[REVISION HISTORY]

Dominican Republic: Penal Code challenges and political resh

Updated 12 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-26 16:56 UTC → 2026-09-05 00:58 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Following the August 2026 implementation of the new Penal Code (Law 74-25), scrutiny has intensified regarding heightened sanctions for defamation and new regulations for ‘fullería’. Under Article 246, ‘fullería’—obtaining goods or services without sufficient resources or refusing to pay—now carries penalties of 15 days to one year of minor imprisonment and fines between RD$10,000 and RD$20,000. Professional organizations ~~have begun challenging~~ continue to challenge the code before the Constitutional Court. The Dominican Association of Teachers (ADP) is contesting ~~several articles, with President Eduardo Hidalgo expressing concern that~~ provisions that could criminalize ~~duties related to~~ student ~~supervision and discipline. The~~ supervision, while the Colegio de Abogados de la República Dominicana (CARD) ~~has also signaled support for unconstitutionality actions, with President Trajano Vidal Potentini arguing that~~ argues certain ~~broad provisions could~~ articles infringe upon fundamental ~~guarantees and professional independence.~~ guarantees. Additionally, the Constitutional Court is reviewing an unconstitutionality action filed by activists Eduardo Daniel Sánchez Tolentino and Ricardo Augusto Ripoll García targeting multiple articles. These legal challenges follow earlier concerns social debates have emerged regarding ~~defamation penalties~~ Article 173; while groups like Cosdom seek to include sexual orientation as a category of discrimination, pro-life and pro-family organizations oppose judicial interpretation on this matter. The reform has expanded criminal liability into the medical and media sectors. In medicine, the framework shifts focus toward the violation of patient autonomy and informed consent, covering biomedical research and assisted reproduction. In the media sector, news organizations and digital platforms face new exposure regarding defamation, privacy, and fraud. Consequently, the ~~impact of criminal liability on private security firms.~~ Asociación Dominicana de Empresas de Seguridad (Adesinc) and various legal experts have emphasized the urgent need for corporations and media companies to implement robust compliance programs to manage these new risks. In the political sphere, the Partido Revolucionario Moderno (PRM) is undergoing leadership restructuring ahead of the 2028 elections. Luis Abinader will serve as party president for the 2026-2030 period, with ~~the Mejía family holding key roles including Secretary General Juan Garrigó Mejía. In recent ACDmedia polling,~~ Tourism Minister David Collado ~~remains~~ remaining the frontrunner for the PRM presidential candidacy at ~~59.9%, followed by Carolina Mejía at 20%.~~ 59.9% in recent polling.

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