More than 500 security personnel to be deployed for Santo Domingo Book Fair 2026
Santo Domingo.- More than 500 members of Dominican security and emergency agencies will be deployed during the Santo Domingo International Book Fair 2026 (FILSD 2026), which will take place from September 24 to October 4 at the Juan Pablo Duarte Cultural Plaza.
The security operation will cover an event featuring Panama as guest of honor and dedicated to Dominican writer José Mármol. The fair will offer more than 700 activities, with over 70 international writers, 32 international publishers, 21 Dominican publishers and 44 local bookstores participating.
The operation will involve the Dominican Armed Forces, National Police, state intelligence agencies and the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD). Authorities will establish fixed checkpoints and continuous patrols both inside and around the fairgrounds.
External security coverage will include Máximo Gómez, César Nicolás Penson and Pedro Henríquez Ureña avenues, while additional personnel will be stationed at pavilions, auditoriums, museums and other areas expected to receive large crowds.
Entry restrictions and traffic measures
Pedestrian access points will be subject to handheld metal detector checks and visual inspections. Authorities will prohibit firearms, bladed weapons, alcoholic beverages, glass containers and other restricted items.
Political or religious propaganda unrelated to the fair, street vending and unauthorized vehicles will also be prohibited within the venue.
Meanwhile, Digesett and Intrant will implement a special traffic operation around the Plaza de la Cultura to facilitate vehicle circulation and protect pedestrians.
Visitors will have access to more than 1,300 parking spaces through arrangements with nearby institutions, including Unapec, Unibe, the Palace of Fine Arts, the Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium and Mescyt. Internal parking at the Plaza de la Cultura will be reserved for authorized vehicles.
Emergency response
The security plan also includes medical and emergency services. A Unified Command Post will coordinate the response, while 911 and DAEH units, ambulances and paramedics will be stationed at strategic locations.
The Civil Defense and National District Fire Department will also deploy personnel and communications equipment.
Authorities will provide priority assistance to senior citizens, people with disabilities and school groups, while a special protocol will be in place to assist with lost or disoriented children.
