UTRECHT | March 6, 2026 – The Dominican courts must urgently overturn the amparo decision issued by the Superior Administrative Court (TSA) ordering the reduction of protected areas in Jaragua National Park in the Dominican Republic, which is part of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, to make way for private tourism development projects, the Global Forest Coalition said today. The ruling was issued on 20 November 2025, but was only made public in February 2026.
The decision, which favors a private infrastructure development and real estate investment consortium, violates the Dominican Constitution (articles 16 and 6), the General Environmental Law, and the Sectoral Law on Protected Areas. It also jeopardizes the National System of Protected Areas. Based on these violations, as well as anomalies and a lack of transparency in the process, the Supreme Court of Justice and the Constitutional Court of the Dominican Republic must overturn the ruling. This demand for annulment is supported by the country’s environmental movement and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
“Jaragua National Park is one of the largest protected areas in the Caribbean and is home to forests with high levels of biodiversity, much of which is endangered or threatened. More than 70,000 hectares of forest would be impacted for the benefit of predatory tourism,” said Darío Solano, coordinator of Red Afros and member of the Board of Directors of the Global Forest Coalition (GFC). “This ruling, in addition to being unconstitutional, violates international commitments to protect biodiversity and fight climate change. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework clearly sets a target to effectively conserve forest ecosystems, waters, and coastal and marine areas. We have also made commitments to achieve greater coherence in climate action, so this decision is a serious setback.”
In the Dominican Republic, changing the size of a national park requires the approval of an organic law by two-thirds of the National Congress. “This ruling could set a terrible precedent for further land grabbing, rights violations, and the degradation of marine areas and natural ecosystems. At a time of profound climate crisis and record global warming temperatures, this ruling is an attack on life,” warned Solano.
“We view this court ruling with great concern. Mass and elite tourism, often promoted as a catalyst for economic development and environmental conservation, can have irreversible impacts on Indigenous Peoples, local communities, Afrodescendant communities, women, youth, and ecosystems,” said Kwami Kpondzo, coordinator of GFC’s Extractive Industries, Tourism, and Infrastructure Campaign.
“Protected areas, as a conservation model that emerged under colonialist and patriarchal logic, can already lead to forced displacement and theft of ancestral lands, but this decision shows that even the legal framework can be vulnerable when it comes to defending corporate interests. We must decolonize conservation, confront corporate elites, and prioritize Indigenous and community sovereignty.” The GFC urges the Superior Administrative Court (TSA) and all competent bodies in the Dominican Republic to act expeditiously to suspend this ruling, guarantee environmental protection, promote climate justice, and respect national laws, international commitments, and community rights.
