Spanish
The Fuerza del Pueblo is in the midst of a debate about its political future for 2028, between those who bet on the experience of former President Leonel Fernández in difficult times or the emerging projection of Senator Omar Fernández as a presidential candidate.
It is not an easy decision, as it is, at heart, about choosing whether the party wants to consolidate itself as a national replacement force or continue to revolve around the figure that gave it its origin almost six years ago.
Both options have strengths and weaknesses, but each one marks a very different course.
Leonel Fernández, three-time president, is undoubtedly the architect of that political project that he built after his abrupt departure from the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) in 2019, after having dedicated 46 years of his life to that organization.
His word still carries weight, and his trajectory retains support in a significant segment of the traditional electorate. One only has to look at the results of the 2024 presidential elections to understand the strength he achieved with 28.85 percent of the electorate. That is a respectable number to look towards the future.
Leonel Fernández is heading towards a key scenario to make his last big political move in his return to power. Or, on the other hand, his retirement - which shows no signs of being in his plans - could complete the generational transition in the three main forces of the party system in the Dominican Republic.
But it is undeniable that he also represents the past for many young voters who do not connect with previous governments, and who seek answers to the challenges of the present in other languages, with other faces.
Omar Fernández, on the other hand, has built in record time a clean, empathetic, and modern political figure. His rise has not been the result of media whim or the simple surname.
The current senator of the National District has known how to position himself as a considered voice, connect with the aspirations of various sectors and arouse enthusiasm, above all, among the new generations.
His candidacy, however, represents a leap of faith, because he does not have the structure or the experience of his father. But perhaps that is precisely what the moment demands.
The Fuerza del Pueblo is not obliged to repeat the history of the PLD, where the replacements came late and badly. It has the opportunity to write a different chapter, one where the figure of the founder gives way with wisdom, without impositions, but also without disappearing.
The generational transition within the Fuerza del Pueblo can be an option. It may be that time is needed for that process. Everything will depend on whether Leonel Fernández decides to be the closing of an era… or its obstacle.
