The organizers of the La Vega Carnival, the lead carnival in the country, announced they are postponing the parades for an undecided date. The organizers are concerned the carnival could serve as a spreader for the Omicron variant. The carnival did not take place in 2021.
La Vega Mayor Kelvin Cruz, who is the president of the organizing committee, said: “We have postponed the carnival due to the high levels of spread. The health of our country, our people and our citizens come first before any type of popular or cultural activity that may be possible,” he said in announcing the postponement of the event.
Mayor Cruz was accompanied by Senator Ramón Rogelio Genao; Governor Luisa Jimènez de La Mota; Martin Duquela, president of Unión Carnavalesca Vegana (Ucave); Ycelsa Garcia de Medrano and Rosa Olga of Grupo Medrano, among other personalities and sponsors linked to the La Vega carnival.
The measure was also supported by the La Vega Chamber of Commerce and Production.
The organizing committee says they will establish a new date for the carnival parades in 2022 within the next 45 days.
The La Vega Carnival is the pacesetter for carnival celebrations in the country. Every Sunday, the lavish costumed devilish-like characters parade through the streets of La Vega. Provinces all around the country have created their own carnivals. The Santo Domingo and Punta Cana carnivals then group the best troupes from all around the country.
The decision is expected to have a ripple effect on other carnival celebrations around the country, including the lead carnivals in Santiago, Santo Domingo and Punta Cana. Sundays in February and March are when carnival events in the Dominican Republic normally take place.
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El Dia
17 January 2022