Diario Libre reports at least 145 people killed by Dominican police in January-July 2026, per police statistics; legal groups call for independent investigations of each death
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Diario Libre reported on August 4, 2026, citing National Police crime statistics, that at least 145 people died at the hands of police officers in the first seven months of 2026, most presented as deaths after alleged exchanges of fire. A separate Diario Libre report on Oct. 1, 2026 cited 142 deaths in alleged shootouts. The Rio Times reported a higher figure, at least 182 through the end of September (including 45 deaths between Sept. 1 and 25, with only three of the dead on the police's public fugitive list), and attributed it to Diario Libre's database; Diario Libre's own pages do not show that figure, so it is unverified and counts differ by source. On Oct. 1 the Dominican Institute of Criminal Law asked President Luis Abinader for a ceasefire and asked the attorney general and interior minister to order independent investigations of each alleged shootout, and the justice foundation Finjus said fighting crime does not justify executions. Only the Public Prosecutor's Office can open such investigations, and no independent review had been reported. Vice President Raquel Peña said people who set out to commit crimes must face the consequences, and Interior Minister Faride Raful denied shootouts are state policy.
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