标签： Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo – In a significant move to modernize governmental services, the Dominican Republic’s immigration authorities have partnered with the National Competitiveness Council to revolutionize the process for authorizing minors’ international travel. Vice Admiral Luis Rafael Lee Ballester, Director General of Migration, convened a strategic meeting with Peter Prazmowski, head of both the National Competitiveness Council and the Zero Bureaucracy Program, to finalize the digital transformation initiative.

The collaboration has yielded substantial progress, with officials announcing the imminent launch of a Private Beta phase for the newly developed digital platform. This controlled testing environment will engage a select group of users to assess system performance, identify necessary refinements, and ensure seamless functionality before the official public deployment. The comprehensive digital transfer of the minors’ exit permit process is reportedly in its final implementation stage, leveraging interoperability between participating government institutions to optimize efficiency.

The innovative system specifically addresses the most common travel scenario—cases where one parent authorizes another to travel with a minor—which accounts for approximately 80% of all applications. The remaining cases will be systematically integrated into the platform in subsequent phases. Notably, the digital solution extends significant benefits to the Dominican diaspora, enabling citizens abroad to request, receive approval, and obtain travel permits electronically through Dominican consulates worldwide.

According to CNC Director Peter Prazmowski, the fully digitized process will dramatically reduce bureaucratic hurdles, potentially cutting authorization issuance time to under 30 minutes. This transformation represents a substantial improvement in service delivery for Dominican families, aligning with broader governmental efforts to enhance administrative efficiency and citizen experience through technological innovation.

SAN FRANCISCO DE MACORÍS – The Dominican Republic officially launched its Month of the Homeland celebrations with a grand commemorative parade honoring the 213th birth anniversary of Juan Pablo Duarte, the nation’s founding father. President Luis Abinader presided over Monday’s ceremonial events that emphasized the government’s dedication to preserving Duarte’s core principles of freedom, national sovereignty, and patriotic values.

Juan Pablo Uribe, heading the Permanent Commission of Patriotic Anniversaries (CPEP), delivered a stirring tribute characterizing Duarte as “the Dominican of purest glory.” Uribe urged citizens to embrace the founding father’s exemplary dedication through love, diligent work, and national sacrifice. The CPEP president notably connected these historical values to the current administration, praising President Abinader for embodying Duartean ideals including governmental honesty, personal integrity, national dignity, and transparent leadership.

Local leadership including San Francisco de Macorís Mayor Alex Díaz and Provincial Governor Ana Xiomara Cortés echoed these sentiments, stressing how Duarte’s legacy translates to modern governance through strong civic ethics, social responsibility, and dedicated public service. Both officials emphasized that transparency and commitment to communal welfare serve as fundamental pillars for national development.

The ceremony culminated with President Abinader authorizing a combined civic-military and police parade featuring students from Duarte province schools, elite Armed Forces units, and specialized National Police divisions. The president’s participation alongside high-ranking military, governmental, and religious authorities reinforced the institutional commitment to honoring Duarte’s enduring influence on Dominican society and governance.

SANTO DOMINGO – In a landmark ceremony symbolizing technological advancement in civic administration, Dominican President Luis Abinader was officially presented with the nation’s first new biometric identity and electoral card on Monday. The historic event, orchestrated by the Central Electoral Board (JCE), marks the commencement of a comprehensive national rollout for the enhanced identification system.

Presided over by JCE President Román Andrés Jáquez Liranzo, the delivery ceremony at the JCE headquarters auditorium included the full assembly of board members and General Secretary Sonne Beltré. President Abinader’s receipt of the inaugural card positions him as the first citizen enrolled in the updated civil registry, designed to integrate advanced biometric data for heightened security and electoral integrity.

The JCE initiated its internal data capture phase on January 8th, collecting biometric and personal information from its own personnel as a preliminary test of the system’s operational capacity. This successful internal implementation paved the way for the ceremonial handover to the head of state.

The national deployment strategy will unfold in structured phases. Following the initial institutional stage, targeted registration drives for specific demographic sectors are scheduled for February through March 2026. A full-scale nationwide enrollment campaign is set to launch in April 2026, utilizing a birth-month sequencing approach to manage the process systematically. The JCE has projected the conclusion of the mass registration effort for all citizens by March 31, 2027.

In a significant move to protect national sovereignty, the Dominican Republic has declined to endorse the Global Compact on Refugees, according to prominent jurist and former Constitutional Court judge Jottin Cury. The decision emerges as the Caribbean nation grapples with mounting migration pressures from neighboring Haiti’s ongoing political and humanitarian crisis.

Cury, speaking on the analytical program ‘Reviews, the Podcast,’ articulated that accession to the international agreement would fundamentally constrain the government’s authority to manage migration and execute deportations of undocumented individuals. The legal expert emphasized that once refugees gain admission under the pact’s provisions, the state becomes legally obligated to maintain their status, effectively eliminating options for repatriation.

Beyond the specific refugee compact, Cury identified additional sovereignty concerns embedded within other international agreements that incorporate refugee protection clauses. These provisions, he warned, collectively threaten the nation’s autonomous control over its immigration policies.

The former magistrate further highlighted practical limitations, noting that the Dominican Republic lacks both the operational infrastructure and financial resources to undertake expanded refugee commitments. He characterized the existing burden from the Haitian crisis as already exceeding the state’s capacity, making additional responsibilities unsustainable.

Addressing related jurisdictional matters, Cury clarified the country’s position regarding the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, reaffirming that the Dominican Republic remains not legally bound by its rulings. His comprehensive analysis underscores the government’s deliberate strategy to prioritize national interests and operational realities amid complex international migration challenges.

In a significant move to safeguard its agricultural interests, the Dominican Republic has initiated a major infrastructure project in the border region of Dajabón. President Luis Abinader personally inaugurated the construction of a new water intake structure alongside the comprehensive rehabilitation of the La Vigia canal. This strategic development is specifically engineered to counteract the hydrological impact of a canal constructed by Haiti on the Massacre River, which had previously threatened the stability of Dominican farming operations in the area.

Olmedo Caba, Director of the National Institute of Water Resources (INDRHI), provided technical details regarding the project. The revitalized La Vigia canal now features an advanced intake system equipped with dual electric pumps, each capable of moving 12,000 gallons of water per minute. This infrastructure enhancement ensures reliable water access for agricultural producers and demonstrates INDRHI’s commitment to providing ongoing technical and operational support to the region’s farming community.

Caba further revealed that the Don Miguel dam project has reached completion readiness, describing it as a critical component for achieving long-term water security for both agricultural and population needs in Dajabón. The newly inaugurated water management system extends its benefits beyond La Vigia to multiple irrigation canals throughout the region, including Veterano 0 and 1, Don Pedro, Finca 28, Caño Frío, and El Coco. The comprehensive plan includes the development of new wells to sustain agricultural activities during periods of drought, ensuring year-round farming capability in this strategically important border zone.

SANTIAGO DE LOS CABALLEROS – In a significant diplomatic engagement, Dominican President Luis Abinader hosted Chilean President-elect José Antonio Kast for comprehensive talks aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation across multiple strategic domains. The meeting, held at the Presidential House on Saturday, laid the groundwork for enhanced partnership in border security, economic development, tourism expansion, and trade facilitation between the two nations.

President Abinader welcomed Kast’s symbolic choice of the Dominican Republic as his first official international destination following his electoral victory. The leaders announced plans for a joint inspection tour of border security infrastructure on Sunday, demonstrating mutual commitment to addressing transnational security challenges. Abinader specifically emphasized trade balance enhancement, expressing interest in boosting imports of Chilean wines while seeking preferential market access for Dominican cigars in Chile.

The Chilean leader-elect praised the Dominican Republic’s advanced border control mechanisms and citizen security protocols as exemplary models worthy of detailed study. Kast expressed particular interest in biometric control systems and comprehensive security strategies, indicating intentions to adapt applicable elements to Chile’s specific context while acknowledging differing national realities.

Both leaders recognized the Dominican Republic’s notable achievements in tourism development and economic diversification as benchmarks of stability and growth. The high-level meeting included participation from numerous Dominican cabinet members—including ministers of foreign affairs, defense, interior, housing, industry, commerce, and migration authorities—alongside Chilean delegation members comprising foreign affairs and security officials.