Democracy & Diplomacy: The Dominican Republic condemned Nicaragua’s Ortega after he said there will be “no more elections,” calling it a rejection of representative democracy and urging Nicaraguans’ right to competitive polls. Climate & Energy Costs: Industry groups warn climate change is already hitting the economy—energy resilience is now framed as a budget and competitiveness issue, with projections of major GDP losses without adaptation. Anti-Corruption & Oversight: President Abinader created a Citizen Oversight Commission for the DO Sostenible solid-waste trust, aiming to boost transparency through public monitoring and recommendations. Justice & Criminal Law: The Senate approved urgent Penal Code amendments, clearing the way for a new legal framework; separately, a man sentenced to 30 years claims he was convicted without proof and asks for a case review. Cross-Border Crime Fight: DR and Chile signed a bilateral deal to form a Joint Investigation Team targeting trafficking, migrant smuggling, money laundering, and corruption. Haiti Security: Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez met Haiti’s Gang Suppression Force representative to discuss deployment and next steps to strengthen operations. Sports & State Capacity: With the CAC Games opening July 24, Abinader is set to attend the inauguration, while venues are declared ready and delegations continue arriving. Migration Enforcement (Regional): U.S. CBP and Border Patrol, with local partners, detained 37 migrants in two maritime smuggling interdictions off Puerto Rico.