Dominican Republic: Protests to continue nationwide February 25, 27 /update 6

Event

Additional protests have been scheduled in several cities on Tuesday, February 25, and on Thursday, February 27, in continued opposition to the Central Electoral Board (JCE). On Tuesday, protesters in Santiago are set to gather at the Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration as of 17:00 (local time).

On Thursday, Dominican Independence Day, protests are planned nationwide. In Santiago, participants will gather at El Monumento and in Santo Domingo participants will gather at Plaza de la Bandera. Other cities have announced demonstrations.

Peaceful protests were reported on Monday, February 24, for the eighth consecutive day. Some participants have begun to call for President Danilo Medina's resignation.

Protests are likely to continue across the country until the JCE addresses protesters' demands. A heightened security presence and transportation disruptions should be expected in the vicinity of all gatherings.

Context

Municipal elections were held on February 16, in which several polling centers operating electronic ballots reported glitches. Following these reports, several protests were reported in cities across the country as a response to the glitches, seen as election rigging carried out by the leading party, the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD). The electronic system was used in just 18 of the 158 municipalities - areas with high population density. The Central Electoral Union (JCE) subsequently suspended the elections and called for a new vote on March 15.

While the protests have been largely peaceful, significant transportation disruptions have been reported in the aforementioned cities.

Advice

Individuals in the Dominican Republic are advised to monitor the situation, avoid all large public gatherings as a precaution, adhere to instructions issued by local authorities and their home governments, and refrain from discussing political topics in public or on social media.