Dominican Republic: Leonel Fernández accuses the government of “demagoguery” over rice and of causing an “international humiliation”

Santiago, Dominican Republic — Former president Leonel Fernández accused the government of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) on Saturday of acting with “demagoguery” by trying to make rice producers believe they were protected by a presidential decree that was legally vulnerable under DR-CAFTA, a decision that, he said, ended up placing the Dominican Republic in a situation of “international humiliation.”

Fernández, president of the People's Force party, made the remarks while answering reporters' questions during his schedule of activities in Santiago, where he argued that the authorities adopted measures that led United States trade representatives to demand the repeal of a decree related to protecting domestic rice production.

“This government led us to national shame, creating the conditions for outsiders to demand the repeal of that decree,” the former president said, according to the report of his remarks.

Fernández argued that during 2024 the government authorized a considerable increase in tariff-free rice imports, from about 500,000 quintals normally imported to more than four million quintals, from countries such as Pakistan and Uruguay, among others.

He explained that, despite knowing that the tariff elimination for rice under DR-CAFTA would take effect in January 2025, the executive branch issued a decree intended to make domestic producers believe they were protected from imports, even though a presidential decree could not override obligations the country assumed through an international treaty.

The People's Force leader said recent statements by the United States ambassador about her country's willingness to discuss rice import conditions show that diplomatic mechanisms existed to address the problem without reaching the confrontation scenario he attributed to the government's decisions. He insisted on seeking, through dialogue with the United States, conditions that preserve Dominican rice production, given its economic and social importance for thousands of producers and workers.

The remarks came before a meeting with the board of the Cibao Housing Developers and Builders Association (APROCOVICI), at the Edificio Empresarial, as part of a three-day agenda Fernández is carrying out in Santiago from Friday, October 30, through Sunday, November 1.

Photo: MiradaRD

Source: MiradaRD