DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic
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The Central Electoral Board (JCE) is going ahead with the Emdoc proposal for new ID for the Dominican Republic. The single contest participant, the Emdoc consortium was approved to supply materials, equipment and services for the ID renewal. All IDs in the Dominican Republic have expired. The new ID is said to have a duration of 10 years.
The Civil Registry has detected almost three million IDs with irregularities that the expedition of the new IDs expects to correct during the procedures to issue new IDS to around 8 million persons.
Diario Libre reports that the Central Electoral Board (JCE) has awarded a contract worth RD$3,361,540,992.22 to the Emdoc Consortium, following a decision by its Procurement Committee. The final amount is slightly lower than the consortium’s original bid of RD$3,363,322,420, yet significantly higher than the RD$2,081,674,980 initially estimated by the institution for the contract.
Under the agreement, Emdoc is expected to supply the JCE...
Public schools reopened in the Dominican Republic for the 2025-2026 school year on Monday, 25 August 2025. Private schools are allowed flexible back to school dates and many had started earlier.
The Ministry of Education says that 2,664,028 students are registered for the next school year in the public, private and hybrid systems.
The Ministry of Education this year has habilitated two sections at several public schools, eliminating the afternoon classes to give way to the increased demand.
The return of classes comes with a worsening of traffic mobility.
Read more in Spanish:
People queued for days in the Centro de los Heroes area to receive the backpacks with electronic devices and school supplies. The ticket was a sack of used plastic bottles.
The exchange was organized by the City Hall of the National District. City Mayor Carolina Mejia from day one has been organizing the events that help clean up the city of garbage while creating an awareness in young people of the importance of recycling.
The city hall has an agreement with a recycling company that converts the bottles into furniture for city parks.
Reports are the effort was successful and more than 15 million plastic bottles were collected.
Read more in Spanish:
New Finance and Economy Minister Magin Diaz announced key changes to the 2025 Budget to boost the economy. Last week he met with legislators of the Special Finance Committee of the Chamber of Deputies to present the government’s proposed reformulation of the 2025 General State Budget, which totals RD$69.7 billion. The government says the revised budget prioritizes economic stimulation through increased public investment and targeted sectoral spending.
Of the total amount, RD$20 billion will go to the National Treasury to manage its obligations. The rest is largely earmarked for ministries and institutions expected to drive economic growth amid global uncertainty.
The Ministry of Public Works is set to receive RD$17 billion, the largest allocation after the Treasury, followed by the Ministry of Public Health with RD$12.9 billion. The Ministry of Interior and Police is allocated RD$5.47 billion, while the Ministry of Housing, Habitat, and Buildings (Mivhed) will receive RD$3.9...
Diario Libre Journalists covering the advances in the Metro Line 2 scheduled for a test run in September 2025 made a discovery that has people asking what were the builders thinking when they installed the massive pillars but left no room for pedestrians below.
The recent report in Diario Libre helps people become aware the sidewalks are blocked in some stretches and there are no sure crossways in other areas. Yes, the Metro cars can zoom by above, but what about the people on foot for whom the Metro is designed?
President Luis Abinader has announced the works are advancing so that the Metro Line 2C can open to the general public in February 2026.
Read more in Spanish:
Former Dominican ambassador to the United Nations, Jose Singer Weisinger sees the relations of China and Dominican Republic as a one-sided relationship that merits rethinking. He says the DR has little to show from breaking with Taiwan on 30 April 2018 to establish full relations with China during the second Danilo Medina administration.
In an opinion piece in Acento complains that the DR has a bad deal with China. He is most critical that China, a member of the National Security Council, has not voted in favor of the proposal to turn the Kenya deployed mission in Haiti to a Peace Force with more support from the United Nations. Singer says the positive vote would not cost anything to China and does not understand the position that acts against the Dominican Republic.
The position of the Dominican government has been to back the request of the Transition Council of Haiti that seeks to upgrade the UN mission in Haiti to reverse the control of the gangs.
In his opinion...
Former Dominican ambassador to the United Nations, Jose Singer Weisinger sees the relations of China and Dominican Republic as a one-sided relationship that merits rethinking. He says the DR has little to show from establishing full relations with China in May 2016 during the Danilo Medina administration.
In an opinion piece in Acento complains that the DR has a bad deal with China. He is most critical that China, a member of the National Security Council, has not voted in favor of the proposal to turn the Kenya deployed mission in Haiti to a Peace Force with more support from the United Nations. Singer says the positive vote would not cost anything to China and does not understand the position that acts against the Dominican Republic.
The position of the Dominican government has been to back the request of the Transition Council of Haiti that seeks to upgrade the UN mission in Haiti to reverse the control of the gangs.
In his opinion piece, Singer mentions that the...
The Dominican Republic received members of the United States National Security Council and the US Department of Defense last week. These high-ranking members of the Trump administration met with President Luis Abinader and several Dominican ministers. The visit will come to a conclusion tomorrow, 26 August.
Michael Jensen, a former United States Air Force Lt. Colonel, is the senior director for the Western Hemisphere at the National Security Council (NSC), and Joseph M. Humire is a Bolivian-American, who is an expert in the field of national security and terrorism. Humire is currently the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for the Western Hemisphere.
Joseph M. Humire is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs, overseeing US defense and security policy for Canada, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. He previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense Integration and Defense Support of...
Vice Admiral Luis Rafael Lee Ballestar, the director general of Migration, made it clear to many representatives of the agricultural sector of Tireo and Constanza that his agents would continue to pursue and capture undocumented aliens, even if they were working in the fields.
Farmers, local politicians, members of Congress, all have asked that the Migration Agency for lenience with the Haitian laborers that are an important workforce for the vegetable crops in La Vega province.
Minister of Agriculture Limber Cruz Lopez attended the meeting on the strict application of the government’s immigration policies that President Abinader has proclaimed as necessary for the national security.
The farmers told the authorities that the constant roundups of undocumented workers (Haitians) was damaging their ability to produce crops. Their request was very simple: find some way to remedy this situation.
It should be remembered that several months ago, there were news items...
This should not be news really. In the United States there have been too many stories about students, burdened by student loan debt, unable to find gainful employment beyond fast-food restaurants. Apparently, something similar is occurring here in the Dominican Republic.
The Diario Libre, and other newspapers, are reporting that most of the nation’s college students are following career paths in Law, Psychology, Education, Accounting, and Medicine that appear to have diminishing prospects for employment.
A recent study by the National Association of Young Entrepreneurs (ANJE) showed that these career paths compose about 45% of all university students, show the lowest salary increase, and apparently do not fulfill the demands of the employment market.
According to Jose Jimenez, an accountant, who is working as a digital traffic analyst at a media company, the lack of job opportunities in these fields is real. That has been his experience and he had to find work in another...
Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) is the regional airport with the most airlines from the most destinations landing there. FL Technics, with headquarters in Vilnius, Lithuania, is now installing a regional giant for aircraft maintenance, repair and overall services (MRO). The importance of having a Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) Center at Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) is critical to ensure the safety and efficiency of air operations in the region.
The MRO center is located in the new Logistics Park of the Punta Cana Free Trade Zone (Grupo Puntacana and DP World Logistics Center) in an area of 115,588 m2 of land. Zilvinas Lapinskas, CEO of FL Technics, explains it is the first infrastructure project to be developed from ground up in the Americas, while for colleagues from Grupo Puntacana, – it is the first one with European-based global independent MRO service provider. The new infrastructure will service Airbus A320F and Boeing 737NG and Max, serving as...
Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) is the regional airport with the most airlines from the most destinations landing there. FL Technics, with headquarters in Vilnius, Lithuania, is now installing a regional giant for aircraft maintenance, repair and overall services (MRO). The importance of having a Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) Center at Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) is critical to ensure the safety and efficiency of air operations in the region.
The MRO center is located in the new Logistics Park of the Punta Cana Free Trade Zone (Grupo Puntacana and DP World) in an area of 115,588 m2 of land. Zilvinas Lapinskas, CEO of FL Technics, explains it is the first infrastructure project to be developed from ground up in the Americas, while for colleagues from Grupo Puntacana, – it is the first one with European-based global independent MRO service provider. The new infrastructure will service Airbus A320F and Boeing 737NG and Max, serving as support to...
The mother of a JetSet Club roof collapse victim has launched an educational foundation in her daughter’s memory. In a moving tribute to the memory of Alexandra Grullón, a victim of the tragic JetSet Club roof collapse, her mother, Melba Segura de Grullón, has launched the Alexandra Grullón Academic and Cultural Fund. The new foundation aims to provide educational scholarships and support to survivors, and to children and young people who lost a parent in the disaster.
The launch event, held at a Santo Domingo hotel, was attended by Vice President Raquel Peña and other prominent figures, including Minister of Public Works Eduardo Estrella. The foundation’s board will be presided over by Melba Segura de Grullón and includes notable members like Milton Ray Guevara, Servio Tulio Castaños, Fernando Hasbún, and Ariel Ramos.
The 8 April 2025 tragedy at the JetSet Club claimed the lives of 236 people and injured more than 150. The fund will provide scholarships to vulnerable groups...
In a historic first, Dominican diplomat and archaeologist Kathleen Martínez has been unanimously elected as a member of the Archaeological Academy of Italy, a prestigious institution with roots tracing back to the 19th Century, Listin Diario reports. The honor recognizes her groundbreaking research in Egypt, where she has led a project at Taposiris Magna in search of the long-lost tomb of Cleopatra.
Kathleen Martínez’s current diplomatic post in Egypt is Minister Counselor for Cultural Affairs at the Dominican Embassy in Egypt, and she also leads the Dominican-Egyptian Archaeological Mission in Alexandria.
The induction ceremony, held in the city of Como, was led by the academy’s vice president, Monica Lavino Mariani. Martínez was presented with a diploma formally naming her a “Foreign Academic Correspondent” for her work.
“It is a great honor for me to have been in Como, the birthplace of the Egyptologist Francisco Ballerini, one of the fathers of modern Egyptology,”...
It was not her best event, but Dominican runner 19-year old Liranyi Alonso set an event record of 22.69 to win the 200 m in the Asunción, Paraguay Youth Pan Am Championships. The previous day, Alonso had won silver in the 100m with a time of 11.40.
Alonso is coached by Dominican Jose Ludwig Rubio who coached Luguelin Santos who would win silver in the 200 m in the London Olympic Games (2012) and now coaches Salwa Eid Naser , the key contender to Dominican Olympic gold medalist Marileidy Paulino in the 400m.
Read more in Spanish:
FIBA ranks Argentina third in the Americas, the DR is sixth. Yet, over the years, the DR has become the nemesis of Argentina in the AmeriCup. The DR did it again in Managua, Nicaragua, going 84-83 against Argentina in the AmeriCup 2025. Interestingly, the Dominican team is coached by an Argentinean, Nestor (Che) Garcia.
Argentina was the big favorite. It took a win in overtime, for the DR to repeat the nightmare of the Argentina team. The DR has defeated Argentina in the three most recent matches the teams have played internationally.
For the DR, it was the country’s second win at the FIBA AmeriCup 2025. It was about a team that would not give up. In a hard-fought contest, the emerging players of the DR came from behind after trailing for 35 minutes. The game would end 75-75, forcing an overtime before Argentina was not able to score its last basket to win the game. The DR now leads in Group C. The DR has yet to play the host Nicaragua.
Newly hired by the NBA’s San...
President Luis Abinader formally received the letters of credence from seven newly accredited ambassadors to the Dominican Republic during a ceremony held Wednesday, 20 August 2025 at the Presidential Palace.
Accompanied by Vice President Raquel Peña and Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez, President Abinader welcomed the diplomatic representatives, who will serve as official envoys of their respective nations: Spain, the Republic of the Congo, Albania, Azerbaijan, Malaysia, Kenya, and Poland.
The credentials ceremony took place in the Hall of Ambassadors, where the new ambassadors were received in a formal diplomatic setting. All of the appointed diplomats bring extensive experience in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, having previously held positions in international missions and foreign affairs ministries.
Ambassadors presented:Lorea...
The Ministry of Environment of the Dominican Republic, in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), has released the GEO 2024 Report, raising red flags about the country’s escalating environmental challenges — including desertification, land degradation, and water scarcity.
According to the report, agriculture and livestock account for 82.3% of the nation’s total water consumption, placing immense strain on already limited water resources. The analysis also highlights that mass tourism and the effects of climate change are significantly contributing to environmental deterioration across the country.
One of the most alarming findings warns that up to 70% of the Dominican Republic’s soil could suffer degradation if immediate and effective mitigation measures are not implemented.
The GEO 2024 report provides a comprehensive overview of...
Chamber of Accounts of the Dominican Republic (CCRD) president Emma Polanco Melo announced the streamlining of the submission of sworn asset declarations for government officials. She says the modernization initiative is part of the institution’s digital transformation strategy.
Government officials are obliged to report their worth when entering the position and then when leaving.
“Our goal is to offer citizens a more efficient, transparent, and accessible service, putting technology at the service of accountability,” Polanco Melo said.
She added that the new tool was developed based on feedback from filers and is built on five core principles:• Reducing unnecessary fields to align strictly with Law 311-14.• Assigning a unique number to each declaration for better tracking.• Providing access to an asset summary to reinforce transparency.• Creating complementary tools...
Danny Santos, Constructora Danny Santos Compres SRL
Neighborhood groups from Cuesta Brava and Arroyo Manzano have brought to the open the irregularities in the issuing of government permits. The Ministry of Environment cleared the construction with the issuing of an Environmental Impact Permit for the construction of the Balcones del Cerro (43,000 square meters) and Balcones de la Rivera (18,894 sq meters) apartment projects in northern National District.
The constructions are going up along the Arroyo Manzano green belt area where no commercial entities and only single homes are permitted, according to the National District planning documents that go as far back as 1993 during the last government of the late President Joaquin Balaguer. Balaguer’s legacy left several large green areas – National Botanical Garden, National Zoo, Mirador del Norte, Mirador del Sur, Mirador del...
Marileidy Paulino came in fourth in the 200m spring at the Diamond League Lausanne competition as she continues to prepare for the 400m in the World Athletics competition in September. Her race in the Lausanne event was a cash prize of US$3,000 for the Dominican Olympic gold medalist.
She clocked 22:43 compared to her personal best in the race of 22:30. The race was won by Britanny Brown of the United Kingdom with 22:23. Next was Ofili Favour of Nigeria with 22:31 and Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith of Ivory Coast with 22:37.
Paulino chose not to compete in the 400m in Lausanne because she already had already qualified for the Diamond League final to take place in Zurich after winning three races in that category. In the 400m in Lausanne, her main competitor, Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser, despite the lure of more prize money, clocked in fifth with a time of 51.08.
Paulino is...
The Dominican senior basketball team is in Nicaragua to compete in the FIBA AmeriCup 2025, the prestigious continental tournament that will be held from 22 to 31 August 22 at the Polideportivo Alexis Argüello in Managua, Nicaragua.
The participating nations are Argentina, Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela.
This is the DR’s 15th appearance at the prestigious continental tournament. The team traveled from Puerto Rico to Nicaragua after playing friendship games vs Puerto Rico as a warm up for the AmeriCup.
The Dominican squad is led by national team captain Víctor Liz, alongside Gelvis Solano, Eloy Vargas, Andrés Féliz, Jean Montero, Ángel Delgado, David Jones, Joel Soriano, Jassel Pérez, Juan Miguel Suero, Ángel Núñez and Juan Guerrero.
At the helm is veteran coach Néstor “Che” García...
Miss Universe María Victoria Kjær, President Luis Abinader, Vicepresident Raquel Peña and Miss Dominican Republic Jennifer Ventura / Presidency
President Luis Abinader and Vice President Raquel Peña welcomed Miss Universe 2024 (Miss Denmark), María Victoria Kjær, and Miss Dominican Republic Universe 2025, Jennifer Ventura, during a courtesy visit at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday afternoon, 18 August 2025.
The beauty queens were received in the private hall of the Presidential Palace at 3pm, where they took part in a warm and elegant gathering marked by national pride and international distinction, the Presidency reported.
President Abinader and Vice President Peña praised the global recognition and talent both women represent. They highlighted the importance of the Dominican contest in promoting the Dominican Republic and fostering...
The Central Electoral Board (JCE) opened Envelope B on 19 August 2025, revealing the economic proposal for a new national identification and voter’s card. This marks a significant step in the international public bidding process to select the supplier for the card.
The JCE’s Committee on Purchases and Contracting, led by its president Luis A. Mora, presided over the opening. The committee, which included top JCE officials and a notary, emphasized that this was an act of opening, not an award announcement.
“There is no awarding in this session,” Mora stated. “The awarding will be announced in the coming days, if applicable.”
The process began with three contenders for the contract:
Emdoc Consortium: Comprised of GSI Internacional Inc., IQtek Solutions, Muhlbauer, Ultra Tech, and Veridos.
ID Secure IDS Consortium: An alliance with...
Minister of the Presidency José Ignacio Paliza is in Japan on an official visit from 19 to 26 August 2025. The Ministry of Foreign Relations of Japan says he will participate on 23 August in the National Day Event of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan as an official guest of the Government of Japan.
The Ministry of the Presidency of the Dominican Republic explains that the spotlight on the country at National Day at the Osaka Expo is an opportunity to showcase a dynamic agenda of diplomatic, cultural, and economic promotion activities, highlighting the country’s identity, potential, and global outreach at one of the most significant international forums of the year.
The Dominican National Day program will include a flag-raising ceremony, official speeches, cultural performances, and visits to the Dominican and Japanese pavilions. The celebration will feature traditional Dominican...
Kenia Xiomara Guante Valdez and Minister Andres Bautista / El Caribe
The former president of the Public School Teachers Guild (ADP), Kenia Xiomara Guante Valdez was officially sworn in on Tuesday, 18 August 2025 as Vice Minister of Innovation, Transparency, and Citizen Services at the Administrative Ministry of the Presidency (MAPRE). Her appointment was made by Decree No. 461-25. She is remembered for the teacher strikes she organized when at the helm of the Public School Teachers Guild (ADP) during the Danilo Medina presidency.
The swearing-in ceremony was held at the office of the Minister of the Presidency, Andrés Bautista, who administered the oath and praised Guante’s professional background. He expressed confidence in her ability to contribute meaningfully to the ministry’s mission.
“We are familiar with your track record and are certain that you will...
Angel David Taveras / el Dia
The InterAmerican Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC) organization is holding its 34th General Assembly in Santo Domingo from 17 to 23 August 2025.
The InterAmerican Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC) is a regional association of accreditation bodies and other organizations interested in conformity assessment in the Americas.
IAAC promotes cooperation among accreditation bodies and interested parties of the Americas, aiming at the development of conformity assessment structures to achieve the improvement of products, processes and services and to reduce risk for business and its customers by assuring them that accredited certificates may be relied upon. Accreditation assures users of the competence and impartiality of the accredited body.
26 countries are represented in the meeting. The event is organized by the Organismo Dominicano de...
An evangelical pastor from Los Alcarrizos was sentenced to ten years in prison on Tuesday, 18 August 2025 after a Santo Domingo court found him guilty of sexually assaulting several little girls and teenagers. Los Alcarrizos is a densely-populated low and middle income area located north of the capital city.
44-year old Johan Manuel Castillo Ortega was convicted and ordered to pay a fine of RD$100,000 to the state and RD$1 million in compensation to his victims.
Castillo Ortega, who preyed on six girls and teenagers, used his position as a religious leader to gain the trust of his victims. The assaults took place in the church where he preached and in his home.
Prosecutors Sugely Valdez, Francheska Alcántara, and Nicasio Pulinario presented evidence that led to the conviction. The prosecution’s case, led by investigator Olivia Sosa, showed that...
The Centro Cultural Taíno at the Casa del Cordón in the Colonial City is inviting to a talk on Wednesday, 20 August 2025 at 7pm on one of the most important cultural heritage artifacts left by the Taino indians that inhabited the island when the Spanish conquistadors arrived in 1492. The talk, titled “The Cotton Cemí: Unveiling Its Ancestral Mysteries,” will delve into the history, symbolism, and journey of the rare ceremonial artifact, the Bahoruco-found cotton cemí. There is no charge for attending the talk.
Discovered in the Bahoruco peninsula in the 19th Century, this preserved piece is now housed at the University of Turin in Italy. The cemí is one of the most enigmatic and spiritual expressions of the Taíno worldview, attracting attention from archaeologists, anthropologists, and scholars of Antillean culture worldwide.
The discussion will feature prominent...
Amarilys German / Diario Libre
Amarilys German of the Dominican Republic, the long-time right hand of Juan Luis Guerra, is one of four Leading Ladies honorees who will be celebrated during the Latin Grammy Week 2025. German is officially the Entertainment Executive and Manager to Latin Grammy- and Grammy-winning artist Juan Luis Guerra.
The three other 2025 honorees are Maricarmen “Tuti” Bou, vice president of Sony Music Entertainment in Puerto Rico; Paula Kaminsky, Managing Director at Global Talent Services US (GTS), a talent management agency; and Rozalén, Latin Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter.
The event precedes the grand gala of the 26th Annual Latin Grammy Awards that will be held on Thursday, 13 November 2025 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
A press release from the Latin Grammy organization explains that the Leading Ladies of...
President Luis Abinader used the platform of his weekly press conference, La Semanal on Monday, 18 August 2025, to present the achievements of the modernization of public television, RTVD under Ivan Ruiz, with Ellis Perez on the board. RTVD, Channel 4 in Santo Domingo, has been rebranded as a public TV station. RTVD is in its 73rd year.
President Abinader spoke of the sweeping modernization initiative at Radio Televisión Dominicana (RTVD), highlighting significant upgrades to infrastructure, studio equipment, and content production as part of a national effort to strengthen public broadcasting.
President Abinader said when he named TV producer Ivan Ruiz (El Show del Mediodia) to direct the transformation at RTVD, he had requested Ruiz adapt the Spanish public TV station model. He agreed to political independence in programming. Abinader is proud, he said...
Punta Catalina, the largest power generator in the country, was partially shut down on Monday, 18 August 2025 after a sudden influx of sargassum seaweed clogged its water intake. Punta Catalina is located in Azua, about an hour and a half drive west from the capital city.
The Empresa de Generación Eléctrica Punta Catalina (EGEPC) reported that Unit No. 1 of the Punta Catalina Thermoelectric Power Plant went offline at 6:25am. The plant administration explained that the massive accumulation of seaweed was a result of the rough weather conditions brought by Hurricane Erin.
The sargassum caused a drop in the unit’s circulating water level, prompting the shutdown as a protective measure.
While the plant’s operational capacity has been temporarily reduced, officials clarified that the incident has not led to any energy deficit in the national electrical grid.
Technical...
President Luis Abinader presented the new version of the National Anthem. The new recording replaces that recorded more than 20 years ago.
The new recording is by the national choir and the National Symphony Orchestra with the participation of Juan Luis Guerra and Jose Antonio Molina.
It had a cost of around RD$3.3 million.
The recording was made following recommendations of the Ministry of Culture, now under Minister Roberto Angel Salcedo, that determined it was about time to do a new version.
19 August 2025
More than 6,000 new businesses have been created in the Dominican Republic so far this year through the country’s One-Stop Window for Business Formalization, according to the Dominican Federation of Chambers of Commerce (Fedocámaras).
The organization reported that 6,050 companies were registered between January and August 2025. During the same period, 19 of the country’s 32 chambers of commerce have begun offering online services, a key milestone in the ongoing digital transformation of business registration.
Manuel Aníbal García Núñez, president of Fedocámaras and head of the Chamber of Commerce and Production of Hermanas Mirabal, said these developments are part of a broader strategy to digitize, standardize, and improve the quality of the commercial registry system. He noted that a new unified manual of registration criteria is currently being...
The next elections will be in 2028. It is expected, the JCE will soon begin purchasing new technology. A report in Diario Libre looks into the historic practice of mass purchasing of new, expensive equipment for each election. The sad part of the story is much of this equipment has been known not have worked as planned and is then stored away, also at a high cost to the institution.
Diario Libre reports that since 2008, the JCE has spent at least RD$3.45 billion on technology, including computers, printers, scanners, and other devices, for elections. Many of these devices, despite the significant investment, only served a single day’s use before being given away, loaned, or left to deteriorate.
The JCE has held 13 national and international bidding processes to acquire technology for presidential, congressional, and municipal elections over the past 15 years...
The president of the Dominican Medical Association (CMD), Dr. Waldo Ariel Suero, has called attention to the high unemployment rate among young doctors in the Dominican Republic, stating that between 15,000 and 20,000 recent medical graduates are currently out of work.
Speaking during a press event held in honor of Dominican Doctor’s Day, Dr. Suero described the situation as alarming and emphasized the urgent need for job opportunities in the health sector, particularly for new professionals entering the field.
“One of our biggest concerns right now is the significant level of unemployment among young doctors,” Suero said. “We’re talking about 15,000 to 20,000 unemployed physicians — that’s a serious issue.”
To address this, Suero proposed expanding primary healthcare services under the public health system’s subsidized regime. “The best way to generate employment...
The Superintendence of Health and Occupational Risks (SISARIL) has fined the Centro de Medicina Avanzada Dr. Abel González, S.A.S. RD$2,189,154.80 — equivalent to 101 national minimum wages—for failing to provide emergency care to two affiliates of the Dominican Social Security System during the Jet Set nightclub tragedy on 8 April 2025.
The administrative sanction, issued under Resolution DJ-GIS No. 0012-2025 on 13 August, stems from the medical center’s refusal to attend to Franklín Alberto Rodríguez Garabitos and Luis Thomas Graveley in the early hours of the incident.
According to SISARIL, the health center violated provisions of Administrative Resolution No. 00165-2009, Law 87-01 on Social Security, and related regulations, which mandate that affiliated patients must receive immediate emergency care regardless of administrative or financial concerns.
Read more in...
María Isabel Torres Castellanos / Al Momento
In a surprising legal twist, the company Editorama, allegedly used as a front in a multimillion-dollar corruption scheme involving Alexis Medina Sánchez, was acquitted last Thursday, 14 August 2025 by the Second Collegiate Court of the National District, despite earlier court rulings implicating it in money laundering, Diario Libre reports.
Diario Libre explains that María Isabel de los Milagros Torres Castellanos, accused of acting as a frontwoman for Medina through Editorama, had previously been convicted in a separate, expedited trial. However, while Torres Castellanos was found guilty of laundering funds linked to companies owned by Medina — including Full American Inc Dominicana, Domedical Supply, and General Medical Solutions AM — the company itself has now been cleared of any wrongdoing.
This acquittal...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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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