Hard to say goodbye
Tearful reflection ends DomRep Ambassador Martinez’s tour of duty amid move to South Korea
Published:Wednesday | July 2, 2025 | 12:12 AMErica Virtue/Senior Gleaner Writer
It is a rare sight to witness an ambassador so overcome with emotion at the end of their diplomatic mission that they are brought to tears. But that is exactly what happened as Shakira Angie Martinez, ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Jamaica, said goodbye after four deeply impactful years. As she prepared to leave the island late last week for her next post in South Korea, Martinez wept openly during her farewell, finding it almost impossible to say goodbye.
The farewell was sudden, heartfelt, and dramatic – fitting for someone who didn’t just serve as a foreign diplomat but became, as many described, “one of us”. Immersing herself in Jamaican life, especially the country’s rich musical culture, Ambassador Martinez formed deep bonds with the island and its people.
Fighting through tears, she reflected on her time in Jamaica, outlining the goals she arrived with, the milestones achieved, and her hopes for the future of Jamaica-Dominican Republic relations. Her voice, thick with emotion, carried an unmistakable affection.
“Oh no. I don’t want to say goodbye. I have never imagined that I would fall in love so much with this country and these people. I just want to say thank you. Thank you to the Jamaican people for all the doors that have opened to me. And I would never imagine the quantity of achievements and milestones that we have made in these just four years. We have counted more than 500 milestone achievements,” she told The Gleaner before the sudden tears emerged.
From the food to the music and the warmth of everyday people, Martinez said Jamaica found a permanent place in her heart.
“But I will just keep saying a big thanks to Jamaica as a whole, as a country. As the land of Bob Marley, which I admire so much. The land of Usain Bolt. Shelley-Anne (Fraser-Pryce).”
And what’s Jamaica without some island tastebud delights?
Persons at the supermarket, her gardener, and the ordinary man and woman in the street showed why it is easy for persons to become intoxicated with Jamaica and Jamaicans in a short time.
“All the memories that we have, here, my husband was, you know, he always fell in love with Jamaica. And we love jerked chicken, the food, the ackee (and salt fish!],” she told The Gleaner.
DEEP GRATITUDE
The couple’s two children attended Hillel Academy in St Andrew, an experience for which she expressed deep gratitude.
Her husband, ambassador in Japan, has already searched for the best jerk chicken joint there, and it is the first thing she will have when she gets there
Outside of tears, she was satisfied with the achievements of her tenure.
An admirer of reggae legend Bob Marley, she grew up hearing the music of the maestro as a small girl as her parents were Marley lovers, too.
“I was an admirer of Bob Marley since I was a girl because my parents, both my dad and my mom, they used to listen to Bob Marley, and they were always so happy when they were listening to Bob Marley. And they were, like, connected to his music, to his message that transcends times and frontiers. And when I heard that I was designated ambassador to Jamaica, the first thing that I thought was Bob Marley …” said Ambassador Martinez.
She has visited the Marley museum many times and has been listening to his music non-stop. Among her favourites are Redemption Song, Could You Be Loved? and One Love.
This deep connection to music inspired her to launch the United by Music initiative, a cultural diplomacy project that saw Jamaican and Dominican Republican artistes collaborating across borders. Shaggy and other Jamaican reggae stars travelled to the Dominican Republic, and Dominican artistes visited Jamaica. Two short films documenting the collaboration were produced, featuring scenes from both countries.
MANDATE
“I knew that my mandate was to deepen and enhance the bilateral relations between Jamaica and the Dominican Republic [and] to relaunch relations with the Caribbean as a whole. But of course, with a special focus on Jamaica because of the importance of Jamaica in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and in the region – it’s political leadership … ,” she explained.
While specific areas were earmarked for special focus, such as to deepen the relationship on the political, commercial, cultural, and academic side, she knew music was the launching pad.
As far as she was concerned, “music unites Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic”.
One of the common shared music and dance forms is merengue, which originated in the Dominican Republic. Known for its fast-paced and metered steps, it is popular for both social dancing and fitness. It is also considered a significant part of the Dominican Republic’s national identity and is enjoyed throughout Latin America and in Latino communities in the United States.
On the other hand, the Dominican Republic has also embraced reggaeton, which has roots in dancehall – the music form pioneered by Jamaica.
It is linkages such as these, she believes, that have caused more Jamaicans and people in the Dominican Republic to know more about each other.
Martinez successfully lobbied the Jamaican Government for visa-free access from the Dom Rep to Jamaica. There was already visa-free access from Jamaica.
In 2022, approximately 3,000 travelled between both countries. Between November 2022 and November 2024, more than 93,000 passengers traversed both islands – a dramatic increase since visa-free travel. The increase in direct flights has also facilitated greater commerce and tourism, with many Jamaicans now choosing to vacation in the Dominican Republic due to affordability and accessibility.
When asked about the long-standing issue of stateless Haitians in the Dominican Republic, Martinez acknowledged the humanitarian concerns but clarified that those matters were handled at higher diplomatic levels.
“ ... The Haitian situation [greatly] concerns the Dominican Republic, and we have been working tirelessly to help Haiti to get the stability that their people deserve and to overcome the political crisis that is in Haiti, and the humanitarian crisis,” she told The Gleaner.
“We have raised our voice in all the international forums, talking on behalf of Haiti. So the international community can come together and help Haiti. But here in Jamaica, it’s not something that, to be honest, has occupied much of my time. Because these kinds of subjects are handled directly by my foreign minister. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Roberto Alvarez, and Minister Kamina Johnson Smith (Jamaica’s foreign minister). And they are topics that are normally handled at the level of CARICOM, United Nations, and other forums,” she explained.
Her successor, currently the Dominican Consul in Miami and a former envoy to Haiti, is expected to continue the work she began.
Martinez expressed particular pride in initiatives such as Dominican Week in Jamaica, the student-exchange programme, and expanding commercial partnerships – efforts she hopes will continue under new leadership. More than 300 Dominican and Jamaican businesses participated in cultural and trade events during her tenure.
She also thanked her embassy staff, singling out her executive assistant for unwavering support.
“Nothing that I have achieved here in the embassy would have been possible without him. And it’s Jamaica. Of course, my team, my extraordinary team at the embassy, I’m very grateful, and I will always keep you in my heart. This is my second home,” she said through tears.