MIAMI, Fla. — In a high-profile address to an international audience of political and business leaders Saturday, Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader used his acceptance of the Champion of Freedom Award to deliver a sharp, thoughtful meditation on the fragile nature of liberty in the modern world. Presented with the honor by Florida International University’s Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom, a nonpartisan think tank launched in 2020 to advance free-market principles and global prosperity, Abinader emphasized that freedom cannot be taken for granted as a permanent inheritance — it demands continuous responsibility and active commitment from every generation.
The award recognizes Abinader’s tenure-long leadership advancing pro-market policy reforms in the Dominican Republic. In his remarks, he framed the honor as less a personal accolade and more an opportunity to renew public dialogue around what liberty means for 21st-century democratic societies. Warning of a growing risk that democratic communities erode their own freedoms when citizens trade autonomy for short-term security or comfort, Abinader rooted his argument in the core ideas of Adam Smith, the father of modern free-market economics, noting that durable economic freedom cannot exist without foundational commitments to justice, transparent institutional rules, and public trust in governing bodies.
Abinader outlined that his administration has centered its policy agenda on four core pillars aligned with these principles: strengthening independent governing institutions, embedding transparency across public operations, upholding the rule of law, and expanding accessible economic opportunity for all Dominicans. Drawing on centuries of political and philosophical thought to reinforce his argument, the president quoted the iconic literary figure Don Quixote and referenced works by seminal thinkers Alexis de Tocqueville and Isaiah Berlin to explain that true freedom carries two complementary dimensions: it requires freedom from unnecessary coercion, as well as the material and social opportunity for every person to build a dignified, self-determined future.
Against a global backdrop of rising political polarization, Abinader called for renewed commitment to cross-ideological dialogue, pluralism, and collaborative consensus-building. “Growth is not just about producing more. It is about allowing each person to imagine and build their own future,” he told the crowd, stressing that meaningful freedom and shared economic prosperity are inherently inseparable goals.
The invitation-only event drew a roster of high-profile attendees spanning government, global business, and international sports governance, including former Colombian President Iván Duque and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom, which conferred the award, was established in 2020 as an independent, nonpartisan research institution focused on advancing policy frameworks that expand economic freedom and drive human prosperity worldwide.