It is a question that resonates in various circles of Saint Dominic. From congressional seats, business and legal offices, to the homes of wealthy families. Students, entrepreneurs and aspiring vacationers in the so-called “Motherland” also share this concern, accompanied by endless speculation.
Rejections and controversies in the granting of visas
Since the arrival of Jorge Cabezas Fontanilla as consul general last September, the rejections of visas Schengen with entry through Spain have multiplied, generating anger and indignation among applicants who claim to meet the requirements of the Schengen area: a free movement area in Europe that allows citizens of its member countries to Travel without internal border controls.
Cabezas Fontanilla, a former military man with a diplomatic career, has implemented an approach that many perceive as a “new parameter” or even a prejudice towards the economic and social profiles of applicants born in the Dominican Republic. This theory, widely shared by those affected and their loved ones, has generated controversy.
5
It is the number of Latin American countries whose citizens need a Schengen visa to Travel to Europe. Along with the Dominican Republic, there are Bolivia, Ecuador, Cuba and Haiti.
The reputed consultant in communication Melvin Peña, interviewed by Free Diary After learning that he had lost the opportunity to participate in an event in Madrid, a place to which he traveled regularly, he gave a name and surname to one of the situations faced by the Dominicans in the consulate. “As I previously traveled to Spain without problems, I bought a ticket more than a month in advance for an academic event I would attend, invited by the Ateneo de Madrid. But I never got an appointment in 30 consecutive days of efforts: the portal is inconsistent, “BLS (Spain Visa Application Center) was ineffective and the consulate ignored efforts made even from Madrid. I missed the Flight and gave up, despite paying for everything out of my pocket, money that finally stopped entering the Spanish economy.”
A consul to “put order”?
On the other hand, some defend consularguing that he was sent from Madrid to “bring order” to a consulate that was supposedly plagued by irregularitieswhere, it is alleged, people without meeting the requirements obtained visas thanks to his connections with consular staff.
In answer To the criticism, Cabezas Fontanilla has publicly denied the accusations. However, tensions reached the Senate of the Dominican Republic, where legislator Alexis Victoria Yeb denounced “abuse of functions” in the management of requests for visa.
intervention of Dominican Senate
The complaint motivated the 32 Dominican senators to send a letter to the Spanish ambassador in the country, Antonio Pérez-Hernández y Torre, in which they accused the consul to reject applications unjustifiably, alleging insufficient financial resources. According to sources of Free Diarythese rejections have forced dominican families to change the destiny of their vacation.
239,400
It was the number of Dominicans legally residing in Spain in 2023, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE). It is the second largest community among the Dominican diasporas.
Those affected include people with sufficient resources and a Travel history frequent international Flights, including families who usually Travel with caregivers for their children. However, the consulate’s new criteria discards these requests, alleging that certain professional profiles, such as nannies, do not meet the economic requirements to Travel to Europe.
Lawyers and other professionals, who previously received visas from multiple entries, have also had their permits reduced to a single entry for three months. “These are people who are going to spend their money in Spain,” criticizes a source who preferred to remain anonymous, questioning the rejection of people with economic solvency proven and an impeccable Travel history.
The past of Jorge Cabezas Fontanilla
The current controversy is not the first in Cabezas Fontanilla’s career. In 1996, during his time as subdelegate of the Government in Malaga, he was noted for his participation in the expulsion of 103 sub-Saharan immigrants, presumably sedated. This episode, widely documented in the newspaper archive of the newspaper El País, culminated in his resignation in 1998.
The foreign ministry says the problem has been remedied
In answer to a request for Free Diary on the issue and its impact on Dominican citizens, the ambassador Opinion DiazVice Minister for Consular and Immigration Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic, assured that as a result of the conversations they have had with the consulate “everything has gone for the better.”
As he explained, “in the consulate they had a bottleneck a few months ago, products from two medical licenses that two vice-consuls had, but they are now catching up.”
The vice minister recalled, however, that the issuance of visas is the responsibility of each country.
The reaction of consul Spanish to the situation was sought through a message sent to the email of the Spanish consulate (cog.santodomingo@maec.es), but at the close of this edition it had not been obtained answer to the consultation. Yes, one was received answer automatic where the message received is recorded. The consulate confirmed Free Diaryremained open and with part of its staff offering services on Friday, December 27, when the question was sent to the diplomat, and yesterday, Monday, December 30.
They also tried to talk with the dominican ambassador in Spain, Juan Bolívar Díaz, through his telephone, but it was not possible to contact him. The diplomat is outside the Iberian nation, as part of his vacation scheduled.
A pending solution
Two months after the letter from the senators that led to the meeting in the Dominican Foreign Ministry to resolve “the dispute”, the problem persists and the “diplomatic solution“continues to leave the initial question open, according to the testimonies that have reached this newspaper.
Meanwhile, another question begins to arise: will events continue as FITUR (the International Tourism Fair, based in Madrid, held every year in January) filling up with Dominican “influencers”?
On October 31, the Spanish Embassy issued a statement after meeting with representatives of the Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address the senators’ complaints. At the meeting, the requirements established by European Union regulations for obtaining a Schengen visa were explained and specific cases reported to the Senate were analyzed. In its statement, the embassy reiterated its commitment to offering the best possible service and stressed that Relations between Spain and the Dominican Republic have always been based on friendship, collaboration and dialogue.
