The new direction returned to the center of political debate this Saturday, when Leonel Fernández stated that the country is experiencing a visible setback and that the Dominican Republic needs a different path leading up to 2028.
New direction and political message from Leonel Fernández
During a swearing-in ceremony in Santo Domingo, the president of Fuerza del Pueblo swore in former PLD leader Omar Guevara and the Nuevo Rumbo movement, a structure that will integrate into the work of that organization’s external sector. In his speech, Fernández maintained that the new direction responds to the discontent that, as he said, broad sectors feel over official promises that have not been fulfilled.
The former president stated that this wear and tear is expressed in sensitive areas such as electricity, drinking water, education, health, transportation, and citizen security. He also linked his criticisms to works announced using resources from the Aerodom contract and to road interventions which, according to his version, have not progressed at the promised pace.
“The setback is perceived everywhere,” Fernández said while defending the need for a new direction that, in his view, will restore confidence to the electorate and order to public management.
New direction in the strategy of Fuerza del Pueblo
The swearing-in was presented as a sign of territorial expansion for Fuerza del Pueblo. Fernández highlighted that Guevara did not arrive alone, but with a base of leaders and sympathizers who, he affirmed, will reinforce the party’s political structure in different provinces and constituencies.
Guevara, who was a member of the PLD Central Directorate and ran for deputy for constituency 2 of the National District, assured that his incorporation is not individual, but collective, and that Nuevo Rumbo is joining to support the project headed by Fernández. Spokeswomen for the women’s and youth sectors also spoke at the event, with messages aimed at expanding the party’s presence among new voters.
Fernández’s speech relied on a comparison with his 1996 campaign, when he spoke of replacing water jars with refrigerators and wood stoves with gas stoves. This time, he stated, the problem is no longer access to those goods, but their economic deterioration: unlit stoves and empty refrigerators. The approach seeks to connect with the cost of living and the perception of economic pressure in households.
New direction, promises, and governmental wear and tear
In political terms, the message aims to capitalize on disenchantment with the current administration and position the new direction as the axis of an early campaign. Fuerza del Pueblo attempts to consolidate alliances, add mid-level cadres, and expand its external presence ahead of the next electoral cycle.
The immediate interpretation of the event is clear: Fernández seeks to project organizational capacity, attract experienced structures, and reinforce the idea that the opposition can become an alternative to power. Within this framework, the new direction functioned not only as a slogan, but as a narrative axis for a message of rupture with the present and a return to the promise of change.
With the swearing-in of Nuevo Rumbo, Fernández insisted that the country needs a new direction for 2028, while his organization attempts to turn social discontent into political capital. That was the central message left by the event, both for the leadership and for the grassroots now joining Fuerza del Pueblo.
