Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Santo Domingo on Sunday, marking one of the largest demonstrations against corruption in the Dominican Republic in recent decades. The rally was sparked by a high-profile bribery scandal involving Odebrecht, a Brazilian engineering firm, which reportedly paid $92 million in bribes to Dominican officials.
Demonstrators, predominantly young and dressed in green—a color associated with the country’s environmental movement—filled a major thoroughfare while waving the Dominican flag. They voiced demands for the resignation of President Danilo Medina and other top officials amid rising dissatisfaction with government corruption.
Sunday’s march was the largest of the seven protests organized since January, following revelations of extensive corruption linked to Odebrecht. According to reports, the company has paid a total of $184 million in damages related to the scandal. So far, 14 officials and businessmen have been indicted, prompting significant public outrage over long-standing issues of corruption in the government.
The indictment list includes Temistocles Montas, who is a close ally of President Medina and formerly served as trade minister, and Victor Diaz Rua, the treasurer of the ruling Dominican Liberation Party. Montas, who has denied any wrongdoing, resigned from his position following the allegations, while he and six others await trial. The remaining indicted individuals have been released on bail.
Protester Juan Santos expressed concerns about the upcoming 2020 elections, stating, “We can’t afford to have the same people in power again.” The ongoing scandal poses challenges for the ruling party as it navigates public discontent ahead of the elections.
Sunday’s demonstrations were generally peaceful, but previous protests had seen confrontations with police, with allegations of beatings and illegal detentions of demonstrators. There have been reports of officers planting drugs in the vehicle of an activist during earlier protests.
In solidarity with the movement, Dominican immigrants also participated in protests in cities such as Miami, New York, and Madrid. These gatherings are part of the broader Marcha Verde, or Green March, initiative advocating for accountability and transparency in government.
