Family members of the 235 victims of the Jet Set tragedy demand justice in the Dominican Republic

Published at: 07/04/2026 02:02 PM

In the Dominican Republic, as the first anniversary of the tragedy at the Jet Set nightclub approaches during the accident that claimed the lives of 235 people, the families of the victims are intensifying their demand for justice. The judicial process seeks to determine the criminal liability behind one of the most regrettable events in the history of local entertainment.

This Monday, the vicinity of the court was the scene of protests during the hearing of businessmen Antonio and Maribel Espaillat. Both owners and administrators of the compound are facing charges of involuntary manslaughter on the premise of “negligent and reckless conduct” in structural repairs to the roof, faults that collapsed during the presentation of the merenguero Rubby Pérez, who is also among the deceased.

“What I need is for them to pay. I have cried every day in the world; let them take responsibility because their son is here and I don't know what to say to him tomorrow,” said Juanita Brea, mother of the victim Nelfisis Sánchez Brea. The young woman was celebrating her birthday with the player Tony Blanco; after the death of the couple, an infant has been left in the orphanage.

According to the file, the defendants compromised the security of the building by overloading the roof with industrial air conditioning equipment and large capacity water tanks. These installations were allegedly carried out without prior technical studies to guarantee that the building could withstand the weight of said infrastructure.

So far, the Espaillat brothers remain on probation after paying a bond of 842,500 dollars. Under the current legal framework, the crime of involuntary manslaughter carries a penalty that ranges from three months to two years in prison, a penalty that the families of those affected consider insufficient given the magnitude of the loss.

Mazo News Team