Santo Domingo.- Time wasthat just a handful of Spaniards, Italians, Puerto Ricans and Chinese wouldswear by the tricolor flag emblazoned with a white cross of the Dominican Republic.
But on Thursday the Interior and Police Ministryswore in 63 foreigners from 22 countries, who decided to opt for Dominicancitizenship through regular naturalization process, including United Statesnationals.
Deputy Minister for NaturalizationLuis Fernandez led the ceremony where he took the oath from the new Dominicans.He said Interior and Police has sworn in 374 foreigners in seven ceremoniesthus far this year.
He said 41 of the newcitizens are women, and 22 are men, including 12 Cubans. "In this act 68%of the new Dominican citizens obtained the nationality by marriage, 25% by theordinary procedure and 6% as children of naturalized."
The foreigners grantedDominican citizenship also come from the U.S., Venezuela, Colombia, France,China, Romania, Italy, Panama, Mexico, Pakistan, Ecuador and Peru, among others.