Dominican President Luis Abinader won the second presidential election with 57% of the vote, losing in the second round. He's great. In the last few days, the mayors of the region have won. What's your secret?
R. The last three presidents of the Dominican Republic, from 2004 to 2024, were Leonel Fernández, re-elected in 2008 with 54% of the vote; Danilo Medina with 62% in 2016; and Luis Abinader with 57% of the vote in 2024. In other cases, the phenomenon is not new. The main factors these presidents have in common include the unity of power of the political parties, the fragmentation of the opposition, and macroeconomic stability. Abinader also benefits from an anti-corruption platform that brought him to power in 2020, as well as Dominican nationalism, which has led to migration to Haiti and worsening relations between the Dominican Republic and the Republic of Haiti.
P. Abinader is openly popular at home, but for foreigners, the series of events surrounding the move to Haitiana is contradictory. How will the Dominican people deal with Haiti, including border control? Among Haiti's major problems, including the Pandira uprising, is that Haiti has serious deficiencies in the second mission.
R. The Dominican people have always been very concerned about the government's response to migration to Haiti. Knowing this, President Abinader has used the theme to shore up his support base in the face of a worsening political situation in Haiti. Haiti has not used the theme in an election campaign since Joaquín Balaguer's election in mid-October 1990.
He will likely play a key role in the Dominican political debate, which is always an indictment on the Dominican Republic, but depends on the situation, including immigration levels. This is also a complex issue: the Dominican Republic relies on Haitian labor for agriculture and construction, and has a large immigration problem with irregular labor.
P. While the economic and social impacts of the pandemic have been felt by many politicians and members of the judiciary, Abinader's governance during this crisis has been notable, including his management of the island's tourism sector. Is this also a factor in Sunday's election?
R. The lessons learned from the pandemic were conveyed to the government of Luis Abinader, which took office in mid-August 2020. The time for vaccination approached, its effective management and the establishment of economic subsidies for different segments of the Dieron population in the Dominican Republic, difficult at the time. As a result, the country was able to reopen tourism, make efforts to promote tourism, and also offer free health services to visitors diagnosed with COVID-19.
P. The French-speaking part of the Dominican Republic accounts for half of all exports, and Abinader is committed to using these platforms to further invest in nearshoring. What does your argument mean for companies abroad? How does the diversification of the nearshoring sector continue within a traditional industry such as textiles?
R. The main objective of the Dominican Republic's overseas expansion is political and economic stability, incentives that are also available in other regions such as the French region and tourism. It is a question of diversifying the sector. Nearshoring Most traditional industries are examples of failure in the most rigorous practices.
English edition
Q. Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader was elected to a second term on Sunday with 57% of the vote, avoiding a runoff election. This is impressive, given that most incumbent presidents in the region have struggled recently. What's his secret?
aThe last three presidents of the Dominican Republic from 2004 to 2024 have all been easily re-elected: Leonel Fernández in 2008 with 54%, Danilo Medina in 2016 with 62%, and Luis Abinader in 2024 with 57%. In other words, this phenomenon is not new. The main factors common to these presidents are ruling party unity, a fragmented opposition, and macroeconomic stability. Abinader also benefited from the anti-corruption policies that brought him to power in 2020, as well as the Dominican nationalism he asserted regarding Haitian immigrants and Dominican-Haitian relations.
Q. Abinadar is clearly popular at home, but his hardline stance on Haitian immigration has been controversial abroad. How do Dominicans view his approach to Haiti, including border control? Given Haiti's great hardships, including horrific gang violence, will Haiti remain a major challenge in his second term?
aDominicans have always largely supported tough measures against immigration from Haiti. Recognizing this, and given the worsening situation in Haiti, Abinader used the issue to broaden his base of support. Haiti has not been a campaign issue since the election of Joaquín Balaguer in the mid-1990s. Haiti has always been an issue for the Dominican Republic, but it gains importance in Dominican political debates depending on circumstances such as immigration levels. It is also a complex issue, as the Dominican Republic relies on Haitian labor in agriculture and construction, and maintains a large immigrant population in an irregular status.
Q. The economic and social impacts of the pandemic have been politically damaging for many leaders, but Abinader's management of the crisis, including his response to the island's tourism sector, has stood out. Did that factor into Sunday's election?
aThe proper response to the pandemic strengthened the administration of President Luis Abinader, who took office in August 2020 at the height of the pandemic. Early access to the vaccine, its effective administration, and economic subsidies to different segments of the population stabilized Dominican society during that difficult time. As a result, the country was able to quickly resume tourism, successfully promote it, and even provide free medical services to visitors diagnosed with COVID-19.
Q. The Dominican Republic's free trade zones already account for half of all exports, and Abinader promises to use these platforms to attract more nearshoring investment. What is his pitch to foreign companies? How will he diversify the nearshoring sector beyond traditional industries such as textiles?
aThe main attractions for foreign investment in the Dominican Republic are political and economic stability, incentives available in free zones, and preferential treatment in other sectors such as tourism. That said, one issue with diversifying the nearshoring sector beyond traditional industries is the shortage of a more skilled workforce.
