Dominican Republic conducts operations against Child Labor

The Minister of Labor, Eddy Olivares Ortega, reaffirmed today the determination of the Dominican Government, under the leadership of President Luis Abinader Corona, to definitively eradicate child labor in the country, through the application of increasingly effective and sustained measures. In a comprehensive report on the eradication of child labor, the minister highlighted the progress made and announced the continuous strengthening of the specialized body of the Ministry of Labor, composed of psychologists, social workers, lawyers, and translators, dedicated exclusively to the prevention, detection, and eradication of child labor at the national level. This highly trained team will be expanded in the next semester to reinforce its territorial reach and operational capacity. Olivares underscored the extraordinary preventive work being carried out at the national level, led by the Director of Child Labor Eradication, Hilaria Hilario, through which 138 Detection, Attention, Referral, Follow-up and Eradication (DARSE) Workshops were held, in which 6,396 people were sensitized, of whom 3,285 were women and 3,111 men, tripling the goal of 2,000. Likewise, he highlighted the systematic operations carried out by the inspection team, in coordination with specialists from said direction, in all provinces and productive sectors. These actions maintain an intensive and permanent focus on strategic agricultural territories, particularly in the production zones of sugarcane, rice, banana, tomato, coffee, and cocoa, where surveillance, guidance, and regulatory compliance efforts have been concentrated. Results and projections: more inspections, greater impact

In the agricultural sector, during the year 2025, the Inspection Department, accompanied by Child Labor technicians, carried out 5,094 inspections. In contrast, in the first quarter of 2026 alone, 1,919 visits have already been made, equivalent to 37.7% of the total of the previous year. If this pace is maintained, it is projected that approximately 7,676 inspections will be reached by the end of 2026, which would represent an estimated increase of 50.7% compared to 2025.

Particularly noteworthy is the progress in the sugarcane sector: while 597 inspections were carried out throughout 2025, in just the first three months of 2026, 421 have been executed, equivalent to 70.5% of the previous annual total. Under this trend, it is estimated that the year could close with around 1,684 inspections, which would represent a projected increase of 182%.
 
Timely detection and immediate response Regarding the findings, no cases of child labor were recorded in the inspections carried out during 2025. However, in the first quarter of 2026, two cases were identified, which demonstrates a greater detection capacity in the field and reinforces the need to continue intensifying preventive actions. The cases correspond to:

• Azua Province: two children aged 10 and 6 performing tomato harvesting work.
• Higüey: three minors participating in rice harvesting work.
   
  In both cases, the Ministry of Labor acted immediately, drawing up infringement reports and implementing corrective measures aimed at the comprehensive protection of minors, including:
• Guarantee of their reintegration and permanence in the education system.
• Direct follow-up to the families involved.
• Awareness campaigns on current regulations.
• Inter-institutional coordination for the restitution of rights.
   
  Articulated national commitment

The minister highlighted the coordinated work of all sectors linked to the protection of children, through the National Steering Committee for the Fight Against Child Labor, an instance headed by the Ministry of Labor, in which more than 70 institutions participate, which remains in permanent session to follow up on public policies in this matter. “The country is moving forward with firm steps towards the total eradication of child labor. It is not just about sanctioning, but about preventing, educating and protecting. We are building a culture of respect for the rights of children, with the active participation of the State, employers, workers and society as a whole,” concluded Minister Olivares.