The Dominican government sent a note of protest yesterday evening, Wednesday 25 February 2015 and recalled its ambassador following an attack on the Dominican consulate in Haiti by violent demonstrators protesting against alleged racism and xenophobia towards Haitians in the Dominican Republic.
In an urgent press conference, Dominican Foreign Minister Andres Navarro said that the country could not accept the aggression against the consular headquarters under any circumstances and recalled his ambassador, Ruben Silie.
During the attack on the Dominican consulate in Haiti, a group of protestors pelted the building with stones and entered the premises, removed the Dominican flag from its pole, climbed on to the roof, raised the Haitian flag and burned and trampled on the Dominican flag.
Minister Navarro said that although the aggression was not necessarily led by the Haitian government, the authorities in Haiti must make a clear statement against the repeated attacks on the consulate and embassy in recent months.
Following the attack, Navarro’s Haitian counterpart, Foreign Relations Minister Duly Brutus instead congratulated the instigators of the protest in an official statement on behalf of the Haitian government. He said that the march “should not be interpreted as a demonstration against the Dominican Republic, but as reinforcement of initiatives already undertaken by the Ministry of Foreign Relations of Haiti to say… “No to Barbarism! No to Hate! Respect and peace on the island!”
Foreign Minister Navarro said that the Dominican government has been prudent and patient in the face of this violence. Nevertheless, he warned the Haitian authorities that patience has its limits, “and we have shown the world that we have made the greatest efforts to maintain a productive, healthy and respectful relationship with the Haitian government.”
Navarro said that in what is a clearly intolerable situation, the Haitian government has allowed systematic violence and attacks on Dominican consulates in Haiti. “While the Dominican Government seeks to harmonize relations, the Haitian side’s behavior is two-faced […] The Dominican Republic will not yield to blackmail.”
Navarro revealed that his government had received a letter of protest sent by Haiti, which includes “unacceptable conditions that must be answered in the same language, but with the real facts.” In response, the Dominican government recalled its ambassador in Haiti for consultations and sent a diplomatic note of protest at the violent incidents.
He said that the Dominican Republic has been the victim of an international campaign accusing it of racism, in contrast with the solidarity that the Dominican people and government have shown towards Haiti.
Read the complete statement by the Minister of Foreign Relations here:
http://www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2015/2/26/357773/Lea-lo-que-dijo-el-canciller-sobre-la-situacion-con-Haiti
http://www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2015/2/26/357772/Haitianos-apedrean-consulado-Republica-Dominicana-en-Haiti
http://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13261-haiti-flash-first-and-strong-reactions-from-the-dominican-republic.html
http://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13260-haiti-social-the-haitian-flag-waving-on-the-dominican-consulate.html
http://www.haitilibre.com/article-13261-haiti-flash-premieres-et-vives-reactions-de-la-republique-dominicaine.html
http://dr1.com/forums/haiti/149398-haitians-attack-dominican-consulate-haiti.html