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El Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración de Santiago al atardecer, al final de una avenida flanqueada por palmeras, con ciudadanos a distancia
El Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración, en Santiago, escenario del anuncio del giro político del movimiento. · Imagen generada para EPM

Dominican Ancient Order Announces Shift Toward Political Participation

Ángelo Alexander Vásquez Hernández announced in Santiago that the Dominican Ancient Order will seek political participation after 17 years of social activism…

--- The context --- The Antigua Orden Dominicana, known in English as the Dominican Ancient Order, has spent 17 years in social activism in the Dominican Republic, staging mobilizations focused on migration policy and national affairs. Throughout that period, the movement operated outside formal institutions, calling marches and public gatherings to press for the changes it demands for the country. --- The facts --- On Tuesday, beside the Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration in Santiago, its leader, Ángelo Alexander Vásquez Hernández, announced that the movement will shift toward political participation because social struggle alone was not enough to achieve the proposed transformations. The announcement followed the suspension of a march called by the organization. According to the leader, the suspended event was marked by threats of an alleged boycott. After 17 years of activism, he concluded that only by contesting power can transformations be driven forward, because those who govern decide migration policies and other national matters. --- The positions --- Vásquez Hernández acknowledged, in reported speech, that he had been wrong for 17 years in thinking things could change outside politics. He also criticized the handling of migration policy and accused political and business sectors of responsibility for the situation the organization denounces, without presenting evidence to support those claims, which therefore remain attributed and unverified accusations. The leader defended the mobilizations led by the group, said the movement has faced difficulties obtaining media coverage, and called on his followers to back the initiative. He also denied that the shift responds to agreements with officials or political leaders. --- What remains unknown --- The political structure the organization intends to build and the mechanism through which it would formally take part in electoral processes have not yet been specified. The source also does not specify deadlines or requirements for the announced signature drive, nor the scope of the new gatherings the organization says it will announce in different sectors of Santo Domingo, including the Cristo Rey community. --- Unanswered questions --- Under what legal form will the organization compete in elections? How many signatures must it gather and before which authority will it file them? What electoral rules must it meet before registering candidates? How will it ensure its accusations are supported by verifiable evidence? --- EPM analysis --- Moving from protest to electoral competition subjects the movement to clear rules: formal registration, transparent financing, and verification of citizen support. That institutional path can channel demands that mobilization alone did not transform, but it also requires answering to voters and authorities with evidence, concrete programs, and public accountability for every claim made during a campaign. 📌 EPM Take: In EPM's view, the announced shift deserves attention because it moves a social demand into the arena where public policies are decided, and that transition strengthens citizen participation when carried out under clear rules. The immediate requirement is twofold: the organization must specify its structure, its electoral mechanism, and its deadlines, and every accusation against political or business sectors must be presented with checkable evidence. Without that transparency, the announcement remains a gesture; with it, Dominican voters can evaluate the proposal on equal democratic terms.
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