Spanish
The CEO of Banco de Reservas, Dr. Leonardo Aguilera, stated this Thursday that the financial institution is adopting rigorous measures and increasingly strict controls to address the risks and threats that money laundering poses to the national banking system.
When heading the "Third Congress against Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing" held by Banreservas, Aguilera said that the Bank remains at the forefront of international standards and rigorous regional practices that safeguard the financial system.
"For Banreservas, as a benchmark at the national and regional level, it is a priority to assume the responsibility of leading actions that promote ethical behavior in society and reinforce our governance in mitigating risks associated with money laundering and terrorist financing," he stated.
The bank executive pointed out that money laundering from illicit activities is a global crime that threatens the integrity of the financial system and is considered in the legislation of most countries as a sanctioned conduct, being perhaps the most complex, meticulous, specialized and difficult to detect.
In his opening speech to Congress, Dr. Aguilera highlighted that the Dominican Republic is among the more than 200 jurisdictions that have adopted the recommendations and mutual evaluations to measure this regulatory compliance framework.
"According to estimates by the United Nations (UN) and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the illegal movement of money represents between 2% and 5% of the world's GDP, with annual flows exceeding 800 billion dollars," he cited.
Aguilera mentioned that in 2025, the rise of cryptocurrencies has diversified risks and driven innovations in detection that aim to establish strong control mechanisms to minimize the possibility of organized crime using banks to mask their illegal operations.
He indicated that Banreservas has adopted and will continue to take a series of measures to strengthen the mechanisms for preventing money laundering from illicit activities.
He added that these measures allow the bank to be several steps ahead of criminals to prevent organized crime from using the financial institution to launder money
During the event organized by Banreservas, several conferences on the subject were given, including: “Preceding crimes and the fight against money laundering: strategic challenges for national security and institutional governance”, by the Attorney General of the Republic, Yeni Berenice Reynoso.
In addition, "From data to risk: how artificial intelligence transforms the prevention of money laundering", presented by the general director of Beyond Risk, Oscar Moratto, and "Compliance culture in the public sector: prevention of money laundering and good practices from government management", by the general director of Public Procurement and Contracting, Carlos Pimentel.
The activity was attended by government officials, legislators, entrepreneurs, clients, associates, and executives of Banreservas, who experienced the banking entity's efforts in promoting transparency and good practices.
