Presidents Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic, Laurentino Cortizo of Panama and Carlos Alvarado of Costa Rica met on Wednesday, 20 October 2021 in Panama City and issued a Joint Declaration that proposes a four-point roadmap to provide definite solutions to the social, economic and political crisis in Haiti whose migration is affecting more countries in the Central American and Caribbean region.
The Joint Declaration also states that there are no guarantees of a free election in Nicaragua where the election is scheduled for 7 November. The trio of leaders urged the freeing of political prisoners and restoring their civil and political rights.
The Joint Declaration also calls for the election of a secretary general of the Central American Integration System (SICA) to strengthen this institution as a vehicle to confront the challenges in the region. The Dominican Republic has become an active Central American regional block participant after Caricom nations reneged Dominican participation.
The leadership of the three countries urge more active participation of the United States to contribute to resolve the crisis in Haiti. “We make a special call to the United States, as one of the main destination countries of most of the migratory flows that cross our territories, to join efforts in the joint solution of concrete responses to this phenomenon,” the joint statement stresses.
President Luis Abinader and Foreign Relations Minister Roberto Alvarez had traveled to Panama on 20 October 2021 for the meetings hosted by President Cortizo Cohen at the Presidential Palace in Panama City, Panama with the participation of President Alvarado Quezada of Costa Rica.
Also participating in the meeting were the foreign relations ministers of the three countries – Roberto Alvarez (Dominican Republic), Erika Mouynes (Panama) and Rodolfo Solano Quirós (Costa Rica).
During the meeting, the Dominican president made recommendations to improve the situation in neighboring Haiti. Abinader urged the disarmament in Haiti and proposed several job creating initiatives to combat the crisis and migration exodus in Haiti. Abinader proposed to integrate Haitians in reforestation, and in the restoring watersheds to create jobs.
Abinader told his colleagues from Panama and Costa Rica that the Inter-American Development Bank has identified the road and sanitary infrastructure that Haiti needs. The Dominican government recommended the construction of these works as a way of creating jobs to mitigate migration.
Abinader said that the ecological problem and the infrastructure are two serious problems in Haiti. Nevertheless, he said that before any reconstruction works are tackled, disarmament and pacification are needed in the neighboring country. He said these actions need to be a preamble to achieve free and transparent elections in Haiti.
In that sense, he said that the United States has the economic, political and military power to achieve these changes. Abinader said the Dominican government is in conversations with the US government in ways to collaborate for the restoration of Haiti.
“Our ambassadors in Washington are going to go to the US Congress to discuss this proposal both to the Senate and the House of Representatives. They will also approach the State Department and we will give a special follow-up, to solve the problems of the neighboring country,” he added.
The Joint Declaration proposal for Haiti is:
a) Disarmament and pacification of the population and the strengthening of security, as a preamble to the holding of free and transparent elections, for the welfare of its people.
b) A comprehensive plan for the development and construction of public infrastructure that generates massive employment and improves the quality of life of the Haitian population.
c) Financing of a community program to recover watersheds, reforest and restore ecosystems, among others. This program will contribute to job creation.
d) We also urge the intentional community to present, with the support of international organizations such as ECLAC and UNDP, a sustainable integrated development plan for Haiti.
The presidential gathering in Panama was a follow up of the 22 September 2021 agreement (Alliance for the Strengthening of Democratic Institutions), signed by the three statesmen when in New York to participate in the United Nations General Assembly. At the time, the three presidents issued a declaration expressing their deep concern about the crisis in Haiti and the growing impact it is having on the region, particularly the serious migratory consequences. The presidents advocate support in the international community for finding solutions for that country.
The meeting in Panama on the crisis in Haiti took place at a time when criminal gangs are in control of Haiti. This week 15 American missionaries and one Canadian missionary were kidnapped in Haiti and the gang 400 Mawozo is asking for US$1 million in ransom for each.
Others that were part of the delegation accompanying President Abinader to Panama were Administrative Minister of the Presidency, José Ignacio Paliza; the director of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration for the Dominican Republic (CABEI), Hostos Rizik Lugo; the head of the Presidential Security Corps, Major General Celín Rubio; the Chief of Staff, Eilyn Beltrán, and his assistant, Mercedes Pichardo, and press director, Daniel García Archibald.
As part of the working agenda, Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez met separately with foreign ministers Erika Mouynes of Panama and Rodolfo Solano Quirós of Costa Rica.
On the agenda of President Abinader was also to meet with the PRM members in Panama. He returned in the evening of 20 October 2021.
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21 October 2021