Fact Sheet

• President: Luis Abinader
• Capital: Santo Domingo  
• Population: 10.47 million 
• Language: Spanish 
• Government regime: Democratic Republic   
• GDP per capita: $7,268.19 
• Freedom level: 67/100

History of US-DR Relations

Christopher Columbus first set foot on the island of Hispaniola, which is now the D.R. and Haiti, in 1492. The island was colonized and split into two nations, Haiti in the west and the D.R. in the east, in 1697 by France and Spain, respectively. Haiti gained its independence from France in 1804, and conquered the Dominican Republic in 1822, ruling it for 22 years. In 1844, the Dominican Republic gained its independence from Haiti. In 1858, President Pedro Santana believed that re-annexing the D.R. to Spain would allow the country to thrive. This was a highly unpopular decision and the Dominicans revolted against Spain. From 1863 to 1865, the Dominican Restoration War took place against Spain, and the Dominicans retook the country.

The United States and the Dominican Republic (D.R.) began an official diplomatic relationship in 1884. At this time, the United States was primarily interested in the Dominican Republic as a stable, democratic trading partner. 

At this time the D.R.’s economy began to improve, but mainly through European loans, and the country accumulated a heavy debt burden which it was not able to pay back. The United States intervened on behalf of the D.R. because President Franklin D. Roosevelt was focused on maintaining influence in Latin America through the Roosevelt Corollary. He wanted to prevent European influence or occupation in Latin America due to the region’s proximity to the United States. He used what is now known as Big Stick Diplomacy – the idea that negotiating with countries and having a powerful, unspoken threat of military backing would keep European forces out of the region. Under this proposition, Roosevelt sent U.S. troops into the Dominican Republic and other Latin American and Caribbean countries, occupying the D.R. in 1916. This occupation was met with heavy criticism by the citizens of the Dominican Republic, leading the U.S. to leave in 1924.

From 1930 to 1960, Rafael Trujillo ruled as the Domincan Republic’s dictator and military strongman. His 1961 assassination led to a tumultuous period of military coups and civil unrest. The U.S. became concerned that a communist regime would emerge on the island. In April 1965, the U.S. sent 22,000 troops to the Dominican Republic, leading to the 1965 Dominican Republic civil war.

Since the end of the civil war, the Dominican Republic has been a relatively stable democracy and developed a stronger relationship with the United States. Although the nation still struggles with poverty and human rights violations, it has made steady progress and proved to be a strong ally of the U.S. in the region.

U.S. Strategic Interests in the D.R.

• Trade: The D.R. and U.S. recently signed the Dominican Republic Central America United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) in 2007. This trade agreement encompasses many countries in the region, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The goal under this agreement is to eradicate tariffs, allow trade to become more free and open, and give the countries more access to industrial and cultural products. When the agreement was signed in 2007, the D.R. exported 57.4% of its goods to the U.S. and imported 44.9% of its goods from theU.S.. Today, 53.8% of the Dominican Republic’s exports go to the U.S., while the 49.6% of D.R. imports come from the U.S.. The two countries’ proximity allows for cheap, efficient trade. 
• Security and the War on Drugs: Under the Obama Administration in 2010, the U.S. and the D.R. signed the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI). The CBSI’s primary goal is to provide funding to Caribbean countries to curb illegal drug trafficking, facilitate citizen safety, and encourage local governments and law enforcement agencies to prevent crime. In June 2021, Congress passed the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Authorization Act which approved $74.8 million USD to CBSI for each fiscal year between 2022 and 2026. The Dominican Republic is expected to get approximately 23% of that funding, which is the highest amount any country receives under this initiative. In past years, a significant portion of this funding has gone to officer training, public outreach, maritime responses, and other preventative measures within the Dominican Republic.