Business is business, and the twice-weekly binational market is surely proof of that. The government ordered the shut down of the main building, a huge rabbit warren of stalls and cubicles, after new variants have caused a spike of Covid-19 cases in Haiti and now in Dajabón, the border city on the Dominican side.
While some media said the bi-national market was open, that was not true. Other media said that it was open but with protocols in place. But that was only partially true. According to Diario Libre, what really happened was that the merchants from both sides of the border set up shop like in the old days, along the side streets and sidewalks of Dajabón.
Both Customs and Migration agencies got to work early, since the bridge over the Masacre River was full of people. And hundreds crossed over to buy and sell. Every imaginable foodstuff was available, especially cooking oil, poultry, rice, pastas and processed meats.
Last Monday, 7 June 2021, there was a still unsettled incident on the Haitian side of the border, resulting in at least one dead and several injured, but this brought about the temporary closure of the border gates and zero market. But by Friday, 11 June, even without the main building in operation, people came and carried out their normal market day.
Read more in Spanish:
Listin Diario
Diario Libre
El Nacional
13 June 2021