PRM marks 11th anniversary today: a massive show of force in Santiago amid internal friction

Santiago, DR.– The Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) is celebrating its 11th anniversary today, Sunday, February 15, with a massive political rally at the Gran Arena del Cibao. President Luis Abinader is currently leading the event, which serves as a strategic “display of political muscle” in the nation’s second-largest city.

The arena is currently at maximum capacity, with delegations from all 14 provinces of the Cibao region in attendance. Alongside the President, top party leaders including José Ignacio Paliza and Carolina Mejía are using the platform to project a message of dominance and continuity.

Strategic mobilization and the 2028 horizon

This 11th anniversary marks a critical milestone for the PRM, which has evolved from a 2014 splinter group into the country’s primary governing force. By choosing Santiago as the epicenter for today’s celebration, the party is reinforcing its stronghold in the North, a region that remains the ultimate electoral prize for any political organization in the Dominican Republic.

However, the event also functions as a silent starting gun for the 2028 electoral cycle. With Abinader serving his final term under current constitutional limits, the energy in the arena today is being closely watched to gauge the influence of potential successors. The leadership is also using the day to promote a “purified” voter registry, claiming it is now digitized and free of the duplications that have plagued Dominican politics in the past.

Unity rhetoric vs. grassroots discontent

Despite the jubilant atmosphere and the sea of blue and white, the PRM reaches its 11th year facing significant internal challenges. While the official discourse emphasizes “unity and cohesion,” there is a palpable tension between the party’s rank-and-file and the executive branch.

A major point of controversy involves the integration of grassroots militants into government positions. Many long-time activists, who were essential to the party’s victories in 2020 and 2024, have voiced growing frustration over being “left behind” by a more technocratic administration. This friction between the “base” and the “bureaucracy” remains a sensitive issue that leadership must navigate to prevent fragmentation.

As the rally continues, the PRM finds itself at a crossroads: it must celebrate a decade of unprecedented growth while addressing the internal demands of the militants who built it. Meanwhile, opposition forces are also active today in other regions, signaling that the race for the future of the country has already begun in earnest.