Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez says that the Abinader administration backs the signing of the United States’ preclearance treaty. The treaty has stagnated in the Constitutional Court after concerns over clauses added to the agreement that could bring situations in violation with Dominican sovereignty. Four new judges recently named to the Constitutional Court last week could make the difference.
In an interview with Listin Diario, Alvarez said the government of President Luis Abinader is fully identified with the preclearance agreement between the United States and the Dominican Republic that awaits a Constitutional Court ruling.
“We consider that the argument that is being used about an attachment to the agreement, which relates to the refugee conventions issue, is a spurious argument that has nothing to do with the preclearance,” said Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez when consulted by Listin Diario on the subject.
The US had approved preclearance for the Punta Cana International Airport. The airport made major investments to begin the service years back.
The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Preclearance is the strategic stationing of US customs and border protection agents at designated foreign airports to inspect travelers before their boarding US-bound flights. With preclearance, travelers then bypass CBP and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) inspections upon US arrival and proceed directly to their connecting flight or destination.
US preclearance operates in 16 locations in six countries: Dublin and Shannon in Ireland; Aruba; Freeport and Nassau in The Bahamas; Bermuda; Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; and Calgary, Toronto, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Victoria, and Winnipeg in Canada.
The foreign minister said that the Constitutional Court has the final word on whether or not the agreement violates the Dominican Constitution.
“We hope that eventually the Constitutional Court will give the green light in that sense, but I am giving the government’s position. We are completely in favor of the agreement. We believe that it would help Dominican tourism,” Alvarez told Listin Diario.
If the agreement goes into effect, flights could depart from the Punta Cana International Airport to domestic air terminals in the United States and not only to international ones, as is currently the case.
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Listin Diario
US CBP
28 January 2021