Dominican Republic Politics
Key Facts
·Who. Román Jáquez Liranzo, head of the Dominican Republic’s electoral board, the Junta Central Electoral (JCE).
·What. He warned that artificial intelligence (AI) can spread manipulated content and weaken trust in elections.
·Where. Opening of a meeting of 35 electoral bodies from 25 countries in Santo Domingo, Wednesday 11 November 2026.
·Next. Working sessions run on Thursday 12 and Friday 13 November.
·As of 12 November 2026, 07:30 GMT
The president of the Dominican Republic’s electoral board warned on Wednesday 11 November 2026 that artificial intelligence (AI) can make it easier to spread manipulated content that confuses voters. Román Jáquez Liranzo heads the Junta Central Electoral (JCE), the body that runs Dominican elections, and spoke as Santo Domingo opened a meeting of election authorities from across the Americas.
For US readers the warning is familiar, since fake audio and video are a worry in American campaigns too. The Dominican Republic also counts voters abroad, including in the United States.
What the JCE President Said
Jáquez Liranzo told the opening session that AI needs close attention because it can be used to spread false information. He asked electoral bodies to give verifiable information, keep oversight mechanisms in place and fully respect freedom of expression.
He also said AI is not only a threat, because it can improve the services electoral bodies offer, and that adopting new technology is not the same as building public trust. Trust, he argued, is earned day by day, not through technology alone.
Who Is in the Room
The meeting is the 19th Inter-American Meeting of Electoral Authorities, organised by the Organization of American States (OAS) and the JCE with support from the governments of Canada and Switzerland. Representatives of 35 electoral bodies from 25 countries are attending.
Gerardo de Icaza, who directs the OAS department for electoral cooperation and observation, said democracies face political polarisation, public distrust and pressure on electoral institutions. The OAS says its election-observation missions have fielded 726 observers and specialists in 15 electoral processes in nine countries in 2026.
Sessions on Thursday 12 and Friday 13 November cover political financing including digital assets such as cryptocurrencies, the security of election technology and strategies against disinformation. No conclusions had been published as of 12 November.
What the JCE Is Doing
Jáquez Liranzo said the JCE’s full board approved a Summit for Electoral Integrity and Democratic Equity, a forum for dialogue with political parties and civil society. After the municipal elections of February 2024, the JCE responded to the recommendations of the OAS observation mission with improvements ahead of the May 2024 national elections.
What Is Not Known
No new Dominican rule on AI-generated campaign content was announced at the opening session. The date of the planned integrity summit is also not yet public.
What It Means for You
For anyone following Caribbean politics from the United States, the meeting puts manipulated media on the agenda of the region’s election bodies, alongside political funding and polarisation. Two checkpoints matter: what the sessions on 12 and 13 November produce, and when the JCE sets the date for its integrity summit.
Related Dominican political coverage includes our report on the Dominican Liberation Party’s feud over its 2028 candidate and our report on the Supreme Court judge selection. Wider coverage is on our Dominican Republic news page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the Dominican electoral board warn about?
Its president, Román Jáquez Liranzo, warned on 11 November 2026 that AI can spread manipulated content that confuses voters. He asked for verifiable information and respect for free speech.
What is the JCE?
The Junta Central Electoral is the Dominican body that organises and runs the country’s elections. Its president is Román Jáquez Liranzo.
Which countries are at the meeting?
Representatives of 35 electoral bodies from 25 countries are attending the OAS and JCE meeting in Santo Domingo. It runs to Friday 13 November.
Sources
Junta Central Electoral of the Dominican Republic and Organization of American States, statements at the opening of the 19th Inter-American Meeting of Electoral Authorities, Santo Domingo, 11 November 2026. Photo: Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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