In a high-level visit underscoring regional and international focus on border security and stability, Ambassador Albert R. Ramdin, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), conducted an extensive tour of the land border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. He was accompanied by Lieutenant General Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre (ERD), the Dominican Minister of Defense, the Presidency reports.
The delegation traveled from Pedernales province to Manzanillo, inspecting key surveillance and control points. The purpose of the visit was to gain a firsthand understanding of the overall border situation and to observe the coordinated efforts of Dominican state institutions, particularly those implemented by the Ministry of Defense through the Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Specialized Corps for Land Border Security (Cesfront).
During the tour, detailed presentations were given on the operations carried out by the Armed Forces regarding perimeter security, the fight against illicit trafficking of goods and people, and the protection of national sovereignty. Information was also provided on the coordinated efforts with the Migration and Customs agencies, aimed at strengthening migratory controls, improving merchandise traceability, and ensuring a secure and regulated border flow.
Also participating in the visit were Major General Jorge Iván Camino Pérez, Commanding General of the Army; Ambassador Julio Ortega Tous, representative of the Dominican-Haitian Mixed Bilateral Commission; and OAS officials accompanying the organization’s regional mission.
Minister of Defense Fernández Onofre hailed the visit as highly positive. “The presence of the OAS on the ground confirms the international community’s commitment to the responsible monitoring of border issues,” he stated. “For our Armed Forces, this tour represents an opportunity to transparently showcase the daily work we do to protect our border, and also to strengthen regional cooperation in an increasingly challenging environment.”
Ambassador Ramdin echoed this sentiment, remarking: “This visit allows us to directly observe the challenges and the progress. The OAS remains firmly committed to the stability of Haiti and to security throughout the region. At the OAS, we value collaborative efforts between neighboring countries to maintain an orderly, regulated, and peaceful flow of people. Both Haiti and the Dominican Republic must continue working in this regard, within the context of border development and their respective national development objectives. We appreciate the initiative of the Dominican Republic authorities to organize this important visit and allow us to verify firsthand the situation in the visited border areas.”
This visit is expected to strengthen cooperation between the Dominican Republic and the OAS, highlighting the nation’s commitment to security, legality, and regional stability, and reaffirming its crucial role as a guarantor of peace in the Caribbean and the continent.
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Presidency
21 July 2025