Diario Libre reports that almost all Dominicans eligible to vote in the 2024 general elections are following the conflict at the border with Haiti. 87.8% of those polled understand the Haitians violate Dominican rights and agreements with the canal construction to divert the waters of the Dajabon/Masacre River. 54.4% are in favor of keeping the land border gates shut. 58.5% expect the situation at the border to worsen. 60.1% said they agree with the border shutdown on 15 September 2023. Roberto Alvarez got a 45.6% positive rating as Minister of Foreign Relations.
When citizens were asked to choose between national sovereignty or trade, 67.9% said national sovereignty is more important. The Dominican Republic producers and merchants are losing billions given the shutdown of the border with Haiti. Haiti demands removal of the biometric registry requirement to reopen its gates to Dominican trade. Haiti sources around a fourth of its imports from the Dominican Republic.
President Luis Abinader has stated national security and sovereignty is first. The President has said the biometric registration requirement will be maintained for those crossing. Most Haitians do not have legal status and the biometric registration is the only way to identify these. Those who control the Dajabon border gate demand free entry as in the past. In the past on market days all Haitians could enter through the main land gates and no one checked if they had returned to Haiti. After the impasse over the canal construction, the government instated the biometric registry as a new border control measure.
The Masacre River canal impasse and Haitian migration were listed 9th in the main problems identified by Dominicans in the Gallup poll.
The poll was carried out from 25 to 29 October 2023 2023 with 1,200 persons eligible to vote surveyed in person. The poll has a 2.8% error margin.
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Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
9 November 2023