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I wrote "Latin American" in the title in case there are similar rankings in other Latin American countries, but I'm only posting about the Dominican Republic because this one just came out.
These are the top 100 Dominicans that have the most influence in the Dominican media (television, radio and in social media such as Youtube.) I will also include surprises I had on esch group and then which are known to be in a really good economic position (could be from the traditional upper class/upper middle or were born poor or in the lower middle and moved up to a good economic position.) I point this out because I get the impression that outside the DR, particularly in the USA outside Dominican circles, many people that think about moving up the economic latter in the DR is something reserved for whites or really light skin people when that is not the case. Sometimes I wonder if they are talking about South Africa during apartheid, because what they describe is not the DR that I know.
The popularity of all these people are based almost entirely on a Dominican audience that mostly lived in the DR and in the USA and to a lesser degree Spain, Puerto Rico and elsewhere.
- Never expected for Ricardo Nieves to be the highest ranked.
- The second highest is Julio Martínez. He was born poor.
- Nuria Piera made a name for herself in investigative journalism. Both of her parents were from Spain that migrated to Santo Domingo and then gave birth to her. When she was a small girl father was killed for political reasons right in front of her. Considering she was "his princess," that definitely left her with traumas and still says she is not completely over that.
- Santiago Matías is among the highest rank. He was born poor. I don't think he has ever lived in the USA, but his father lives in Massachussetts. He's the promoter of the new Dominican beer República La Tuya. Rifht now that's the most popular Dominican beer tied to someone of color. Its main competitor is Presidente (which was founded by an American back during the Trujillo dictatorship.) Obviously, there are many other beers in the DR of Dominican origin and from abroad, but República La Tuya has been going directly to compete with Presidente since day one. lol
- Alicia Ortega was born in Texas to Cuban/Colombian parents, she naturalized as Dominican a few years ago.
I'm shocked to see Ramón Tolentino so high.
- Jochy Santos doesn't seem high enough for me.
- Roberto Cavada was born in Cuba to Cuban parents. He migrated to the DR and has been in the country ever since. A few years ago naturalized as Dominican.
- Julissa Céspedes is Venezuelan, though I think she already naturalized as Dominican.
- I'm shocked that Altagracia Salazar is actually slightly higher than José Laluz. I'm not sure if Altagracia Salazar ever lived in the USA, but her children do live in the USA and every year she travels to the USA and even do Youtube shows (commentary) at ine of the houses where she stays.
- I didn't think Colombia Alcántara was very high. She was poor in very limited means.
- Luinny Corporán is up there. Goes to show you can be ugly and still make it to the top. This isn't cruel or anything of the sort, he calls himself ugly on shows and in person. Never felt insulted by that and even said he doesn't know why many people don't like when they are called ugly. So, that's that.
- I'm shocked to see Vincent Carmona that high. His son has been going through some very rough things in the last few years and probably explains the dark circles around his eyes.
- Bolívar Valera** Lived in the USA for a short time. Has done quite a name for himself in the media and even became a Deputy (congressmen.)
- Manuel Cruz should be higher in my opinion. He comes through as a very smart, well educated guy. Comes from a poor neighborhood in SD.
- I'm shocked that José Gutiérrez (I think he's from Santiago) is slightly higher that Sergio Carlo** (lived in Atlanta for a few years, but very recently return to the DR. He says the deciding factor to return was the COVID lockdown which existed in both countries, but in Atlanta he was stuck in his apartment while seeing in Facebook and other social media his family in the DR "complaining" of the lockdowm while they were enjoying going to the beach in groups, doing tours in the countryside, etc. lol)
- I thought Carlos Durán would be higher. The guy is a beast on Youtube.
- Never thought Nelson Javier was that high. He is from Santiago and has said that he is amazed of the progress he has made considering he was born in a very poor family that lived by a river and now he is anything but poor, all achieved through his work in the media. Never lived outside the DR.
- Rafael Guerrero I think lives in the USA, but hid audience are mostly Dominicans from the DR.
- Carol Brito is Colombian. I don't think she has naturalized yet as Dominican. She says the way she ended up in the DR was visiting a Dominican guy that she met in Colombia and she liked the country and felt very comfortable in it. On her second trip to the DR she called her mother in Colombia and said she decided she will not return on her return flight and rather will stay in the DR, which made her mother go balistic. She has been in the DR ever since. No longer in a relationship with the initial guy and decided to stay, so her liking the country is real. Otherwise she would had returned to Colombia once single again.
- I'm shocked Wilson Sued is higher that José Peguero. The first one basically only talks about gossip while the second one gives more serious, relevant information.
- Katherine Hernández is Venezuelan, though I think she is naturalized Dominican.
- Pedro Jiménez gives good commentary. Should be higher.
- Aneudy Santos is a very pro-DR guy. Should be much higher in my opinion. I think he's from Santo Domingo.
- I'm shocked María Elena is higher than Noelia Hazim and Preina Almonte. I'm not sure from which towns are the first and last ones, but Noelia is from San Pedro de Macorís of Arab descent (I think her grandparents were from Lebanon.)
The remaining to complete the top 100.
61.- Luz García 31,201** (Lived in Puerto Rico, she is originally from Moca, DR)
62.- Pedro Casals 31,173 (Should be higher in my opinion, from Santo Domingo and related to one of the guys that took part in the elimination of Trujillo, in fact one of the streets in SD is named after this relative of his who later was tortered and one of the killed by Ramfis Trujillo in San Cristóbal as he was tiedcto a palm tree and Ramfis discharged on him an automated gun from the balcony, plus his body was of those dumped in the Caribbean Sea to feed the sharks.)
63.- Gary Acosta 31,162
64.- Delvys Lanfranco 31,141
65.- Alí David 31,024 (he's from Venezuela -moved to DR before Hugo Chávez/Nicolás Maduro made the economy collapse in Venezuela, this is unlike most Venezuelans in the DR that arrived after it started to collapse- and one of the first people in Dominican TV to be openly gay. The fact that he is gay didn't impede him from being accepted in Dominican TV. In several other countries his TV show would had been shut down simply for that.)
66.- Elvis de Jesús “El Nagüero” 31,001 (from Nagua and born into a poor family.)
67.- Anabell Alberto 30,877
68.- Michael Miguel Holguín 30,804 (I think deep down he still dreams with creating the communist revolution in the DR. Notice that one name is in English and the other one in Spanish. lol)
69.- Jatnna Tavarez 30,801
70.- Luisín Mejía 30,334
71.- Héctor Guerrero Heredia** 30,327 (from Santo Domingo and studied Psychiatry at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.)
72.- Huchi Lora 30,324
73.- Albert Mena 30,323
74.- Ariel Lara 30,223
75.- Pamela Sued 30,219 (originally from Santiago, but lived most of her life in Santo Domingo. She is of Arab descent -Lebanon-.)
76.- José Martínez Brito 30,212
77.- Yanessi Espinal 30,009
78.- Sussy Jiménez 29,981
79.- Virgilio Feliz 29,775
80.- Eduardo Sánchez «El Piro» 29,705
81.- Rosa Encarnación 29,625
82.- Manolo Ozuna 29,602** (He lived in NYC and then New Jersey working for a Spanish language radio station in the city. After a few years he returned to the DR based on faith and putting all his trust on God and, miraculously, his financial situation began to improve once back in Santo Domingo. Last year he even got a star in SD for recognition of his excellent roles as actor in several Dominican movies. The star is on display on the sidewalk entering the Down Town shopping mall in Santo Domingo. His show "PolitiqueandoRD" which he started after COVID and is doing interviews to well known people mostly about their lives and DR politics is quickly becoming one of the most watched programs in the DR. People in high ranking political and social positions even mention and reference his program. Truly remarkable. He was born into a poor family in Santo Domingo.)
83.- Frederick Martínez “El Pachá” 29,589* (He lives in NYC and works for one of the Spanish language radio stations in the city. He's constantly in the DR and still has relevance in Dominican media.)
84.- Francisco Vásquez 29,575 (from Santiago and his show has become well known in Santiago society.)
85.- John Berry 29,570
86.- Pablo Rodríguez “Capricornio” 29,554 (born into a poor family from Santo Domingo, the guy has achieved a lot by his own creation in Youtube. I don't agree with the message of his content which is based on interviewing people of the underworld in Santo Domingo.)
87.- Zoila Luna 29,545** (She is originally from Nagua and a very respected woman in Dominican society. She is one of the main proponents of feminism in the DR. She lived in the USA for a few years.)
88.- Susana Gautreaux 29,500 (despite she claims she's an old woman beyond her prime, I find her very beautiful and expresses herself very nicely, very educated. See for yourself, this was from a couple of days ago.)
* Lives in the United States.
** However, there are many other people that for a time lived in the United States and then returned to the Dominican Republic. These are only the ones I'm certain, the actual amount could be higher.
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In terms of which ones are in very good economic positions (I could miss some people; those from privilege positions or from old well respected families -ie. have the "right" last names- are bolded.)
Julio Martínez - Nuria Piera - Santiago Matías - Alicia Ortega - Jochy Santos - Roberto Cavada - Julissa Céspedes - Mariasela Álvarez - José Laluz
Carlos Durán - Hony Estrella - Nelson Javier - José Peguero
Víctor Gómez Casanova (the Casanova part of his family at a certain point originate in Puerto Rico, I think obe of his grandfathers was from there) - Katherine Hernández - Noelia Hazim
Luz García - Pedro Casals - Jatnna Tavárez - Héctor Guerrero Heredia - Pamela Sued
Manolo Ozuna - Francisco Vásquez - Pablo Rodríguez - Zoila Luna - Susana Gautreux - Euri Cabral
I appreciate you breaking down dominant perspectives, as accurate representation is important. Cultural knowledge exchange can build more empathy between places.
Speaking of Latin American influence in the media, this night (March 12, 2024) was this year’s Premios Soberano in the Teatro Nacional Eduardo Brito in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
This is the Dominican version of the Oscars where several people in various areas of the media are recognized. Most are Dominicans of course, but it also includes some foreigners.
The things that caught attention includes:
The fall of Karen Yapoort as she was on the red carpet posing for photos . She wasn’t hurt.
Why not just say Dominican then? I'm not going to go research it but I'd guess at least 90 of the top 100 in "Latin America" media influence are either Mexican or US citizens.
Because other folks were suppose to show the top influencers in the other Latin American countries. I did my part, not responsible for anyone else’s. Lol
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