Alberto Rubio
“The Dominican Republic and Spain have greatly strengthened their relations in all areas,” said Ambassador Juan Bolívar during a reception to commemorate the 180th anniversary of the independence of the Caribbean island.
The ambassador provided data to illustrate his statement: “Spain has established itself as the second largest investor in the Dominican Republic, only behind the United States, with a total of 1,115 million dollars in the last three years”. These investments grew by 63% in 2022 and in the first nine months of 2023 they increased by another 361 million dollars. In total a growth of 30-40 per cent year-on-year.
“These investments have been key,” he added, “for the strengthening of tourism as the first national industry.” Currently, 80 per cent of the hotel beds in the Dominican Republic are in the hands of Spanish companies. But during the last five years, the country’s economy has also experienced a diversification, especially in the generation of clean energy.
At the same time, trade exchanges have grown. Between 2018 and 2023 they exceeded 5.3 billion dollars, although with a trade balance “very much tilted towards Spain, with a ratio of 90-10”, Bolívar explained. The arrival of 200,000 Spanish tourists last year and the 15 million who have visited the country in the last 15 years have helped to partly offset this imbalance and are, according to the ambassador, “an important element in strengthening the brotherhood between our peoples”.
Despite these good figures, the head of the Dominican Mission pointed out that President Luis Abinader wishes to continue increasing bilateral relations that are based “on the trust generated by an administration committed to strengthening democratic institutions, fighting corruption and promoting comprehensive development that is increasingly inclusive and equitable”.
The progress made by the country has encouraged the “enthusiasm of Spanish authorities and businessmen to invest in the Dominican Republic, as well as that of international organisations, such as UN Tourism”. The Caribbean island was the first to recover tourism in the last quarter of 2022 and in 2023 it regained 10 million visitors. “A success,” Bolívar said, “of the policy that was implemented to deal with the pandemic”.
The ambassador also made special mention of the Dominicans living in Spain, “a community that makes important contributions to the society that has welcomed them with warmth”. Currently, in addition to the 120,000 Dominicans who have Spanish nationality, another 70,000 are permanent residents, and to these must be added another 1,000 students who come each year to study for masters and doctorates.
Finally, Juan Bolívar thanked the Community of Madrid and the Madrid City Council for dedicating Hispanic Week 2023 to the Dominican Republic. He also highlighted the work carried out by the Dominican Foundation for the Prevention of Youth Violence (FUNDO) with young people living in Spain.
Representatives of the Spanish Government attended the reception, including the State Secretary for Latin America, Susana Sumelzo, as well as numerous foreign ambassadors, businessmen and members of the Dominican community in Spain.
