Americas Investment Forum 2026: Vice President Raquel Peña opened AIF 2026, pitching the Dominican Republic on macroeconomic stability and legal certainty, citing record FDI (over US$5B in 2025; US$1.54B in Q1 2026). Disaster readiness upgrade: President Abinader inaugurated the new CEMED emergency headquarters and delivered specialized equipment, boosting emergency response capacity with a RD$454.6M investment. Energy research ties: The DR and Mexico signed an agreement to strengthen energy and hydrocarbons research, training, and technology transfer. Tourism momentum: Tourism Minister David Collado reported 6.62M visitors in Jan–Jun 2026 (+7.7%), projecting 12M for the year. Construction costs squeeze: COPYMECON warned that inflation is hitting construction MSMEs hard, raising material, labor, equipment, and financing costs. Urban resilience study: PUCMM research found urban heat in Bayahibe is driven by building materials, facade colors, and vegetation—pointing to cooler, reflective surfaces and more greenery. Public safety case: The Public Ministry arrested a woman accused of kidnapping her husband during a dispute tied to a construction company in Santo Domingo East. Energy project scrutiny: A report alleges former Spanish Defense Minister José Bono appears as a shareholder in a firm linked to DR solar projects, which Bono denies. Tech reliability: Altice Dominicana said it continues working to fix mobile service intermittency. Seismic prevention push: INTEC’s seismic network urged microzoning and strict building compliance after the Venezuela quake discussion.