack of cooperation, as reported by Mived. Despite being formally cited, the club’s management failed to appear at the scheduled...

The Public Ministry (Ministerio Público) has provisionally seized properties belonging to Jose (Jochi) Angel Gomez-Canaan, who is currently embroiled in a judicial process concerning alleged corruption tied to the installation and maintenance of traffic lights in Greater Santo Domingo.

Gomez-Canaan is implicated through his connection with the company Transcore Latam S.R.L. The provisional seizure is a preventive measure aimed at securing assets that, according to investigations, were allegedly acquired with funds derived from acts of corruption and money laundering.

The case against Gomez and his affiliated companies is being called one of the largest technological corruption scandals in recent public administration history, generating significant public attention in the Dominican Republic.

The implications of the case extend beyond the financial and legal realms...

Elizabeth Silverio has good lawyers. On 20 May 2023, investigative journalist Nuria Piera aired a TV program had revealed that the impressive degrees from different countries she had framed in her office were fake. Yet, the local judiciary has been lenient with the once-touted neuroscientist who had developed a large practice at Knowledge Land (Kogland), serving children with autism in Santo Domingo. The center was shut down.

Silverio was such a good talker that even Congress consulted with her for the drafting of the national autism law.

While the Ministry of Public Health has revoked her permission to continue in the role of director of the center that mainly treated cases of child autism, the judiciary has been lenient and allowed her to remain out of jail. She was sentenced in October 2024 to seven years in jail, but has not served jail time as the case runs...

Eleonore Caroit has been named a minister in the French government, a historic appointment as she becomes the first French person of Dominican descent to serve in a cabinet position.

Caroit’s appointment was announced on Sunday, 12 October 2025. She will serve as the Minister Delegate for Francophonie, International Partnerships, and French Nationals Abroad, working under the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

The news was confirmed by her father, journalist Jean-Michel Caroit, who resides in the Dominican Republic. French diplomacy, via its X (formerly Twitter) account, indicated that her nomination was proposed by the Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu.

Before her ministerial role, Caroit had established herself in the French political landscape. She has been elected three times as a deputy in the French National Assembly, representing French citizens across the...

Jorge Polanco / El Día

Dominican platano power in action. Jorge Polanco and relief pitcher Luis Miguel Castillo were the key players in the Seattle Mariners move to the American League Championship Series.

Jorge Polanco batted the game-ending single in the 15th inning, leading the Seattle Mariners to defeat the Detroit Tigers 3-2 on Friday, 10 October 2025.

“We never give up. We just keep fighting. It doesn’t matter how many innings we play,” Polanco said. “We just stay ready and wait for the moment. It’s going to come. It was my time, ” AP reported when covering the game.

Fellow Dominican pitcher Luis Miguel Castillo pitched the 1 1/3 innings for the win in his first Major League relief appearance.

The game is regarded as the longest winner-take-all postseason game in baseball history.

Local media reports on how Dominicans were incidental in the Toronto Blue Jays and the...

Yudelina Mejía / El Caribe

Dominican Yudelina Mejia won the subchampionship title at the 2025 World Weightlifting Championships (IWF World Championship) in Forde, Norway, a first for the Dominican Republic’s weightlifting team. Norwegian Olympic champion Solfrid Koanda won the championship.

Mejía’s powerful performance in Førde, Norway, saw her clinch three medals, totaling 271 kg across her lifts.

After nearly gaining a place on the podium at last year’s Paris Olympic Games, Mejia finally broke through with her championship snatch gold in the 86 kg category. She also added a silver medal in the clean and jerk competition behind Norway’s Solfrid Koanda.

Mejía cemented her status among the world’s elite in weightlifting by securing the World Sub-Championship title in the 86 kg division at the 2025 IWF World Weightlifting Championships.

The Dominican athlete was...