The community celebrates the arrival of electricity while maintaining two urgent demands on the table: the bridge that will take it out of physical isolation and the digital connectivity that integrates it into the country that is moving forward.
PADRE LAS CASAS, AZUA. – The community of El Gramaso, located at the top of the Central mountain range and bordering Constanza, now has electricity, after the commissioning of a solar generation system inaugurated by the Minister of Energy and Mines, Joel Santos, the first government Minister to visit this community.
The project benefits 81 families and the Vicente Cruz Victoriano Educational Center, impacting more than 300 people. Although the official statement mentions a community internet center, this has not been installed by Indotel, which promised connectivity primarily for the benefit of students.
The electrification was carried out by the Directorate of Rural and Suburban Electrification, DERS, with an investment of RD$8,955,950 and consists of a system with an installed capacity of 46.6 kilowatts peak, through 84 solar panels of 555 Wp, deep cycle batteries and internal electrical infrastructure.
Santos stated that bringing energy to this town is a step towards reducing historical gaps in remote areas and assured that the Bringing Light program will continue to expand in rural areas of the country.
With this intervention, El Gramaso ceases to be the last inhabited community in that mountainous strip without access to electricity, although infrastructure needs persist that its residents keep on the agenda before the authorities.
They are waiting for roads and a bridge
El Gramaso, located more than 45 kilometers from the urban center of Padre Las Casas and with complex access through mountain roads and crossing of tributaries, has maintained for years community demands related to the construction of its roads and a bridge to guarantee permanent connectivity and the improvement of rural roads.
The arrival of electricity comes amid these demands, considered a priority by residents who have reported limitations in basic services and difficulties communicating with the rest of the municipality. After years of negotiations, letters, and broken promises, the community finally turned on its lights.
In May 2025, news reports documented that the makeshift bridge over the tributary connecting to El Gramazo collapsed after a river surge, leaving the community isolated for weeks. Students and teachers were forced to cross on foot, navigating rocks and water, to attend classes, while farmers faced difficulties transporting their crops.
The poor condition of the rural roads exacerbates the situation. The access roads, described by residents as deteriorated, nearly impassable, and dangerous, turn any journey into an ordeal. In July 2025, dozens of community members from the Padre Las Casas mountain range formed a human chain to demand the repair of the road connecting the area to Constanza, as well as the construction of bridges and permanent road improvements.
The demand, therefore, is not limited to a specific structure. It is a sustained demand for basic infrastructure that guarantees continuous, safe, and dignified access. The arrival of electricity marks progress, but without decent roads and a permanent bridge, the community remains isolated every time the river rises.
“The electricity arrived, yes. But we are still trapped,” a resident summarizes.
They are also waiting for Indotel
Although the Government has promoted connectivity projects in the Southern region in recent years, through the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications, in this community there is no digital center, community Wi-Fi point or telecenter installed by the entity, although there is a promise of one.
In El Gramaso, the lack of connectivity has affected online English teaching, the possibility of training from Infotep, and the audiovisual support of educational programs.
Indotel has reported on fiber optic deployments, the connection of public institutions, and programs to reduce the digital divide in rural areas.
In this village, where electricity has just arrived and the bridge is still pending, they hope to have the digital connectivity that will allow their development.
While official announcements speak of technological expansion in the region, here students must travel to Constanza to access the internet, complete assignments, or carry out online procedures. The promise of digital transformation has not followed the same path as electricity.
And although the community celebrates the arrival of electricity, they still cross the river with fear when it rises and search for a signal where it's barely available. Without electricity, light alone isn't enough.
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