Dominican Republic

Sports

Ex-MLB Players Octavio Dotel, Luis Castillo Cleared Of Drug Ring Allegations

4:24pm August 30, 2019

by Colin Dwyer

The former major leaguers headlined a list of suspects named in a huge drug trafficking bust by Dominican authorities. But a judge says there's not enough evidence. Dotel still faces a weapons charge.

Octavio Dotel, then a pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, seen during a 2007 game. Dominican Republic authorities arrested the former MLB player, saying both he and ex-infielder Luis Castillo were linked with an alleged drug trafficker.

Ex-MLB Players Luis Castillo, Octavio Dotel Linked To Alleged Dominican Drug Lord

7:05pm August 20, 2019

by Colin Dwyer

The Dominican attorney general said Tuesday that the former professional baseball players supported a drug running and money laundering network led by César Emilio Peralta.

A popular crosswalk in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Cases of rubella have been reported in Tokyo and other Japanese tourist destinations.

Disease Watch: What Global Travelers Should Know In Summer 2019

2:12pm June 28, 2019

by Christopher Elliott

From measles to yellow fever to just plain heat, there are lots of risks for tourists. Here's how to take stock of your vacation destination.

A tourist died unexpectedly after getting sick two months ago at the Hard Rock Hotel in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

World News

Another American Tourist Death Reported In The Dominican Republic

8:44pm June 24, 2019

by Dani Matias

At least eight Americans vacationing on the island have died since summer 2018. Vittorio Caruso of Glen Cove, N.Y., is reported to have died there this month.

Eddy Vladimir Feliz Garcia, the alleged getaway driver in the shooting of ex-Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, is escorted to court in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Sports

6 Suspects Detained In Shooting Of Former Baseball Star David Ortiz

8:10pm June 12, 2019

by Richard Gonzales

Dominican Republic authorities say security video footage indicates a plot to kill the popular retired slugger. Ortiz is reported to be recuperating in a Boston hospital where he was flown.

Panamanian Foreign Minister Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi toast after signing a joint statement on establishing diplomatic relations in June 2017 in Beijing.

World News

China Lures Taiwan's Latin American Allies

2:06pm October 13, 2018

by Carrie Kahn

The biggest bloc of Taiwan's few remaining world allies is in Central America and the Caribbean. But even that solidarity is splintering.

Queue Listen Now

Francisco Pierre, 90, a survivor of the 1937 massacre

World News

80 Years On, Dominicans And Haitians Revisit Painful Memories Of Parsley Massacre'

11:22am October 07, 2017

This week marks the anniversary of the 1937 massacre, in which Dominican soldiers targeted Haitians living near the Dominican-Haitian border. A team from NPR's Latino USA gathered survivors' memories.

A storefront of a New York City bodega from the 1950s or '60s.

National

New York City Bodegas And The Generations Who Love Them

6:01am March 10, 2017

by Hansi Lo Wang

Small grocery stores known as bodegas were once the cornerstones of New York City's Puerto Rican community. The industry has transitioned between ethnic groups, including now the Yemeni community.

People help each other across the river La Digue in Petit Goave, Haiti, on Wednesday, a day after Hurricane Matthew raked the island nation.

In Haiti, Slow Revelations About The Scale Of Hurricane Destruction

9:09pm October 06, 2016

by Rebecca Hersher

Hurricane Matthew drowned and battered the island nation on Tuesday. At least 283 people died and, more than 48 hours after the storm made landfall, many of the worst hit areas are still inaccessible.

A boy is ready to take a swing on the streets of San Pedro de Macoris, a provincial capital of the Dominican Republic.

Baseball Is A Field Of Dreams — And Dashed Hopes — For Dominicans

9:22am April 03, 2016

by David Lagesse

The Dominican Republic sends more players to MLB than any other country. That's a boon for the local economy — but it's also sparked controversy.