New York, US.- The National Institute for the Protection of Consumer Rights (Pro Consumidor) has reached an agreement with the Consulate General of the Dominican Republic in New York, United States, to establish an office at the consular headquarters. This office will cater to complaints or grievances from Dominican residents in New York City whose rights have been violated in the Dominican Republic.

Eddy Alcántara, the executive director of Pro Consumidor, announced this initiative during his visit to New York City. He met with consulate officials to finalize the details regarding the installation of the office. Vice-consul Tamiris García Marcano, Juanita Martínez from the Happy Family Housing Program, Sarah Machado from the Legal Department, Elvin Tineo the Operational Director, Francisco Báez the assistant to the consul general, and Eligio Jáquez were among those present at the meeting.

The aim of establishing this office is to enable Dominicans in New York and other states to lodge complaints or claims directly without the need to travel to the Dominican Republic. Alcántara emphasized that the idea had been in development for months to ensure that Dominican citizens in the United States feel their rights in the Dominican Republic are protected, especially in cases of scams or fraudulent transactions with goods and services providers in the country.

The decision to open this Pro Consumidor unit at the consular headquarters was primarily motivated by the presence of representative offices of the Reserve Bank in New York and Miami, as well as the real estate fair held by the banking entity in Laurence and New York City. These events saw the approval of over 8 billion pesos for real estate transactions, which have been central to conflicts between suppliers and consumers.

Alcántara mentioned that the office in New York will be operational in the coming weeks, and efforts are underway to open similar offices in the consular headquarters of Boston, New Jersey, Miami, and Puerto Rico. These offices will appoint counselors responsible for guiding and facilitating the process for Dominicans lodging complaints or seeking resolution for their grievances.

He also emphasized that Pro Consumidor aims to ensure the enforcement of regulations and the protection of consumer rights for all Dominicans, regardless of their location. This expansion aligns with their mission, as they have already opened offices in various provinces across the Dominican Republic.