Restructuring in the Armed Forces: Abinader appoints new commanders and makes strategic changes
The President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, has executed a major restructuring of the Dominican military leadership. Through Decree no. 557-26, issued on August 16, the president ordered a series of appointments, promotions, and retirements that seek to strengthen operational capacity and leadership within the Army and the Air Force of the Dominican Republic.
New leadership in the Army
Among the most notable changes, Major General Jimmy Arias Grullón, ERD, has been appointed as the new Commanding General of the Army, replacing Major General Jorge Iván Camino Pérez. The latter, for his part, will assume the position of Inspector General of the Armed Forces.
The Army’s structure also introduces new key figures:
- Brigadier General José Manuel Duran Infante was appointed as deputy commander general of the Army.
- Brigadier General Raúl Esteban Mora Hernández assumes the role of inspector general of the institution.
- Major General Celin Rubio Terreno becomes the military advisor to the President of the Republic.
Transformations in the Air Force
The Dominican Republic Air Force (FARD) is also undergoing significant changes. General Enmanuel Marcelino Souffront Tamayo was promoted to the rank of major general and appointed as the new commander general of the institution, replacing Major General Floreal T. Suárez Martínez, who has moved to retirement status.
These designations are part of an institutional reorganization aimed at optimizing national defense and security under the guidelines of the Executive Branch.
Alofoke Deportes
Within the movements in the FARD, pilot general Manuel José Brito Estepan was appointed deputy commander general, while paratrooper colonel Dionisio De La Rosa Hernández was promoted to brigadier general and inspector general of the Air Force.
Adjustments to Presidential Security
The presidential decree also directly impacts the Presidential Security Corps (CUSEP). Brigadier General Guillermo Caro Cruz was promoted to major general and appointed head of said agency. In the same vein, Lieutenant Colonel Enmanuel Almonte Polanco was promoted to colonel and designated deputy head of CUSEP, while Brigadier General Rafael Raimundo Ramírez Tejeda assumes command of the Presidential Guard Regiment.
These measures, which include the retirement of several officers due to seniority in service and the promotion of other high-ranking officials such as General Enrique Armando Aguilera Trujillo to the rank of major general, consolidate a new stage in the management of the country’s military institutions.
