The battle for sand: Murders, impunity and environmental destruction in the Dominican Republic

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A dry stretch of the Nizao River, in the community of El Roblegal, in the Dominican city of Baní.

Like something out of an old Western, an empty shack guards the entrance to the Nizao River. This particular stretch runs through El Roblegal, in the Baní municipality, located in the southern Dominican Republic. Sometimes, residents say, an armed guard controls the passage and only allows trucks and heavy machinery to enter. Around 25 dump trucks enter and leave, loaded with sand and gravel, to be used for construction. They raise a cloud of dust among stones and stagnant puddles. It’s evidence of an ecocide that is slowly causing the river to disappear.

Luis Carvajal is a biologist and coordinator of the Environmental Commission at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD). He’s also a member of the Dominican Academy of Sciences. For years, Carvajal has documented the devastation of rivers by commercial interests and permissive authorities.

Years of uncontrolled extraction of materials have dried up the Nizao River.

Manuel Antonio Nina, environmental defender.

Relatives of Francisco Ortiz, who was murdered in April of 2024 after opposing sand extraction from the Tireo River.

Patricia Abreu is the executive director of the Santo Domingo Water Fund (FASD). This organization promotes watershed protection and access to water as a human right.

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