Reading Time: 7 minutes

Dominican Republic’s Ambassador to Jamaica Angie Martinez, left an indelible mark during her tenure, and to think this was her first assignment as an ambassador.

It portends a great future as a top diplomat for her country.

She began her mission in Jamaica on May 7th, 2021, in the midst of the COVID pandemic which shuttered the world.

Angie Martinez has the distinction of being the first ambassador to be received in the Foreign Ministry’s Port Royal Street headquarters in downtown Kingston. She is the first Dominican Republic ambassador to Jamaica since Filomena Navarro ended her tenure in 2009.

Angie Martinez is always gracious, charming, well-informed and disciplined. Back in 2021, one could not foretell the impact she would make and it can be argued that she is the most recognised ambassador in Jamaica.

On presenting her credentials to the Governor General back in 2021, she was a vision in white with cascading raven hair and a beatific 100-watt smile. Although a diplomat, she is an international lawyer and was also a journalist. In fact, she has been a diplomat for more than twenty years, serving in Madrid, Paris, the U.S. and the United Nations mission in Geneva.

When she arrived in Jamaica and was asked what she wanted to accomplish, she said: “ Of course, I would like at the end of my path here in Jamaica, I feel good about myself knowing I did my best. I always work with my heart and with enthusiasm in all the fields that I work and am responsible for because I love my country. I would like at the end of my job, that my people are proud of me as their representative. I would like that the Jamaican people feel proud of the Ambassador of the Dominican Republic because we can create empathy, actions that make our relations closer and integrate our people. I want when I finish my job I can come back to Jamaica and be loved and have people that welcome me like the first time and leave as good friends” 

Those words proved prophetic. There is plenty of affection for Angie Martinez in Jamaica and she is well regarded. Many diplomats have a stoic disposition, they are all about their country’s best interests and pay scant attention to the locale. They come and they go and one is none the wiser.

Angie Martinez paid attention to Jamaican culture, the way the country operates, its mores, its idiosyncrasies, and its sensibilities. 

Again, another salient quote from her: “My greatest ambition to be honest, is I’m very interested in the well-being of people. I know we all work on important things but I would like that impact with people. I genuinely care about Jamaican people as I care about my Dominican people, so my big ambition would be that the work I do here can really impact on the development and well-being of people.”

That was evident with Angie Martinez and underpinned her success in Jamaica.

During her tenure, she went the extra mile to create a fair and reciprocal commercial exchange always cognisant that the balance of trade weighed heavily in her country’s favour.

In 2023, Jamaica exported US$8.5 million to the Dominican Republic, whereas the Dominican Republic exported US$115 million (mainly cement, petroleum gas, paper containers) to Jamaica. However, it must be noted that Jamaica’s exports increased at an annualised rate of 13.2 per cent over the last five years.

The Dominican Republic has one of the best-performing economies in the Caribbean It has a total GDP of US$122 billion and 11 million tourists visit its shores every year. It’s economy is also buttressed by manufacturing and remittances.

President Luis Abinader has done a good job with the Dominican Republic’s economy and the stewardship of the country. He reposed faith in Angie Martinez, giving her a first ambassadorial assignment and she has done him proud.

Many diplomats are tunnel visioned; they see their mission as serving their country’s interests first and foremost, even looking to obtain leverage. More often they are looking for a pat on the shoulder from their government back home.

Angie Martinez is all about reciprocity- can both parties benefit and come away from an agreement feeling good about it?

Last year speaking at the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries she summed up her approach to diplomacy: “ We have been (Jamaica and Dominican Republic) good friends and allies and we have very strong bilateral relations but I’m looking for greater exchange to make us closer and develop a big agenda on calloboration. Also, to create a fair and reciprocal commercial exchange.”

During her time here, some big Dominican Republic companies have made significant investments in Jamaica, more notably Magna Motors, IMCA Caterpillar, Domicem, Fersan and Bella Castle International. She has also encouraged Jamaican companies to deepen their presence in the Dominican Republic, more so, JMMB, Jamaica Producers, Jamaica Broilers, GraceKennedy.

Speaking at a delegation of 35 Jamaican companies on a mission to the Dominican Republic in 2023, Martinez said: “ We have developed a broad, intense very comprehensive agenda which has allowed us to boost relations between the Dominican Republic and Jamaica to levels never seen before which I must say is the second largest trading partner of the Dominican Republic in the region.

“ We will continue to promote greater trade relations so that we can increase employment in both countries and have better living conditions for citizens and strengthen the economy of both the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.”

Of the four years she was in Jamaica , there were 50 trade missions between the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.

It would not serve Angie Martinez well to paint her solely as a diplomat that facilitated better trading relations between the two countries. She hosted some of the best diplomatic parties seen in Jamaica over the last decade. They were filled with bonhomie, elan, colour, spectacle and vivacity. They became de riguer on the social calendar. They served as a reminder that the Dominican Republic is our Caribbean neighbour and friend and that there is a plenty of comanality that both countries should cherish.   Her galas were never boring, dull, solemn affairs where one had to mind their Ps and Qs. The parties came alive to the syncopated rhythms of the Merengue and Bachata.

Angie Martinez’s parties went a long way in why she was regarded as one of the most recognised and favoured diplomats in Jamaica. She was full of vibes and her sociability endeared her to many. 

One of her major achievements was to see  Jamaica’s removal of the visa requirements for citizens of the Dominican Republic. She pointed out that with visa restrictions lifted, the economic impact of both countries could exceed US$460 million. This was a significant highlight of her time as the Dominican Republic’s Ambassador to Jamaica.

She had long lobbied for the removal of the visa restriction and met resistance. It wouldn’t be too presumptuous to say that the way she operated and her personality persuaded the powers that be to have a change of heart.

The Dominican Republic airline Arajet took the decision to operate flights between Kingston and Santo Domingo while she was the Ambassador, another feather in her cap. This was a huge success, seeing 92,000 Jamaicans travelling to the Dominican Republic in the first 18 months of operations, a 2,200 increase in passenger loads, with an economic impact exceeding US$115 million.

Many of us will miss Angie Martinez and what she brought. She will remain a very good friend to Jamaica and we expect her diplomatic career to continue reaching great heights. We will remember her fondly and there are those of us who will do our utmost not to forget the Merengue and Bachata, recalling those great nights at” Angie’s.” 

“ It has been a privilege to witness the contribution and the dynamic and flourishing relationship over the last four years. I loved Jamaica before I arrived here. But I couldn’t imagine that I would receive the same love from Jamaica, from the top levels to the people on the street. All of these achievements have been possible because we had wonderful alliances in ever corner,” she said last December.

Walk good Angie.

Watch Our Today’s interview with Annie Martinez this Sunday.