Leonel Fernández Strengthens Academic, Cultural, and Strategic Alliances During His Official Visit to Madrid

Madrid, April 2025 – Leonel Fernández, the former president of the Dominican Republic, and current president of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (FUNGLODE), completed an intense institutional agenda in Madrid which focused on expanding academic, cultural, and strategic cooperation between the Dominican Republic and Spain.

During his visit, President Fernández held key meetings with various organizations such as the National Library of Spain, the Institute for Stock Market Studies (IEB), and the Center for Political and Constitutional Studies. The goal was to sign agreements in areas such as postgraduate training, research, and democratic culture. He also met with the Spanish Association of Foundations (AEF) to consolidate collaboration networks between civil society organizations.

On the institutional front the president led an important meeting with the Board of Trustees of FUNGLODE Spain, aimed at evaluating the achievements of the first quarter of the year and planning new initiatives for the remainder of 2025. Although held on a Saturday, the event brought together important members of the Board such as Juan Luis Cebrián, Guillermo Sención, Manuel Estrella, José Espinal, Miguel Roig, and Félix Martínez, who shared their vision and proposals for the institutional strengthening of the Foundation in Europe.

One of the most significant meetings was the one with the Center for National Security Studies (CESN), where key topics such as cybersecurity, the protection of critical infrastructure, the development of anti-drone technology, and youth training in defense and crisis management were discussed.

General Guillermo Fermín, former chief of the Dominican National Police, also participated in this meeting to support strategic cooperation. As a result, guidelines were drawn up for the signing of a collaboration agreement that includes training activities, participation in industry fairs, and pilot programs on security and strategic analysis. He was accompanied by Representative Selinée Méndez, who agreed with Guillermo Fermín on the urgency of reviewing legislative and security protocols in Santo Domingo in response to similar connectivity failures.

Interestingly enough, President Fernández experienced firsthand the massive blackout that affected Madrid on Monday, April 29. In the middle of a meeting, the power outage and the loss of the mobile network disrupted all communication platforms.

During the blackout, President Fernández decided to walk through the Salamanca neighborhood to the Pérgamo bookstore, located near FUNGLODE España. On his way to the bookstore, he greeted residents who expressed concern about the collapse of the electricity situation and, with his usual warm nature and leadership, offered words of encouragement amid the uncertainty. The atmosphere was tense, but his presence calmed the unstable atmosphere created by the electricity situation.

Once inside the bookstore—the oldest in Madrid—the president humorously commented that “if this is an energy crisis, this is the safest place.” He thanked María, his bookseller, for the warm welcome and took the opportunity to take refuge among the books.

Also in this setting, he was greeted by several Dominican students who excitedly approached him to express their admiration and respect.

The visit concluded with the presentation of the Carlos III Foundation’s Highest Distinction, awarded to President Fernández, in recognition of his political leadership and his constant commitment to culture, democracy, and international cooperation.

With this visit, President Fernández reaffirms his commitment to projecting the Dominican Republic as a prepared, connected country, deeply committed to knowledge, innovation, citizen security, and the humane outlook of its citizens.