Secretary General of the Organization of American States Luis Almagro told his Twitter followers on 23 July 2015 that he has received the report prepared by the OAS mission that visited the Dominican Republic and Haiti from 10 to 14 July. In an interview with CNN Espanol on 13 July 2015, he had said the report would be made available by this Friday, 24 July 2015.
The mission visited after the government of Haiti accused the Dominican Republic of provoking a humanitarian crisis in Haiti related to the voluntary and non-voluntary return of Haitians from the Dominican Republic to Haiti. It is speculated that many of the Haitians returning to Haiti did so because they were not able to regularize their status during the 18 month long grace period of the National Foreigner Legalization Plan. The main reason that most these Haitians were not able to complete the process was that the Haitian government failed to issue essential identification documents for their citizens, as stated by fired Haitian ambassador Daniel Supplice. An identity document was required by Dominican authorities to process applications to regularize the status of all foreigners residing in the Dominican Republic.
Nevertheless, the Haitian government in various international forums has accused the Dominican government of creating ‘a regime of terror’, forcing Haitians back across the border against their will. The government of Haiti has demanded that the Dominican Republic implement repatriation procedures that are approved by them.
Almagro said that he would “study” the report “and decide on the next steps.”
Last week Almagro during an interview with CNN Espanol stated that “generally on an island there cannot be two countries,” which caused the Dominican government to accuse him of being biased even prior to receiving the report. Based on this statement Dominican government officials have declined an invitation to attend a meeting at the OAS that was to follow the presentation of the report.
El Dia, in a page two commentary on the new Twitter statement observes:
“The secretary general of the Organization of American States shows many weaknesses in the diplomatic management of his office.
“After the affray caused by his reckless statements, he now uses his Twitter account to announce that he has received the report submitted by the commission that visited the Dominican Republic and Haiti to observe the dispute on immigration.
The editorial writer states: “But his comment is again recklessness, as he adds: ‘I will study and decide the next steps’, as if he were an imperial figure referring to two of his colonies.”
The editorial page writer concludes there is pressure within the OAS. “Everything seems to indicate that Almagro is acting under pressure from the Ironically, Caricom countries that are 14 of the 34 votes.” Caricom countries are known to have very restrictive immigration policies, especially regarding unskilled Haitians.
Meanwhile, the US and Canadian ambassadors in Haiti who recently visited the border areas have rejected the notion that there is a humanitarian crisis in the making, determining that the situation on the border was normal.
The observations made at the border by the US and Canadian diplomats as well as other representatives of international organizations seem to contradict the Haitian government’s narrative about a wide spread humanitarian crisis. However, the reality did not seem to dissuade Jean Wesley Cazeau, the Haiti ambassador to the United Nations, who made an urgent plea to international organizations to help them deal with the situation in Haiti caused by a “massive entry of refugees from the Dominican Republic before this becomes a full-blown humanitarian crisis” during the meeting of Latin American United Nations ambassadors in New York with Dominican Foreign Minister Andres Navarro.
In a subsequent development made public on Monday, 20 July 2015, the government of Haiti dismissed its ambassador in the Dominican Republic, Daniel Supplice. Supplice had made statements criticizing the Haitian government for not having issued identity documents to Haitians residing in the Dominican Republic so these individuals could complete the regularization process in the country. In an interview prior to his departure from the Dominican Republic, Supplice thanked the Dominican government and the Dominican people for the treatment to Haitians, especially to students.
Jefe de la OEA recibió informe de visita a RD y Haití; dice lo estudiará