La Otra Banda Signs First International Twinning with San Germán, Puerto Rico
The Dominican municipal district formalized a sister-city agreement with the Puerto Rican municipality to promote cooperation in culture, tourism, sports and local governance.
File photoThe short version
- Noticias SIN reports that La Otra Banda in Higüey and San Germán, Puerto Rico, formalized their first international twinning to advance joint cultural, tourism and municipal management projects
- The mayors of both localities, Alexander Rodríguez and Virgilio Olivero, participated in a flag-raising ceremony held in Santo Domingo, according to RC Noticias
- El Nuevo Diario states the agreement was signed in Santo Domingo and includes exchange of knowledge on administration, development of cultural and sports activities, and promotion of tourist attractions
- Both sides exchanged symbolic gifts during the event to mark friendship and shared historical and cultural ties
Agreement Formalized
The municipal district of La Otra Banda in Higüey, Dominican Republic, established its first international sister-city relationship with the municipality of San Germán in Puerto Rico. Noticias SIN reported that the agreement aims to strengthen institutional cooperation and promote joint projects benefiting both communities.
Mayors Alexander Rodríguez of La Otra Banda and Virgilio Olivero of San Germán took part in a flag-raising ceremony as part of the twinning. The event occurred in Santo Domingo. RC Noticias reported the initiative opens opportunities for collaboration in culture, sports, tourism and municipal management, as well as the exchange of experiences between local authorities.
Also on PuertoRico.com: Vets & pet care in San Germán
What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
Este hermanamiento representa una oportunidad extraordinaria para fortalecer nuestras relaciones internacionales y abrir nuevas puertas para La Otra Banda.
Our translation: This twinning represents an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen our international relations and open new doors for La Otra Banda.
The source's own statement, as quoted by Noticias SIN. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Areas of Cooperation
The twinning seeks to identify mechanisms for joint cultural and sports activities, promote tourist attractions and share knowledge on municipal administration. Both parties also plan to pursue international cooperation projects. El Nuevo Diario reported that the agreement covers cultural exchange, sports, tourism promotion, territorial development and projects benefiting the communities.
Representatives from both localities exchanged symbolic gifts during the ceremony. The flag-raising also highlighted historical, social and cultural links between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Officials from La Otra Banda included Vice Mayor Genoveva Castillo Martínez and councilwomen Wanda Martínez and Yesenia Martínez, according to El Nuevo Diario.
Where the sources differ
All three sources agree on the core facts: the first international twinning between La Otra Banda and San Germán, the names of the two mayors, the flag-raising and gift-exchange ceremony held in Santo Domingo, and the intended cooperation areas of culture, tourism, sports and municipal management. Noticias SIN and RC Noticias give the full 49-word quote from Mayor Rodríguez while El Nuevo Diario does not quote him directly. RC Noticias and El Nuevo Diario mention the event occurred in Santo Domingo; Noticias SIN does not specify the location. El Nuevo Diario alone names the three additional La Otra Banda officials who attended.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state the exact date the agreement was signed or when the ceremony took place. They provide no details on specific upcoming joint activities, timelines for projects, or any funding amounts involved. It is also unclear whether the twinning includes a formal written agreement beyond the public ceremony and statements.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting La Otra Banda establece su primer hermanamiento internacional con municipio de Puerto Rico
- Reporting ¡Otra Banda hace historia! Alexander El Hijo Del Pueblo logra primer hermanamiento internacional con Puerto Rico
- Reporting La Otra Banda concreta su primer hermanamiento internacional con PR
How we checked this
Noticias SIN, RC Noticias and El Nuevo Diario all covered the twinning announcement on October 23-25, 2026. The mayor's quoted remarks appear in two outlets while the list of additional officials rests solely on El Nuevo Diario.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
Nils Huenerfuerst / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0PuertoRico.com is free, and readers like you keep it that way.
The PuertoRico.com newsroom checks every story against its sources and publishes it free. If this one helped, a contribution of any size keeps the next one free too.
One payment, nothing to sign up for.
Contributions go to Puerto Rico.com, LLC. They are not charitable donations and are not tax-deductible. Payments are processed by Stripe.
Thank you for keeping PuertoRico.com free.
Your contribution went through. It helps pay for the next story.
Contributions go to Puerto Rico.com, LLC. They are not charitable donations and are not tax-deductible. Payments are processed by Stripe.