DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

Amazon chose the Dominican Republic to be its second regional logistics hub. The air hub operations begin on Wednesday, 3 September 2025 at Las Americas International Airport (SDQ).

The goal of the Santo Domingo hub is to provide faster and more reliable shipping across the Caribbean and Latin America, boosting e-commerce in the region.

Customs Agency director Eduardo Sanz Lovatón has explained that e-commerce is changing the national logistics dynamics. “Today, 60% of online purchases are transported by air, when just two decades ago the majority arrived by sea. This shows how our economy is evolving and the country’s role as a distribution center,” he pointed out.

This year, Las Americas International had already inaugurated a modern package and courier reception center, designed to respond to the growth of international transport.

Amazon Air Cargo will operate seven...

An attraction always worth a visit, the Museum of Modern Art is now housing the 31st National Biennial of Visual Arts (BNAV). This 2025, the exhibition celebrates the artistic legacy of renowned painter Elsa Núñez and her significant contributions to the nation’s art and culture.

Minister of Culture Roberto Ángel Salcedo, speaking at the opening of the exhibit at the Plaza de la Cultura museum, highlighted how it appeals to all citizens who appreciate and follow the visual arts.

Salcedo announced that he will present to the Executive Branch a draft decree to establish a permanent Biennial Committee to ensure greater stability in its organization. He also revealed that for the 2027 edition, prizes will be increased to make participation more attractive to artists.

The Biennial, organized by the Ministry of Culture since 1942, has become the country’s main...

Arajet is promoting travel to the Dominican Republic to travelers in the Chicago area. The airline is launching a new low cost direct flight starting 15 November 2025.

The Arajet flights will start with three weekly frequencies. Flights will depart from Punta Cana on Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and from Chicago’s O’Hare International (ORD) on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Mondays. This new route will provide over 2,200 seats per week, making Chicago a strategic hub for Dominican tourism and business.

According to the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic, the United States is the country’s top source of tourists, with more than 138,000 visitors from the Chicago area alone. The new direct route aims to build on this strong foundation.

“In Arajet, we remain committed to offering new connection opportunities between the Dominican Republic and the United States with...

The Ministry of Tourism announced the restoration of 15 historic facades in Santo Domingo’s Colonial City to preserve the area’s architectural heritage and boost its appeal to visitors.

“These interventions highlight our historical legacy and reaffirm the Ministry of Tourism’s commitment to preserving cultural heritage and restoring spaces of high architectural value in the Colonial City,” Collado said. The renovations cost RD$29 million.

In a Ministry of Tourism press release emphasizes that these restored sites are key attractions for both domestic and international tourists, reinforcing Colonial City’s status as a Unesco World Heritage site.

The restoration focused on the exterior facades of significant religious and civil monuments, including the Museo de las Casas Reales, the Panteón de la Patria, and several churches such as Nuestra Señora de Las Mercedes, San Lázaro, and Regina Angelorum. Other sites included La Parroquia de San Miguel, La Parroquia de la Tercera...

Tourism Minister David Collado has inaugurated the reconstruction of several key streets in the popular tourist town of Sosúa. The initiative is part of a broader effort to ensure that the benefits of tourism are felt directly by local communities.

The reconstruction work, which local residents had long advocated for, included the streets of Bajada del Tablón, La Gallera, Benigno Lantigua, and the Valedor sector circuit.

During the inauguration ceremony on Sunday, Collado emphasized that the growth of tourism should be a positive force for local communities. “We believe in tourism that has a positive impact on communities, on their people,” he said. “And the work we are inaugurating today is the best reflection of that.”

Collado expressed his firm belief that “where tourism arrives, development arrives.”

The project, which spanned a total of 4.35 kilometers, involved laying asphalt concrete pavement, as well as constructing new sidewalks, curbs, and speed bumps. It...

Take note that soon Playa Linda will be a place to visit. The Ministry of Tourism announced a RD$37 million makeover of the beach area in Nizao, in southcentral Peravia province. The Abinader administration and local investors have been investing in developments on the coastal areas west of the capital city in the provinces of Peravia, Azua, Barahona and Pedernales.

The upgrade includes a boulevard for tourists, as well as new parking areas and a boardwalk.

There will be tables, umbrellas and deck chairs available for visitors. The area has mangroves, almond trees and many other tropical species.

Tourism Minister Collado noted that the improvements will boost the local economy.

Read more in Spanish:

• Ministry of Tourism

Seven men are now accused of drugging and gang-raping a 21-year old woman in the municipality of Villa González. Six of the men are in the custody of the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Santiago province, another is on the run. The arrests came after a video of the assault went viral online, sparking public outrage.

The victim did not know what had happened to her until she saw the video online, several months later. The rape occurred in March 2025.

She would then present the complaint to the Police on Thursday, 28 August 2025, leading to the investigation by the Police and the arrest of the six.

The National Police announced the arrest of the six after an extensive search operation conducted in coordination with the Public Ministry. The operation was led by General Juan Bautista Jiménez Reinoso, director of the Central Cibao regional police force. He...

President Luis Abinader announced on Thursday, 28 August 2025, his administration has decided on the construction of the Santo Domingo Monorail. The mass transit system is part of a major infrastructure project designed to strengthen Greater Santo Domingo’s Integrated Transportation System (SIT-SD) and significantly improve urban mobility in the metropolitan area.

The project is still awaiting bidding and financing approval. The long-term plan includes a second phase of the monorail, a tram line, and new transfer hubs designed to improve connectivity between various modes of mass transit.

The monorail option was selected for its cost efficiency. The elevated design is projected to save approximately 35% in construction costs compared to traditional underground rail systems as the need for complex tunneling is eliminated.

The first phase of the monorail will span 10.5...

The Dominican Republic’s Supreme Court of Justice has confirmed a five-year prison sentence for former congresswoman Rosa Amalia Pilarte (PRM-La Vega) on charges of money laundering and financing terrorism. The full court’s decision, handed down on Friday, 29 August 2025, ratifies a previous ruling by the court’s Second Chamber.

The Second Chamber initially convicted the former legislator from the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) in May 2024. The case was heard under a privileged jurisdiction, which applies to high-ranking officials. The five judges of the Second Chamber of the Supreme Court voted unanimously against revoking the sentence.

In addition to the prison term at the Centro de Corrección y Rehabilitación Rafey Mujeres, in Santiago, the ruling also orders the confiscation of Pilarte’s assets, which include 13 properties, valued at RD$4 billion.

Pilarte’s...

Prosecutors and victim’s lawyers successfully appealed the previous ruling, reviving a decade-old case. The First Criminal Chamber of the National District Court of Appeals annulled a previous ruling that dismissed the case against Italian-Canadian businessman Antonio Carbone, who is accused of orchestrating a 2014 car bombing. The court ordered a new trial for Carbone on charges of attempted murder.

The new trial will be held before the same court that issued the original dismissal, the Second Collegiate Court of the National District, but with a new panel of judges.

The ruling was issued by a court panel led by judge Doris Josefina Pujols Ortiz, with judges Rafael Báez García and Daisy Indhira Montás Pimentel. They sided with the appeals filed by both the Public Ministry and the legal team for the alleged victim, former Puerto Plata-based Dream Casinos manager Fernando...

Avenida Duarte, one of the Dominican Republic’s busiest shopping thoroughfares, has now become a bustling marketplace for counterfeit goods, Diario Libre reports. From storefronts to makeshift sidewalk stalls, vendors openly sell knockoff “luxury brands” at irresistible prices. This booming business caters to consumers seeking the appearance of high-end status without the hefty price tag.

Although Dominican law (Industrial Property Law 20-00) explicitly prohibits the reproduction and unauthorized use of registered trademarks, enforcement is blatantly lax leading to the development of the avenue as a mecca for those seeking brand knockoffs.

The counterfeit goods range from sports brands to perfumes, handbags and to school backpacks.

Diario Libre reports that the dramatic price differences highlight more than just the low quality of the inputs used, but...

The Dominican Republic’s men basketball team saw its AmeriCup journey come to an end on Thursday, 28 August 2025 after a 94-82 loss to Brazil in the quarterfinals of the championship taking place in Managua, Nicaragua. Despite a promising start and a valiant effort, the Dominicans couldn’t overcome key absences and a late-game surge from the powerhouse Brazilian squad.

The Dominicans, led by their quick-witted guards, looked strong in the first half, but a late run by Brazil saw them trail 47-42 at halftime. In the third quarter, Brazil, a perennial contender in American basketball, extended their lead to a commanding 11 to 13 points, a margin that would prove too difficult for the Dominicans to close.

A glimmer of hope appeared early in the final quarter when Jassel Pérez sank two crucial three-pointers, cutting the deficit to 75-67. However, the...

Dominican sprinter Alexander Ogando secured a third-place finish in the 200-meter final at the Diamond League on Thursday, 28 August 2025 in Zurich, Switzerland. He clocked an official time of 20.14 seconds. The performance once again places the athlete from San Juan de la Maguana among the world’s elite sprinters, solidifying his presence on the international athletics circuit.

He came third after Noah Lyles (USA) 19.74 and Letsile Tebogo of Botswana who clocked in at 19.76.

Ogando is a Dominican Republic silver medallist in the 4 x 400m race during the Tokyo 2020 (2021) Olympic Games. He was the world champion in the event in the World Athletics Championships in 2022.

Salwa Eid Naser / Diario Libre

This time, Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrein, coached by Dominican coach Jose Ludwig Rubio, came in first in the Diamond League 400m final, clocking 48.70, a meet record. She had lost all previous confrontations with Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic.

In the Zurich Diamond League finals, Henriette Jaeger of Norway was third with a national record time of 49.49.

Marileidy Paulino was second, clocking 49.23 in the 400m finals. Previously, Paulino had won all her Diamond League races.

The competitors will meet again in Tokyo, for the World Athletics Championships from 13 to 21 September 2025. Paulino’s training has been geared towards winning the 400m in that event, the most important on the track calendar.

Paulino already is the owner of the 400m Olympic record in the women’s 400m, set in the final at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she...

Franklin Mirabal / Diario Libre

A highly anticipated baseball showdown between the best professional baseball players from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico is set to take place starting 1pm at the New York Mets’ Citi Field in New York City on Saturday, 15 November 2025. The local official launch of the event was led by renowned sports marketer Franklin Mirabal and Manelik Castro, representing the National Federation of Professional Baseball Players.

The game will be dedicated to Robinson Canó, one of the most popular players known for his support of the Dominican Professional Baseball League (Lidom), the Caribbean Series, and the World Baseball Classic. A special farewell ceremony will be held for him at the famous New York baseball stadium.

The former All-Star Robinson Canó is scheduled to play his last professional game on American soil. To...

Director General Eduardo (Yayo) Sanz Lovatón / El Nuevo Diario

Eduardo (Yayo) Sanz Lovatón, director general of the Customs Agency, said on Tuesday, 26 August 2025 that the first flight of Amazon international cargo to its distribution center in Santo Domingo will arrive on 2 September 2025. He says the arrival of the flight will mark an important step towards the integration of the country to global online commerce.

“The Dominican Republic is now the main logistics hub in the Caribbean,” said Sanz Lovaton in making the announcement during a TV morning talk program.

He said the country has always had the advantage of geographic location. And for decades there has been economic stability, even in times of global slowdowns. What has made the difference, he highlighted, is the modernization of Customs procedures. From day one, the Abinader administration set its sight...

The Central Bank reports the Dominican Republic’s economy grew 2.9% in July 2025 compared to July 2024, according to preliminary data from the Monthly Economic Activity Indicator (IMAE). This marks an improvement from the 1.1% growth recorded in June and brings the cumulative growth for the first seven months of the year to 2.4%.

The 2.4% growth is below the normal standards for growth in the Dominican Republic. The central government and monetary authorities are taking actions to inject vitality into the economy, included increases in government capital spending.

A press release from the Central Bank reports that growth in July was driven by a strong performance in several key sectors:• Mining: This sector saw a significant 21.0% increase in July, thanks to higher volumes of gold and silver extraction.• Manufacturing free zones: The sector grew by 7.1% in July...

The Central Electoral Board (JCE) that is in charge of civil registry in the Dominican Republic has included the issuing of a pilot test of 800,000 digital cards (RD$244.7 million) in the approved Emdoc contract (for RD$3.36 billion) for the issuing of more than 9.4 million physical ID cards in 2025-2026.

The digital cards are a government-approved, digital version of your physical identification document that is stored securely on smartphones, allowing to verify identity both online and in person.

The digital credentials can be used for a variety of purposes, from accessing public and private services to conducting official transactions, with security features like biometrics and PINs protecting personal information.

The JCE has yet to explain who will get the first mobile ID cards.

Read...

US Consul General in the Dominican Republica, William D. Swaney / Revista Mercado

The newly arrived US Consul General in the Dominican William D. Swaney gave a press conference to announce he is back since July 2025. This is his third appointment to the country.

During the press conference on 27 August 2025, Swaney mentioned that the US Consulate in Santo Domingo is second in volume of visas processed to Mexico. He said around 200,000 visas were processed, including around 50,000 migrant visas in 2024.

He urged people to use the digital channels and to correctly fill out the forms. He also urged people to strictly comply with the terms of the visas.

In an interview with Diario Libre, Swaney highlighted that the maximum stay on a tourist visa is 90 to 180 days. He said that those who have exceeded their permitted stay, or use the tourist visa for seasonal work, or...

The largest mining company operating in the Dominican Republic, Barrick Pueblo Viejo announced the appointment of Gisselle Valera Florencio as president.

Barrick Pueblo Viejo’s operation in Sanchez Ramirez provinces is regarded as one of the world’s leading tier one gold mines. The Ministry of Environment has cleared the construction of a second tailings dam in the province for expanding gold production.

Valera Florencio had been carrying out the role after the resignation of Juana Barcelo.

A corporate lawyer, before her new appointment she had served as executive director for government affairs for Central America and the Caribbean at Barrick Pueblo Viejo. Previously, she worked for the Jimenez Peña law firm in Santo Domingo.

Valera Florencio reports directly to Barrick’s Chief Operating Officer for Latin America and Asia Pacific, Mark Hill.

A...

The timeless classics of Hollywood films will fill the main hall of the National Theater this Friday, 30 August.

Santo Domingo Philharmonic Orchestra, led by the renowned maestro Amaury Sánchez, is bringing the musical gala, “Todo Hollywood” to the National Theater. There will be guest performances in addition to the performance of the 60-musician-strong orchestra playing some of the greatest film scores of all times.

The show promises an immersive and nostalgic experience for movie lovers. The repertoire will include iconic scores from legendary films such as Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Gladiator, Spiderman, and Skyfall, among many others.

The concert is scheduled for Friday, 30 August 2025 at 8:30pm in the Carlos Piantini Hall of the Eduardo Brito National Theater.

Tickets are for sale...

The elite of the athletics world is meeting in Zurich, Switzerland for the Weltklasse Zurich, the grand finale of the Diamond League competitions. At Sechseläutenplatz (27 August) and Letzigrund Stadium (28 August), the world’s best athletes will battle for the prestigious Diamond Trophy in each category.

Paris Olympics gold medalist Marileidy Paulino is scheduled for the 400 m final on 28 August 2025.

Paulino is registered to race against Martina Weil of Chile, Lieke Klaver of The Netherlands, Amber Anning of Great Britain, Henriette Jaeger of Norway, Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrein, Isabella Whittaker of the USA and Natalia Bukowiecka of Poland. Her strongest contender is Salwa Eid Naser who is coached by Dominican Jose Ludwig Rubio.

In coordination with the Dominican Society of Infectology, and on the occasion of the International Day Against Dengue on 26 August 2025, the Ministry of Public Health relaunched its campaign: “Let’s Beat Dengue.” The campaign has been successful in reducing cases and deaths in 2024 and 2025. The effort is a joint stand in favor of preventing diseases by educating the general public.

The Ministry of Public Health under Minister Victor Atallah has been characterized for successful prevention efforts all year round. The relaunching of the dengue campaign comes with the slogan: Eliminate, Clean and Cover, key words that refer to the three effective ways of eliminating breeding grounds for the mosquito that transmits the tropical disease.

Read...

Drivers in the Dominican Republic now have a new, easy-to-remember number to call for roadside assistance. The Fideicomiso RD Vial has launched 511, a dedicated line for reporting emergencies and incidents on the nation’s main highways. This new number replaces the previous 829-688-1000 and is designed to provide a faster, more efficient response.

The launch of 511 is a significant step toward aligning the Dominican Republic’s road safety efforts with international standards. The new number is part of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), which includes countries like the United States and Canada. This adoption of an international standard aims to modernize the driving experience and improve accessibility to immediate help for motorists.

The 511 service is managed by the Integrated Roadside Assistance Service, which is operated by the Military and Police Commission...

There are many traffic laws in the Dominican Republic. The problem has not been the lack of laws; the problem has been the lax enforcement of the laws. The enforcement of the laws is left up to the General Transit and Land Transportation Safety Agency (Digesett).

The National Institute of Transit and Ground Transportation (Intrant) is now calling on all freight vehicle drivers in the Dominican Republic to strictly adhere to the use of the right-hand lane on highways and roads, in line with Law 63-17 on Mobility, Land Transport, Transit, and Road Safety.

Intrant also reminds drivers that freight vehicles may only use other lanes when overtaking is explicitly permitted.

The directive aims to streamline traffic flow, reduce accident risks, and prevent heavy vehicles from obstructing faster or overtaking lanes.

Intrant executive director Milton Morrison emphasized the...

The Dominican Republic’s labor market continues to show positive momentum, with a notable increase of 121,164 jobs from April to June 2024, the Central Bank reports. This growth was driven by a significant surge in formal employment, which added 164,598 new workers, while the informal sector saw a reduction of 43,434 workers.

According to data from the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic’s National Continuous Labor Force Survey, key indicators of employment, unemployment, and informality are all reflecting a healthy market. The country has reached all-time highs in both the number of employed people and the employment rate, while the unemployment and informality rates have fallen to some of their lowest points since the survey began.

The total number of people employed in the Dominican economy reached 5,123,548 in the second quarter of 2025. This 121,164-person increase from...

Top defense officials from the United States and the Dominican Republic made a strategic tour of the Dominican-Haitian border on 26 August 2025, signaling a deepening of bilateral security cooperation.

Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Carlos A. Fernández Onofre, and the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Joseph M. Humire, traveled the length of the border from Manzanillo to Dajabón. The visit underscored the two nations’ shared commitment to addressing regional security challenges.

During the tour, Minister Fernández Onofre, along with Major General Jorge Iván Camino Pérez, the Commanding General of the Army, and Brigadier General Jose Rodríguez Coste, the director of the Border Security Corps (Cesfront), briefed the American delegation. The discussions focused on operations to combat...

A recent social media post by lawyer Juan Carlos Acosta Pérez has ignited speculation about a significant discovery in the Dominican Republic, El Nacional reports.

Acosta announced on Facebook the possible presence of high concentrations of yttrium, a rare earth element, in the Pedernales province. The potential find is located in the Fiscal Reserve Ávila, a stretch of land running from Cabo Rojo to the Sierra de Bahoruco.

According to Acosta’s post, samples collected in the area show yttrium concentrations of up to 3,000 parts per million (ppm). If verified by independent analysis, this would be an exceptionally high figure compared to known deposits worldwide. To put this in perspective, 3,000 ppm is equivalent to approximately 3 kilograms of yttrium per metric ton of rock.

In his post, Acosta cited engineers and technicians who have allegedly been...

Dominican jazz fusion band Retro Jazz will kick off celebrations for its 15th anniversary with a special concert titled “Acordes del Alma” on Saturday, 6 September 2025, at the Máximo Avilés Blonda Hall of the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Santo Domingo, N Digital reports.

The performance will launch a year-long series of events commemorating the group’s journey—a path marked by its innovative reinterpretations of Dominican classics through jazz. Led by renowned arranger, producer, and bassist Pengbian Sang, the ensemble has become a beloved fixture in the country’s contemporary music scene.

“When we started, I never imagined we’d make it this far—let alone have the audience’s continued support and affection for so long,” said Sang. He added that, if plans proceed as expected, the anniversary tour will conclude next year with a grand finale at the Teatro Nacional Eduardo...