DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

Despite a public defense from the National Institute of Traffic and Land Transport (Intrant), a controversial speed reduction ramp installed on the Avenida George Washington (the Malecón) continues to draw intense fire from the public, with critics arguing the measure was implemented without adequate warning or public consultation. The widespread complaints highlight a critical safety lapse that appears to be fueling, rather than preventing, accidents.

The inherent danger of the new structure was dramatically underscored this week when a vehicle slammed into an electrical pole in the Eugenio de Hostos Park. The condition of the driver remains unknown, but the incident serves as a grim warning of the ramp’s potential to cause serious harm.

While complaints focus heavily on the structure’s abruptness, some local residents support the ramp...

UNESCO World Heritage site managers from Latin America and the Caribbean gathered in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to promote Sustainable Tourism and share best practices. The regional workshop focused on strengthening capacities in visitor management and promoting inclusive and sustainable development.

UNESCO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of the National District of Santo Domingo, organized the regional workshop on World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism, in the framework of the project ‘Communities for Heritage – Latin America and the Caribbean’ funded by the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

With the participation of the Central American Educational and Cultural Coordination (CECC/SICA) and Secretariat for Central American Tourism Integration (SITCA), the event brought together experts and...

The Center for Diabetes, Obesity, and Specialties (Cemdoe) officially announced its transformation into a full-service hospital on Wednesday, 10 December 2025, following the completion of an extensive regulatory process and the construction of significant new clinical and support areas, as reported in Diario Libre following a tour of the new services.

The initial phase of the new hospital operation features a substantial increase in capacity for critical and complex care:28 beds for general hospitalization, including seven dedicated to intensive care.Four high-complexity operating theaters.A state-of-the-art hemodynamics suite, specifically designed to manage cardiovascular and cerebrovascular emergencies—the two leading causes of death in the Dominican Republic.

The hospital that is located in western Santo Domingo also has upped its emergency services that...

The Attorney General of the Republic Yeni Berenice Reynoso confirmed on 10 December 2025 that an investigation is underway targeting doctors and various health centers implicated in billing the National Health Insurance and Health Risk Administrator (Senasa) for fraudulent, unnecessary, adulterated, and false medical procedures, as reported in El Caribe.

Calling the practice of performing five catheterizations on a patient who needed none, or administering unrequired radiotherapy sessions, “absolutely criminal,” the Attorney General emphasized that a second phase of prosecution is forthcoming. This new phase will be linked to the corruption case that already includes the indictment of Senasa’s director, Santiago Hazim, and nine other individuals.

“I can give you absolute assurance that more people will be charged, and yes, there are people under investigation...

Maxy Gerardo Montilla Sierra / CDN

The high-profile corruption case against Maxy Gerardo Montilla Sierra, the brother-in-law of former President Danilo Medina, has reached a definitive conclusion. A judge has approved a significant “opportunity criterion agreement” that extinguishes all criminal charges against Montilla and his associated companies in exchange for massive financial compensation and the dissolution of the firms involved.

Judge Reymundo Antonio Mejía Zorrilla of the First Instruction Court of the National District homologated the agreement, effectively ending the penal process for alleged acts of corruption, money laundering, bribery, and fraud against the Dominican state and the power distribution companies: Edeeste, Edesur, and Edenorte.

The judicial resolution cited Article 370.6 of the Penal Procedure Code, noting that the defendant “collaborated effectively” with...

In the developing case surrounding the tragic death of 11-year old Stephora Joseph during a school field trip on 14 November 2025, a Santiago court imposed precautionary measures on three defendants linked to the alleged negligence. A fourth defendant was released without restrictions after being deemed unconnected to the fatal event. The accused all worked at the Instituto Integral Da Vinci school in Gurabo, Santiago that organized the excursion to the Hacienda Los Caballos. The child would drown in a swimming pool.

Judge Yeritza Cabra, presiding over the Santiago Permanent Attention Court, authorized Yris del Carmen Reyes Adames, administrative director of the school; Francisca Josefina Tavárez Vélez, psychology guidance staff; and Vilma Altagracia Vargas Morel, high school coordinator, to post a bond of RD$500,000...

Tampa Bay Rays baseball player Wander Franco was convicted in June 2025 of sexually abusing a minor in the Dominican Republic and then received a two-year suspended sentence. His lawyers were able to get a court of appeals to order a retrial and thus a new panel of judges will now oversee Franco’s case, as reported in Yahoo Sports.

“The court understood that there were many flaws, many omissions … many issues, and decided to send the case to a new trial,” Franco’s attorney, Teodosio Jáquez, told the Associated Press.

Franco was found guilty of sexual abuse of a minor in June. He was accused of having a four-month relationship with a 14-year-old girl and transferring thousands of dollars to her mother to consent to the illegal relationship. He received a two-year suspended prison sentence for the illegal sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl, which allows him to remain...

Banco Popular Dominicano is inviting families to once again witness its cherished holiday tradition, the Milagro de la Navidad (Miracle of Christmas). This free theatrical spectacle, a staple of the Dominican holiday season for over three decades, will be staged on three select dates in December at the bank’s headquarters, the Torre Popular at Av. John F. Kennedy in Santo Domingo.

The performances are scheduled for Sunday, December 15th, Sunday, December 22nd, and Wednesday, December 25th (Christmas Day). Each of the three performances will begin at 6:30 p.m. The evening will conclude with a dazzling fireworks display that is always a delight for attendees of all ages.

The show is a dramatic recreation of the Nativity, intended by Banco Popular as a spiritual gift to Dominican society, with a message of peace, harmony, and family unity that has become a core part of the...

Ballet Concierto Dominicano is inviting audiences to dream with The Kingdom of the Nutcracker, a new version by Sarah Estevez and Carlos Veitia of the beloved Christmas classic, promising an evening filled with fantasy, music, and exquisite dance.

This fresh take on The Nutcracker is set to transport spectators directly into the heart of the festive season, making it a must-see event on the Christmas cultural calendar.

Special guests from the Ballet Nacional Dominicano Oficial are joining the Ballet Concierto for the performance.

The performances are at the Sala Carlos Piantini of the Teatro Nacional Eduardo Brito. Three shows are programmed for Friday, 12 December at 8:30pm and Saturday, 13 and Sunday, 14 at 6:30pm. Tickets are for sale at Uepa Tickets online, and physically at the Supermercados Nacional and Jumbo stores.

Read more in...

A police reform bill seeks to overhaul the current legislative framework, introducing significant changes aimed at regulating the organization and operation of the National Police.

Included in the new bill on the reform of the National Police submitted to Congress on Monday, 8 December 2025, is a provision that would impede the assignment of police agents to government or private institutions.

The new rule, detailed in Article 147 of the proposed reform to Law 590-16 (National Police Organic Law), explicitly states that police personnel cannot be assigned to surveillance, custody, reception, or internal security roles in ministries, departments, agencies, autonomous entities, public enterprises, or any other official state dependencies.

“Each public institution shall be responsible for guaranteeing its own perimeter and internal security, through private services...

Penal attorney Francisco Álvarez Martínez, has issued a stark warning, asserting that the recently enacted Code of Criminal Procedure (CPP) could trigger a wave of legal challenges before the Constitutional Court. Álvarez attributes this risk to what he describes as flawed deliberation, rushed amendments, and the controversial lack of a vacatio legis (implementation period) before its immediate enforcement, CDN reports.

The new rules for criminal cases are in effect as of Wednesday, 10 December 2025 nationwide.

The attorney’s remarks come amid widespread complaints about the code’s instant entry into force. The reform has been defended by the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Alfredo Pacheco, who maintained that the process was “responsible, broad, and consensual.”

During an interview on the program 55 Minutos con Julissa Céspedes on CDN, Channel 37, Álvarez...

Public Assets Recovery Team against Senasa / Diario Libre

The Dominican state has formally filed a civil complaint against the individuals accused in the major fraud case involving the National Health Insurance (Senasa), with a legal team committed to work pro bono until all stolen funds are recovered. The alleged scheme is being characterized as a direct “assault on life” against the nation’s health beneficiaries. The public health service primarily serves the country’s poor.

The Public Assets Recovery Team (ERPP) deposited the formal complaint and civil suit yesterday, concerning the alleged fraud committed against Senasa. The legal team labeled the massive embezzlement as “a direct attack against the life and health of Dominicans.”

The collective affirmed it will work closely with the Public Ministry...

The pre-trial hearing against the first 10 arrested in the National Health Insurance (Senasa), the public health insurance ARS case is set for Thursday, 11 December 2025.

Meanwhile, local media continue to publish details of the Public Ministry case against officials of Senasa. The evidence leans against the statement of innocence of former general manager Dr. Santiago Hazim who in September 2025 when the case began to make headlines in the press blamed others in the system.

As reported in Hoy, Wilson Camacho, for the prosecution team, called the case the most sinister they have dealt with.

The over 500-page file presented by state prosecutors unveils an alleged major corruption network. The Public Ministry’s probe describes a complex web that reportedly involved a combination of administrative fraud, corruption, document falsification, and money laundering...

State prosecutors are presenting charges of negligence and involuntary murder of 11 year old Stephora Anne-Mircie Joseph, during a school outing to a ranch with swimming pool on 14 November 2025 against the school’s administrative director and three employees of the Colegio Da Vinci of Santiago. The private school is not charged in the case.

The case was postponed for the first hearing on Wednesday, 10 December 2025.

Media reports say that a video shared with the lawyers of the mother of the deceased reveal that there was not surveillance of the pool area. Making matters worse, the video shows how the 11-year old steps into deep water and calls for help but her cries were ignored by a school staff member and children in the area.

The drowning was only noticed when one of the children thought the girl was playing and touched her drowned body.

The video also...

Military air traffic from the United States into the Dominican Republic has recently escalated, with a noticeable increase in flights to both the San Isidro Air Base and the Las Américas International Airport (AILA), according to information obtained from military sources, Diario Libre reports.

Diario Libre reports that a C-5 Super Galaxy, regarded as one of the world’s largest cargo planes, touched down at the San Isidro Air Base, and a C-17 Globemaster III arrived at Las Americas International Airport on Sunday, 7 December 2025.

President Luis Abinader had announced on 26 November 2025 that the Dominican government had authorized the provisional use of the Las Americas International Airport and San Isidro Air Base for military and drug combating operations of the US Department of War (Defense). The announcement was made during a press conference...

Claro Dominicana reported a major service interruption on Tuesday, 9 December 2025, causing widespread intermittent connectivity and slow speeds for both its fixed and mobile internet users across the country.

The telecommunications company confirmed the outage was due to two separate cuts in its fiber optic network. Compounding the issue, one of these cuts critically compromised the system’s backup infrastructure, leading to the nationwide degradation of internet service.

In a statement, Claro apologized to customers and detailed its response: “We are experiencing two fiber optic cuts. One of them affected the backup system, which has generated intermittency and slowness in some fixed and mobile internet services nationwide. Our technical team is working intensely to restore services as quickly as possible. We appreciate your understanding.”

The company assured the public...

President Luis Abinader and Minister of Industry and Commerce Victor Bisono participated in the ground breaking on 28 November 2025 for the construction of the City Center by Lady Lee, a US$700 million investment of a business group from Honduras. The City Center is marketed as the largest mall in the Dominican Republic. It will be built in eastern Santo Domingo with access from the Las Americas Highway.

Rachid Maalouf, the president of the Lady Lee Corporation, the Honduran company building the mall, explained the ambitious project as a mixed one that promises to transform urban development in eastern Santo Domingo. The mall will have capacity for 400 stores. The project calls for a hotel and corporate tower, as well as residential areas.

The largest mixed-use development in the Dominican Republic is designed by RSP Architects in Miami, Florida, USA...

Santo Domingo Motors, the Dominican Nissan, Chevrolet, Suzuki, Infiniti and Cadillac dealership, is now open to serve customers with a full range of technological services in Punta Cana, backed by a significant investment of US$14 million.

The new branch is open at Boulevard Turístico del Este Km 8, in Punta Cana, between Downtown Punta Cana to the North and the Punta Cana International Airport to the South.

During the opening ceremony, company president Aníbal Rodríguez underscored that this strategic move reinforces the concessionaire’s market leadership. Santo Domingo Motors is currently recognized as the number one auto dealer in reputation within the Dominican automotive sector.

Let there be no doubt, Cooperstown Hall of Fame member Albert Pujols is calling the shots for the Dominican team in the World Baseball Classic, the global baseball event set for 5 to 17 March 2026. Japan is the defending champion. The DR won the title in 2013 and Pujols is putting his heart and soul to ensure the DR gets the championship this coming 2026.

Pujols has stated that the quality of Dominican players and the large number who want to make the team are his dilemma as he chooses the roster. “It’s a good headache to have so many superstars. Each one of them will have their moment, a high point to help us win,” Pujols has said, as reported by David Venn for MLB.

The DR team manager has mentioned Elly de la Cruz, Johan Rojas, Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Junior Caminero, Sandy Alcántara and Geraldo Perdomo as team members but has yet to announce his full roster.

The top...

For the second time in six years, the Detroit Tigers will head to the Dominican Republic for part of their Spring training this coming March 2026.

This time, they’ll play two games against the Dominican Republic team that Cooperstown Hall of Famer Albert Pujols is assembling for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

The two-game DR Team vs Detroit Tigers series is scheduled for 3-4 March 2026 and will be played in memory of the victims from the Jet Set nightclub tragedy in Santo Domingo last April. MLB will make a donation to the Dominican Red Cross as part of the event.

Read more MLB

10 December 2025

The Ministry of Interior and Police has cleared restaurants, clubs, event centers, and piano bars, discos and casinos to remain open and sell alcohol to 3pm Sunday to Thursday, and until 4am on Fridays and Saturdays. The rescheduling is effective 10 December to 5 January 2026.

The Christmas schedule does not apply to colmadones that need to close at midnight.

Moreso, businesses are allowed to remain open all night on Christmas Day, 25 December and New Year’s Day, 31 December 2025.

The new alcohol sales and night spot schedules are also a call for extra caution for those commuting at night.

Minister of Interior and Police Faride Raful announced a major program has been coordinated with the private sector to make available Punto Vida, or private and public spots where women in danger can find temporary refuge and assistance.

She says the program is in coordination with the Attorney General Office and the Ministry of Women. She says the program seeks to be a life jacket for women who have not found the necessary relief from the services offered by 911, prosecution offices or the police.

Ernesto Martinez, president of the national association of malls (ONEC), said that their establishments have joined the movement. President Luis Abinader announced that government entities would follow, motivated by the enthusiasm of the private sector for the program.

The intention is to close the breach of women at risk with a nationwide system set up to protect...

President Abinader announces Presidente Beer will bring back its legendary Festival Presidente that some 10 years ago was the leading musical festival in the Caribbean and Central American region. The announcement comes on the heels of the successes of the Bad Bunny concert in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

The Cerveceria Nacional Presidente, the Presidente beer brewery, for years had sponsored the event that gathered the leading Latin music performers for three days in Santo Domingo.

2026 is the year for the return, but no specific date was mentioned. The last time the festival was held was in 2017, marking 20 years of the first concert. The festival was suspended after the beer company had changed ownership and complained that the new taxes on beer sales had reduced sales.

President Luis Abinader made the announcement on Monday, 8 December 2025, during his...

Members of the Reform Comission and the Legal Consultant of the Executive Branch, Antoliano Peralta / El Día

The Presidency submitted a comprehensive bill for the modernization and transformation of the National Police to the Senate on 8 December 2025, marking a critical step in a major police overhaul.

Antoliano Peralta, the legal consultant to the Executive Branch, delivered the proposed legislation alongside members of the Police Reform Commission.

“This is not a perfect bill, because no human endeavor is perfect, but we are all convinced that it represents a great advance,” Peralta stated: “Following its expected approval, the police force will be totally different and will finally enter the 21st Century.”

President Luis Abinader officially transmitted the initiative to the National Congress with a message: “I submit...

Eduardo Sánchez Tolentino (El Piro) while explaining the Senasa case. To the right the ex Minister of Senasa, Santiago Hazim / Somos Pueblo

Local media have begun to cover the details contained in the 537-page file Attorney General Office prosecutors have prepared against the first 10 charged in the Senasa case (named Cobra by the Public Ministry) on alleged administrative corruption in the management of the public health insurance company.

Senasa was a highly reputed health insurance company until it came under the management of physician Santiago Hazim with the start of the Abinader administration in 2020. He was removed in August 2025 after the irregularities hit the press. He is accused of orchestrating administrative fraud, corrupción, document forgery and asset laundering. He is accused of backing the installation of several fraudulent...

Minister of the Presidency , José Ignacio Paliza / Presidency

Minister of the Presidency Jose Ignacio Paliza has announced that as of January 2026 new buses will be running the Corredor de la Independencia. He made the announcement during the 8 December 2025 press conference.

He said the buses are already in the country.

The transport routes are operated by bus companies pre-selected by the government. Paliza did not announce which entity had received the concession for exclusive bus transport on the Independencia Avenue.

Follow the story: La Semanal

9 December 2025

A coalition of 70 communities in the central Cordillera Septentrional mountain range has launched an organized protest against a mining exploration plan proposed by the Ministry of Energy and Mines, warning that the project threatens to destroy vital natural resources, agricultural lands, and the livelihoods of thousands of families.

The communities estimate the project could potentially impact over 142,000 tareas (approximately 8,930 hectares or 22,070 acres) and a critical water network essential to the Cibao region.

In a document shared by local priest Father Ramón Ramos (Padre Nino), community leaders detail their grave environmental and rights concerns. They allege that the Ministry has already explored more than 70 potential gold extraction sites without any public consultation, a move they denounce as a clear violation of their...

Evan Ellis reported for the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) on the remarks by participants in the 3rd Regional Network Meeting for Crime Analysts (RNA) held in Santo Domingo, 24 to 27 November 2025.

The event brought together crime analysts from across the Caribbean, including the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and France, to discuss challenges posed by organized crime in the region.

Ellis reported that the 3rd RNA was important in calling attention to the profound problems of drug flows and other organized violence in the region. It also highlighted the important progress that is being made and helped to advance collaboration between governments and other stakeholders. The positive contributions of the event highlighted that successful collaboration in combatting organized crime in the region involves not only the governments and citizens of the...

This 7 December 2025, Teeth of the Dog reopened at Casa de Campo Resort & Villas in La Romana. The world class golf course carved by the late Pete Dye marked a before and after for golf in the Dominican Republic and in the Caribbean region when it opened in 1971.

The impressive course is now renovated and continues to be one with nature. And now new fairways have been added and the bunkers and greens fronting the Caribbean Sea have been restored.

The tee times are reserved for villa owners, residents and their guests, and guests staying at Casa de Campo Resort & Villas. The course is not open for day play by unregistered residents or guests.

Casa de Campo shares details of the restoration:

127 bunkers have been completely renovated, each now featuring advanced drainage systems and new liners.

70 teeing areas have been revitalized, using 679 cubic...

Padel in the Dominican Republic has reached a historic milestone, officially joining the global circuit following the successful affiliation of the Dominican Royal Padel Federation (RFDP) with the International Padel Federation (FIP) and Padel America.

This landmark integration marks a turning point for the racquet sport nationally, securing the Dominican Republic’s position within the international structure and paving the way for local hosting of tournaments, professional development, and participation on the world stage.

The announcement was formalized during the FIP’s 35th General Assembly in Acapulco, Mexico, where the RFDP became one of the organization’s 100 member federations worldwide.

Padel, a sport rapidly gaining traction among both young people and adults, has seen sustained growth across the nation, particularly in hubs like Santo Domingo, Punta Cana...

Culture activists have taken a stretch of Santiago’s historic center and turned it into a gallery of European masterpieces. Sixty-one high-quality reproductions of works from the renowned Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid, Spain have taken over the streets, offering the public a direct encounter with the essence of one of the world’s most important art institutions.

Dubbed “El Prado in the Streets,” the exhibition, anchored by the perimeter fence of the Centro León, extends about half a kilometer along Calle Benito Monción and culminates at Parque Duarte where the city cathedral is located.

Where once the walls told only local stories, they now exhibit centuries of universal art history. From El Bosco and Velázquez to Rubens, Goya, and Sorolla, the public display turns the urban landscape into a vibrant, free-access museum.

The exhibition will run through most of...

Aguají, the high-end restaurant at Sosua’s The Ocean Club, has been included in the prestigious Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list. It secured the 88th position on the prestigious list. This is a gastronomic milestone thanks to persevering Chef Tita (Ines Paez Nin).

Diario Libre reports this is a first for a Dominican and Caribbean restaurant.

The Aguají Restaurant was created by Chef Tita for the luxury Marriott-branded hotel.

Aguají is the high-end dining concept at the Ocean Club in Sosua, Puerto Plata. The making of the list is regarded as evidence the Dominican Republic can claim leading status in the highly competitive Latin American and Caribbean gastronomical region. Chef Tita exalts the Dominican identity through its ancestral roots and draws inspiration primarily from the indigenous Taino culture.

Aguají’s entry into the...

Not on the beach, but very close, the new Reserva Real by Harper offers 193 modern rooms with kitchenettes in a new complex at Avenida Alemania in the central Bavaro area of Punta Cana.

The architecture is inspired on the Italian town of Portofino. There are multiple pools, a complete gym, and a variety of dining experiences. The accommodations are adjacent to a plaza with beauty salon, barbershop, minimarket, and pharmacy.

A press release from the hotel reports that its first guests have been posting rave reviews on Expedia and Trip Advisor.

The property was developed by Noval Properties and is operated under the Harper brand of Archipelago International.

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• Harper Hotels

Following the signing by President Luis Abinader of Law 97-25 on 7 December 2025, the Dominican Republic’s new Penal Code will be published in the Official Gazette on Monday, 8 December and will go into effect on Tuesday in the National District and on Wednesday for the rest of the country.

The new code complies with Constitutional Court ruling TC0765-24 that had ordered amendments to Law 10-15 that had incorporated changes to Penal Procedures Code (Law 76-02).

Legal advisor to President Luis Abinader, Antoliano Peralta Perdomo summarized the far-reaching impact of the new law, stating that the Penal Code aims to profoundly modernize the justice system, driving a transformation based on celerity, procedural economy and specialization.

There was a consensus of the need to amend the penal code to adapt it to the times, yet the final output produced by Congress has been much criticized. Esta Noche con Mariasela panel looks into some of the controversial clauses.

Read...

Members of the Dominican Republic’s Armed Forces now join those of the Police in getting free access to ride the nation’s mass transit system, including the Santo Domingo Metro and Teleférico (cable car), starting in January 2026, the government announced over the weekend.

The directive, which grants thousands of military personnel free travel, was revealed by the Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre, during a Christmas luncheon hosted by President Luis Abinader on Saturday, 6 December 2025 at the Ministry of Defense headquarters.

Defense Minister Fernández Onofre explained that the measure comes as a direct instruction from the President and is intended as a significant recognition of the service provided by the men and women of the military institutions.

During the event, President Abinader reiterated his deep...

President Luis Abinader has ordered the National Health Insurance (Senasa) to constitute as a civil party in the corruption case detected within the public institution. As reported in El Dia, the move is intended to ensure the recovery of “up to the last peso stolen from public assets,” according to the presidential order.

By constituting Senasa as a civil actor, the government aims to use legal means to claim damages and restitution of the misappropriated funds, maximizing efforts to recover public money in the ongoing investigation.

State prosecutors announced the arrest of government officials and business people on Sunday, 7 December. The prosecutors now have 48 hours to present charges. The most prominent arrested in the case is Santiago Hazim Albainy, former general manager of the state health insurance plan from 2020 to when he was replaced in August 2025 by Edward Rafael...

Director of CAASD, Felipe Subervi and CODIA’s President, Enrique Rosario Garcia / Diario Libre

The major issue with basic services in the main cities of the Dominican Republic is plain and simple, water. In cities such as Santo Domingo and Santiago, an adequate supply of potable water is the biggest urban problem.

Now the Santo Domingo Aqueduct and Sewer Corporation (Caasd) has announced a public tender worth nearly RD$300 million for the drilling of 28 new water wells in Greater Santo Domingo.

Speaking to the Dominican Association of Engineers, Architects and Surveyors (Codia), Felipe Subervi, the head of the Caasd, said that the tender was structured in such a way as to benefit as many qualified professionals as possible.

The wells are to be drilled in the National District, Santo Domingo North and Santo Domingo West, as well as Pedro Brand and...

The tragic death of an 11-year old Haitian girl, a student at an expensive private school in Santiago, has become a Pandora Box. The mother of the child, Loveli Raphael Joseph, took her case to the media after she could not get a straight story straight on what happened leading to the drowning of her daughter during a school outing of the Instituto de Desarrollo Integral Leonardo Da Vinci from the school nor from the justice department authorities in Santiago. The media reported and the headlines followed.

The mother was then received by Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso in Santo Domingo, and Vice President Raquel Pena, who is from Santiago, motivated the authorities to find out what was not being told.

TV journalist Nuria Piera says that this is not the first time the Da Vinci private school authorities act with overzealousness, seemingly to protect...

The murder of Yennely Duarte in the village of Quitasueño in Santiago was a horrific crime. The Department of Justice sent their big gun to prosecute the case, Toribio Antonio Gomez. The crime, committed in March of 2024, came to trial with the typical delays and courtroom incidents, but on 1 December 2025, the trial ended, and prosecutor Gomez had achieved yet another exemplary sentence: 30 years in prison for Ammy Hiraldo Peña.

This is considered to be yet another win for Gomez, and his past performance indicates he is very good at his job. It seems that if the Justice Department has a major case regarding rape, incest, assault that results in the death of the victim, homicide, or drugs, Gomez is going to be the prosecutor.

His successes in gaining convictions is, indeed, impressive. El Caribe newspaper publishes a list of ten convictions carrying sentences from...

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Dominican Republic swine population suffered from an outbreak of the African Swine Fever, a debilitating disease that kills hogs. Back during the administration of President Antonio Guzman (1978-1982), the outbreak was so severe that the government dictated the elimination of the entire porcine population of the Dominican Republic. However, despite intense government efforts, hogs were hidden, and some survived, but most of the pork today consumed in the DR is imported from the United States.

Eventually, the Swine Fever epidemic was controlled, and the repopulation of the pig population with imported hogs was a success.

Since that time, there have been localized outbreaks, generally speaking, in small operations, and the government has been successful in controlling the spread of the disease. The issue is explained as there are no...

Mario Pujols / Listin Diario

The executive vice president of the Dominican Republic Association of Industries (AIRD) has come out in defense of the local cookie and cracker industry. The different local manufacturers have asked the Commission for the Defense of Commerce (CDC) to look into the possibility of implementing a safeguard measure against imported cookies and crackers from countries with which the Dominican Republic does not have a free trade agreement. The AIRD executive, Mario Pujols, also noted that the process must follow the rules already laid out.

Local industry has filed the request to investigate the situation according to the parameters laid out in Law 1-02 that cover Illegal Practices in Commerce. As reported, local sales of bargain-priced “Danish” cookies manufactured in Malaysia and India are big items during the Christmas holidays.

Read more in...

Roberto Alvarez, David Ortiz and Luis Esteban De la Torre / Presidency

Dominican baseball legend and Cooperstown Hall of Famer David Ortiz was presented with the Humanitarian Award 2025 by The Trust for the Americas and the Organization of American States (OAS), recognizing his profound philanthropic commitment to vulnerable children.

The ceremony, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Relations (Mirex) on Friday, 5 December 2025, spotlighted Ortiz’s humanitarian efforts through the David Ortiz Children’s Fund, which has facilitated 1,676 pediatric cardiac surgeries and provided specialized evaluations and care for over 16,000 children in both the Dominican Republic and New England, United States.

Through strategic alliances, his foundation provides crucial access to high-level medical services for families facing significant barriers to care.

The...