Dominican Republic
Once ruled by Spain, the Dominican Republic (DR) shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, a former French colony. A legacy of unsettled rule, mostly non-representative, for much of the 20th century ended in 1996 when free and open elections ushered in a new government.
Leonel Fernandez began his second non-consecutive term as president in August 2004, after winning elections in May. Campaigning amid economic turmoil, Fernandez had pledged to reduce inflation, to stabilize the exchange rate and to restore investor confidence by tackling debt and corruption in the public and private sectors. Upon taking office he announced the start of a period of austerity, to include cuts to state spending.
During the president’s first term in office (beginning in 1996), the DR experienced economic growth of 7% a year. But his successor, Hipolito Mejia, presided over rampant inflation, a plummeting currency and high unemployment. By early 2005 the peso had strengthened considerably against the US$(from RD$48 to RD$31=$1.00), and interest rates and inflation were coming down.
Once dependent on the export of sugar and other agricultural products, the DR now enjoys the benefits of tourism, as the most popular tourist destination in the Caribbean. Tourism, and the DR's free-trade zones, have become major employers and key sources of foreign exchange. The DR remains one of the poorest countries in the Caribbean, however. The country suffers from a huge gap between the rich and the poor, with the richest being the white descendants of Spanish settlers, who own most of the land, and the poorest comprising people of African descent. In between, the mixed-race majority controls much of the commerce.
Mutual distrust has soured relations between the DR and its troubled neighbour, Haiti. Up to one million Haitians live in the DR, many of them illegally. The DR government has carried out mass deportations. Following Jean Bertrand Aristide's departure from Haiti in February 2004, there was a degree of nervousness on the Dominican side about the interim government under Gerard Latortue, however signs on the bilateral front have been positive.
Travelers and expatriates in the Dominican Republic may find themselves targeted by criminals, due to relative affluence.
In dealing with local police, be aware that the standard of professionalism varies. Police attempts to solicit bribes have been reported, as have incidents of police using excessive force.
Protests, demonstrations and general strikes occur periodically. Civil unrest may occur in response to a lack of basic services, labor and student grievances, prolonged power cuts and other breakdowns in public services. The sites of civil unrest are usually in villages and towns outside of the capital, while labor and student protests occur in urban areas. They do not generally occur in areas frequented by tourists and are generally not targeted at foreigners. It is still advisable to avoid street crowds and stay on main routes when possible.
Political demonstrations have sometimes turned violent, with participants rioting and erecting roadblocks, and police sometimes using deadly force in response. Security authorities have worked to improve their handling of these events and, especially regarding student protests, are capable of containing the demonstration and/or accompanying violence within the university grounds.
