King Felipe VI will travel to Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, on Thursday to represent Spain at the inauguration of Dominican President Luis Abinader, who will take up his post once again and begin his second term as head of the executive branch of the Caribbean country. Foreign Ministry sources told Europa Press that the Ibero-American Secretary of State, Susana Sumilzo, will accompany the monarch on behalf of the Spanish government. Since this is the inauguration of a re-elected president, it is common for foreign ministers not to travel with the head of state, delegating to the foreign minister. The king will be accompanied by the head of the Royal Cabinet, Camilo Villarino, and his diplomatic advisor, Alfonso Sanz. Specifically, the Spanish delegation will arrive at the International Airport of the Americas, where it will be received by Dominican authorities and the Spanish ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Antonio Pérez Hernández, and will then hold a meeting with Abinader at the National Palace – the residence of the Dominican President–. His Majesty the King will then meet with the other heads of state and government participating in the inauguration, at a reception hosted by the Dominican President. All this before representing Spain at Abinader’s inauguration, which will take place on Friday at 4 p.m. (Spanish time). The Dominican President, leader of the centrist Modern Revolutionary Party he founded, was re-elected after winning the presidential elections held on May 19 with 57.44 percent of the vote, a margin of about 30 points over his next rival, Leonel Fernández.
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