Economy and energy
According to healthinclude, the Dominican Republic aims at the modernization of its infrastructures and the deepening of international trade networks but, at the same time, its economy is held back by elements that hinder the creation of a competitive system: corruption, poverty and vulnerability to external circumstances. The international crisis of 2008, which affected profoundly the U know, was reflected on the economy of the Caribbean state. Remittances from Dominican emigrants residing in the United States have significantly decreased and, consequently, the private consumption of the island’s population has also decreased. Also the tourist flows, the backbone of the Dominican economy – which contributes just under 5% of the GDP- decreased due to the slow US recovery and the global economic crisis. To date, however, remittances and tourism are reversing their trend and represent the two main sectors of Dominican economic expansion. The unequal distribution of wealth, mostly in the hands of a small circle of predominantly European origin, is instead an endemic problem that has always afflicted the Dominican population and that can only be solved with major structural reforms capable of enlarging the labor market (the unemployment rate is 15%) and to reduce the inflation rate (equal to 5%). However, there is no lack of positive data. The primary sector, which contributes only 6.2% to the GDPnationally, it has recorded a conspicuous growth in exports, especially sugar and tobacco. Through government plans for the construction of infrastructures, new foreign direct investments have also flowed into the country, which have generated growth equal to 4.6% of GDP.in 2013, which grew to 5.3% in 2014. However, it was at the regional level that the Dominican Republic had achieved the best economic results. The intergovernmental agreement with Caracas allowed Dominicans to receive up to 185,000 barrels of oil per day on preferential terms of payment. The Dominican Republic even had the possibility of exchanging Venezuelan hydrocarbons for its own agricultural products (bananas, rice and especially sugar). Following the deterioration of the state of the Venezuelan economy, the share of oil granted to the country has decreased significantly.
The Dr-Cafta free trade agreement provides for the removal of 80% of customs barriers between contracting countries and guarantees the Caribbean country preferential access to the North American market.
Defense and security
In terms of internal security, the attention of the Dominican government is mainly absorbed by the problem of illegal immigration, especially Haitian. The phenomenon had already led the Dominican Republic to tighten migration policies and insert some rules in the 2010 Constitution that make the requirements for obtaining Dominican citizenship more restrictive. These measures, combined with the raising of the border security threshold, however, have only partially reduced migratory flows.
The fight against cocaine trafficking is also endemic, which is common to most Caribbean countries: due to their geographical position they constitute an important landing place for drug traffickers. The North American cocaine market is fueled by South American traffickers, who sort their orders right in the Caribbean. To combat the phenomenon, the Dominican Republic has not only created an ad hoc police force, but has also entered into a cooperation agreement with the United States, which, more generally, have started a series of military partnerships with the most Caribbean countries. afflicted by the problem.
The anti-immigration ruling
The vast majority of foreigners living in the Dominican Republic are Haitians. According to official estimates, there are about 800,000. Most cross the border illegally and mostly find work in the sugar, coffee and tobacco fields. The frequent migratory waves and the consequent competition between Dominicans and Haitians to find a job outline a situation of difficult coexistence, marred by a growing racist and discriminatory sentiment. The Dominican government has so far responded by increasing border controls. This happened in 2010 in particular, to avoid the spread of the cholera epidemic that hit Haiti throughout the island. A new ruling, issued on 23 September 2013 by the Dominican Constitutional Court, it has introduced a radical provision on immigration, which risks exacerbating tensions and also deteriorating commercial relations. This sentence provides for the revocation of citizenship to all descendants of immigrants who were in the country in a condition of irregularity at the time of their birth. The decision, with retroactive effect to 1929, mainly affects the descendants of Haitian migrant workers, about 200,000 people. The sentence also affects those who have obtained a regular birth certificate and whose family members have lived as Dominican citizens for several generations. Although those affected are predominantly of Haitian origin, most of them do not have citizenship even in their country of origin and would consequently remain stateless.
