标签： Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – As remittances from Dominicans living overseas solidify their position as one of the country’s top sources of foreign currency, a leading economist from the main opposition party is pushing for a fundamental rethink of how the nation engages with its global diaspora.

Haivanjoe Ng Cortiñas, Secretary of Economic Affairs for the People’s Force (FP) party, laid out his argument during a virtual public lecture hosted by the party’s Secretariat of Dominicans Abroad, an outreach and training arm of FP for its international membership currently led by Marco Cross. Titled “Remittances and the Dominican Diaspora: From the Importance of Remittances to a Policy of Reciprocity, Investment and Return,” the talk broke down the rapid growth of remittance flows, their far-reaching economic footprint, and the need for policy to evolve alongside shifting economic realities.

Drawing on aggregated data including figures from the Institute of Dominicans Abroad (INDEX), Ng Cortiñas highlighted the dramatic expansion of remittances over 15 years: inflows jumped from just US$3.68 billion in 2010 to a projected US$11.87 billion in 2025, representing a more than threefold increase over the period. By 2025, he noted, remittances make up roughly 25.1% of the Dominican Republic’s total foreign exchange earnings and account for 9.3% of the country’s entire gross domestic product.

INDEX data estimates that 3.03 million Dominicans currently reside outside the country, a diaspora community that Ng Cortiñas emphasized is far more than just a collection of statistics. Behind every remittance transfer, he explained, is a Dominican worker living abroad sending hard-earned income to support family members back home, a human element that is often overlooked in macroeconomic analysis.

The economist attributes the sustained growth of remittance inflows first and foremost to the tireless work and commitment of the Dominican diaspora, rather than any successful government economic policies. He also underscored how the role of remittances has shifted dramatically over the decades: what was once seen as a small supplementary source of household income for Dominican families has now become a core structural pillar of the country’s external economy.

Ng Cortiñas’ analysis also uncovered notable geographic and seasonal shifts in remittance distribution across the country. He pointed out that the share of total remittances flowing to the National District surged from 26% in 2011 to nearly half (49.7%) of all inflows between January and July 2026. Over the same period, other major provinces including Santiago, Santo Domingo, Duarte, and La Vega all recorded declines in their share of total remittances. Seasonally, he added, December consistently accounts for more than 9% of annual remittance volumes, a trend driven by diaspora members increasing their financial support to family during the Christmas holiday season.

Beyond the numbers, Ng Cortiñas argued that the large size of the Dominican diaspora should spark a urgent national conversation about why the country has not been able to generate enough economic opportunity for its citizens at home to reduce outward migration. He called on the government to move far beyond its current narrow policy approach, which only focuses on simplifying the process of sending remittances into the country. Instead, he said, policymakers must recognize the full value of Dominicans abroad as a critical source of human talent, financial capital, entrepreneurial expertise, and civic engagement for the nation.

To implement this new approach, Ng Cortiñas put forward a series of concrete policy proposals. These include the creation of a Special Investment Regime for the Diaspora, a dedicated investment and savings account product for Dominicans living overseas, targeted tax and regulatory incentives to encourage diaspora members to invest and repatriate capital to the Dominican Republic, and a National Pact with the Dominican Diaspora centered on expanding rights for overseas Dominicans, supporting investment, facilitating knowledge transfer, encouraging return migration, and expanding consular protection.

In closing his remarks, Ng Cortiñas summed up the core tension at the heart of his proposal: “Remittances are a strength of the Dominican Republic; depending on them to sustain our development would be a weakness.”

A leading Dominican research institution is breaking new ground in the highly charged national debate over migration and cross-border ties with neighboring Haiti, announcing plans Wednesday to carry out the country’s first data-driven comprehensive socioeconomic analysis of the bilateral relationship.

The Dominican Center for Strategic Thinking, a multidisciplinary collective of domestic experts led by prominent geopolitical scholar and professor Manuel Cruz, aims to inject objective, verifiable evidence into a public discourse that has long been dominated by partisan polarization and emotional rhetoric. By grounding discussions in official, peer-reviewable statistics, the organization hopes to create a more informed foundation for policy and public conversation around one of the country’s most contentious issues.

At the core of the research design is a nationally representative public opinion survey of 4,000 Dominican residents, which will capture varied public attitudes, perceptions and experiences related to Haitian migration and the current state of the shared border. Beyond public sentiment, the study will aggregate granular administrative data from across government agencies to map the full scope of cross-border people-to-people ties and state spending related to border management.

Specific data requests include a full breakdown of visas issued to Haitian citizens from 2020 through August 2026, sorted by travel purpose such as tourism, temporary employment, and academic study. Researchers will also audit total government expenditure on border security, itemizing costs for logistics, fuel, rations for security personnel, irregular migration interdiction operations, and deportation proceedings. Additional datasets will cover the number of Haitian students enrolled in Dominican public and private education institutions, public spending on the national migration regularization plan, and birth records at Dominican public hospitals disaggregated by parental migration status.

Center leadership confirmed that formal information requests will be submitted to all relevant government agencies in the coming weeks, with a final report of findings scheduled for public release before the end of 2026. The non-partisan institution, which brings together professionals across multiple academic and policy fields, focuses on evidence-based geopolitical analysis, public policy research, and institutional strengthening initiatives designed to advance broad national well-being for the Dominican people.

On a Monday gathering hosted at Santo Domingo’s National Palace, Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader has called on the nation’s population to mark a National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving, uniting leaders from diverse religious denominations and senior public officials for a collective act of faith. Joined on the occasion by First Lady Raquel Arbaje, the president outlined that the nationwide initiative was designed to reinforce shared faith and collective hope across the country, while the gathering centered prayers for wisdom, lasting peace, and divine protection for the Dominican Republic and its people.

Beyond prayers for the nation as a whole, Abinader directed special intercessions toward Dominican families navigating serious illness and economic hardship, as well as vulnerable groups including young people, senior citizens, and all communities facing unmet needs. In his opening remarks to attendees, the president stressed that the commemorative day should extend far beyond symbolic prayer, framing it as a catalyst for a broader national commitment to community service, cross-group solidarity, and tangible action to lift up fellow citizens. He urged every participant to leave the National Palace gathering with a renewed dedication to listening to others, offering support, extending forgiveness, and prioritizing service to communities across the country.

During the interfaith service, Monsignor Carlos Tomás Morel Diplán, coadjutor archbishop of the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo, led prayers focused on the protection of the nation, its households, and all people grappling with illness and hardship. He also asked for guidance and sound judgment for all of the country’s elected and appointed national leaders. Julio Morales, national superintendent of the Dominican Council of Assemblies of God, characterized the cross-denominational gathering at the presidential palace as a historic milestone for the nation. He commended President Abinader for his work bringing together representatives of differing Christian traditions and broader societal sectors to lift up collective prayers for the Dominican Republic’s future.

As part of the nationwide initiative, public servants working across dozens of government agencies also held dedicated prayer sessions from their individual office locations, expanding the observance beyond the central gathering at the National Palace. Organizers noted that the overarching goal of the National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving is to foster greater national unity, renewed collective hope, and stronger cross-community solidarity among all residents of the Dominican Republic.

In the Independencia Province municipality of Jimaní, the Dominican Republic has officially kicked off construction on a 14.5-kilometer stretch of border perimeter fence as the second phase of a national border security upgrade. Managed by the country’s Ministry of Defense (MIDE), this infrastructure project forms a core pillar of the administration’s broader strategy to tighten territorial control and security along the entire shared border with neighboring Haiti.

The new planned fence structure boasts a 13-foot vertical height, and will integrate six purpose-built surveillance watchtowers alongside 35 culverts to accommodate local drainage needs. Flanking both sides of the fence will be wide 7-meter patrol roads, engineered specifically to streamline rapid military movement across the sector. This layered infrastructure is purpose-designed to boost on-the-ground surveillance coverage, cut response times to security incidents, and make military patrol operations far more efficient across this high-risk border zone.

This construction segment is strategically sited in the Enriquillo Basin, in close proximity to Lake Azuey (alternatively referred to as Lake Fondo). For decades, this geographic area has grappled with persistent security challenges, including unregulated cross-border movement of people and goods, and widespread illicit trafficking activities. Dominican security officials note that existing enforcement efforts led by the Dominican Army and the nation’s Specialized Border Security Corps (CESFRONT) have already succeeded in cutting the prevalence of these activities, and the new infrastructure will build on these gains to further suppress cross-border crime.

According to MIDE official Fernández Onofre, the project is a key component of President Luis Abinader’s flagship “Strong Border” initiative. This comprehensive strategy combines expanded permanent military presence, purpose-built security infrastructure, advanced surveillance technology, improved mobility for border forces, and coordinated interagency cooperation to strengthen national territorial security, while also supporting sustainable economic and social development for communities located along the border.

Beyond security gains, the project carries meaningful economic importance for the region. Jimaní hosts one of the largest binational cross-border markets along the Dominican-Haitian border, and it is also one of the country’s busiest entry points for heavy freight trucks and container shipping moving between the two nations. Dominican authorities project that the upgraded border infrastructure will not only strengthen anti-smuggling enforcement, but also foster a more secure, predictable, and organized environment for legitimate cross-border trade that benefits local economies on both sides of the border.

After the official launch ceremony held in Jimaní, Fernández Onofre led a delegation from the Office of the Presidency (OPM) north to the border city of Dajabón, where they conducted an inspection of another fence construction segment currently in development. The site visit gave the delegation an opportunity to evaluate on-the-ground construction progress, and assess how the new fence will integrate with existing surveillance, patrol, and security systems along the northern stretch of the shared border.

The Jimaní construction kickoff, paired with ongoing expansion work in Dajabón, forms part of the Dominican government’s wider national effort to upgrade the operational and technological capabilities of the country’s Armed Forces, strengthen national territorial control, and modernize the entire security infrastructure network running along the full length of the Dominican-Haitian border.

In a recent appearance on the Dominican Republic’s pioneering Christian podcast *Living with Faith*, United States Ambassador to the Caribbean nation Leah Campos has lauded the Dominican people for their unwavering commitment to Christian faith, framing the country as a standout regional example for preserving deep-rooted cultural and religious identity amid external pressure from global bodies and major global powers.

Campos emphasized that what makes the Dominican Republic particularly notable across the Latin American and Caribbean region is the consistent outspokenness of its population when it comes to upholding their faith and core religious values. “I feel that the Dominican Republic is the model in the region,” she stated during the wide-ranging conversation, which touched on the intersections of belief, cultural identity, family structure, democratic governance, and public participation.

The U.S. envoy went on to express her sincere hope that Dominican communities will continue to guard the foundational elements of their national character, chief among them their widespread devotion to Christianity. She also offered public praise for the country’s existing policy that retains criminal penalties for abortion, a position she called a “victory for God.”

Campos did not shy away from critical commentary during the interview, taking aim at the global spread of what she termed “gender ideology” in other nations. She argued that this ideological trend erodes the central social roles long held by family units and religious institutions, while simultaneously expanding the power and reach of state actors in everyday life.

Reflecting on her tenure in the country, the ambassador shared insights from her time engaging with diverse Christian communities across the Dominican Republic. She pointed to the remarkable openness that characterizes public discourse around faith in the country, noting that even Dominicans who do not actively participate in organized religious services still feel comfortable discussing their belief in God openly.

“I am observing and benefiting from your dedication to your values,” Campos added, acknowledging the inspiration she has drawn from the Dominican public’s commitment to their long-held beliefs.

The conversation also extended beyond the Dominican Republic’s borders, touching on a documented resurgence of interest in traditional religious practices among young people in the United States, as well as the evolving role of faith in modern, 21st-century society.