Paper on Corruption in the Dominican Republic , Political Science
malta
DRPresentation.pdf
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Corruption
Drug Trafficking
1
2
2
3
4
5
6
Poverty
Lack of Public Funding for Education
Anti-Haitian Policies
Gender Violence & Discrimination Towards Dominican Women
CORRUPTION Karla & Adelaine 01
Corruption Perceptions Index
28
0 Highly Corrupt
The CPI ranks countries and territories on perceived public sector corruption
100 100 Very Clean
137/180
The DR ranks 137th out of 180 countries
4
Source: Transparency International*
Key Factors of Corruption
Lack of Impartiality Widespread impunity for high ranking officials and the elite
Influence of the PLD The PLD has a strong influence over the judiciary and loyalty to the PLD is very strong across different sectors of the government
01
02
These two key factors are one of many that drive corruption in the DR
6
El Partido de la Liberación Dominicana
7Lack of Impartiality & Influence of the PLD
Media Journalists reporting on corruption often face intimidation, violence, death threats,
legal and regulatory pressure
Judiciary Many senior civil servants are political appointees with strong loyalty to the PLD
PLD Influence Buys Power The higher one ranks
within the PLD, the more influence they have over
the courts
Source: Freedom House
Influence of the PLD
Accusations Many members of the PLD were accused of embezzlement concerning the Plan Eventual Minimo de Empleo PEME
Few Prosecutions Out of those accused very few were prosecuted
Dismissal of Cases Members in the PEME embezzlement scandal were pardoned
Victor Diaz Rua, Sec. of Finance of the PLD, was accused of acts of corruption and money laundering… yet the Fourth Criminal Chamber of the National District ordered the definitive closure of the criminal complaints against him
01 02 03
8
Corruption Cases
Salvador Jorge Blanco
President of the Dominican Republic from 1982 to 1986 first Dominican President to be prospected of corruption
10
Under his administration, the government spending dwindle export revenues and the Dominican economy nosedived
Condemned to 23 years of imprisonment and a large fine but after a series of appeals and legal manoeuvres, he only spent two months in jail and in 2001, the supreme court ruled the initial verdict null and void
As economic conditions worsened, it was alleged Blanco and his allies were tempted by the self-enrichment offered by corrupt arms contracts
In the past 20 years, this is the corruption case with the greatest magnitude to be investigated in the Dominican
Republic because of the number of accused, the level of their influence and the amounts of money involved.”
—Jean Alain Rodríguez, Dominican Attorney General
Who Former President Danilo Medina Former Public Works Minister Victor Diaz Rua Trade Minister Temistocles Montas Ex-Senate Leader Andrés Bautista And many others...
Why For politicians Funding election campaigns Increase political influence For Odebrecht Secure public works contracts Monetary gain Influence over politicians
What Over a dozen current and former high ranking officials in the DR were arrested for receiving $92 million dollars in bribes all paid by Odebrecht, a Brazilian construction company with ties all over Latin America, to gain public works contracts.Where
All across Latin America and a couple countries in Africa
When Circa 20162017
The 5 W’s of the Odebrecht Scandal 12
Sources: Reuters, AP News, Transparency International
$92,000,000 Over a dozen current and former public
officials in the DR were arrested for receiving $92 million dollars in bribes from Odebrecht, but not all of them
were prosecuted/convicted
Punta Catalina, a coal-fired power plant was developed to help eliminate the DR’s power outages and expensive electricity rates yet even after 6 years of building it the plant has not done much to achieve its mission.
The previous Dominican Government planned to sell a 50% stake in the plant but it announced their plan to sell would be put on hold due to the COVID19 pandemic and will resume after the July 2020 elections. However, the new government has not shown any indication of selling the plant.
Construction of Punta Catalina was approved by then President Medina and Odebrecht was the company in charge. Odebrecht made secret transactions consisting of 62 payments of US$39.5 million towards Punta Catalina’s contract, effectively putting the plant in the middle of the DR Odebrecht scandal.
Bribes connected to Punta Catalina’s contract allegedly “fueled Medina’s presidential re-election campaign.”
16Punta Catalina
Sources: ICIJ & Transparency International
—Carlos Pimentel, Executive Director of
Participación Ciudadana
There is a system of complicity in the country for the enrichment of a minority, in the public and private sectors, based on the impoverishment of the majority. That is what the Odebrecht case has left.”
Senator Felix Bautista
19
Profiting off of Humanitarian Efforts
U.S Ban
Administrative Corruption
Companies riddled with corruption
Bautista’s Corruption
0201 03 04
Sources: Miami Herald & Transparency International
In his time as Head of the State Works Supervisory Engineers Office
After the 2010 Earthquake that hit Haiti
Bautista owned companies failed to meet commitments and accused of corruption
Trump administration blocked assets within U.S. Jurisdiction & banned U.S. citizens from doing business with him
20
● Dismissed the charges against Bautista in March 2015 for “lack of evidence” after being accused of money laundering and embezzlement of over a $100 million
Response
The Public
Dominican Supreme Court
WHAT WAS THE RESPONSE TOWARDS BAUTISTA’S CORRUPTION?
● National outcry ● Street protests ● “Crisis of faith” in the
country’s judiciary* ● Strongly criticized by the
Attorney General
*direct quote
Source: InSight Crime
Looking Ahead
● Very strong anti-corruption message centering on vertical accountability
● Commitment to pursuing past government corruption cases as well as investigating any new cases of corruption.
● President Abinader suspended, without salary, 36 public officials that failed to declare their sworn statement of assets and patrimony until they comply with the law.
21
President Luis Abinader and his War on Corruption
02 DRUG TRAFFICKING Lea & Alexandra
Is Drug Trafficking Even a Problem?
Yes At least according to President Trump
How? The DR was identified as primarily a narcotic transit country by the President in September 2020.
Why? 1 Geographic
location 2 Commercial
Factors 3 Economic
Factors
23
Source: Dominican Today
DR as a Narcotic Transit Country: Location 24
There has been an expansion of coca production in Colombia
Drug intercepts by Dominican authorities have increased from 10 tons in 2014, to 13 tons in 2015, to 20 tons in 2016
Coca Production Corruption
The Numbers Colombia (producer) → Venezuela (middleman) → US & Europe (destination)
The collapse of the Venezuelan state has led to corruption.
In Summary
Sources: El Caribe, Globalamericans.org, US State Government, El Nuevo Herald
DR As A Narcotic Transit Country: DTOs
● DTO Drug Trafficking Networks ● DR → Puerto Rico is 81 miles ● Why does Puerto Rico matter?
1) US territory → less controls 2) Smugglers are inside US customs barriers
● Similar case with French territories (ie. not just a U.S. problem)
Sources: Globalamericans.org, Insight Crime, United Nations
26
Other Factors that have led the DR to be in the Drug Trade
● CAFTADR free trade agreement → DR economy tied to US economy - This has lead to drug gangs such as the Trinitarios in NY
● Facilitating Factors 1) Biggest container Ports 2) Tourism 3) Banking
● Balloon Effect - Increased US investment in drug war in Central America - Venezuela becomes regional hub
27
Sources: Globalamericans.org, Insight Crime, ICE gov
How Are The Drugs Moved In And Out Of The Country? 24
1. Go-fast boats 2. Modified container
ships
Less common
Maritime Transport Already there!
Air
1. Facility found in San Cristobal in 2013
2. Three facilities found in Santiago & Puerto Plata in 2017
Sources: Globalamericans.org, El Mundo
30
Crime & Violence 15 homicides per 100,000 people, is relatively low compared to other transit countries such as the Northern Triangle of Central America or Venezuela
Growth of Local Drug Markets and Gangs for Distribution It is increasingly common for drug gangs to recruit children as young as 8 and 10 years of age
Compensation distributed in drugs rather than cash
Corruption In 2015, a leading Dominican prosecutor claimed that the Dominican police were involved in 90 percent of organized crime cases in the country.
Problems That Arise From Drug Trafficking
Sources: Globalamericans.org, Insight Crime, Huffpost & Narconon
Increase of Drug Abuse in the Country
The Government's Role
● Increase in interception: ○ Airspace ○ Maritime
● The Dominican government’s national counternarcotics directorate: ○ DNCD → Main organization against large international drug
trafficking
● National police, known as DICAN → micro trafficking ● Financial Intelligence Unit which passed a new law against money
laundering in June 2017 → helps track illegal money
31
Source: Globalamericans.org
POVERTY Martha & Faith 03
● Poverty is the state of not having enough material possessions or income for a person's basic needs.
● Poverty is a state or condition in which a person lacks the financial resources and essentials for a minimum standard of living.
33Poverty
Poverty Absolute Poverty
● Absolute poverty is the complete lack of the means necessary to meet basic personal needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter.
Sachs, J. 2005. The end of poverty: economic possibilities for our time.
Poverty: Jeffrey Sachs 1. THE POVERTY TRAP
a) In cases of extreme poverty, the poor do not have the ability to get out of extreme poverty alone without help
● Human capital is very low. Natural capital is depleted.
b) They are too poor to save for the future and thereby accumulate the capital per person that could pull them out of their current state
● They have the lowest saving rate b/c they are using their income to merely stay alive
34 Sachs, J. 2005. The end of poverty: economic possibilities for our time.
2. THE FISCAL TRAP a. The government might lack the financial
means to provide public goods due to: 1. The population itself may be
impoverished so taxation wouldn’t work
2. The government may be inept, corrupt, or incapacitated
3. The government may be carrying a tremendous load of debt
Human capital is the stock of habits, knowledge, social and personality attributes embodied in the ability to perform labour so as to produce economic value. Human capital is unique and differs from any other capital. I.e. Education, Health, Creativity
Yes, the economy has been growing but the government does not provide more than 4% of GDP spending on education.
In a system where education is the road to the middle class, creating economic barriers to education perpetuates a system of institutional inequality.
Economy & Poverty:
● Percentage of poverty might not decrease even though GNP and GNP per capita increases, or there is economic development.
Economy 35 The Dominican Republic is one of the most popular international tourist destinations in the Caribbean, yet poverty and inequality remain major issues here.
One of the fastest growing economies in the Latin America and the Caribbean regions (LAC
● Tourism, remittances, foreign direct investment, mining revenues, free-trade zones, and telecommunications have helped make the DR one of the fastest-growing economies in LAC
○ Remittances: Money sent back to one’s home country as hard currency; allowing home LDCs to get hard currency
In 2019, poverty rate at national poverty line for Dominican Republic was 21 %. Poverty rate at national poverty line of Dominican Republic fell gradually from 32.1 % in 2000 to 21 % in 2019.
21 %
Statistics: Top 10% vs. Lowest 10% 36 https://knoema.com/atlas/Dominican-Repu blic/Poverty-rate-at-national-poverty-line
“In 2018, income share held by highest 10% for Dominican Republic was 35.2 %. Though Dominican Republic income share held by highest 10% fluctuated substantially in recent years, it tended to decrease through 1997 2018 period ending at 35.2 % in 2018.”
“In 2018, income share held by lowest 10% for Dominican Republic was 2.3 %. Income share held by lowest 10% of Dominican Republic increased from 1.3 % in 1997 to 2.3 % in 2018 growing at an average annual rate of 3.51%.”
35.2 %
2.3%
Statistics: Rural vs Urban 37 https://knoema.com/atlas/Dominican-Repu blic/Poverty-rate-at-national-poverty-line
“In 2013, rural poverty rate for Dominican Republic was 51.2 %. Rural poverty rate of Dominican Republic fell gradually from 60 % in 2004 to 51.2 % in 2013.”
“In 2013, urban poverty rate for Dominican Republic was 36.3 %. Urban poverty rate of Dominican Republic fell gradually from 44.4 % in 2004 to 36.3 % in 2013.”
51.2 %
36.3 %
● Most of the poverty in the Dominican Republic is focused in rural areas which is hidden from tourism, which brings the most income to the country
● The Rural Poverty rate is significantly greater than the Urban Poverty rate and greater than the National Poverty Rate
● Main industry is tourism → rural areas get overlooked when it comes to government investments
● Rural communities depend on the Agriculture and Farming Industries
Rural Poverty & Agriculture Low Agricultural Productivity 38
● The government has not done much to address the Low-Agricultural Productivity
Why is the productivity so low? Think back to Human Capital ➔ Farmers do not own enough land to
generate income off of agriculture ➔ Rural Farmers do not have access to
technology that increase crop-production due to financial circumstances
➔ Natural Disasters Constantly threaten rural areas
➔ Much of the rural infrastructure has collapsed due to natural disasters
➔ President Danilo Medina has said little about his plans to increase agricultural production*
https://borgenproject.org/poverty-dominican-republic/#:~:text=More%20tha n%20a%20third%20of,as%20the%20urban%20poverty%20rate
Think
● “Families in the Dominican Republic, often struggle with basic needs, such as food, shelter, and clothing. Without access to clean water and sanitation for waste, serious health issues arise, yet quality healthcare is hard to find or afford in rural parts of the Dominican Republic.”
● The health disparities for rural areas include: ○ Higher infant mortality rate ○ A greater percentage of children younger than 5 years old with acute malnutrition or chronic
malnutrition ○ A lower percentage of children 12 to 23 months of age who had been vaccinated ○ Conditions such as gastrointestinal ailments, anemia, and hypertension were diagnosed more
frequently ● Lack of healthcare facilities as well as lack of quality healthcare facilities is seen as underlying
cause for disparities ○ Individuals in rural Dominican communities travel twice as long to reach public healthcare
facilities, and four times as long to reach private healthcare facilities ○ Health professionals are more likely to live and work in more affluent urban areas where they
are able to earn a higher income. Medical care in rural areas is usually provided by interns and new health professionals with minimal field experience, who leave once they have completed their required time
○ Prominent mortality under-reporting and misclassification of diseases
39Poverty: Health Systems
https://www.rrh.org.au/journal/article/1956
- “As an island nation, the Dominican Republic also faces the threat of natural disasters, such as hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes. The increasing number of natural disasters in the region puts the already-strained agricultural sector at risk, and the government has traditionally invested more in disaster response rather than disaster prevention that could save both money and lives.”
- “The most common natural disasters are hurricanes, flash floods, high winds, and mudslides. However, Dominicans in the Santo Domingo area have faced recent drought conditions, including many neighborhoods in the northwestern and southeastern parts of the capital region.”
- “Not only do natural disasters destroy homes and displace people, they also damage agricultural crops and destroy sewage systems. This leads to reduced food production and contaminated water sources that put residents at risk of cholera and other serious diseases.”
- “The water crisis in the Dominican Republic is largely due to the fact that water systems have been destroyed by natural disasters and contaminated with bacteria.”
40Natural Disasters
● The Dominican government has experienced substantial economic growth in recent years, which can help expand the middle class and promote a more profitable environment for local businesses.
● Meanwhile, nonprofit organizations around the world are working in the Dominican Republic to build houses, create schools, and provide healthcare to those who need it most.
● Improvements to Infrastructure would significantly help reduce the effects of natural disaster because rural areas are essentially left to fend for themselves in their recovery
● Additionally, the health crisis in rural areas would need to be aided through more accessible healthcare facilities which could be made possible through infrastructure
41 Efforts to Reduce the Dominican Republic Poverty Rate
Sachs, J. 2005. The end of poverty: economic possibilities for our time.
https://crosscatholic.org/blogs/2019/08/the-issue-of-dominican-republic-poverty-and-how-you-can-hel p/
https://borgenproject.org/poverty-dominican-republic/#:~:text=More%20than%20a%20third%20of,as%20 the%20urban%20poverty%20rate.
https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/dominicanrepublic/overview#1
https://borgenproject.org/causes-of-poverty-in-the-dominican-republic/
https://www.25project.org/countries/dominican-republic/country-overview/
https://www.rrh.org.au/journal/article/1956
42Citations
04
LACK OF PUBLIC FUNDING FOR EDUCATION
Jaliana and Alexander
● Nivel Inicial ○ ages 36, compulsory
● Nivel Basico ○ ages 614, compulsory, but
not strictly enforced
● Nivel Medio ○ ages 1418, not compulsory
● Public School Teacher Salary ○ $177 USD/month
The Dominican Education System 44
Problems in the Classroom 45
Student teacher ratios in classes of 500 are 78 to 1.
● Education in the Dominican Republic accounts for only 2% of the GDP, when the law requires 4%.
● In 1989, education accounted for only 6.6% of total government spending.
● 90% literacy rate, but many students enter university at a 6th grade reading level
● 1 in 4 girls dropout due to pregnancy ● Private and International schools outperform public
schools ● Both private and public schools require uniforms, adding to
the financial strain on families.
Problems in Education 46
Academic Success of Students 47
4 in 10 students drop out before the eighth grade...
● President Danilo Medina staked his reputation on education reform. The country spent 4 percent of its GDP almost 2 billion USD in 2014 for the first time.
○ Update infrastructure ○ Hire more teachers ○ Expand preschool enrollment ○ Improve literacy ○ Extend the school day
● In 2018, the World Bank approved $100 million in funding to support the DR’s Education Pact.
○ The funding helped provide technology, stronger statistical systems, and stronger risk management.
● Teachers have also protested and temporarily shut down schools to demand a 100-percent salary increase over the past few years, but they've gained little ground.
Reforms 49
● Solidaridad is a conditional cash transfer (CCT program in the Dominican Republic that provides cash transfers to poor households if they invest more in education, health, and nutrition. ○ $75/month if they comply with school enrollment and attendance, as well as
regular health check-ups for all children in the household ○ Currently provided to 247,000 households
● Even though the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology was created in 2002, spending in R&D has been extremely low. ○ 0.3% of GDP for 2018
● President Luis Abinader has promised to upgrade technology for teachers and students as they adapt to virtual learning due to COVID19, but getting the laptops and training halted the start of the school year.
Reforms Continued 50
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2015/09/30/dominican-republic-improve-quality-edu cation
https://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/388/Dominican-Republic-EDUCATIONALSYSTEMOVERVIE W.html
https://www.justlanded.com/english/Dominican-Republic/Dominican-Republic-Guide/Education/Overview
https://cotni.org/news/dominican-republic/2007/11/14/origin-dominican-batey
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED370952.pdf
https://www.bti-project.org/en/reports/country-report-DOM2020.html#pos9
https://dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2018/12/14/dominican-republic-to-s-ratchet-efforts-in-improvin g-learning/
https://blogs.worldbank.org/latinamerica/what-are-the-main-results-pisa-2018-latin-america
51Citations
ANTI-HAITIAN POLICIES
Tara & Lurenne 05
In the past years, the Dominican Republic has implemented policies,
standards, and legal rulings that have denationalized and eroded the rights
of Dominicans of Haitian descent.
History Of Haitians In The Dominican Republic 54
Estimate of 500,000 to 1 million Haitians living in the Dominican Republic, out of the country’s 10.4 million population.
Many Dominicans with Haitian parents do not have birth certificates or national ID cards.
Largest Minority Haitian Labor & The Economy
Lack of Identification Spike in migration of Haitians across the border after Haiti was devastated by the 2010 earthquake.
Haitian labor is vital to Dominican economic growth. In agricultural and construction sectors, Haitians and Haitian-descended Dominicans represent 64% of the labor supply.
2010 Earthquake
Sources: OECD, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
—UNHCR The UN Refugee Agency
The 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons established the legal definition of stateless persons as individuals who are not
considered citizens or nationals under the operation of the laws of any country.
Timeline Of Anti-Haitian Policies Prior To 2013 Ruling
Immigration Act Defined any non-resident as a person in transit. Children born to non-residents in national territory would not be Dominican citizens .
Resolution 12-2007 Central Electoral Board introduces procedures to suspend or keep the birth certificates of people whose parents did not have proof of a residency permit
New Constitution is drafted Redefines Dominican Nationality, officially excluding children born to illegal residents.
2004 2007 2010
56
Sources: NYT, UNHCR
57
RULING Dominicans born to undocumented immigrant parents did not meet the criteria for citizenship.
CASE Filed by Juliana Deguis Pierre, a Dominican of Haitian descent, after she was denied a national ID card.
IMPLICATIONS Since the ruling was retroactively applied to anyone born between 1929 to 2007, around 200,000 Dominicans of Haitian descent were essentially denationalized overnight.
LA SENTENCIA: The 2013 Constitutional Ruling That Triggered The Crisis
PHOTO FROM REPEATING ISLAND
Sources: NYT, The Atlantic
Policies After LA SENTENCIA
Amind International criticism, the Dominican government passed the Plan de Regularización de Extranjeros de la República Dominicana.
According to the UN Refugee Agency, as of this year only over 26,000 individuals have been able to secure recognition of their nationality under this naturalization plan.
2014
2020
58
PHOTO BY TATIANA FERNANDEZ/AP (Vice)
Sources: UNHCR, Georgetown Political Database of the Americas, Minority Rights Group International
Impact Of Denationalization
● Arbitrary deportation based on racial/ethnic profiling ○ Immigration authorities disproportionately target
people they perceive are of Haitian descent ○ Checkpoints along the border and on highways
● Civil Genocide ○ Dominicans who have been unable to re-acquire their
citizenship through the Naturalization law are unable to continue their education, access healthcare, legally work, or travel within the nation.
● Constant state of fear of deportation, violence, and discrimination.
59
ANDRES MARTINEZ CASARES / REUTERS
Sources: Minority Rights Group International, NYT, Reconoci.do
60
Domestic Response Movements protesting against La Sentencia versus Dominican Nationalist supporting the ruling.
International Support for Reform and Activism Marcha Verde We Are All Dominicans Reconoci.do
Government reforms Reforms needed to reduce corruption, bribery, and discrimination in order to improve efficiency.
Abinidar’s Presidency Possibility that a new presidency will bring reform and new efforts to re-naturalization.
International Reaction Accusations of human rights abuses from organizations such as the United Nations and those of the Dominican Diaspora.
Responses And Possible Solutions
Photo Credit: Tony SavinoSources: Reconoci.do, Miami Herald, Latin American Perspectives, UNHCR
Citations 61 Background on Haitians in the Dominican Republic: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5042&context=etd) https://ezproxy.bu.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fdocview%2F2193793064%3Faccountid%3D96
Plan de Regularización de Extranjeros de la República Dominicana: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/magazine/haitians-in-exile-in-the-dominican-republic.html
UNHCR https://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2020/9/5f6b31884/unhcr-welcomes-dominican-republic-move-citizenship.html
Haiti migration patterns after 2010 Earthquake: http://www.nanseninitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/DP_Receiving_Haitian_Migrants_in_the_Context_of_the_2010_ear thquake.pdf
Junot Diaz on La Sentencia: https://repeatingislands.com/2013/12/05/junot-diaz-on-la-sentencia/
Reconoci.do: https://anthrosource-onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.bu.edu/doi/full/10.1111/traa.12170
La Sentencia & Juliana Deguis Pierre: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/11/dominican-republic-erased-birthright-citizenship/575527/
2010 Constitution: https://pdba.georgetown.edu/Constitutions/DomRep/vigente.html
Immigration Act, Resolution 122007, La Sentencia and their implications: https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1031416/download
06
GENDER VIOLENCE & DISCRIMINATION TOWARDS DOMINICAN WOMEN
Coralie, Ember, & Amy
63Discrimination In Culture
● Pervades many communities in the Dominican Republic.
● “Machismo” = ultra-masculinity
● Machismo has come to be regarded as a natural attribute of “tough men” (Al Jazeera)
○ Seen as a way of life, wherein men dominate women with unprovoked aggression and violence.
Violence against women ● Every two days, sometimes each
day, a woman is killed in an act of violence.
● For an island nation of nearly 10 million, more than one thousand women have been killed in the past 5 years.
○ In the majority of cases, perpetrators were intimate partners of victims.
● “It is common in our community to hit women. It is a tradition,” says Lourdes, a 60 y/o woman. (Al Jazeera)
Machismo
64Discrimination In Statistics (Latin America Institute, 2017)
According to the Center for Gender Studies: ● A 2016 study concluded that
femicide decreased in all Latin American countries, except D.R.
● The Dominican penal code was changed to ensure gender-based violence is treated as a punishable crime, but violence is still on the rise.
● Activists say that “the country does not have an effective legal framework to protect women.”
According to the// health ministry:
● 35% of Dominican women have been subjected to violence by their partners
● 26% reported they had at least one experience of physical violence
● Women whose partners were more educated were less likely to suffer domestic violence
According to the Attorney General’s office:
● 1,078 femicides were recorded in the D.R. between 2005 and 2015
○ More than half were committed by current or former partners.
○ 1 in 10 Dominican women have suffered sexual violence at some point.
○ In 80% of rape cases, the perpetrator was the victim’s partner or former partner
● ●
According to the UN Development Program:
● 2 out of 5 women killed in the D.R. are victims of domestic violence
● 88 femicides were reported in the D.R. in 2016, and 83 from Jan. to Oct. of 2017
● The D.R. has one of the highest femicide rates in the region
Giron, Crosby. "Violence Against Women on the Rise in the Dominican Republic." NotiCen: Central American & Caribbean Affairs 21.45 2017 2. Web.
Legal Issues For Violence Against Women
● In 2010, 62,000 cases of violence against women were reported in the Dominican Republic.
○ Just 4% of these went on legal trial.
● A vast number of cases are not reported.
● Women are often coerced into retracting their statements by their perpetrators, or they simply give up in frustration at getting no further in pursuit of justice.
● Penal Code proposed by the government in 2013 “represented a backward step in combating violence against women and girls”.
○ Did not include the crime of gender-based violence ○ Reduced the penalties for certain forms of violence against
women and girls.
65
Sources: Al Jazeera, Council on Hemispheric Affairs
The Resolution ● Adopted by the UN General Assembly on Dec. 17, 1999
○ defined “violence against women” as meaning “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, shether occurring in public or in private life.”
● Celebrated annually on November 25th ○ July 1981 → At the first Feminist Encounter of Latin America and the Caribbean held in Colombia, the
date was officially chosen to commemorate the lives of the Mirabal sisters who were assassinated by Rafael Trujillo in 1960.
The Mirabal Sisters ● Minerva, Patria, Maria Teresa, and Dede: 4 sisters from a rural middle class family persecuted by Trujillo, and
as a result became political activists ○ Established the 14th of June Movement to overthrow the Trujillo regime
■ “A psychological war of fear, humiliation, abuse and sexual harassment became an instrument used by Trujillo against women such as Minerva and their families. It constituted a manifestation of absolute power. Gender-based violence thus permeated the political realm.”
○ Known around the D.R. by their code name, “las mariposas” ○ The sisters became an international symbol against gender-based violence.
● March 8, 1997, International Women’s Day ○ An obelisk that Trujillo had built to honor himself was transformed into a tribute to the Mirabal sisters.
Robinson, Nancy P. "Origins of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women: The Caribbean Contribution." Caribbean Studies 34.2 2006 14161. Web.
66International Day For The Elimination Of Violence Against Women
Questions?
