SANTO DOMINGO. – Environmentalist Luis Carvajal, a member of the Environmental Commission of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), warned that any reference to “ private beach” in tourism projects constitutes a direct violation of the Constitution of the Republic and current environmental legislation.
The press release announcing the opening of the renovated Santo Domingo Bay Convention Resort & Casino in Boca Chica clearly states that among its attractions is a "private beach," as reported by the local press that covered the opening ceremony.
Carvajal explained that Dominican law clearly establishes the public nature of beaches and the coastal strip. “It is important to know that any term referring to a beach as private constitutes a violation of the Constitution of the Republic, Law 305-68, and the Environmental Law 64-00,” he stated.
The environmentalist specified that both the Constitution and sectoral laws declare the first 60 meters of the coastal strip inalienable, imprescriptible and unseizable.
“The Constitution, Law 305-68, and the Environmental Law establish the mandatory public nature of the first 60 meters of the coastline. They are for open and public use. When a hotel speaks of a private beach, it is admitting or revealing a serious violation,” he stated in declarations to El Inmobiliario.
Carvajal warned that the seriousness increases when these types of statements appear in official documents or institutional communications. “If that appears in a public document, the officials of the institutions involved in that process become liable to sanctions for violating the Constitution,” he stated.
The environmentalist was consulted by this media outlet following the press release issued on the occasion of the inauguration of the Santo Domingo Bay Convention Resort & Casino, an event led by President Luis Abinader, which highlights a “private beach” among the facilities of the complex.
For Carvajal, this type of formulation reinforces a narrative that has historically attempted to normalize the privatization of common goods.
“We firmly oppose, from both the environmental and social movements, any attempt to privatize beaches and coastlines,” he emphasized.
Beaches in the Dominican Republic are considered public domain property, so no tourism project can restrict access to them or claim ownership, even if concessions or permits exist for hotel use in adjacent areas.
