Friday, November 6, 2026.
The Dominican Republic: Beauty, Momentum, and an Island of Contrasts
Some countries draw you in with their scenery. Others with their energy. The Dominican Republic offers both.
From the beaches of Punta Cana to the green mountains of Jarabacoa and the spectacular coastline of Samaná, this is a country whose appeal stretches well beyond a resort lounge chair. Its landscapes invite exploration, whether that means mountain waterfalls, coastal villages, or the seasonal arrival of humpback whales in Samaná Bay.
Then there is its cultural heartbeat: the historic streets of Santo Domingo’s UNESCO-listed Colonial City and the rhythms of merengue and bachata, both recognized by UNESCO as part of humanity’s intangible cultural heritage. Here, history and music belong as much to the experience as the sea and sunshine.
The world is certainly paying attention. According to Dominican tourism authorities, the country welcomed 9.24 million visitors during the first nine months of 2026, an increase of 7.5% over the same period last year and approximately 60% above 2019. That total includes roughly 7.14 million arrivals by air and 2.10 million cruise passengers, a distinction worth making when measuring the scale of the boom.
Following our recent looks at El Salvador and Haiti, the Dominican Republic brings us to one of the region’s most striking contrasts. Two nations share the island of Hispaniola, yet their present circumstances differ profoundly. While the Dominican Republic welcomes growing numbers of visitors, Haiti faces widespread gang violence, interrupted democratic processes, and the displacement of nearly 1.5 million people. Shared geography has not produced shared fortunes.
That contrast deserves examination, but it cannot explain either country on its own. The Dominican Republic’s progress extends beyond tourism: the World Bank reports that its economic growth has outpaced the regional average over the past two decades, helping lift nearly three million people out of poverty. The next challenge is to broaden those gains through better jobs, public services, and resilience to environmental risks.
This week, we turn our attention to a beautiful country with momentum and to the questions behind that momentum. What is attracting so many visitors? How widely are the benefits reaching? And how does a nation build on its success while sharing an island with a neighbor in profound crisis?
Welcome to the Dominican Republic.
Brett Mikkelson
Founder, B.M. Investigations, Inc. – Private Investigations in Panama
President Luis Abinader Warns He Will Not Allow Haitian Gangs Within 20 Kilometers of the Border and Assures That It Is Under the Highest Level of Protection
President Luis Abinader stated on Monday that the Dominican border is currently at its highest level of protection and warned that the government will not allow Haitian criminal gangs to operate within 20 kilometers of national territory. These measures are part of preventive efforts to safeguard the sovereignty, peace, and security of the Dominican Republic.
The president explained that although Haiti continues to face a deep security crisis, there is currently no heightened threat to the Dominican Republic, due to strengthened border surveillance, improved preparation and equipment for the Armed Forces, and the presence of international forces helping contain the expansion of criminal organizations in the neighboring country.
“Haiti’s instability has never reached our border, not even close to it. We will act in coordination with the Haitian government, but we will not allow these gangs within 20 kilometers of the border,” the head of state stated.
President Luis Abinader recalled that the availability of personnel and armored vehicles within the Dominican Armed Forces has increased significantly. He also noted that surveillance capabilities have been strengthened through the use of drones, air and naval resources have been expanded, and military intelligence capabilities have been enhanced.
Haitian Gangs Have Not Advanced Toward the Dominican Border
During the presentation on the security situation in Haiti, Minister of Defense Lieutenant General Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre explained that although criminal gangs control at least 70% of Port-au-Prince and major logistical corridors, population movements are occurring primarily toward western Haiti rather than toward border crossings with the Dominican Republic.
He also stated that continuous monitoring is being maintained in both Jimaní and Elías Piña. He highlighted that at least two Haitian self-defense groups protecting their communities are positioned between the nearest gangs and the Dominican border, helping prevent movements toward border areas.
The minister further assured that, according to intelligence reports, there is no organized criminal gang presence in northern Haiti, particularly in Ouanaminthe (Juana Méndez), a border town opposite Dajabón.
“For the Dominican Republic, the priority at this time is to anticipate potential consequences, maintain border response capabilities, and prepare decisions based on verifiable indicators and forward-looking scenarios,” he stated.
Foreign Minister Víctor Bisonó Explains Why the Dominican Republic Is Not Directly Participating in Military Operations in Haiti
For his part, Foreign Minister Víctor “Ito” Bisonó explained that the Dominican Republic is not participating in direct military operations against Haitian gangs due to the principles governing United Nations international peace missions. He noted that, given historical precedents, direct military involvement by a neighboring country within another nation’s territory could raise questions about impartiality, create risks of direct involvement in the conflict, undermine legitimacy and credibility, and potentially trigger a regional escalation.
However, he reported that logistical cooperation is being maintained with the UN-approved Gang Suppression Force (GSF). This includes facilitating the transit and deployment of international contingents entering Haiti through Dominican territory, providing support for medical evacuations of civilian and military personnel, authorizing humanitarian air operations, facilitating the transportation of blood supplies and other essential materials, and assisting with the transfer of equipment and military cargo intended for the mission.
Currently, approximately 2,181 international personnel are deployed in Haiti, while the goal is to reach a contingent of approximately 5,500 members over the next three months.
President Luis Abinader Highlights Efforts Before the UN to Promote International Intervention in Haiti
President Luis Abinader recalled that since September 2021, he has maintained an active diplomatic campaign before the United Nations and other international organizations to draw attention to Haiti’s deteriorating security situation and the need for a coordinated response from the international community.
Dominican Republic Surpasses 9.2 Million Visitors Through September
The Dominican tourism sector continues to experience strong growth, as evidenced by the arrival of 9,241,246 visitors between January and September. This represents an increase of 7.5% compared to 2025, 10.4% compared to 2024, and 60.4% compared to 2019.
Minister of Tourism David Collado reported that during the first nine months of the year, the country welcomed 7,143,993 tourists by air and 2,097,253 cruise passengers by sea.
“When we combine arrivals by air and sea, we reach the impressive figure of 9,241,246 visitors. We continue making history,” Collado stated.
The minister reported that in September alone, the country received 684,831 visitors, representing an increase of 16.4% compared to the same month in 2025, 17.9% compared to 2024, and 83.3% compared to 2019.
During that same month, the country welcomed 533,735 tourists by air, an increase of 8.8% compared to September 2025, 13.8% compared to 2024, and 64.9% compared to 2019.
Additionally, the country received 151,096 cruise passengers in September, representing an increase of 54.7% compared to the same month in 2025, 35.2% compared to 2024, and 202.7% compared to 2019.
The main countries of origin for tourists in September were the United States (39%), Canada (11%), Colombia (9%), Argentina (7%), Mexico and Puerto Rico (4% each), and the United Kingdom and Brazil (3% each).
Last month, the airports receiving the highest number of flights were Punta Cana (47%), Las Américas (32%), Cibao (12%), El Higüero (4%), Puerto Plata (3%), and La Romana and Samaná (1% each).
The largest share of flights originated in the United States (41%), followed by Panama (9%), Colombia (8%), Canada (6%), and Puerto Rico (5%).
Collado also reported that hotel occupancy in September stood at 55%, while tourist satisfaction levels reached 4.4 out of 5.
Reflecting this level of satisfaction, 93% of visitors said they would return, while 63% stated they would recommend the destination.
Minister Collado forecast that, if the tourism sector maintains its sustained growth, the country will welcome more than 12.4 million visitors by the end of the year, setting an all-time record for Dominican tourism.
Whale and Dolphin Watching Opportunities
The Dominican Republic (DR) has the largest whale-watching industry in the Caribbean. At least 252 humpback whales have been identified in Samaná Bay, located in the northeastern part of the Dominican Republic.
Whale watching in the Dominican Republic began in 1985 in the town of Santa Bárbara de Samaná (hereinafter referred to as “Samaná”). At that time, an expatriate tour operator began taking primarily foreign tourists to observe the humpback whales that visit Samaná Bay between January and March each year to mate and give birth. Many other tour operators followed suit, and Samaná soon became a whale-watching hub, offering both day trips within Samaná Bay and serving as a departure point for some of the longer boat excursions that take visitors to the Silver Banks Marine Mammal Sanctuary, established in 1986 and later expanded to include Navidad Banks and Samaná Bay.
These sanctuaries cover a total area of 32,913 km², making them the largest conservation area in the Dominican Republic. Collectively, they are known as the Dominican Republic Marine Mammal Sanctuary (MMDR).
The MMDR has a twinning agreement with the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, off the northeastern coast of the United States, aimed at protecting North Atlantic humpback whales in both their feeding and breeding grounds, harmonizing conservation policies, and promoting information exchange and technology transfer. The agreement was signed in 2017 with France’s Minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition. A similar agreement is planned with the Agoa Sanctuary in the French Antilles, in the Caribbean.
The MMDR has also exchanged experiences with Bequia (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines). In 2013, a delegation from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines visited Samaná to learn about whale-watching ecotourism and the importance of humpback whales.
Dominican Republic Regulates AI in Public Services and Restricts Mass Biometric Surveillance
The Government of the Dominican Republic has approved, through Decree 787-26, a Code of Ethics for Artificial Intelligence (AI) applicable to public services. The code establishes requirements for assessment, transparency, and human oversight of high-impact algorithmic systems. The regulation seeks to ensure that the integration of these technologies into public administration is guided by principles of rights protection, security, inclusion, and accountability.
The regulation, approved by President Luis Abinader, applies to centralized and decentralized public administration institutions and establishes requirements for the design, procurement, and use of artificial intelligence systems. Among its main provisions is the requirement to conduct prior assessments of technologies that may influence access to rights, social benefits, or administrative and disciplinary decisions.
The code was developed through a participatory, multisectoral process coordinated by the Government Office of Information and Communication Technologies (OGTIC) and the General Directorate of Government Ethics and Integrity (DIGEIG), with technical support from the Open Government Partnership (OGP). The Dominican Government states that the framework draws on principles and standards established by UNESCO and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
One of the main oversight mechanisms introduced by the decree is the Ethical and Human Rights Impact Assessments (EIED). AI systems classified as high-impact must undergo a prior assessment and obtain approval from the relevant supervisory body before becoming operational.
This requirement particularly applies to technologies that may influence access to social benefits, the granting of public assistance, administrative proceedings, or the exercise of disciplinary powers.
The regulation also recognizes citizens’ right to know when a public decision or administrative procedure has involved the use of an artificial intelligence system. Citizens may request clear explanations and activate mechanisms for human review.
The objective is to prevent decisions with significant consequences for individuals from being left exclusively in the hands of opaque algorithms, without the possibility of understanding the criteria used or challenging their outcomes.
Restrictions on Biometrics and Criminal Profiling
The regulation introduces explicit prohibitions that are particularly relevant to security, surveillance, and intelligence operations.
Among the prohibited practices are mass biometric identification in public spaces without judicial authorization; generalized social classification or social scoring of citizens; predictive criminal profiling based on geographic or socioeconomic biases; the automation of criminal sentencing; and the use of autonomous weapons.
These restrictions seek to prevent artificial intelligence from being used to establish generalized categories of citizens, predict criminal behavior based on social or geographic characteristics, or replace human involvement in criminal judicial decisions.
Regarding biometric technologies, the regulation restricts the use of mass identification systems in public spaces and establishes the need for judicial authorization. This provision is particularly relevant amid the growing use of smart cameras, facial recognition, and automated surveillance technologies.
The regulation does not constitute a blanket ban on all biometric systems. Instead, it establishes specific restrictions on certain practices considered incompatible with the protection of citizens’ rights.
Cybersecurity, Traceability, and Data Governance
The decree also links public procurement of artificial intelligence systems to requirements involving cybersecurity, traceability, auditability, and data sovereignty.
Institutions must require their technology providers to offer guarantees that make it possible to understand how the solutions operate and verify their compliance. The Dominican Administration seeks to prevent the adoption of “black box” systems that cannot be audited by public authorities.
This approach introduces a strategic dimension to technology procurement: in addition to evaluating performance and cost, public institutions must consider their ability to supervise systems, ensure information security, and maintain control over the data being used.
The regulation also provides for the establishment of the National Council for Artificial Intelligence Ethics, conceived as an advisory and coordination body involving institutional participation and non-governmental representation. Its proposed composition includes cooperation from academic institutions and civil society, with the aim of promoting oversight and public scrutiny.
Institutions will have 180 calendar days to adapt their procedures, register technological systems already in operation, appoint responsible officials, and implement the necessary measures to comply with the code.
A Precedent for AI Regulation in the Security Sector
The Dominican initiative brings an increasingly relevant issue to the forefront of the Ibero-American debate involving public administrations, technology companies, and the security sector: how to integrate artificial intelligence into surveillance, public administration, and threat prevention without transferring sensitive decisions to opaque or inadequately supervised systems.
Facial recognition, automated image analysis, behavioral pattern identification, and predictive analytics tools offer new capabilities for law enforcement agencies and public institutions. However, their use raises questions concerning privacy, proportionality, bias, data protection, and accountability for potential errors.
The Dominican Code of Ethics establishes a framework intended to define the limits of these capabilities through prior assessments, human oversight, and restrictions on certain applications. Its practical implementation will be essential in determining whether the proposed safeguards translate into effective controls over deployed systems.
For the security sector, the regulation signals that the government’s procurement and use of artificial intelligence will increasingly be subject to transparency, auditing, and rights-protection requirements. Technological innovation will need to coexist with mechanisms that ensure accountability and prevent automated decisions from improperly replacing human judgment.
