标签： Dominican Republic

多米尼加共和国

Iberostar advances coral reef conservation with research lab in Bávaro

As climate change continues to drive rising ocean temperatures and widespread coral bleaching across the Caribbean, tourism giant Iberostar Hotels & Resorts is stepping up its commitment to marine ecosystem protection through an expanded portfolio of coral reef conservation and restoration initiatives in the Dominican Republic.

At the company’s Playa Bávaro location, a dedicated on-site coral laboratory houses a specialized genetic bank preserving samples from nine distinct species of reef-building corals. The facility’s in-house team of scientific researchers carries out cutting-edge thermotolerance experiments, designed to map how different coral species react to elevated ocean heat levels. The data gathered from these studies will directly inform and strengthen future reef restoration projects across the region.

All of these conservation efforts fall under the umbrella of Iberostar’s flagship sustainability program, “Wave of Change”, an initiative built to advance the principles of responsible tourism and safeguard vulnerable coastal ecosystems around the globe. To date, the company’s global nature conservation strategy has brought together more than 30 independent scientists and marine specialists, contributed to 13 peer-reviewed scientific publications, and developed two standardized restoration protocols that are now widely used by coral conservation professionals worldwide.

In collaboration with the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, with initial seed funding from the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), Iberostar has already completed the rehabilitation of roughly one hectare of degraded reef habitat within the Playa Bávaro tourism complex. This restored coastal zone now acts as a critical refuge for native endemic marine species, and functions as a natural seed source to support natural vegetation regeneration across nearby damaged ecosystems.

Iberostar’s conservation footprint extends well beyond this single site in the Dominican Republic. Across the entire Caribbean region, the company operates seven underwater coral nurseries, where heat-tolerant coral fragments are grown before being outplanted to damaged reef sites. It also runs three land-based coral research laboratories, located in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Jamaica respectively.

Most recently, the company laid the groundwork for long-term institutional collaboration on marine conservation: In February 2026, the Iberostar Foundation partnered with the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo to launch the Iberostar Sea Initiative, a program focused on advancing marine research, providing specialized conservation training, and facilitating cross-sector knowledge transfer. Just two months later, in April, Iberostar signed a formal partnership agreement with the Dominican Ministry of Environment to support coordinated conservation and restoration work for coastal and marine ecosystems in the popular tourist regions of La Altagracia and Puerto Plata.

12 8 月, 2026
Dominican Republic joins regional forum to combat drug trafficking

Against a backdrop of growing transnational drug trafficking and organized criminal activity across the Americas, Panama played host this week to the high-stakes Forum of the Americas Coalition Against Cartels (A3C), bringing together top defense and security leaders from 18 countries across the region. The two-day gathering, held on August 11 and 12, centered on a core shared goal: forging more robust cross-border collaboration to dismantle criminal cartels and their sprawling networks, through targeted strategies including improved intelligence sharing, tightened border security protocols, and streamlined coordination between national security institutions.

Leading the Dominican Republic’s official delegation to the forum was Lieutenant General Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre, the country’s Minister of Defense. He was joined by a senior cross-agency team reflecting the Dominican government’s priority of addressing organized crime: Deputy Interior and Police Minister Edwin Eusebio Féliz Brito, Director of the National Investigations Department (DNI) Luis Soto, Defense Ministry Intelligence Director Brigadier General Enrique Armando Aguilera Trujillo, and Brigadier General Edgar Tiburcio, the Dominican Republic’s designated liaison for the U.S.-backed Shield of the Americas initiative.

As the host nation, Panama structured the forum’s agenda to tackle the full scope of regional security threats, with focused discussions on disrupting every layer of cartel operations: from their financial infrastructure and cross-border logistics routes to their on-the-ground operational cells. Unlike isolated national enforcement efforts, forum participants emphasized that coordinated, collective action is the only viable path to weakening cartel influence across the hemisphere.

Following the conclusion of the gathering, the Dominican government released a statement outlining the strategic benefits of its participation. Officials noted that the forum has already opened new doors for expanded partnership and real-time intelligence exchange with the United States and other participating nations. These new cooperative ties, the government added, will directly bolster the country’s ability to monitor and secure its land, maritime, and air territories, blocking criminal groups from using Dominican infrastructure to traffic drugs and carry out other illegal organized activities.

12 8 月, 2026
Traffic Calming Plan to begin in Santo Domingo’s Colonial City on August 17

Starting this Monday, August 17, a new traffic calming pilot initiative will roll out across Santo Domingo’s iconic Colonial City, designed to cut down on cut-through traffic, ease chronic gridlock, and foster more orderly, people-centered use of the historic district’s public spaces.

The project was developed in direct response to repeated feedback and requests from local residents and business owners who have long raised concerns about unmanageable congestion in the UNESCO-recognized neighborhood. It is being carried out through a coordinated cross-agency partnership, bringing together the National Institute of Transit and Land Transportation (Intrant), Digesett, the National District Mayor’s Office, the Ministry of Culture, the National Police, Politur, and several other organizations focused on the sustainable development of the Colonial City.

Local transportation authorities note that the core problem the pilot aims to address is commuters and through drivers who treat the narrow streets of the historic district as a time-saving shortcut, especially during morning and evening peak travel windows. This constant through traffic has created persistent congestion, lengthy travel delays for both locals and visitors, and frequent dangerous conflicts between motor vehicles and pedestrians who share the district’s limited road space.

Permanent daily access restrictions will be enforced within the boundaries of the pilot zone: the area is bordered by Arzobispo Meriño Street to the west, Padre Billini Street to the south, and Las Damas Street to the east. The new rules do grant exemptions to critical service vehicles, including emergency response units and municipal garbage collection trucks, to avoid disrupting essential public services.

For visitors and residents seeking access to the Cathedral precinct at the heart of the district, approved entry points are limited to the northern side via Arzobispo Meriño Street, through Palo Hincado and Juan Isidro Pérez streets, or from Mella Avenue. Under the new regulations, no vehicles will be permitted to enter the restricted zone from Padre Billini Street, and all vehicles approaching the intersection of Padre Billini and Arzobispo Meriño will be required to turn right to exit the area.

To reduce confusion and parking pressure within the district, local officials are actively encouraging all non-local visitors to make use of large public parking facilities located just outside the restricted zone. Two primary recommended lots are the Atarazana Parking Lot on Restauración Street and the larger Colonial Zone Parking Lot on Mella Avenue.

Project leads emphasized that the overarching goal of the pilot is to shift how the Colonial City is viewed by through drivers: rather than a convenient shortcut between other parts of the city, the historic district is first and foremost a cultural, residential and tourism destination that deserves protection. Over the course of the pilot, traffic patterns and public feedback will be continuously monitored, and adjustments to the access rules will be made as needed to align with broader progress on the Colonial City’s long-term tourism and urban development initiative.

12 8 月, 2026
Dominican Republic establishes National Physicist Day to promote science

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic — The Dominican Academy of Sciences (ACRD) has formally launched a new annual national observance, National Physicist Day, which will be celebrated every June 3 starting under the authority of Presidential Decree No. 454-26, officially issued on July 6, 2026. The launch ceremony took place at the ACRD’s central headquarters, drawing a diverse cross-section of attendees including leading academics, veteran researchers, physics educators, university students, and practicing physics professionals from across the country. Throughout the event, participants emphasized the irreplaceable role that the field of physics plays in driving the Dominican Republic’s scientific advancement, technological innovation, and long-term social progress. Melvin Arias, who coordinates the ACRD’s Commission of Basic Sciences and Technology, outlined the core goals behind the new annual celebration. Arias explained that the recurring observance will serve as a key platform to expand public science engagement, reinforce the quality of physics instruction across secondary and post-secondary institutions, and motivate young Dominican students to pursue careers in scientific research and applied physics. A central formal element of the ceremony featured the official reading of the presidential decree by Editrudis Beltrán Crisóstomo, a longtime professor at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) School of Physics and a former university rector. Following the reading, attendees held a moment of quiet respect, observing a minute of silence to honor the legacy of Dominican physicists who have passed away. Closing out the formal proceedings, the Dominican Society of Physics (SoDoFi) presented special recognitions to both Beltrán Crisóstomo and Emma Encarnación, honoring their decades of impactful contributions to the growth and development of the physics discipline across the Dominican Republic. The push to establish National Physicist Day received formal institutional support from multiple key national stakeholders, including SoDoFi, the Dominican Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (Mescyt), the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, and the Academy of Sciences itself. Event organizers emphasized in closing statements that the creation of this dedicated national day reinforces the Dominican Republic’s ongoing commitment to expanding scientific research, investing in academic advancement, and building a skilled pipeline of STEM professionals for the nation’s future.

12 8 月, 2026
Dominican Government requests departure of nine Cuban diplomats

In an official announcement released on Wednesday, the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MIREX) confirmed that the Caribbean nation has formally requested the Cuban Embassy to remove nine members of its diplomatic mission along with their immediate families from Dominican territory within a one-week deadline.

The Dominican government emphasized that this extraordinary step falls fully within the sovereign rights afforded to receiving states under established international law, specifically referencing the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations — a treaty the Dominican Republic is an official signatory to.

According to MIREX, all future discussions surrounding this matter will remain confidential, conducted exclusively through pre-established, formal diplomatic channels. The guiding priority for the Dominican administration throughout the process, the ministry noted, is to preserve the longstanding bilateral relations between the Dominican Republic and Cuba, avoiding unnecessary escalation of the situation.

In line with longstanding protocols surrounding sensitive diplomatic interactions, MIREX declined to release any additional details regarding the motivations for the request, citing the binding confidentiality requirements that govern diplomatic communications between nations.

12 8 月, 2026
Abinader inaugurates new military training complex to strengthen Armed Forces

In a formal ceremony held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader has officially opened a state-of-the-art military training complex, a landmark investment aimed at elevating the operational preparedness, technological modernization, and professional standards of the nation’s armed forces.

Addressing attendees at the inauguration, President Abinader reinforced his administration’s long-standing pledge to upgrade working conditions and operational capabilities for military personnel. Through investments in advanced training infrastructure and digital technology, the government aims to build a force that is better equipped to confront evolving national security threats. The president emphasized that highly trained, well-prepared troops form an irreplaceable backbone of the country’s ability to protect national security, uphold territorial sovereignty, and secure border integrity.

The newly opened complex hosts two core specialized facilities: the Armed Forces Virtual Tactical Training Center and the “Zero Line” Tactical-Physical Training Center. Spanning 1,089 square meters, the virtual training hub is outfitted with seven dedicated simulation training rooms, three instructional classrooms, administrative office spaces, and support amenities. It is engineered to accommodate simultaneous training for more than 355 service members at a time.

Data from the Dominican Ministry of Defense reveals that the armed forces now operate 12 virtual shooting ranges across the country, 11 of which have been installed since Abinader took office. This immersive simulation technology allows troops to hone their marksmanship and tactical decision-making in a fully controlled, low-risk environment, eliminating many of the hazards that come with live ammunition drills. Beyond improved safety, the system consistently boosts troop accuracy, inter-unit coordination, and overall operational performance. Defense authorities also estimate that cutting reliance on live ammunition for routine training delivers annual cost savings of more than 300 million Dominican pesos.

Complementing the digital simulation training offered at the virtual center, the “Zero Line” facility delivers rigorous in-person tactical and physical conditioning. It features a full-spectrum obstacle course and a purpose-built military mountaineering tower, designed to push service members to build physical endurance, mental resilience, strict discipline, and collaborative teamwork under high-pressure, demanding conditions that mirror real operational scenarios.

The new training complex will serve multiple key military institutions, including the Army Military Academy “Battle of Las Carreras,” the Directorate of Military Education, Training and Instruction, as well as specialized units from the Dominican Air Force and Navy. Military officials note that the standardized training curricula delivered at the complex will also foster greater interoperability between different service branches, enabling more cohesive and coordinated joint operations in the future.

For the Dominican government, this new training infrastructure marks another critical milestone in the transition to a technology-first military training model. The overarching goal of this shift is to continuously improve the readiness and effectiveness of the armed forces as they carry out their core mandates of national defense and public security.

12 8 月, 2026
Indotel highlights digital connectivity as key to Dominican Republic’s economic growth

PUNTA CANA — As regional technology leaders gathered this week for one of the Caribbean’s most important telecommunications gatherings, a top Dominican regulator has framed universal digital access as the foundational pillar for shared growth across the island region.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 41st Annual Conference and Exhibition of the Caribbean Association of National Telecommunications Organizations (CANTO), hosted August 9 to 12 at Punta Cana’s Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Guido Gómez Mazara, president of the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel) Board of Directors, emphasized that robust digital connectivity has evolved from a convenience to a core strategic driver of national competitiveness, foreign direct investment, social equity, and broad-based economic development across the entire Caribbean.

Gómez Mazara outlined the Dominican Republic’s ambitious national agenda to reshape its domestic production model by prioritizing large-scale investment in digital infrastructure and expansion of the digital economy. At the heart of the country’s plans is a commitment to inject more than $500 million into upgrading digital exchange infrastructure, boosting international connectivity through new and expanded submarine cable routes, and advancing the implementation of the national Artificial Intelligence Strategy. Beyond infrastructure, the country is actively working to build homegrown AI innovation capacity and carve out a sustainable role for Dominican stakeholders in global semiconductor supply chains.

Indotel’s immediate regulatory priorities also focus on closing long-standing access gaps across the country, Gómez Mazara noted. The agency is pushing forward with aggressive expansion of 4G and 5G mobile networks, modernizing management of the public radio spectrum to accommodate growing demand, cutting the persistent digital divide that leaves marginalized communities disconnected, and fostering healthy, pro-consumer competition across the telecommunications sector.

A core principle of the country’s regulatory approach, he stressed, is balancing two critical goals: creating a clear, attractive policy environment that draws in private and public investment, while ensuring that all telecommunications services remain affordable and accessible to every segment of the population. This balance is designed to prevent exclusion from the digital economy rooted in cost barriers, geographic isolation, or gaps in digital literacy, he explained.

The conference also marked a milestone for Indotel: the Dominican regulator formally joined CANTO as a full member, making this year’s event its first annual participation as an official member of the regional association. Gómez Mazara highlighted that cross-border cooperation between Caribbean nations is not optional, but essential, to tackle shared technological challenges, harmonize regulatory frameworks, and exchange successful policy experiences that benefit the entire region.

This year’s CANTO conference gathers hundreds of telecommunications providers, regulators, technology innovators, and policy stakeholders from across the Caribbean and beyond. Attendees are engaging in four days of discussions covering pressing industry topics including universal connectivity expansion, emerging digital innovation, new investment opportunities, adaptive regulatory policy, and building long-term digital competitiveness for small and medium economies across the region.

11 8 月, 2026
Rainieri Cultural Center launches La Cantera to showcase emerging Dominican artists

In Punta Cana, the nonprofit Rainieri Cultural Center has unveiled a groundbreaking new initiative for the Dominican art community: La Cantera, a compact temporary exhibition space purpose-built to lift up emerging creative voices and redefine the trajectory of local visual arts.

Tucked alongside the center’s main auditorium, this 35-square-meter venue was crafted specifically to address a longstanding barrier for young and early-career artists: the high barriers to entry and logistical hurdles that come with mounting shows in large, formal exhibition spaces. Where the center’s primary temporary exhibition hall stretches across more than 400 square meters, creating cost and installation pressures that often exclude emerging creators, La Cantera strips away those burdens, allowing artists to direct their full energy toward the core of their practice: developing and sharing meaningful work with audiences.

Beyond giving creators a low-pressure platform to show their work, the initiative also carries a broader mission: to cultivate a new generation of art collectors invested in Dominican talent, and to cement La Cantera’s reputation as a launching pad for artists who will go on to shape the future of the national art landscape.

La Cantera kicked off its exhibition calendar with *Visions of Yauya*, a thought-provoking show from interdisciplinary artist and writer José Carlos Nazario. The exhibition opened to the public on June 10 and will run through mid-September, inviting visitors to engage with Nazario’s unique artistic vision.

The series draws its core inspiration from Nazario’s personal experiences during the global COVID-19 pandemic. When lockdowns and social distancing upended daily life, the artist found solace, quiet reflection, and unexpected creative spark in the untamed landscapes of Punta Cana’s Indigenous Eyes Ecological Reserve, a protected natural area that became his creative sanctuary during that uncertain period.

The exhibition features four large-scale mixed-media works, produced with a range of materials from traditional art supplies like ink, watercolor, and acrylic to organic, everyday substances including turmeric and coffee, all applied to paper. Rather than creating photorealistic depictions of the reserve’s scenery, Nazario reinterprets the landscape through the lens of personal memory, intuitive feeling, and unbridled imagination, incorporating technical approaches rooted in surrealist automatism to create evocative, one-of-a-kind pieces.

Through this opening exhibition, Nazario also challenges common global perceptions of Punta Cana, which is most often framed solely as a sun-and-sea tourist destination. *Visions of Yauya* reframes the region’s rich natural landscapes as a profound source of artistic inspiration, highlighting a side of the area that rarely receives international attention.

For the Rainieri Cultural Center, the launch of La Cantera advances the institution’s longstanding commitment to elevating homegrown Dominican creative talent, while fostering new connections between artists, local and visiting audiences, and emerging and established art collectors. As a nonprofit organization based in Punta Cana, the center’s core mission centers on advancing Dominican culture through a rotating slate of exhibitions, public educational programs, and community-focused cultural events, with a particular focus on preserving and celebrating the unique historical and cultural heritage of the Dominican Republic’s eastern region.

11 8 月, 2026
Will the solar eclipse be visible in the Dominican Republic? Here’s what to know

One of 2024’s most anticipated astronomical events is just around the corner: a total solar eclipse set to occur this Wednesday, August 12, that is expected to draw millions of observers across the Northern Hemisphere. The rare celestial phenomenon happens when the Moon aligns perfectly between Earth and the Sun, completely obscuring the solar disk for viewers along its narrow path of totality.

The eclipse’s journey will kick off over the Bering Sea before tracking east across the Northern Hemisphere. The path of totality, where the entire Sun is blocked by the Moon, will cut across portions of the Arctic Ocean, northwest Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, and much of Spain before ending in a small section of Portugal. For residents across a far broader swath of the globe—including large parts of North America, Europe, and northwest Africa—a partial eclipse, where the Moon only covers a fraction of the Sun, will still be visible to the naked eye with proper protection.

Among all locations along the path, Spain stands out as one of the premier spots to view the total eclipse. Roughly 40% of the country’s total land area falls within the path of totality, including 23 of its provincial capitals, as the eclipse moves from the country’s western edge to its eastern border.

The peak of the eclipse, when the Moon covers the maximum portion of the Sun and totality is longest, is scheduled to take place near Iceland at 5:46 p.m. GMT. At this location, the total phase of the eclipse will last approximately 2 minutes and 18 seconds.

As hundreds of thousands of skywatchers are expected to converge on popular viewing spots along the path of totality, public safety officials have issued a series of critical warnings to prevent incidents. The most urgent reminder centers on eye protection: all people looking directly at the eclipse, even during the partial phase, must use certified solar viewing glasses that meet the international ISO 12312-2 safety standard. Unprotected viewing can cause permanent, irreversible damage to the retina of the eye. Beyond eye safety, authorities have also warned attendees to prepare for risks including extreme heat, dehydration, overcrowding at viewing sites, congestion of cellular communication networks, elevated risk of forest fires in dry viewing areas, and accidental environmental damage from large crowds.

Beyond being a breathtaking visual spectacle, this solar eclipse also presents a one-of-a-kind research opportunity for astronomers and space scientists. The event will allow experts to study solar physics, patterns of space weather, and complex interactions between solar activity and Earth’s systems, turning the Iberian Peninsula into an improvised, open-air natural laboratory for the duration of the event.

For people unable to travel to the path of totality or those who live in regions where only a partial eclipse is visible, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will host a free, public live broadcast of the entire event. NASA’s coverage will begin at 1:15 p.m. EDT, and will feature high-resolution images from multiple observation points along the eclipse’s path, professional telescope footage of the solar corona, and live commentary from leading astronomical experts.

Residents of the Dominican Republic, for example, lie entirely outside the eclipse’s path of totality, meaning a total eclipse will not be visible from the island nation. Even so, local astronomy enthusiasts can still experience the event in real time through NASA’s official online livestream.

11 8 月, 2026
New York to host 2026 Juan Pablo Duarte Games from August 14 to 23

SANTO DOMINGO — Dominican Republic’s Minister of Sports Kelvin Cruz has officially unveiled plans for the 2026 iteration of the Juan Pablo Duarte Games, a major cross-border sporting event set to take over New York City from August 14 to 23. The multi-day competition is projected to draw over 2,000 participants, including competitive athletes based in the Dominican Republic and young athletes with Dominican heritage residing in the United States.

Far more than a typical sports tournament, the 2026 Games carry three core objectives: to foster widespread participation in athletic activity across the Dominican community, deepen the cultural and social bonds between the Dominican Republic and its large diaspora spread across the U.S., and create spaces that encourage greater cultural exchange and community integration between native and diaspora Dominican populations.

This year’s edition holds special honors, with the full event dedicated to two iconic figures in Dominican sports: José Joaquín Puello, the lifetime president emeritus of the Dominican Olympic Committee, and veteran sprinter Felicia Candelario. The dedication comes as recognition of the pair’s decades-long contributions to Dominican athletics and their recent induction into the Dominican Sports Hall of Fame.

Competitors will travel from across the Northeastern United States to take part, with registered delegations already confirmed from New York, Rhode Island, Lawrence (Massachusetts), Pennsylvania, and Boston. Organizers also expect additional teams to join from Connecticut and New Jersey, with large groups of local athletes coming from three of New York City’s most populated boroughs: the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. In total, 22 different sports will be contested throughout the 10-day event.

The primary hub for all competition will be the athletic facilities at George Washington High School, located in the Manhattan borough of New York. Beyond athletic matches, the full event schedule also includes a lineup of cultural and artistic programming that highlights Dominican heritage, giving attendees and participants a well-rounded experience beyond sports.

Minister Cruz emphasized that the 2026 Games are made possible through a collaborative public-private partnership, bringing together the Dominican Ministry of Sports, the Dominican Consulate in New York, Banreservas (the Dominican Republic’s largest public financial institution), and a range of additional supporting community and institutional partners.

The 2026 tournament marks a key milestone for the event: after a multi-year hiatus, the Juan Pablo Duarte Games were revived in 2025 during Cruz’s tenure as Sports Minister, and 2026 will mark the second consecutive year the event has been held since its return.

11 8 月, 2026