Consul Vásquez Martínez reaffirms Dominican leadership at the U.S. Capitol

Washington. The Dominican diaspora dressed up this Wednesday to celebrate in grand fashion the most renowned event for the community, Dominicans in the Capitol (Dominicans on the Hill 2026), promoted by Congressman Adriano Espaillat, an event that has counted on the solidarity and participation of the Dominican consul in New York, Jesús Vásquez Martínez (Chu), and a host of elected officials of Dominican origin, such as State Representative for Philadelphia’s 197th District, Danilo Burgos, among others.

Dominican leadership headed the eighth edition of Dominicans on the Hill 2026 at the United States Capitol, in a gathering that once again placed the Dominican diaspora at the center of the institutional and political debate in Washington.

Since its first editions, Dominicans on the Hill has consolidated itself as a visibility platform for a community that exceeds two million people in U.S. territory, with strong roots in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Florida. In this eighth edition, the central message once again revolved around cultural pride, civic participation, and the strengthening of ties between the United States and the Dominican Republic.

On his official X account, Espaillat welcomed participants with a brief but symbolic message. “Welcome to the 8th Annual Dominicans on the Hill, a celebration of our culture, pride, and community.” With that phrase, the congressman underscored the identity-driven nature of the gathering and his intention to project Dominican identity beyond folklore, toward the sphere of political influence and institutional articulation.

The Consul General of the Dominican Republic in New York, Jesús Vásquez Martínez, also participated in the event. On X, he thanked Espaillat for the space of representation and highlighted the presentation made by Lorenzo Ramírez about the new Dominican passport and its benefits, describing it as valuable for the community.

During his formal address before members of Congress, authorities, and community leaders, Vásquez Martínez focused his speech on a vision of consular management based on excellence, identity, and effective connection between the diaspora and the country of origin.

He presented as the main pillar the program Orígenes de la Excelencia, an initiative created to recognize and accompany outstanding Dominican youth in the educational system of the State of New York.

As he explained, in its first edition the program recognized thirty students for their academic performance, community leadership, and artistic or athletic talent. Beyond symbolic recognition, the project included a trip to the Dominican Republic, where the young participants were received at the National Palace by President Luis Abinader and held meetings with public and private institutions. For many, he said, it was a reunion with their parents’ homeland; for others, the discovery of a country that also belongs to them.

The consul also expressed the intention to develop a reverse exchange, bringing outstanding students and professors from the Dominican Republic to New York, with the purpose of fostering academic cooperation and projecting Dominican talent on international stages.

In the area of community recognition, he highlighted the creation of the Doctor Rafael Lantigua Award, conceived to honor the trajectory of successful Dominicans in New York and to provide role models for new generations. He also outlined administrative measures aimed at modernizing and humanizing the consulate, including the expansion of services on weekends, the reduction of processing times for dual citizenship, and the obtaining of authorization from the U.S. Department of State to provide consular services in the Bronx and Long Island.

The speech concluded with a reaffirmation of the consulate’s role as a living extension of the Dominican Republic abroad and a call to consolidate policies that recognize the strategic value of the diaspora.

In the context of an increasingly debated migration policy in Washington and an electoral landscape that is redefining alliances and discourse, Dominicans on the Hill once again served as a reminder that the Dominican community is not only part of the American social fabric, but also an actor with its own voice in the legislative and diplomatic arena.