# Santiago Matías advances Dominicanos Primero registration > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/santiago-matas-political-rise-in-dominican-republic > Updated: 2026-08-20T02:32:25.000Z. Sources: 20. Developments: 9. Following his August 11 filing with the Central Electoral Board to register ‘Dominicanos Primero’, Santiago Matías has transitioned into active signature collection drives. To formalize the project, Matías planned a national tour starting in border regions and extending across all 32 provinces and over 130 municipalities. He intends to document this process via a YouTube reality show to provide transparency, while the movement’s website has reportedly surpassed 30,000 registrations. Matías has emphasized a focus on organizational transparency and meeting structural goals before addressing specific 2028 electoral matchups. The movement has seen its first high-profile defection, as physician and political leader José Alfonso Collado Calderón resigned from the Fuerza del Pueblo to support Matías, citing a necessity for political renewal. As the campaign moves through municipalities such as Santa Cruz de El Seibo and Miches, the team aims to collect one million signatures to seek official recognition for the 2028 elections. However, the initiative has faced criticism; actor Fausto Mata questioned the motivations of supporters in an interview with Z101, labeling them as individuals who act like ‘clones’ or ‘animatronics’ without deep analysis. While Matías maintains high name recognition, recent polling by ACD Media places his presidential preference at 3.6%, trailing established parties such as the PRM (17.4%), Fuerza del Pueblo (14.2%), and PLD (9.5%). Addressing these figures, political analyst Rosario Espinal suggested that while his media presence is significant, he has not yet evolved into a full political phenomenon, noting that early polling results may lack scientific rigor. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-20: Santiago Matías collects signatures for Dominicanos Primero political project Santiago Matías is collecting signatures in El Seibo and Miches to formalize his political party, Dominicanos Primero, amid criticism from comedian Fausto Mata regarding the movement's supporters. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/santiago-matas-collects-signatures-for-dominicanos-primero-political-project ### 2026-08-16: Santiago Matías pushes Dominicanos Primero political project Santiago Matías is collecting signatures in Santiago to formalize his political project, Dominicanos Primero, amid growing interest and a 3.6% presidential preference in recent polls. 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/santiago-matas-launches-signature-drive-for-dominicanos-primero ### 2026-08-14: Santiago Matías defends new political project amid criticism Santiago Matías defends his new political project, Dominicanos Primero, against criticism from Leonel Fernández and addresses past legal clarifications from former Attorney General Domínguez Brito. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/santiago-matas-defends-new-political-project-amid-criticism ### 2026-08-11: Santiago Matías files for registration of Dominicanos Primero party Entrepreneur Santiago Matías, known as Alofoke, has formally applied to register his new political party, Dominicanos Primero, in the Dominican Republic, planning a nationwide signature collection tour. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/santiago-matas-files-for-registration-of-dominicanos-primero-party ### 2026-07-25: Santiago Matías plans new party for Dominican 2028 election Santiago Matías will not run with PRSC, aiming to form his own party for the 2028 Dominican elections, needing to meet constitutional and legal requirements including 2 % voter support. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/santiago-matas-plans-new-party-for-dominican-2028-election ### 2026-07-22: Santiago Matías launches new political party for Dominican 2028 election Dominican media mogul Santiago Matías announced he will form his own political party for the 2028 presidential election, rejecting offers from PRSC and other parties. 8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/santiago-matas-launches-new-political-party-for-dominican-2028-election ### 2026-07-11: Santiago Matías 'Alofoke' sparks debate over Dominican presidential run Influencer Santiago Matías ('Alofoke') is eyed for a Dominican presidential bid, prompting debate over his electoral viability despite high popularity. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/santiago-matas-alofoke-sparks-debate-over-dominican-presidential-run ### 2026-07-09: Santiago Matías rejects claims of deciding Dominican election, discusses penal code changes with President Dominican commentator Salvador Holguín says Santiago Matías cannot decide the 2028 presidential election, while Matías reports a meeting with President Luis Abinader to seek changes to the new Penal Code that影响 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/santiago-matas-rejects-claims-of-deciding-dominican-election-discusses-penal-code-changes-with-presi ### 2026-06-23: Santiago Matías (Alofoke) sparks presidential speculation and clashes with Opción Democrática in Dominican Republic Dominican media mogul Santiago Matías (Alofoke) is being floated as a PRSC presidential contender, sparking debate and a heated X exchange with Opción Democrática. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/santiago-matas-and-opcin-democrtica-clash-on-x-over-dominican-political-issues --- Cite as: Santiago Matías advances Dominicanos Primero registration. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/santiago-matas-political-rise-in-dominican-republic