Spain’s diplomacy in the Caribbean was always driven by the need to protect its possessions in Cuba and Puerto Rico, and it is a good example of the various actions carried out by Spain’s formal and informal agents. After gaining independence from Haiti in 1844, the Dominican Republic became the setting for international rivalry. Between 1845 and 1848, a significant increase in official and unofficial interactions occurred, frequently encouraged by the authorities on those islands. They had an extensive network of informants, including Juan Abril, a member of the Catalan community in Santo Domingo. This confidential agent, along with others on different islands, influenced some of the Spanish government’s initiatives, which included sending an expedition to gauge public opinion on the potential reincorporation of Santo Domingo into the Spanish monarchy. The Ministry of State took such agents’ reports very much into account when considering the advisability of establishing diplomatic relations with the new republic or of adopting more-drastic positions, such as the protectorate option—a position supported by Prim when he was the governor of Puerto Rico due to Abril’s undeniable ascendancy over him.