SANTO DOMINGO.- With the start of Holy Week, the Dominican State activated one of its largest prevention and security operations, in response to the high flow of people that are already beginning to move to different parts of the country.
President Luis Abinader led the launch of the "Protect and Serve Holy Week 2026" operation on Tuesday, March 31, a strategy that includes the deployment of thousands of agents on highways, beaches, resorts and tourist centers nationwide.
According to the Presidency of the Dominican Republic, the operation is part of the Government's coordinated actions to reinforce security, prevention and response capacity during the Holy Week holiday.
A nationwide deployment
The operation includes the mobilization of 25,000 police officers and 10,000 members of the Armed Forces, focused on patrolling, surveillance and control in high-concentration areas.
In parallel, the Emergency Operations Center (COE) launched its "Awareness for Life, Holy Week 2026" operation, which integrates more than 51,000 collaborators and volunteers including brigade members, doctors, paramedics and rescue personnel.
The roads, under surveillance
According to the press release from the Presidency, the first point of action of the COE is concentrated on the toll at kilometer 32 of the Duarte highway, one of the main exits to the interior of the country, where a progressive increase in traffic is already being recorded.
He explains that from there, guidance teams began to intervene directly with drivers, seeking to reduce road incidents, which usually top the emergency statistics during the holiday.
He adds that the operation includes more than 3,000 first aid stations, as well as ambulances, rapid response units, helicopters, cranes and roadside assistance, distributed at strategic points throughout the country.
Prevention at the heart of the operation
The director of the COE, Juan Manuel Méndez García, reiterated that the main objective is to preserve lives, with emphasis on the prevention of traffic accidents, drowning, and alcohol and food poisoning.
A shared responsibility
Authorities specify that in addition to surveillance and assistance, the operation includes addressing social situations that tend to increase during holiday periods, such as domestic violence, within a broader security approach.
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