Dominican Republic Roundup: Four-day workweek, elections, China, France, metro, abortion arrest
Four-day workweek
A pilot program to attempt a four-day workweek in the Dominican Republic will begin in February. Some employees of private and public companies will transition from a 44-hour workweek to a 36-hour workweek, from Monday to Thursday. According to the government, salaries will remain the same. This is the first time the Caribbean country has taken such a measure. Among the participating companies are the Latin American telecommunications firm Claro and the state-owned National Health Insurance, as reported by Voz de América.
Bilateral cooperation with China
On Tuesday, January 16, the President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, met with the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Tang Renjian, to discuss bilateral cooperation between the two countries, as reported by El Nuevo Diario. Tang Renjian also met with the Dominican Minister of Agriculture, Limber Cruz, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at enhancing agricultural and technical cooperation, as well as providing support to other areas. This includes the introduction of new technologies for rice cultivation and aquaculture in the Caribbean country.
France interested in the construction of a new metro line
On Tuesday, January 16, the Presidency of the Dominican Republic announced, through a press release, “France's interest in contributing to infrastructure and urban mobility projects” in the country, as reported by Listín Diario. According to the statement, France expressed its interest in participating in the construction of a third metro line in Santo Domingo, the country’s capital, through a letter sent to the President of the Dominican Republic in December. President Emmanuel Macron also announced that a government official would visit the Caribbean country in early 2024 to strengthen bilateral cooperation. The statement reads, “Macron celebrates the trust placed by the Dominican Republic’s government in French companies for the development of important projects such as metro lines in Santo Domingo".
Abortion arrest
The National Police have arrested a woman accused of aborting at five months of pregnancy in the municipality of Gaspar Hernández, located in the province of Espaillat, as reported by El Nuevo Diario. The Dominican Republic is one of the Latin American countries that maintain a prohibition on abortion without exceptions.
Political advertising in a military facility
The Central Electoral Board (JCE), the entity responsible for organising the electoral process, condemned the events that occurred on Sunday, December 14, when vehicles advertising a political party were captured entering a military facility in Azua, as reported by Al Momento. In a statement, the JCE stated that the armed forces are "non-partisan" according to the constitution and reminded of the law that prohibits military, police, and electoral officials from advertising political candidates or parties.
