The ministers of the Presidency and Defense, José Ignacio Paliza and lieutenant general Carlos Antonio Fernández OnofreERD, respectively, performed a strategic tour of the southern border of the country, with the objective of evaluating on the ground the dynamics of security, defense, infrastructure, connectivity and economic development that impact the border area.
The tour covered from the community of Puerto Escondido, in Duvergé, to the province of Pedernales, as part of the Government’s efforts to strengthen the implementation of the STRONG comprehensive strategy.
The day included the crossing of the Sierra de Bahoruco, one of the most complex, strategic and sensitive geographical areas of the Dominican border.
This journey allowed the authorities to directly observe the terrain conditions, the existing mobility and surveillance capabilities, as well as the logistical and operational challenges faced daily by military units and State agencies deployed in this important area of the border.
During the tour, the ministers were accompanied by the general commander of the Army of the Dominican Republic, Major General Jorge Iván Camino Pérez, ERD., and by the director general of the Specialized Land Border Security Corps (CESFRONT), Brigadier General José Manuel Rodríguez Coste, ERD., who presented details about the surveillance, territorial control, patrolling and protection of national sovereignty schemes carried out by the Armed Forces and security agencies deployed in the area.
The visit was developed within the framework of the strategy STRONG (Border Strength, National Union, Infrastructure Strategy, Economic Resilience, Territorial Transformation and Stability and Defense), designed to strengthen the presence of the State on the border through a comprehensive vision that articulates security, infrastructure, connectivity, economic development and social well-being.
During the various stops made, the authorities evaluated the operational conditions of the agencies responsible for border security and the state of important strategic infrastructures.
In addition, the commercial dynamics of the area and the needs of the communities located along the border line, with the purpose of generating strategic information that allows the adoption of timely and effective decisions.
The tour also allowed us to confirm the strategic importance of the Sierra de Bahoruco as a natural corridor of high value for national security, the protection of natural resources and the connectivity of border communities, reaffirming the need to continue strengthening the institutional presence and operational capabilities of the State in this area.
He Minister of Defense highlighted that this type of tours constitute a fundamental tool for strategic planning, allowing authorities to directly observe the operational reality of the border and evaluate the impact of the actions implemented by the State.
Likewise, the Minister of the Presidency highlighted that the STRONG strategy seeks to consolidate an increasingly secure and developed border, where investments in infrastructure, the generation of economic opportunities and the strengthening of security jointly contribute to the well-being of the border population.
The authorities agreed that the tour made it possible to verify important advances in terms of territorial control, border surveillance and infrastructure development, while facilitating the identification of new initiatives and projects aimed at strengthening connectivity, economic activity and the response capacity of the institutions present in the area.
With this type of actions, the Government reaffirms its commitment to the protection of national sovereignty, the strengthening of the operational capabilities of the Armed Forces and the execution of a comprehensive strategy that guarantees a safer, more resilient, prosperous border and fully integrated into national development.
