President Luis Abinader defended his statements on the Dominican Republic’s economic growth and poverty reduction, responding to former president Leonel Fernández’s criticism. Abinader emphasized that the figures he shared are from international organizations such as the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). “If he wants, I’ll give him the FAO director’s name so he can argue with him,” the president said during La Semanal.
Fernández, speaking at a luncheon organized by the National Council of AVANCEMOS at the Mauad Hotel in Santo Domingo, questioned the government’s claims. He argued that the Central Bank’s own data show economic growth of just 2.7% in the first half of the year and only 1.2% in June. He also pointed to stagnation in construction, limited cash flow, a water crisis, prolonged power outages, and the delay in building 500 schools as signs of deeper problems.
