Resorts Skirt New Liquor Ban in the Dominican Republic

They take “last call” seriously in the Dominican Republic these days –it´s enforced by armed soldiers and police.

All bars, liquor stores and nightclubs must close at midnight on weekdays and at 2 a.m. weekends because of a measure the government imposed in July to combat crime. No law stops people from staying out longer, but the presence of 8,000 officers on any given night in this Caribbean country effectively clears the streets.

Some head for new underground bars, which they enter with a secret knock, while others just go home, silencing cities known for their all-night parties. The new restrictions are giving businesses involved in alcohol sales a hangover.

The National Hotel and Restaurant Association estimates sales have declined 25 to 30 percent. Owners have petitioned the government to extend the new closing times.

The new rules don´t apply to the island´s resorts, where foreign visitors enjoy beach holidays, and are relaxed for some hotels, Almeyda said. They are also suspended for holidays including Christmas and New Year´s Eve.

The law was approved along with other rules cracking down on gun imports and weeding out police corruption. But corrupt police are already taking advantage of the new bar-closing law –some police patrols have been demanding off-the-books fines from people they find out late at night.