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2 clusters · 6 sources · 5 days · First seen · Last updated
Dominican ministry tax scrutiny
Overview
In late July, pastor Yesenia Then of the Centro Cristiano Soplo de Vida responded to media reports by asserting that her church and its training school were fully compliant with Dominican tax obligations, citing recent DGII certifications and offering to submit to an audit. She also explained delays in the Ciudad Refugio project due to unresolved land titles while a pilot program continued to serve vulnerable children.
A few days later, investigative journalist Nuria Piera published a follow‑up report that questioned the ministry’s financial transparency. The new report highlighted that the ministry had received multiple import‑tax exemptions for books and noted that several private businesses linked to Then and her husband lacked any tax‑status documentation. Analysts pointed out that the provided DGII certificates only confirmed filing of returns, not the accuracy of financial statements, raising concerns about possible mixing of personal and church assets.
Entities
Yesenia Then · Centro Cristiano Soplo de Vida · Consejo Nacional para la Niñez y la Adolescencia · Nuria Piera · Joseph Abreu
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Nuria Piera released a second investigative report on Yesenia Then's ministry.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Yesenia Then responded with a 17‑minute video to address questions about her ministry.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Then presented two DGII certifications confirming she is up to date with tax obligations.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Then did not provide certifications for her private businesses and foundations linked to her ministry.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Ministry International Soplo de Vida received 25 import‑tax exemptions in the last five years.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Those exemptions covered the import of 4,530 books, some authored by Yesenia Then.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Tax consultant Joseph Abreu said the exemptions may have benefited private commercial enterprises registered to Yesenia Then and her husband Joan Bonilla.
Timeline
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23 days ago
[BUSINESS] 3 sourcesYesenia Then's Ministry Faces Financial Probe Over Tax ExemptionsNuria Piera's report alleges Yesenia Then's ministry received 25 tax exemptions, omitted documentation for linked businesses, and mixed personal and church assets, despite a video response with limited tax‑com
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27 days ago
[BUSINESS] 3 sourcesYesenia Then defends ministry finances amid Dominican tax scrutinyDominican pastor Yesenia Then said her church and school are tax‑compliant, denied misuse of donations, and noted that the Ciudad Refugio project is pending land titles but operating a CONANI‑approved pilot for
Sources
calle56.com · deultimominuto.net · eldia.com.do · ensegundos.do · forestgrovenewstimes.com · remolacha.net