International

The president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, will assume his second term determined to reform the Constitution

The president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, will assume his second and last term of government next Friday after achieving re-election last May, and he will do so with a view to a constitutional reform, criticized by many, and a fiscal reform, which has been postponed for years.

Just hours before the results of the May elections were known, Abinader, of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM, liberal and progressive), announced his intention to change the Constitution, which would be the fourth reform of this century, and everything indicates that he will do so.

Trusting that this “is the last” reform, Abinader, a 57-year-old economist, should not have major inconveniences in bringing this proposal of changes in the Magna Carta to fruition, if it is taken into account that the PRM will mostly control the National Congress from Friday, after rising in the elections with 29 of the 32 senators and 146 of the 190 deputies.

The initiative, which will be presented to Congress coinciding with the investiture, has among its main objectives to prevent changes to the rules of the presidential election (limited to two consecutive terms), consolidate the independence of the Public Ministry (Public Prosecutor’s Office), reduce the number of deputies and unify the holding of elections, according to the proposal presented by Abinader a few days ago to the press.

It is not, he said then, “a conjunctural reform driven by partisan political needs or individual aspirations,” but it is “thought for the benefit of the community” and to consolidate the principles of democracy, transparency and institutionality, as “a shielding of democracy.”

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But, at the same time that the Government and the PRM defend the eventual reform, there is also a growing criticism from the opposition, which considers a change of the Magna Carta to be inopportune.

Among the critics is former president Leonel Fernández, who faced Abinader in the elections and who considers that the best way to protect the Constitution is not to touch it, although he already did it in 2010.

In return, the three-time president of the Dominican Republic, whose party, the People’s Force, is the second formation in the National Congress, proposes that the referendum law be approved, which is contemplated in the 2010 Constitution, but still without legislation in this regard.

The questions have also been joined by prosecutors, who fear that, through the reform, the Superior Council of the Public Ministry will be eliminated, which Abinader denies.

Along with the constitutional change, Abinader also has a tax reform in the sights.

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Dominican Republic – with an average annual growth rate of approximately 5% for decades and which, as reported on Tuesday by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), will lead the growth of the region with 5.2% in 2024 – has had a fiscal reform pending for years, a promise already of Abinader’s campaign for the 2020 elections.

In fact, just two months after assuming power for the first time and in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Abinader presented a plan with new taxes to face the crisis, but ended up withdrawing it due to criticism.

Representatives of the public sector, the private sector and even international organizations understand that the reform is urgent.
According to a recent report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), fiscal reform can help the Dominican Republic attract more investment.

However, “beyond the much-needed increase in tax revenues,” the comprehensive tax reform “should include the adoption of a tax rule that establishes limits on long-term public debt, which would increase certainty and help safeguard fiscal sustainability,” says the IMF.

Another “critically important” reform, according to the IMF, is to address the failures of the electricity sector, which come from far away and have generated significant losses, which average between 1% and 2% of annual GDP in the last decade.

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Apart from these issues, Abinader will also have to face long-standing social debts in the next four years, along with the deficient health system, labor informality or insecurity.

And at the same time it will have to face the increasingly chaotic traffic, which every year causes between 3,000 and 4,000 deaths, making the country one of the first places in the world in road deaths.

International

Former Trump allies call for removal, cite 25th Amendment amid Iran threats

Former allies of U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday called for his removal from office, arguing he is unfit to continue in the role following recent threats to “wipe out an entire civilization,” made just hours before the deadline of his ultimatum to Iran.

One of the most prominent voices was former Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who invoked the 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as a mechanism to remove the president from power.

“25th Amendment! Not a single bomb has fallen on the U.S. We cannot annihilate an entire civilization. This is evil and insanity,” Greene wrote on social media platform X.

Greene, once a leading figure within Trump’s political movement during his first term, broke with the president last November over disagreements on foreign policy and his handling of controversial cases.

Another former supporter, controversial commentator Alex Jones, also raised the possibility of applying the constitutional provision during his show, in a conversation with attorney Robert Barnes.

Barnes explained that invoking the 25th Amendment requires the support of two-thirds of Congress, making it a more complex process than impeachment.

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Section 4 of the amendment, ratified in 1967, establishes that the vice president, together with a majority of the cabinet, can declare the president unable to perform the duties of the office, a decision that must then be confirmed by both chambers of Congress.

The statements come amid rising international tensions and increasing domestic political pressure on the president.

International

Trump pauses strikes on Iran, extends ultimatum by two weeks

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced a temporary suspension of attacks against Iran for a period of two weeks, extending the ultimatum he had imposed on Tehran just hours before its deadline.

According to the president, the measure is conditional on Iran allowing the “full, immediate, and secure” reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump stated that the decision would involve a reciprocal ceasefire between both parties.

The announcement was made through a message on his social media platform, where he emphasized that the pause in military actions is intended to create space for de-escalation in the region.

He also noted that the decision followed a conversation with the prime minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, who requested a two-week extension of the ultimatum.

The move comes amid heightened global tensions, marked by escalating threats and concerns over the potential impact of the conflict on key international energy trade routes.

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International

WHO worker killed as Israeli forces fire on Gaza medical convoy

An employee of the World Health Organization (WHO) was killed on Monday in Gaza Strip after Israeli forces opened fire on a medical convoy transporting patients for evacuation, according to witnesses and official accounts.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the vehicle approached troops in a “threatening manner,” alleging that the driver accelerated toward soldiers despite warning shots. “The troops fired warning shots. The vehicle continued advancing, and additional fire was directed at it,” the military said in a statement.

The army also claimed the vehicle lacked clear markings and was therefore treated as a potential threat.

However, survivors disputed that account. Raed Aslan, a passenger in the convoy, told reporters in Khan Younis that the vehicles were clearly marked with WHO insignia. “The vehicle was clearly identified as belonging to the WHO,” he said, adding that an Israeli tank blocked the road and fired at the driver despite the route being empty.

The convoy was transporting patients to the Rafah crossing, the only exit point available for medical evacuations abroad, as Israel does not permit transfers to Jerusalem or the West Bank.

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The incident adds to a series of controversial cases involving Israeli military actions against humanitarian convoys. In April 2024, seven workers from World Central Kitchen were killed in an Israeli strike in Deir al-Balah. The military initially cited a “misidentification,” despite the vehicles being clearly marked.

Similarly, in March 2025, 15 paramedics, rescuers, and a UN worker were killed near Rafah. Israeli authorities first claimed emergency lights were off, but video evidence later contradicted that assertion.

A subsequent investigation by organizations including Forensic Architecture found that Israeli forces fired hundreds of rounds at the convoy, and that the vehicles were later destroyed and buried along with the bodies before being recovered days later.

The latest incident is likely to intensify scrutiny over the conduct of military operations in Gaza, particularly regarding the safety of humanitarian personnel and medical evacuations.