Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez presented in the Senate on 4 October 2023 a chronological summary of the actions leading to the shutdown of the border with Haiti as a consequence of the Dajabon/Masacre river impasse. Alvarez said as soon as the authorities were alerted of the construction of the canal to divert the waters of the river, official notifications were sent to the government of Haiti calling for the stopping of the canal.
With the backing of the Haitian authorities and the gang leaders in Haiti that control Haiti, private interests began the construction of a canal that would divert the course of the waters of the 55km river that is born in the Dominican and flows for two km through Haiti. Technicians indicate that the diverting of the waters would affect local farmers, the environment and endanger lives and crops in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Alvarez says that the Dominican Republic has a firm position in that the diverting of the waters is not acceptable. He said works need to be stopped and the corresponding environmental feasibility studies carried out on the Haitian project. He does not believe international arbitrage is necessary in the case, at the present time.
The Foreign Relations Minister urged actions be taken to penalize people trafficking.
President Luis Abinader reviewed on Monday, 2 October 2023, the steps taken by the Dominican government to counteract the unilateral intention of Haitian business people with the backing of the Haitian government to divert the waters of a shared river. These include the operation of the Canal La Vigia that would do the same but divert the waters within the Dominican Republic to continue to flow into the river as it continues through the Dominican Republic. The river flows for about 2 km in Haiti, but the remaining 53 km move south to the north in border provinces in the Dominican Republic.
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Ministry of Foreign Relations
N Digital
El Dia
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Presidency
5 October 2023