Spain-DR alliance: Dominican Republic “will not be a paradise for pedophiles”

Santo Domingo.- “The Dominican Republic cannot be and will not be a paradise for pedophiles, for people who wish to abuse our country ,” said Raquel Arbaje, First Lady of the Republic, at the presentation of the “Comprehensive Protection of Children and Adolescents against Commercial Sexual Exploitation (CSE)” project.

In condemning these actions, Arbaje guaranteed that national tourism will always be based on family and the protection of minors.

For this reason, he announced the alliance with Save the Children, the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECID), the National Council for Children ( Conani ), and the Pro-Pedernales Trust to protect children and adolescents from sexual exploitation in tourist areas.

The initiative will initially be developed in the province of Pedernales, as it is a region currently undergoing a tourism development plan. This plan includes the construction of more than 13 resort-style hotel lots and a cruise ship port. However, the intention is to expand it to other regions with similar characteristics.

According to Arbaje, 800,000 euros were donated to child protection and responsible tourism.

“We must prohibit any tourist from taking advantage of a Dominican child,” he warned.

For her part, Lorea Arribalzaga, the Spanish ambassador, presented an exploratory study from 2023 to highlight the degree of vulnerability of children and adolescents in these areas when exposed to domestic violence, early access to technology, and school dropout, among other issues.

As a result, cases of child sexual abuse, early unions, sexually transmitted diseases, and commercial sexual exploitation of minors are becoming more common in these tourist provinces.

Lorea urged that, contrary to what many may think, this initiative, thanks to its preventative approach, seeks to eliminate child trafficking at its root by actively raising awareness among the population with a zero-tolerance culture towards sexual exploitation.

“Protecting women and girls from all forms of violence and discrimination is a priority for Spain. We know that this is a challenge that transcends borders, and that is why we promote coordinated work between the public and private sectors and civil society,” she stated.

Institutions 

Ligia Pérez, executive president of Conani, stated that this moment represents a starting point towards comprehensive tourism development models that guarantee protection from an early age within communities.

Seeking to benefit 4,200 children and adolescents with their respective families, the design and adoption of internal policies for early childhood protection will be promoted, recreational spaces will be created for these ages, and a Local Technical Committee for Child Protection will be established to coordinate comprehensive actions.