The environmentalist recalled, in statements to El Inmobiliario, that no segment of the coasts of the national territory can be privatized, only from 60 meters inland.
SANTO DOMINGO – The official announcement of the existence of a “private beach” at the newly inaugurated Santo Domingo Bay Convention Resort & Casino directly contravenes the Constitution and Law 6400 , which guarantee the public and inalienable nature of beaches in the Dominican Republic, according to environmentalist Domingo Abreu.
“The use of beaches by the public is clearly established both in the Constitution and in Law 6400, so there is no legal possibility of prohibiting public access to any segment of the Boca Chica beach,” Abreu stated, recalling that the regulations protect from the shoreline up to 60 meters inland.
The specialist emphasized that beaches like Boca Chica, Andrés and La Caleta have historically been spaces for common use and popular recreation landmarks for the residents of the capital.
a business model to hotel owners in which tourists interact and share with local communities, enriching their experience. “Rather than promoting exclusivity, hotels should organize programs to foster interaction between tourists and locals. That would be more effective than telling them their beach is private,” he added.
Abreu's statement comes after the official inauguration of the hotel complex, led by President Luis Abinader, the Minister of Tourism, David Collado, and the Hidalgo family of the Globalia hotel chain, where the investment of more than 48 million dollars a private beach was officially announced
The environmentalist insisted that the true focus of Dominican tourism should be cultural and social integration: “The best thing the new owners can do is prepare a program to foster interaction between foreigners and Dominicans, so they can get to know each other. That measure would be more appealing and enriching for visitors than any exclusivity.”.
The Dominican Constitution, in Article 15 , establishes that beaches are public assets with free access and common use. Therefore, promoting a coastal area as “private” directly contravenes the legal framework and the principles of sovereignty over the coastline and sends the message that the State prioritizes corporate exclusivity over the citizens' rights established in the Constitution.
Various social and environmental sectors have long warned that the privatization of beaches erodes community access, limits popular recreation, and undermines the cultural identity of traditional seaside resorts.
Boca Chica, which has historically been recognized as the public beach of reference for the capital's residents, with this official announcement runs the risk of becoming a restricted enclave under the logic of the "new Caribbean luxury" that the resort promotes.
The reopening of the hotel, originally opened in 1950 and now operated by Globalia , is being presented as an icon of modernity and glamour. But the controversy surrounding the private beach places the project at the center of a larger question: can Dominican tourism grow by excluding its own citizens from access to the sea?
