The confiscated capital that the State does not transform

SANTO DOMINGO.- In politics, power is measured not only by what is controlled, but by what is transformed. Under that logic, the Dominican State has a golden opportunity that it has not yet known how to take advantage of: the assets seized from organized crime and corruption networks.

That heritage exists, it is tangible, and it is under the custody of the National Institute for the Custody and Administration of Seized Assets (INCABIDE). These are assets that not only represent material wealth, but also the possibility of translating criminal justice into social justice.

Until April 2025, the state inventory includes:

• More than 200 vehicles, some with high resale value or institutional use.
• 49 luxury watches and jewelry valued at hundreds of thousands of pesos.
• Two yachts and more than 300 properties with a final seizure sentence.
• RD$559 million in cash, which has already entered the National Treasury.

The official narrative is that they are "in the process of registration and evaluation," with the promise of public auctions "soon." But time passes, assets depreciate, and capital — instead of being strategically reinvested in education, health, or security — remains static, as if the State doesn't know what to do with the power it holds. This is not just an administrative problem. It's a matter of governance. Each fixed asset is a decision not made. Each unheld auction is a missed opportunity. And every peso that is not transformed into citizen well-being is, in essence, a political failure. The fight against corruption doesn't end in the courts. It continues in the State's ability to use what has been seized to reduce inequalities, strengthen institutions, and restore citizen trust. Because if the State can seize luxury… it should also be able to turn it into progress.