Luis Abinader began his second four-year term as president this Friday, August 16, promising economic growth and a series of social reforms, while criticizing the consequences of the recent elections in Venezuela.
Abinader, a 57-year-old former businessman, won another term in office with 58 percent of the vote in May on a pro-business platform that advocated a tough stance against corruption and a ban on migrants from neighboring Haiti, which is embattled.
“There is no magic solution to success, but we have a simple recipe to achieve it,” Abinader said in a livestreamed ceremony, pledging to promote private investment to grow the economy and to strengthen the transparency and efficiency of public spending.
The Dominican Republic, the largest economy in the Americas outside the continent, aims to double its gross domestic product from $113 billion by 2036.
Guests from the political and private sectors, including the presidents of Panama, Uruguay and Paraguay, dressed in white, gathered for the event at the National Theater in the capital.
Abinader said he would present reforms to lawmakers aimed at improving labor rights, social protection, ensuring the independence of the electoral body and preventing future presidents from exceeding the two-term limit set by the constitution.
Abinader’s Modern Revolutionary Party won a strong majority in both houses of parliament, allowing them to pass laws easily.
“We do not believe in authoritarian figures or messianic leaders who want to hold the destiny of a country in their hands,” he said, before criticizing political violence and the lack of political transparency following the July 28 vote in Venezuela.
Regional leaders in attendance are expected to discuss the outcome of Venezuela’s disputed July elections on the sidelines of the event.
The Dominican Republic is among several nations with which Venezuela has severed relations over its opposition to Venezuelan authorities’ ratification of President Nicolas Maduro as the winner.
Abinader also promised to boost security by training 20,000 additional police officers over the next four years. His country has expelled hundreds of thousands of migrants from Haiti and stepped up border security as a gang conflict continues to drive people into makeshift camps and plunge millions into starvation.
Abinader urged the full deployment of a long-awaited security mission to Haiti, but said his country would not intervene. “We ask that Haiti not be forgotten again, but we cannot ask more of the Dominican Republic,” he said.
On Thursday evening, Abinader announced major appointments to his cabinet, including that of economist Joel Santos as minister of mines and energy.
The Dominican Republic is home to Puerto Viejo, one of the world’s largest gold mines, and is also a major global supplier of ferronickel.
With Reuters
