Lawmakers debate changes to Abinader’s cabinet and ask for more

Political reactions following the recent changes in President Abinader’s cabinet

Following the recent moves made by President Luis Abinader in various state institutions, the Dominican political landscape has been marked by intense debate. While opposition parties criticize the nature of these appointments, the ruling party defends the measure and advocates for greater integration of its base into public management.

Perspective from the opposition

Opposition voices have described the adjustments as a simple rotation of personnel rather than a deep restructuring. Fuerza del Pueblo deputy, José David Báez, interpreted these moves as a tacit admission of inefficiency by the current administration.

In our view, these changes made by the Dominican Government are a mea culpa that the officials of this Government have not been carrying out their duties as they should.

For his part, Gustavo Sánchez, a legislator from the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), considered that the president has fallen short of expectations. Sánchez specifically questioned the effectiveness of the changes in the electricity sector and maintained his criticisms regarding the tenure of figures such as the Minister of Interior and Police, Faride Raful. In contrast, Charlie Mariotti Paz, also from the PLD, expressed moderate optimism regarding the appointment of Juan Manuel Méndez to lead Intrant, although he warned that mobility challenges will not be resolved immediately.

The ruling party’s position

From the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), deputy Ramón Bueno supported the head of state’s decisions, stressing that it is a necessary presidential power to revitalize the state apparatus. However, he emphasized a constant request from the party’s grassroots:

We need the party to feel represented in the management.

In this same vein, Senator Dagoberto Rodríguez positively assessed the renewal of leadership, noting that the arrival of new officials brings fresh ideas and opportunities for improvement to the institutions.

Main designations for August 16th

• Víctor “Ito” Bisonó: Minister of Foreign Affairs.
• Jean Luis Rodríguez: Minister of Housing, Habitat and Buildings.
• Juan Manuel Méndez García: Directorate of Intrant.
• Erdwin Robert Olivares Luciano: Directorate of the Emergency Operations Center (COE).
• Carlos Manuel Paulino Cárdenas: Directorate of Civil Defense.
• Joel Santos: President of the CUED and coordinator of the Energy Cabinet, in addition to his role in Energy and Mines.

This restructuring, which occurs halfway through President Abinader’s second term, tests the Government’s responsiveness to critical citizen demands such as electricity service and traffic congestion, issues that will remain under the scrutiny of Alofoke Deportes.