DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

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...

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 out the top five.

Soto’s season was a display of power and all-around excellence, featuring career-high numbers...

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 Jays (8 p.m. ET, FOX)

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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...

So far in 2025 there have been no fatalities due to dengue fever, a sickness transmitted the same way as malaria and yellow fever, that is, by the aedes aegypti mosquito.

This welcome news was provided by Public Health Minister Victor Atallah and the head of the National Health Service (SNS), Mario Lama.

The health officials also noted that infant mortality is down over 30%, and newborn deaths were down to 13 per 1000 live births, the lowest it has been in 15 years.

In addition, adolescent pregnancies were down almost 19%, perhaps reflecting government policies on prevention and sex education.

The SNS has delivered 86 hospitals this past year, six of which are brand new. A high point in the presentation was when the “Father of Dominican Neurosurgery”, Jose Joaquin Puello announced that Cecanot-the remodeled Luis Eduardo Aybar Hospital, in Barrio Mejoramiento Social, was completely...

On Thursday, 16 October 2025 the Senate passed what will be the newest version of the Labor Code, and, of course, not everyone is happy. Representatives of the Dominican Republic Association of Industries and other leading groups representing the major employers of the Dominican Republic were displeased that the senators had left in the articles that provided the “cesantia” or severance wages.

Likewise, the people that deliver items, yes, called “delivery” throughout the country, are unhappy because the 10% tip on all deliveries was not included in the legislative package.

The term “sexual orientation” was also removed from the articles covering possible discriminatory hiring practices. Another bothersome word that was removed was “religious” that was taken out of Article 45, section 7 of the new bill, where it says that workers cannot carry out any political (and...

Management wants the contracts for foreign workers to be handled by the Ministry of Labor rather than the Presidency itself. A group of 49 associations and 53 companies that belong to the National Council of Business (Conep), joined forced in the presentation of this letter that was sent to the Senate last week.

Juan Celso Marranzini, the head of the Conep, together with Laura Izquierdo, the head of the Dominican Republic Management Confederation (Copardom), have said the president of the Senate expects their letter to speed things up a bit.

The issue seems to be the fact that Article 135 of the current Labor Code establishes a maximum 80-20 distribution between Dominican and foreign workers. However, Article 145 allows the Executive Branch to issue permits that are valid for a year, particularly for the farming sector, and...

The Dominican Highway Mobility Foundation (Movido) has issued a warning concerning what is known as “road rage” or that strong emotion that appears so often when a driver experiences an abuse by another driver.

This could be from a driver going slow in the fast lane; someone turning across two lanes without any signaling; and maybe by a driver switching lanes in a dangerous fashion. These are all too common occurrences on Dominican roads.

A 2017 article in the Listin Diario reported nine killings over parking spots or roadway incidents.

Recent studies have shown that over 70% of drivers admit insulting or verbal aggression while driving.

The study also shows that 60% admit cutting off another driver, and nearly half admit driving poorly.

The horn is a very important part of Dominican driving, and a third of drivers use it to express anger or...

A security guard at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) has died from injuries sustained during a shooting on the central campus last Thursday, 16 October 2025.

Lyedgers Tameydshi Encarnación Peña, a member of the security team, succumbed to his injuries on Saturday after being hospitalized since the incident, Diario Libre reports. The university confirmed his death, expressing “profound sadness” in a statement on its official X account, and offered condolences to his family and the university community.

The gunfire happened on Thursday afternoon following an earlier conflict between a student and security personnel.

The alleged shooter, Alexander Jiménez Galván, 35, a law student also known as “Alex,” is currently facing charges of attempted homicide and illegal possession of a firearm. The Public Ministry has requested preventive detention for Jiménez...

The Ministry of Culture officially inaugurated the XII International Theater Festival of the Dominican Republic 2025 (FITE RD 2025) in a ceremony at the Máximo Avilés Blonda Hall of the Palace of Fine Arts on 19 October 2025. The festival continues through 30 October with events in several provinces under the banner “Theater is All of Us.” Spain is the guest country of the festival.

The inaugural night concluded with the official start of the festival’s ten-day run: a performance of “El alcalde de Zalamea” (The Mayor of Zalamea), an emblematic Spanish Golden Age piece, performed by the guest company, Teatro Corsario.

The Spanish company Teatro Corsario is honored as the guest of honor, and the entire festival pays tribute to Freddy Ginebra, the founder of Casa de Teatro.

Minister of Culture, Roberto Ángel Salcedo, led the opening event and emphasized the...

Vladimir Guerrero / MLB

The Toronto Blue Jays delivered a game 6 to be remembered at the packed Rogers Centre on Sunday, 19 October 2025 in the continuing of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) playing against the Seattle Mariners. The ALCS will be decided on Monday, 20 October, in game 7. The ALCS is now tied 3-3. The Blue Jays defeated the Seattle Mariners 6-2 on Sunday, 19 October 2025. The teams will now play game 7 again at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

Dominican Vladimir Guerrero homerun padded the score as the Blue Jays fought on for life.

MLB described as “deafening” the excitement within Rogers Centre as Toronto staved off elimination.

The Blue Jays haven’t been to a World Series since 1993 and the Mariners never have. The LA Dodgers already won the right to the MLB 2025 playoffs.

While Vladimir Guerrero gets the most attention, the Seattle Mariners have...

The Dominican Republic’s exports have hit an all-time high, soaring past the US$10.6 billion mark in the first nine months of 2025, according to the nation’s export and investment promotion center, ProDominicana.

Exports from January to September 2025 are up a robust year-over-year growth of 10.2%. The record highs for two leading Dominican commodities, gold and cacao, lead the significant growth. The nine-month export figure marks the highest level ever recorded for the first three quarters of a year.

ProDominicana executive director Biviana Riveiro Disla highlighted that the surge was propelled by key products:• Crude gold (+53.4%)• Cocoa beans (+64.1%)• Iron bars (+69.3%)• Medical instruments and devices (+3.0%)• Plastic articles (+10.1%)• Bananas (+5.4%)• Portland cement (+21.2%)

Riveiro emphasized the diversification and strength of the Dominican export...

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 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...