Currently, the reach of the countries that make up the European Union in the Dominican Republic is quantifiable.
In 2024 alone, the total investment was 1,600 million euros and the accumulated investment since 2020 is 10,000 million euros according to data presented by Raúl Fuentes Milani, ambassador of the European Union, during his participation in the Listín Diario Breakfast.
Attracted by the political stability in the country, diplomats mentioned that European investment is diversifying beyond the tourism sector, positioning the nation as a central point of connection, organization and distribution in the Caribbean.
Extending to areas of construction, energy, transportation and free zones, the European Union has established itself as the leading investor in the country, expanding its influence. To cite an example, the designated ambassador of Italy, Sergio Maffettone, expressed that Italians maintain an interest in specific areas such as machinery, biomedicine and cybersecurity.
“After the tourism sector, we are interested in developing the construction, biomedical, agriculture, machinery, space, defense, energy and cybersecurity sectors,” he noted.
Other countries like Germany maintain the focus on free zones, machinery for medical equipment and renewable energies, while France on the fuel sector, airports and infrastructure.
The ambassador of the European Union, Raúl Fuentes Milani, together with the director of Listín Diario, Miguel Franjul, and the deputy director, Fabio Cabral.
“We see it as a strategic, political partner as well, with whom we have a lot of harmony on many multilateral issues as well, which is also in favor of human rights, international law and also as a country of economic opportunities, being the logistics hub of the region and the gateway to the region,” said diplomat Maike Friedrichsen.
Beyond investments
With a broader overview of the functions they perform in the country, the ambassadors highlighted their participation in cultural spaces with cooperation programs to encourage art, as well as teaching romantic languages through courses and workshops.
France, to illustrate, has the “Marian for Dominican culture” program to promote the artistic training of young people in the areas of dance, music and film. Italy, on the other hand, promotes the teaching of the Italian language or the ability to play a new instrument through courses.
Racketeering
The influence of this bloc reaches the area of organized crime where they maintain a concern similar to that of the United States for these illicit practices, with emphasis on combating drug trafficking, arms trafficking and money laundering.
They specified that they maintain continuous communication with the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD) in addition to the Action to Fight Organized Crime in the Caribbean (Alcorca) program, where they use police and judicial cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat organized crime.
