Santiago welcomes New York Governor Kathy Hochul on official visit

Santiago.- Santiago Mayor Ulises Rodríguez hosted a breakfast this Monday at City Hall to welcome New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who arrived Sunday at Cibao International Airport for an official visit to the city. The visit aims to strengthen cultural and economic ties between Santiago and the Dominican diaspora in the United States.

Following the breakfast, an official ceremony was held in the Council of Aldermen’s Session Hall, where Governor Hochul and Congressman Adriano Espaillat, a native of Santiago, were formally recognized. The event was attended by Dominican Consul in New York Jesús Vásquez, as well as members of the airport’s board of directors, including Félix García.

During her stay, Governor Hochul visited the Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration, where she toured restoration works and enjoyed a cultural presentation showcasing Santiago’s heritage. She later attended the Son de Keka cultural gathering, celebrating Dominican popular music, and expressed gratitude for the city’s hospitality and the enduring bond between New York and the Dominican Republic.

Mayor Rodríguez highlighted Santiago’s deep connection with the diaspora, calling New York “another province of our own,” while Congressman Espaillat emphasized the historic significance of Hochul’s visit—the first by a sitting New York governor to the city.