TC validates maritime agreement between Dominican Republic and Netherlands amid anti-national claims

Santo Domingo.- On October 18, 2024, the Constitutional Court of the Dominican Republic issued ruling TC/0547/24, validating the maritime delimitation agreement between the Dominican Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This ruling establishes the boundary in the Caribbean Sea where both nations exercise their sovereignty, located south of the Dominican Republic.

The agreement, signed by Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez and Dutch Ambassador Annemieke Verrijp on July 5, 2021, was submitted for preventive control by President Luis Abinader. The court confirmed its constitutionality after a thorough examination. The boundaries of the maritime zones are determined based on equidistance and are defined by geographic coordinates from the World Geodetic System 1984. The document also outlines conditions for exploiting maritime territories with known geological structures or mineral deposits, including oil and natural gas.

Reactions to the ruling were mixed. Pelegrín Castillo, vice president of the National Progressive Force, criticized the agreement as “anti-national and unconstitutional,” claiming it promotes maritime neocolonialism in the Caribbean. Conversely, Foreign Minister Álvarez praised the ruling as historic, expressing his satisfaction with the court’s recognition of the agreement’s constitutionality on social media.