Summary
On June 5, 2025, Congresswoman Llaniris Espinal submitted a bill to the Chamber of Deputies that would criminalize ecocide and mandate environmental restoration for damages in the Dominican Republic. Among its provisions, the bill establishes penalties of up to 20 years in prison for individuals who cause serious or irreversible damage to the country’s ecosystems, deters ecocide through imposing financial fines, prohibits particular extractive activities in certain areas, creates a sustainability fund, compensates individuals displaced by ecocide, and outlines community participation in managing protected areas.
Beyond stipulations on ecocide, the bill establishes a new protected area, the Manolo Tavárez Justo National Park. The area consists of over 350 square kilometers between the provinces of Santiago and Santiago Rodriguez, including the historic Las Manaclas route. According to Congresswoman Llaniris Espinal, the objective of the park is to preserve this territory as natural and cultural heritage while recognizing efforts toward environmental justice by Manolo Tavárez Justo.
Suggested Citation:
Kauffman, Craig, Catherine Haas, Alex Putzer, Shrishtee Bajpai, Kelsey Leonard, Elizabeth Macpherson, Pamela Martin, Alessandro Pelizzon & Linda Sheehan. Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. V2. 2025. Distributed by the Eco Jurisprudence Monitor.https://ecojurisprudence.org/initiatives/dominican-republic-bill-to-criminalize-ecocide/.
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