Shattered Dreams: DR Nightclub Tragedy

The provided article details a devastating disaster in the Dominican Republic, where a catastrophic storm and flooding led to the collapse of a major dam, resulting in a minimum of 221 deaths. The World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) argues that this tragedy is not a natural disaster, but rather the result of decades of criminal negligence and corruption by the Dominican ruling class, who prioritized profit over public safety. The WSWS points to the deteriorating infrastructure, neglected maintenance, and inadequate emergency preparedness as key factors contributing to the scale of the disaster. It asserts that warnings about the dam's structural integrity were ignored, and necessary repairs were consistently delayed due to the ruling class's focus on personal enrichment. The article also criticizes the government's response to the crisis as inadequate and disorganized. Further, the article accuses the Dominican ruling class of exploiting the tragedy to promote nationalist sentiments and anti-Haitian prejudice. This, the WSWS argues, is a deliberate attempt to distract from their culpability in the disaster and deflect public anger onto a vulnerable minority group. The WSWS frames the disaster as a consequence of the inherent contradictions and failures of capitalism in a developing country, highlighting the stark inequality and lack of accountability that plague the Dominican Republic. find the original article here: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/04/11/bigg-a11.html