Text and photos: Juan David Latorre
The Embassy of the Dominican Republic held a reception last Wednesday to commemorate the 182nd anniversary of the country’s independence. Ambassador Tony Raful delivered a speech that offered a lesson in history and democratic values.
The Dominican ambassador began his remarks by highlighting the date of February 27, 1844, when Dominican national independence was proclaimed. “It was not a fortuitous act nor a predestined action in a vacuum,” he noted, “but rather the emergence of a sense of identity within the Dominican nation, born from a social need to establish itself as a sovereign republic, where the objective and subjective conditions for the creation of a new nation were ripe, with its own objectives and organic, political, social, and economic differentiation. As a point of historical interest,” the ambassador continued, “it is worth noting that we were the only people on the continent to achieve independence in the 19th century, freeing ourselves from the neighboring country that occupied us, a country that at that historical moment was waging its own battle against the paternalistic colonialism that preceded its own independence.”
Tony Raful described the “historical setting where the Dominican Republic was born” as a “flagrant human and political projection of an unyielding will to emerge, forged by the liberal legal thought of the time. Hard-fought battles and brutal processes shaped the nation in its subsequent history, and where national identity had to be reaffirmed in the face of later betrayals by those who offered the country to the highest bidder. Social sentiment and patriotic consciousness were consolidated in the struggle against empires and their oppressive tendencies.”
Turning to the present, the Dominican ambassador stated that “in the midst of the turbulent world we live in, there is a historical present that commits us to the defense of national identity, as well as the commitment to coexistence, the struggle for peace, and the defense of democratic values and freedoms. In this world map marked by a spiral of systematic violence, we must embrace values such as the fight for peace, respect for the dignity of the human person, and social rights. The only way to pay homage to those who forged our independence is by preserving social coexistence, respecting democratic values, and strengthening our assets within a framework of honor and freedom.”
“Tonight we find ourselves here fighting for the clarity and honor of a nation that, guided by the conditions and sense of history, is moving towards the consecration of a great homeland, a homeland that gifts us with its rings, gloves, socks, and all those who have lent their lives and their angels so that on a night like tonight we can proudly raise the flag of its colors and the proud shield that consecrates its dignity and glory,” the ambassador stated.
“Today’s Democratic Republic,” he noted, “presents a consolidated image of evolution and development. Social investment forces have identified key areas for wealth creation, significantly multiplying the prospects for material and human development. This is a scenario of guarantees based on established legal foundations, enjoyment, and respect for the established legal framework.”
The Dominican ambassador then provided updated figures on his country’s trade and economy. “Over the last decade,” he noted, “our real GDP has grown by an average of nearly 5% annually, and the economy has expanded in real terms by around 65% between 2015 and 2025. This dynamism has allowed us to reach a historic record of foreign direct investment in 2025 with more than US$5 billion, almost double the amount from five years ago, reflecting the confidence that investors have in our country and in our policies of humanity and development. Our export sector will also continue with US$14.645 billion in exports, driven by the boom in our free trade zones, which have become more professional and diversified towards basic and high value-added sectors, such as medical devices, electronic products, and specialized services, consolidating the Dominican Republic as an industrial benchmark.”
In closing, Tony Raful noted that “tourism continues to break records. We received 11,676,900 visitors, a sustained increase that reaffirms our country as the leading tourist destination in the Caribbean, thanks to the beauty of our landscapes, the warmth of our people, our robust hotel infrastructure, and the security that characterizes the Dominican Republic today. These achievements would not be possible without a secure environment, legal and social security. In 2025, for example, we recorded one of the lowest homicide rates in Latin America and the lowest in the Caribbean, a result of police reform and the strengthening of government control and oversight of our security forces. The Dominican Republic is not only growing and developing, but is also consolidating its position as a safe, prosperous, and leading country in the region, with sustained economic growth that has served as an example in Latin America and the Caribbean.”
