2025News

Haitian crisis is an immense risk to Dominican Republic, says business leader

Celso Juan Marranzini / Hoy

The ongoing crisis in Haiti, characterized by widespread gang control, represents an “immense and multidimensional risk” to the Dominican Republic, according to Celso Juan Marranzini, president of the National Business Council (Conep). Marranzini made the statements as the private sector and civic society meets government for the Social and Economic Council (CES) talks that open at the Ministry of Foreign Relations convention center on Thursday, 5 June 2025.

Marranzini, spoke to reporters on the day before and emphasized the urgent need for the Dominican Republic to prioritize the Haitian situation as a matter of national security. “A country controlled by gangs is the greatest threat the country and the region face,” he stated, highlighting the direct impact on security, the economy, and stability not only for the Dominican Republic but for the entire continent.

He underscored the necessity for a unified approach to the crisis. “This is an issue that demands integrated and consensual responses,” Marranzini said. He commended the leadership of current President Luis Abinader and former Presidents Danilo Medina, Leonel Fernández, and Hipólito Mejía for their “stature and responsibility” in addressing the situation.

The issue of Haitian labor in some Dominican productive sectors is also on the agenda. Marranzini indicated that this topic will be discussed during the scheduled meeting of the Economic and Social Council (CES). The session, titled “Dialogue on the Haitian Crisis and its Implications for the Dominican Republic,” was agreed upon during a 14 May 2025 meeting between President Luis Abinader and the three former presidents, all of whom are expected to attend the CES working session.

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Hoy
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El Caribe

5 June 2025