The welcoming remarks were given by Gustavo Tavares, President of AMCHAMDR, in which he highlighted the organization's commitment to strengthening the country's institutions.

 Santo Domingo, October 5, 2016. Servio Tulio Castaños, Executive Vice President of the Institutionalism and Justice Foundation (FINJUS), was the speaker and guest of honor at the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic's October monthly luncheon. The luncheon, held in the Churchill Room of the Intercontinental Real Hotel, welcomed government officials, business leaders, AMCHAMDR members, and guests.

Prior to Servio Tulio Castaños' presentation, Gustavo Tavares, President of AMCHAMDR, welcomed those present and emphasized that "AMCHAMDR believes in institutionality as a fundamental factor for a positive business and investment climate in the Dominican Republic. Therefore, its protection, promotion, and guarantee are part of the agenda of the Council I am honored to chair and of each of the working committees."

That spirit, according to Tavares, is what led the Chamber to join the Initiative for Democratic Institutions. "Through it, we seek to promote the reforms and transformations that our institutions demand, to encourage all political, state, and social actors to assume the commitment to strengthening them and thus increase social trust in the bodies of the democratic system, the party system, and political and social institutions in general," he said.

During the speech introducing the guest speaker, the President of AMCHAMDR also stated that "the country cannot pursue any type of institutionality, but rather one that respects the Constitution's provisions. This implies guaranteeing the existence of independent and impartial jurisdictions, banning corruption, having an adequate system of consequences, being guided by criteria of efficiency, priority, and economy in public spending, and defending the principles of freedom, transparency, equity, and the objectivity of elections."

For his part, Servio Tulio Castaños affirmed that the democratic regeneration of institutions, the rebuilding of social trust in political parties, state institutions, and the democratic system in general, is everyone's responsibility. "I am convinced that common sense and reason will have to prevail in this country, so I have no doubt that we will succeed despite the magnitude of these great democratic challenges."