Hundreds of Haitian immigrants in support of the Committee of Human Rights “Development Without Frontiers” movement carried out a march yesterday, Tuesday, 19 June 2018, from the Duarte Park in Barahona to the Haitian consulate. The demonstrators were protesting the alleged corruption and irregularities taking place at the Haitian consulate and the apparent indifference of the Haitian government and the Dominican Foreign Ministry in addressing the needs of Haitian immigrants traveling between the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Spokesmen for the group, Augustin Moises and Silvestre Joseph, accused the Minister and Haitian consul in Barahona, Therese Longchamp, has carried out innumerable irregular diplomatic actions that include increasing of the prices for passports, birth certificates and marriage certificates. In addition, the group accuses the Haitian consul of handing out of diplomatic cards to undeserving individuals. Moises and Josepha also claimed that bribes and the general misuse of funds from Haiti is a problem at the consulate.
According to the demonstrators, in Washington D.C., United States, the charge for the issue of passports by the Haitian government is US$45, but the Haitian consulate in Barahona allegedly charges Haitians US$80 and US$120 for the same type of passport.
They cited as an example that in the last four months of this year, Washington, D.C. embassy has issued 425 passports that were sold by the consulate for USD$80 and US$120. “Development Without Frontiers” which is a committee of Human Rights which is operating in Barahona and the Enriquillo region, said that they had discovered a check for RD$974,860, issued by the Central Sugar Company for diplomatic services to provide passports to Haitian employees who cut sugar cane and it was issued in the name of Noelsaint Kerlain and not the Haitian consulate.
Another check was issued to Poulardr Dermelie Virjulia by the same company for birth certificates for the Haitian workers for RD$527,500 that she refused to cash and resigned from the consulate in Barahona.
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Hoy
20 June 2018
