Abinader’s promises: What did he fulfill and what did he not deliver from 2024 to date?

Santo Domingo.- In his accountability speech for the year 2024, President Luis Abinader made multiple promises he pledged to fulfill before returning to the National Congress.

This newspaper’s analysis of the President’s speech last year made it possible to extract promises in different vital areas and review whether they were fulfilled according to the President’s announcements.

Housing

Promise: Commitment to grant 50,000 new property title certificates by 2024, in addition to the 84,000 already delivered.

Result: Data from the Technical Executive Unit for State Land reveals that over 134,000 titles were delivered last year.

Promise: The Mi Vivienda, Familia Feliz, and Dominicana Se Reconstruye programs are projected to deliver more than 10,000 new homes and 20,000 home improvements by 2024.

Result: The President’s numbers in this year’s accountability report (2025) indicate that only 4,810 were delivered by last year.

Health

Promise: First pediatric hospital in the south in Azua, with resources already allocated to start this year.

Results: The vice president and the director of the National Health Service broke ground at the end of 2024. There is still no inauguration date and no sign of progress.

Promise: Ten new hemodialysis units and ten for diabetic foot, in addition to eight oncology units in different provinces

Result: According to newspaper reports, only one of the 10 hemodialysis units announced was inaugurated last year at the Félix María Goico Hospital. Of the eight oncology units, the first was inaugurated in Monte Plata on February 3rd. There is no news about the others.

Promise: Continued work on the first mother-and-child hospital in Barahona and the trauma hospital in Azua (the first in the southern region).

Results: The mother-and-child hospital in Barahona was officially opened in October 2024. Meanwhile, the President inaugurated the trauma hospital in Azua on February 26th.

Education

Promise: The UASD center will be inaugurated in Azua in March.

Result: In March 2024, the President, together with the Minister of housing, inaugurated the center in the province of Azua.

Promise: The UASD center in Neyba will be inaugurated in June.

Result: It has not been completed to date. The Minister of Housing visited the site in December and said it would be delivered in the first half of this year.

Promise: To continue the expansion of the UASD in San Cristóbal, Hato Mayor, Monte Plata, and other parts of the country

Result: All were carried out. In November, the expansion of the UASD in San Cristóbal was delivered with a multipurpose hall, an experimental secondary school, and a nursery. In Hato Mayor, buildings with new classrooms were inaugurated, as in Monte Plata.

Infrastructure, transport, and ports

Promise: Inauguration of the Palace of Justice in Santo Domingo Este

Result: It was handed over and inaugurated by the President of the Republic on February 23rd.

Promises: To hand over the ring roads of Baní, Los Alcarrizos, San Francisco de Macorís, and Moca

Results: None have been completed to date. In addition, various newspaper reports have denounced that they have been brought to a standstill.

Promise: Start constructing the expressway from Plaza de la Bandera, Isabel Aguiar (Pintura), connecting with 6 de Noviembre.

Result: The work has started and is in the process of construction.

Promises: To deliver the Hondo Valle-Juan Santiago-El Cercado; Hato Mayor-El Puerto; Hato Mayor-Sabana de la Mar; Bayaguana-El Puerto; Hacienda Estrella-El Prado-Monte Plata; Guerra-Bayaguana; Loma de Cabrera-Manuel Bueno-las Lanas roads.

Results: None have been completed to date. In addition, various newspaper reports have denounced that they have been brought to a standstill.

Promise: Launch tender for the Santo Domingo Oeste cable car.

Result: The tender was announced, and construction began at the end of 2024.

Promises: Construction began on the expressway from Colombia Avenue to Los Próceres Avenue as far as Jacobo Majluta; a drawbridge to replace the floating bridge over the Ozama River; a bridge parallel to Jacinto Peynado linking Máximo Gómez with the Hermanas Mirabal in Santo Domingo Norte; level crossing on the Sabana Perdida-La Victoria road with intersection at Charles de Gaulle and asphalting works throughout Greater Santo Domingo and the municipality.

Results: None of the aforementioned works have started to date; only the government and the Ministry of Public Works have announced them.

Promises: Finish the tourist pier in Barahona this year and build the one in Arroyo Barril (Samaná) through a public-private partnership.

Result: Construction of the port of Barahona began last September, while Arroyo Barril has already been approved and put out to tender to a company under the Public-Private Partnership model.

Promise: Completion of the Constitutional Court building.

Result: To date, it has not been completed. Nor is there a completion date.

Promise: Progress on the Pedernales development project, with the inauguration of the port of Cabo Rojo and the construction of hotels

Result: In the middle of last year, the President inaugurated the second phase of the Port of Cabo Rojo, an aqueduct, and progress on other works in Pedernales.

Promise: Launch tenders for the Churchill tramway, the Haina–San Cristóbal train, and the Santo Domingo urban train.

Results: According to the various records consulted, none of the works have progressed or even started.

Security and defense

Promise: To continue with the professionalization, training, and salary improvements for members of the National Police until the promised comprehensive transformation is complete

Result: Increases for members were announced, new officers graduated, and new benefits were introduced for this military force.

Promise: In the coming weeks, we will complete the total delivery of the four phases of the border fence with Haiti.

Result: In November 2024, the Minister of the Presidency, José Ignacio Paliza, visited the site, but the first phase had not yet been completed. There was no news on the completion of the other three.

Laws

Promise: Call on Congress to pass a law that allows for a more effective response to gender violence and the protection of women.

Result: It was never submitted, nor was the National Congress interested in passing a similar initiative.