International
Abel Martínez, an experienced Dominican politician who seeks the return to power of the LDP
Abel Martínez arrives in the presidential elections of the Dominican Republic on May 19 after a valued administration as mayor of the city that saw him grow, Santiago (second in the country), from 2016 to 2024, and with the view to the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) returning to power.
At 52 years old and with a long political career behind him after obtaining his law degree, Martínez has this goal for the LDP, a formation that ruled the country first from 1996 to 2000 and later between 2004 and 2020, when he lost the general elections in the midst of an internal division and serious accusations of corruption.
Although the LDP remains the second Dominican political force, Martínez’s candidacy is, according to the polls, in a distant third place, behind that of the current president of the country Luis Abinader, of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), who heads the polls on voting intention, and former President Leonel Fernández, of the People’s Force.
This lawyer, educator and politician has 25 years of experience. He began in 1999 with the position of prosecutor of Santiago and continued as a deputy for 14 years.
Martínez, the youngest of fifteen siblings, continued his promotion to all sectors of the politics of the Dominican Republic and, in 2010, began to hold the Presidency of the Chamber of Deputies, becoming the youngest of the holders of any Parliament on the continent at that time.
He stood out for his role in legislative decisions such as the approval of laws that contribute to the strengthening of transparency in public administration and democracy, the Arms Control Law or the Civil Code.
In 2016, considered one of the most important politicians in his province, he accepted the position of mayor in Santiago. A city declared in a health and environmental emergency that during the eight years of his term (he was re-elected in 2020) has significantly improved its conditions.
In fact, in statements to EFE, he said that his eight years as a manager of the municipality turned Santiago, “which was a stray city” into “a model of municipal management.”
The experience and “those positive results” in 24 years of public service have led Martínez to aspire to the Presidency, “and more in the situation that is in the Dominican Republic, that he needs a manager, that he needs results, who needs action, but, above all, that he needs a concrete plan that is carried out, not beautiful words,” he added.
To achieve the transition from mayor to president of the Republic, Martínez elaborated a series of proposals with the objective of the LDP to regovern the country as it already did before its defeat in the hands of the PRM in 2020.
The creation of three security rings to provide an immediate response to crime, the ‘Patria Segura’ program to control the border area with Haiti; the ‘Seed Capital’ plan, which would consist of giving incentives of 300,000 Dominican pesos to high school graduates for their university studies (about $5,000) or the ‘Zero Debt’ initiative, to eliminate loans to banking institutions, are some of his proposals.
International
Trump Orders Construction of New ‘Golden Fleet’ to Revitalize U.S. Naval Superiority
President Donald Trump issued an executive order this Monday for the immediate construction of two new warships that will bear his name. These vessels will be the pioneers of what he described as the “Golden Fleet,” a future generation of “Trump-class” battleships that he claimed would be “100 times more powerful” than those currently in service.
The announcement took place at his private residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. The President indicated that following the initial two ships, the administration aims to commission up to 25 additional vessels. He is scheduled to meet with Florida-based contractors next week to expedite production, criticizing existing defense firms for failing to deliver results efficiently.
This naval expansion is a cornerstone of Trump’s goal to revitalized the American shipbuilding industry and address the strategic gap between the U.S. and competitors like China.
The move comes amid heightened geopolitical tension. Just last week, Trump ordered the seizure of all sanctioned tankers involved with Venezuela’s “ghost fleet” to cripple the country’s crude oil industry. Since December 10, the U.S. military—deployed in the Caribbean under the guise of counter-narcotics operations—has already detained two tankers linked to Venezuelan oil transport.
International
U.S. Judge Blocks ICE from Re-detaining Salvadoran Erroneously Deported Under Trump Administration
A U.S. federal judge ruled this Monday, December 22, that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is prohibited from re-detaining Salvadoran national Kilmar Ábrego García, who was erroneously deported to El Salvador earlier this year during the administration of President Donald Trump.
During a hearing in Maryland, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ruled that Ábrego García must remain free on bail through the Christmas holidays, concluding that his initial detention lacked a legal basis. The ruling follows a request from his legal team for a temporary restraining order to prevent ICE from carrying out a new arrest.
Earlier this month, on December 11, Judge Xinis ordered his release from a Pennsylvania migrant detention center after determining that the government had detained him without a formal deportation order. In 2019, an immigration judge had already ruled that Ábrego could not be returned to El Salvador because his life was in danger.
Despite that protection, Ábrego García was deported in March 2025 following a raid by the Trump administration. Officials argued at the time that he was a gang member, and he was sent directly to the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT) in El Salvador. In June, he was returned to the United States to face a new trial for alleged human smuggling—a charge he denies.
On Monday, Judge Xinis also temporarily invalidated a new deportation order issued by an immigration judge following Ábrego’s recent release, granting him legal protection through the coming weeks. His trial is scheduled to begin in Tennessee in January 2026.
International
Fire at substation triggers major blackout in San Francisco
The U.S. city of San Francisco was plunged into darkness Saturday night after a power outage left about 130,000 customers without electricity, although the utility company said service was restored to most users within hours.
Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) said in a statement posted on X that nearly 90,000 homes had their power restored by 9:00 p.m. local time (05:00 GMT on Sunday), while the remaining 40,000 customers were expected to have service restored overnight.
Large areas of the city, a major technology hub with a population of around 800,000, were affected by the blackout, which disrupted public transportation and left traffic lights out of service during the busy weekend before Christmas, a crucial period for retail businesses.
“I know it’s been a difficult day,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a video posted on social media from the city’s emergency operations center. “There has been progress, but for those still without power, we want to make sure they are safe and checking in on their neighbors,” he added.
Lurie said police officers and firefighters advised residents to stay home as much as possible. He also noted that officers and traffic inspectors were deployed to manage intersections where traffic lights were not functioning.
The mayor confirmed that the outage was caused by a fire at an electrical substation. Parts of the city were also covered in fog, further complicating conditions during the incident.
As a result of the blackout, many businesses were forced to close despite it being the weekend before Christmas. The sudden drop in shopper traffic ahead of the holiday is “devastating” for retailers, the manager of home goods store Black & Gold told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Trump Orders Construction of New ‘Golden Fleet’ to Revitalize U.S. Naval Superiority
U.S. Judge Blocks ICE from Re-detaining Salvadoran Erroneously Deported Under Trump Administration
Fire at substation triggers major blackout in San Francisco
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