Jimaní Mayor Dionisys Mendez says that trade has been at a standstill since 2020, when the pandemic took hold. Furthermore, he said trade collapsed years ago when gangs took control of the Jimaní to Port-au-Prince road. He said now Dajabon, to the north, is experiencing what the south provinces already have suffered, the collapse of formal trade. The mayor said that contraband continues, with the gangs and persons in power controlling and benefiting from the situation.
On the other hand, the mayor of Dajabon, Santiago Riveron called the construction of the dam to divert river waters in Haiti, across from Dajabon, a provocation of groups in power that benefit from the lack of formal commerce and the chaos. He urged residents in the area to not bend to the impositions of those in control on the Haitian side. The Haitian authorities are keeping the Haitian official gates closed to trade. They reject that the Dominican government is now requesting biometric identity or registration to all who cross the border.
Read more in Spanish:
El Dia
El Dia
16 November 2023