Santo Domingo.— Various areas of the country have been shaken by acts of violence including femicides, machete attacks, exchanges of gunfire, and robberies, generating alarm and concern among the citizenry.
Two women were murdered in events classified as femicides in different parts of the country. In Los Girasoles, Distrito Nacional, a 20-year-old woman was murdered by her ex-boyfriend inside her home, who surprised her by asking to come in and fatally shot her. In the municipality of Partido, Dajabón, another woman lost her life due to shots perpetrated by her partner, who subsequently committed suicide, resulting in two fatalities in the home. These events reinforce the persistent problem of gender violence in the country, a structural problem that maintains alarming figures every year.
The National Police and the DICRIM have intensified operations that resulted in several armed confrontations. In San Pedro de Macorís, three men accused of robbing a jewelry store were killed after confronting police patrols, with weapons and stolen objects recovered. In Santiago, a suspected criminal known as “Brandon,” with a history of robberies in the northern zone, died in a shootout with DICRIM agents. In Los Frailes, a subject with a history of homicide was killed by the Police. In his possession, a bulletproof vest with official logos was found, raising concerns about possible equipment leakage to criminals.
In Santo Domingo North and East, an increase in motorcycle robberies was reported at night. Although the Ministry of Interior and Police reports a decrease in the accumulated homicide rate (7.3 per 100,000 inhabitants), the population perceives an increase in violence on the streets, especially in vulnerable sectors.
An emblematic case occurred in El Almirante, Gran Santo Domingo, where a young man was intercepted by a group of individuals in the sector and attacked with large machetes. The aggression was captured by security cameras and mobile phones, generating shock. The alleged perpetrators, known as “El Pote”, “Amarillo”, “Rancier” and “El Chino”, surrendered to the authorities. Preliminary investigations suggest that the attack could be due to settling scores or social conflicts, and not to a robbery.
In Katanga, Los Mina, a 14-year-old, Nauriel Misael Medina, died after receiving machete blows and blunt force trauma to the head. During the wake, neighbors pointed to two Haitian citizens as the alleged perpetrators, who have already been arrested. María Santana, an affected neighbor, expressed: “That was something very cruel, that child did not deserve to die like that… What we ask for is justice, that this does not remain like this.”
The facts reflect an alarming panorama of violence in the Dominican Republic, with femicides, homicides with bladed weapons, shootings with the police, and robberies, evidencing the persistent insecurity in various urban and rural sectors. The authorities continue to investigate the cases and reinforce police presence, while social organizations call for strengthening prevention and protection policies, especially in terms of gender violence and youth crime.
