Leonel Fernández proposes diaspora rights reforms

Leonel Fernández, president of the Fuerza del Pueblo party, has proposed two major initiatives to support the Dominican diaspora during an event in New Jersey.

First, Fernández proposed an automatic and free registration mechanism for children of Dominicans born abroad. He argued that the current process to recognize nationality through descent is “tedious, long, and costly.” He suggested that the Junta Central Electoral (JCE), working through Dominican consulates, should immediately declare these individuals as Dominican citizens without charge. He noted that under Article 18 of the Constitution, these individuals have the right to dual nationality.

Second, Fernández defended the right of Dominicans living abroad to vote. He rejected proposals to eliminate overseas voting due to high abstention rates or organizational costs. Addressing the 2024 elections, where participation was estimated at only 13%, he argued that the solution is to investigate the causes of low turnout—such as distance to polling stations and mobilization efforts—rather than suppressing a hard-won democratic right.