Dominican Republic · Freedom of Expression · Digital Politics
How the Luis Abinader Government Built a Systematic Apparatus to Silence Digital Communicators (2020–2026)
By Luis Cabrera (Kapulett) | OSINT Researcher | Published: March 2026
Methodological note: This article explicitly distinguishes between facts documented with primary sources and assessments made by researcher Kapulett. The author's opinions are marked in separate callout boxes. All sources are public and independently verifiable.
THE QUESTION NO ONE ASKS
Who benefits from a crime is the first question any investigator poses before beginning an inquiry. The logic is identical when the subject of study is censorship: who benefits from silencing a voice? In the Dominican Republic between 2020 and 2026, the answer consistently leads to the same institutional epicenter.
This article systematizes documentary evidence of a pattern that researcher Kapulett defines as structural digital censorship: a set of governmental, legislative, and judicial actions that, taken together, constitute a deliberate policy of restricting freedom of expression on digital platforms.
IDEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT
To understand the documented phenomenon, it is necessary to trace the political context in which the principal actors were formed. For decades, the Dominican political opposition developed within a worldview critical of U.S. influence, forged during the years of President Joaquín Balaguer's government. Many of the journalists, intellectuals, and politicians who wield influence today have their roots in that ideological tradition.
Into this landscape arrived the administration of President Donald Trump, which recognized social media as a democratizing tool against traditional media outlets with defined editorial tendencies. The new U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Leah Francis Campos, was appointed in that context and arrived in the country with a clear agenda on digital freedom of expression.
TWO CENSORSHIP INCIDENTS AGAINST AMBASSADOR CAMPOS
Researcher Kapulett identifies two concrete episodes that marked the relationship between the U.S. Embassy and the Dominican power structure.
Episode 1 — The Business Press Conference (April 12, 2025):
Ambassador Campos participated in a press conference before a business group. According to the primary source, when she attempted to address topics related to USAID, the question was cut off by representatives of the business sector present.
Source: Post on X by @kapulet, 04/12/2025
Episode 2 — The Freedom of Expression Statement (September 3, 2025):
Approximately ten days after researcher Kapulett published an article requesting that the Ambassador take a public stance on digital censorship, the Embassy issued a statement through communicator Santiago Matías. The official U.S. Embassy account on X published that alternative media are setting the tone of public conversation, that the Trump administration recognizes their value, and that there is a shared commitment to freedom of expression and against censorship.
Source: Official account @EmbajadaUSAenRD on X, 09/03/2025
The response from government-aligned media:
The day after the Ambassador's statement, Diario Libre published a report stating that the Dominican Republic led among countries with the greatest freedom of expression, while the United States had fallen in the same index. The article was published on March 11, 2026.
Source: Diario Libre, 03/11/2026
THE OFFICIAL U.S. POSITION ON GLOBAL CENSORSHIP
Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a formal statement from the Department of State warning that visas would be revoked for officials and businesspeople from countries that persecuted U.S. citizens or that promoted censorship of social media platforms. The statement was published on the official Department of State website.
Source: U.S. Department of State, December 2025
This position carries direct relevance for the Dominican Republic, given that social media platforms — Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X — form an essential part of the U.S. digital economy. Any restriction on these platforms carries economic and geopolitical implications that extend far beyond the Dominican Republic's internal debate.
— — —
THE INTERNATIONAL FRAMEWORK: THE UNESCO WARNING
A UNESCO report published on October 24, 2024 documented an alarming increase in abusive financial laws used to silence journalists globally. The report identified as emerging modalities the use of accusations of extortion, tax evasion, money laundering, blackmail, and receipt of foreign funds.
Source: UNESCO, October 24, 2024
TIMELINE: THE ORIGINS OF THE CENSORSHIP PATTERN (2020–2021)
The earliest documented evidence of this pattern dates to the period immediately following the Partido Revolucionario Moderno (PRM)'s rise to power in July 2020.
Tony Raful (July 2020):
PRM politician Tony Raful published on his X account that legislation was needed in the Senate to invalidate 'offensive use' of social media. In a footnote to the same post, he wrote: 'We are not equal — not in the animal kingdom, nor in the kingdom of heaven.'
Source: Tweet by @tony_raful
Faride Raful, Senator (August 2021):
Then-Senator Faride Raful published on X that the draft penal code under discussion at that time contained three criminal provisions for defamation and injury, implicitly expressing support for penalizing criticism on social media.
Source: Tweet by @farideraful
Erick Raful and the Gag Bill (May 2025):
Attorney Erick Raful led the drafting of a bill called the 'Law on Dissemination of Thought and Expression,' which, according to the newspaper Hoy, sought to regulate expression on digital platforms.
Source: Periódico Hoy, May 19, 2025
DIRECT RETALIATION AGAINST COMMUNICATORS
The following cases illustrate direct responses from the government's sphere of influence against critical content published on digital media:
Rosa Encarnación, YouTuber (October 13, 2020):
The communicator revealed in an interview with Ricardo Nieves that after publishing comments about operations at the National District Municipality under the administration of Carolina Mejía (daughter of former president Hipólito Mejía), her sister — a long-time employee of that municipality — was fired the very next day without apparent cause.
Source: Tweet by @rafaelgil251051, 10/13/2020
Program 'Estrellas de la Opinión' (May 1, 2023):
The program hosted by communicators Jaime Rincón and Santi was abruptly taken off the air. According to Jaime Rincón's own tweet, the program had received confirmation just two weeks earlier that it held strong ratings. The show was known for its critical coverage of the Abinader government.
Source: Tweet by @jaimerinconrd, 05/01/2023
Angeli Moreno and pressure on 'Esto No Es Radio' (November 2021 – June 2022):
Journalist Angeli Moreno appeared on the radio program 'Esto No Es Radio,' where she confirmed she was on the Presidential Palace payroll, receiving 125,000 pesos per month. When asked about her duties, she replied she was unable to disclose them. The video went viral. A subsequent post on X indicated that the outlet was pressured to delete the video.
Source: YouTube, November 8, 2021
Source: Tweet by @elmagodelamaga, June 2, 2022
Censorship of 'Blue March' (January 2021):
According to the portal Cachicha, communicator Elvin Castillo revealed that the government was behind the censorship of a peaceful march known as the 'Blue March,' which had been called against Yamil Mazara.
Source: Cachicha, January 6, 2021
Deletion of @YulySeES influencer's tweet (January 2022):
A screenshot shared on X on January 25, 2022 showed that a tweet published by influencer @YulySeES criticizing the government had been removed.
Source: Tweet by @juancitoperezrd, January 25, 2022
— — —
EIGHT LEGISLATIVE ATTEMPTS AT CENSORSHIP (2020–2025)
The researcher identifies a pattern of persistent legislative efforts that, in aggregate, constitute what he terms a 'legal attrition strategy.' The eight documented episodes are detailed below with their sources:
1. State Advertising Law (December 2020):
Four months after taking office, the government attempted to pass a law granting the president discretionary control over the distribution of state advertising. Dr. Rafael Molina Morillo publicly warned that the law could be used to punish media critical of the government.
Source: El Nacional
2. Cybercrime Law (June 2022):
Listín Diario reported that a cybercrime bill contained provisions that would limit freedom of expression on social media.
Source: Listín Diario, 06/21/2022
3. Privacy and Honor Law (May 2022):
Diario Libre collected statements from legislators and communicators who characterized this bill as a new 'gag law' against freedom of expression.
Source: Diario Libre, 05/30/2022
4. DNI Law (Christmas Eve 2023):
On the night of December 24, 2023, legislation was introduced granting the National Intelligence Directorate (DNI) powers to arrest communicators who refused to disclose their sources. The Dominican Constitutional Tribunal struck down the law in December 2024.
Source: Listín Diario, December 7, 2024
5. Self-Regulation Resolution for Content Creators (November 2024):
Deputy Bolívar Valera introduced a resolution to self-regulate digital content creators. It was rejected by communicators including Santiago Matías.
Source: Listín Diario, 11/30/2024
6. Hate Speech Bill (May 2025):
Following the success of the 'March at FUISA' convened by the Antigua Orden Dominicana and Santiago Matías, a senator nicknamed 'Cholitín' introduced a hate speech bill. The legislator withdrew the proposal days later.
Source: Listín Diario, 05/12/2025
7. International resonance — AP News:
One of the legislative attempts gained international attention when Associated Press published an article highlighting the bill and the public protests it generated.
Source: AP News
8. Article 310 of the New Penal Code (August 2025):
Communicator and attorney Ricardo Nieves published a column in Listín Diario criticizing Article 310 of the new penal code, which criminalizes 'outrage' against a public official — including calling a government servant 'inefficient' on social media. The prescribed penalty is up to three years in prison.
Source: Listín Diario, August 14, 2025
— — —
MAP OF LAWSUITS: THE STATE VS. DIGITAL COMMUNICATORS
The following is a documented list of cases in which officials or entities aligned with the Abinader government filed legal actions against digital communicators. Each case cites its primary source:
• Guido Gómez Mazara vs. Ángel Martínez and Rafael Linares Guerrero: Defamation and injury (08/07/2020) — Listín Diario, 08/07/2020
• Juan Mateo Guerrero convicted to one month in prison: Defamation and injury against Guido Gómez Mazara (10/20/2021) — Diario Libre, 10/20/2021
• Luz del Alba Jiménez (Youth Minister) vs. communicators: Defamation and injury (03/10/2023) — Listín Diario, 03/10/2023
• Fausto Rosario (INDOTEL/PRM) vs. Vinicio Castillo Semán: Defamation and injury (09/18/2013) — Hoy, 09/18/2013
• Lisandro Macarrulla vs. Delvys Lanfranco: Defamation and injury (07/06/2021) — Hoy, 07/06/2021
• Roberto Fulcar vs. Máximo Castillo: Defamation (01/16/2023) — Hoy, 01/16/2023
• Deputy Sergio Moya ('Gory') vs. La Tora: Defamation and injury (05/14/2025) — Listín Diario, 05/14/2025
• Arrest of 'La Tora': Failure to appear (05/07/2025) — Listín Diario, 05/07/2025
• Faride Raful (Police Minister) vs. Ángel Martínez and Ingrid Jorge: Defamation (06/02/2025) — Listín Diario, 06/02/2025
• Deputy Gregorio Domínguez vs. Ángel Martínez: Defamation and injury (06/10/2025) — Listín Diario, 06/10/2025
• Roberto Fulcar vs. Ángel Martínez (second complaint): Defamation and injury (06/10/2025) — Listín Diario, 06/10/2025
• Milagros De Camps vs. Aquiles Jiménez and others: Extortion network/defamation (06/27/2025) — Diario Libre, 06/27/2025
• Isaura Taveras vs. Aquiles Jiménez: Defamation (RD$10M in damages) (07/25/2025) — Diario Libre, 07/25/2025
• Arrest of Rafael Guerrero with electronic bracelet: Unspecified (08/29/2025) — Acento, 08/29/2025
• Police Dir. Ramón Guzmán vs. Nelson Gutiérrez and 'El Francotirador': Defamation and injury (08/19/2025) — NTeleMicro, 08/19/2025
• Guido Gómez Mazara vs. Casimira: Defamation (12/08/2025) — CDN, 12/08/2025
• EDENORTE vs. 'Somos Pueblo': Defamation (09/22/2025) — Hoy, 09/22/2025
• Milagros Ortiz Bosch threatens to sue Julio César De la Rosa: Defamation (09/17/2025) — VTV Canal 32, 09/17/2025
• Dixon Rojas reports police persecution and threats: Threats (01/25/2026) — NoticiasSIN, 01/25/2026
• Prosecutor investigates Kapulett, La Tora, Ángel Martínez and others: 'Discrediting industry' (2025) — El Día
CRIMINALIZING CRITICISM: THREAT CASES AND MENTALLY ILL INDIVIDUALS
A distinctive feature of the 2020–2026 period is the number of people criminally prosecuted for threats against President Abinader. The researcher notes that the majority of these individuals showed evident signs of mental illness, which stands in stark contrast to the legal resources mobilized against them:
• Enrique Figueroa (USA): Arrested in New York for threats. Released by a U.S. judge due to mental illness. The court determines that the defendant had no present ability to execute the threat. Figueroa Died subsequently. — Diario Libre, September 2021
• 'El Cubanito': Arrested for death threats. — Diario Libre, 02/12/2022
• Joneivy Sánchez Mordán ('Chimanbli Online'), age 25: Arrested for threatening video on social media. — El Día, 05/18/2023
• 86-year-old woman: Arrested after posting a threat on TikTok over the removal of the Bible from schools. — Listín Diario, 05/24/2023
• John Raymond Durán Villar: Arrested for ramming a vehicle into the National Palace gates. His attorney requested a psychiatric evaluation. — Listín Diario, 02/17/2024
• Stalin Silvestre Corporán: The Attorney General requested pretrial detention for threats made in a video. — Atento, 07/15/2024
• Mercedes Rodríguez Héctor Julio: Arrested for threats. Described as mentally ill. — NoticiasSIN, 12/23/2025
• Unidentified Haitian national: Escorted to the border rather than being criminally prosecuted. — Listín Diario, 07/25/2024
THE STATE DEPARTMENT HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT (2024)
The U.S. Department of State's 2024 Human Rights Report on the Dominican Republic notes in its section on press freedom that journalists experienced physical attacks, imprisonment, violence, harassment, and intimidation. The document also states that censorship came not only from the government but also from extremist and armed groups.
Source: U.S. Department of State, Human Rights Report 2024 – Dominican Republic
THE IRONY OF POWER: THE PRM IN OPPOSITION
One of the most paradoxical elements of the period under analysis is that the party now in government — the PRM — rose to power precisely through freedom of expression on social media, citizen participation, and movements such as the Green March, whose digital mobilization was significantly aided by international cooperation, including USAID.
According to the portal Cachicha, already by January 2021 — just months after taking office — the same government moved to suppress the 'Blue March,' a peaceful opposition gathering, replicating exactly the behavior it had criticized under the previous government.
Source: Cachicha, January 6, 2021
In Congress, in April 2022, a PRM party official in Monte Plata was arrested for criticizing the provincial governor's management on Facebook.
Source: Somos Pueblo, April 29, 2022
— — —
CONCLUSIONS
The documentary evidence compiled in this article establishes, on the basis of verifiable primary sources, the following facts:
Documented facts:
1. Since July 2020, PRM members and officials have repeatedly introduced legislative bills that would have restricted digital freedom of expression (eight identified episodes).
2. At least 20 legal actions — complaints, criminal submissions, and arrests — filed by officials or government-aligned entities against digital communicators have been documented between 2020 and 2026.
3. The Dominican Constitutional Tribunal struck down the DNI law, which would have empowered intelligence agents to arrest journalists who refused to disclose their sources.
4. The U.S. Department of State documented attacks, imprisonment, and intimidation of Dominican journalists in its 2024 Human Rights Report.
5. The U.S. Embassy issued a public statement in defense of freedom of expression and social media, with a direct allusion to the Latin American context.
Luis Abinader rode social media all the way to the presidency. The Green March, citizen-shot videos exposing corruption, independent digital communicators who held the PLD accountable for years — all of it built the political scaffolding that lifted him to power. Without digital freedom of expression, Abinader is not president. And precisely because he knows that, what came next is unforgivable.
«He used freedom of expression as a ladder. Once he reached the top, he tried to pull it up behind him.»
«A government that needs eight laws to silence its people is not governing. It is afraid.»
In the digital age, global power is also measured in platforms. The United States built much of its soft power through companies like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and X now pillars of its digital economy and the free flow of ideas. When governments promote laws to silence communicators and control social media, they do not only restrict speech; they weaken the economic and cultural ecosystem that sustains U.S. influence.
For powers such as China, Russia, Iran, and networks aligned with them like Hezbollah, a fragmented and censored internet creates strategic advantages. Every restriction on Western platforms erodes American influence and opens space for authoritarian models of information control. In that silent battle over information, digital censorship is not merely a local issue it is geopolitics
Researcher's assessment:
⚠ RESEARCHER'S NOTE: In researcher Kapulett's view, the sum of these facts constitutes a systematic pattern of restriction on digital freedom of expression. This assessment is political and journalistic in nature, not legal, and readers are invited to consult each primary source independently and draw their own conclusions.
— — —
All sources cited in this article are publicly available as of the date of publication. The researcher invites any individual, institution, or official named herein to submit documented corrections.
© 2026 Luis Cabrera (Kapulett) — Published under open-access journalism principles.
0 Comments