In Santo Domingo’s Evaristo Morales sector, a protracted land ownership conflict has escalated as local residents urgently seek presidential intervention. The neighborhood association has formally requested President Luis Abinader to mediate a dispute that jeopardizes the homes of more than sixty families who have resided on the property for periods ranging from thirty to sixty years.
Community representative Auristelia Batista emphasized the devastating humanitarian consequences of potential evictions, warning that dozens of families face homelessness without governmental assistance. Residents vigorously contest the ownership claims advanced by Víctor Livio Cedeño Jr., maintaining that the land has historically been state property rather than privately held.
Batista revealed that this conflict spans more than three decades, noting that the claimant’s father previously attempted to reclaim the land without success. The recent resurgence of these ownership claims has alarmed the established community.
Residents assert that their homes were constructed through gradual, self-funded improvements over many years. They characterize the current legal proceedings as irregular and have petitioned authorities to conduct thorough scrutiny of the documentation presented by the claimant.
Agripina Polanco, another long-term resident, provided historical context, explaining that families originally settled in the area when it remained undeveloped. The dispute has intensified substantially as the property’s commercial value has appreciated in recent years. Polanco called for rigorous due process protections to prevent what residents perceive as an imminent injustice against economically vulnerable households.
The contested property is situated between 7th Street, Luis F. Thomen and Francisco Pratts Ramírez streets, and Winston Churchill Avenue in the Evaristo Morales neighborhood.
Neither governmental authorities nor the claimant have issued official statements addressing the residents’ allegations at this time, leaving the community in a state of uncertainty regarding their housing security.