Spanish
Santo Domingo. The President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, was recognized this Sunday with the distinction "Municipalist Personality" during the tenth edition of the Juan Pablo Duarte 2025 awards, an event that highlights the role of leadership and commitment of local and national authorities in favor of territorial development.
This award symbolizes the support that the president has given to the municipal governments and local districts during his administration, promoting decentralization initiatives, community infrastructure works, and institutional strengthening.
During the event, Abinader praised the progress made by local administrations in areas such as transparency, administrative efficiency, and inter-institutional cooperation.
“I congratulate the municipal governments for their evolution and collaboration with the central government, which have allowed to improve the quality of life of the people in every corner of the country,” he said.
Pending commitments and new promises
Despite the achievements, the president admitted that there are still important challenges, and announced that in the coming months his government will launch a special plan for sidewalks, curbs and asphalt, which will be executed in coordination with the municipalities, responding to a historical demand of the municipalities.
In addition, he reiterated his intention to get the National Congress to approve the social security fund for mayors and retired local authorities, an initiative that seeks to guarantee decent conditions for those who have dedicated their lives to municipal service.
“It cannot be that a former mayor, after decades of service, cannot even afford his medications. We must correct that,” he stated.
Support for municipal management: Vehicle delivery
As part of the awards ceremony, the delivery of 40 trucks valued at 120 million pesos, provided by the Ministry of Tourism under the instructions of the president, was also announced.
Of these, 10 will be assigned to the winners of the Juan Pablo Duarte awards, while the other 30 will go to municipal districts with a tourist vocation, thus strengthening the operational capacity of these demarcations to manage waste and improve the urban environment.
