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A voice shouting in the desert: DR urges for the 16th time for actions to stop gang violence in Haiti

Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez / El Caribe

For the 16th time, the Dominican Republic has raised its voice at the United Nations Security Council, warning of the deepening crisis in neighboring Haiti, Diario Libre reports. Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez described the situation as an “accelerated human, institutional, and security collapse” that threatens not only Haiti but the stability of the entire region.

In a stark address before Security Council members, Álvarez once again painted the grim picture of the deteriorating conditions in Haiti, where armed gangs have seized control of much of the capital, state institutions are in disarray, and mounting migration pressures are straining the Dominican Republic.

“The situation in Haiti leaves no room for ambiguity,” Álvarez stated. “This is my 16th appearance before this Council to address the Haitian crisis, whose consequences severely affect my country.”

According to Álvarez, over 80% of Port-au-Prince is now under the control of criminal gangs. He named groups such as Izo, Gran Grif, and other armed networks as de facto authorities in large swaths of the capital, including key ports and commercial routes. These organizations, he said, operate with increasing sophistication, employing drones and high-powered weapons while replacing public institutions with systematic violence.

Álvarez accused these groups of committing widespread atrocities, particularly targeting women, children, journalists, and human rights defenders. He detailed horrific abuses, including “decapitations, public executions, and appalling sexual violence.”

The Dominican foreign minister urged the international community to take decisive action, emphasizing that the chaos in Haiti is not confined within its borders. The region, he warned, cannot afford to ignore the scale and severity of the crisis any longer.

Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez (32 minutes – see video below) spoke right after the remarks of Haitian permanent representative in the United Nations (22 minutes see video below).

The Haitian representative Pierre Ericq Pierre said the report on Haiti has become a ritual for the UN Security Council. He said without questioning the rules, he asked what have been the results. “How can you talk and talk and not advance?” he remarked, while acknowledging that “Haitians are responsible for the situation in Haiti”, but said international help is needed to get out of it.

Read more in Spanish:
YouTube UN Meeting 32 minutes
UN Security Council
Diario Libre
El Caribe
UN Security Council

3 July 2025