The Dominican Republic has urged that the United States, Canada, France and the European Union assist in the situation in Haiti. This has not been happening.
At a time when a gang leader is calling the shots in Haiti, President Luis Abinader spoke to the nation and the world to highlight the Dominican Republic will continue to take firm steps to ensure the security of the country.
The government is concerned the violent gangs that are in control in Haiti could penetrate the Dominican Republic and has enhanced measures to check and control Haitian migration. Thousands of Haitians enter legally and illegally cross the 376-km Haitian-Dominican frontier every day. Migration deports a trickle that will find a way across the border and return. The Dominican government has said that security is the main issue to tackle in Haiti.
On 3 November 2021, Haitian gang leader “Barbacue” made headlines when he threatened to escalate the violence in Haiti. “Barbacue” is Jimmy Cherizier, a former police officer who portrays himself as the savor of the streets. He is accused of orchestrating massacres that have killed thousands in Haiti, including women and children, and in the process is said to have succeeded in uniting the warring gangs of Port-au-Prince into a powerful confederation. Barbacue now sees himself as the savior of Haiti. To fund the operation, Cherizier and members of his consolidated gang have extorted businesses, hijacked fuel trucks and kidnapped people demanding large ransoms.
Now Barbacue proposes to instate a government of civil society to counter the families that control all imports into Haiti, its electricity company, and other types of amenities. He says he dreams of a better Haiti. He envisions a civil society group taking over the government in Haiti.
Haiti is a major trading partner and the Dominican Republic supplies most of its food now trucked to the border from where Haitian truckers pick up the cargo for delivery in Haiti.
Speaking yesterday, President Luis Abinader said that if he has to decide between trade and security, security is first. There is a clash of those in government on who speaks for Haiti. President Abinader has spoken with Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry who has disallowed statements by his Foreign Relations Minister Claude Joseph who has blasted the Dominican statesman. Joseph has said that President Abinader is not the president of the island.
Minister of Interior and Police Jesus (Chu) Vasquez in a press conference called at 8:30pm and that began at 9:45pm from the Presidential Palace said the government is in permanent session on the Haitian crisis. Also present was Defense Minister Carlos Luciano Diaz Morfa, the president of the Central Electoral Board (JCE) Roman Jaquez, and senator for La Altagracia, Virgilio Cedano.
Minister of Interior and Police Vasquez said the Dominican Republic cannot alone carry the burden of the problems in Haiti.
“International press reports and intelligence reports on Haiti confirm that criminal gangs, which control a large part of the Haitian territory, impede the supply of fuel, paralyze productive activity, the availability of food and essential medical attention, putting the well-being of the population at risk. At this moment, with a third of the population in need of food assistance, there are no internal conditions to recover stability without the help of the international community”, said Vasquez.
With no support from abroad, the Dominican Republic is stepping up measures to reduce the impact of the crisis in Haiti. Vasquez announced illegal Haitians will only have access to hospitals for emergency cases. The Abinader administration has also announced no new student visas will be issued. The government has said that while the measure does not affect students who already have student visas, the renewal of these will not be automatic as in the past. Likewise, the Dominican government has announced it will apply the Migration Law in regards to undocumented Haitians living and working in the Dominican Republic. For years, the governments have been lax in applying the law.
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Presidency
Presidency
El Dia
El Dia
N Digital
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Diario Libre
Listin Diario
N Digital
Listin Diario
Haiti Libre
4 November 2021