标签： Dominican Republic

SANTO DOMINGO – Dominican infrastructure authorities have issued official reassurances regarding the structural integrity of the Juan Pablo Duarte Bridge spanning the Ozama River, following public concern over social media images showing apparent damage. A comprehensive technical evaluation conducted by the Public Infrastructure Oversight Commission for Climate Change in collaboration with the National Office for Seismic Evaluation and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (ONESVIE) concluded that the bridge remains fully operational and safe for public use.

The investigation determined that the visible damage depicted in viral social media posts is confined to non-structural secondary masonry walls, which play no role in the bridge’s load-bearing capacity or overall structural stability. ONESVIE, serving as the commission’s executive director, confirmed that preliminary analyses verify the structure’s compliance with all mandated safety and operational standards, asserting that there exists no identifiable risk to daily commuters or transportation activities.

In a related development, government officials revealed the initiation of a public bidding process to engage specialized diagnostic services for multiple strategic bridges across the nation. This infrastructure initiative, financially backed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), will encompass detailed evaluations of the Juan Pablo Duarte and Juan Bosch bridges in Santo Domingo, the Hermanos Patiño bridge in Santiago, and the Mauricio Báez bridge in San Pedro de Macorís. The program will employ cutting-edge testing technologies to facilitate proactive maintenance strategies, thereby enhancing the long-term durability, safety, and reliability of these critical transportation arteries.

Search operations for Brianna Genao in Puerto Plata’s challenging Imbert region experienced a significant setback when an FBI agent sustained injuries during the mission. The incident occurred as the agent lost footing and fell into a ravine while navigating the area’s notoriously difficult terrain, characterized by steep inclines and complex geographical features.

Emergency personnel transported the injured agent to a local medical facility for treatment, though authorities have maintained confidentiality regarding the specific nature and severity of his condition. This development prompted an immediate suspension of search activities as officials prioritized both the agent’s welfare and operational safety reassessments.

Local media outlet De Último Minuto reported that the suspension reflects the inherent dangers presented by the search zone’s topography, which has complicated rescue efforts from the outset. Law enforcement coordinators are now reevaluating their approach, implementing additional safety protocols, and reorganizing team structures before continuing the operation. The temporary pause underscores the physical challenges that search teams confront in remote, geographically complex environments during missing person cases.

A comprehensive seismic vulnerability assessment conducted by engineering experts has revealed that Santiago de los Caballeros, a Dominican city with over one million residents, remains critically unprepared for a major earthquake exceeding magnitude 7. The study projects devastating consequences including massive structural failures, substantial casualties, and severe economic repercussions should such a seismic event occur.

According to the detailed analysis, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake could result in approximately 2,600 fatalities, over 97,000 injuries, and the complete collapse or necessary demolition of at least 6,200 residential and commercial structures. The projected material damages are estimated to surpass US$10 billion. The report further identifies critical emergency response limitations, including inadequate cemetery capacity, insufficient forensic pathology resources, compromised access to potable water, and major communication system failures.

The engineering team, led by former CODIA Northern Regional president Ervin Vargas along with colleagues Luis Peña, Erick Mercedes, Arcadio Rodríguez, and Ashley Morales, emphasizes the city’s current inability to effectively manage a disaster of this scale. The experts urgently call for comprehensive disaster preparedness initiatives and the implementation of rapid-response mechanisms to mitigate potential human and material losses.

While preliminary work has begun to catalog available resources from both public and private institutions—including personnel, equipment, and facilities—the commission stresses that successful implementation of a national preparedness plan requires substantial funding from the central government. The engineers advocate for adopting earthquake preparedness as a permanent state policy, particularly given the region’s historical susceptibility to destructive seismic activity, including past earthquakes that devastated areas of La Vega province.

In a landmark ceremony at its new headquarters, the Dominican Republic’s General Directorate of Passports (DGP) has officially unveiled the nation’s next-generation electronic passport. President Luis Abinader presided over the event, personally receiving the first biometric travel document issued in the country, signaling a transformative upgrade to the nation’s identity and border security infrastructure.

The implementation will follow a carefully structured phased approach to ensure system integrity and operational efficiency. Initial stages focus on enrolling government officials and diplomats, with citizen appointments opening gradually beginning January 15. DGP Director General Lorenzo Ramírez emphasized that this measured rollout allows for comprehensive system validation, staff training, and user experience optimization before full-scale national implementation.

Full public enrollment is scheduled to commence on February 19, starting with high-demand offices in Santo Domingo and northern regions before expanding nationwide. The sophisticated e-passport incorporates cutting-edge biometric technology, exceeds 130 security elements, and features an encrypted chip fully compliant with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. The documents will carry 10-year validity for adults and 5-year validity for minors.

Complementing the technological upgrade, the DGP announced enhanced services including domestic delivery options and a specialized repatriation benefit for Dominican citizens abroad. During the transition period, current mechanical passports will remain legally valid alongside the new electronic versions.