Dominican Republic: The President of the Dominican Republic has announced the freezing of new visas for Haitians and threatened to close the border between the two countries amid rising tensions over a disputed canal. Mr. Luis Abinader issued the order, referring to construction work on a Haitian canal that Dominican officials say will divert water from the Massacre River, which runs in both countries.
“If the conflict is not resolved before Thursday, officials will completely close the border to air, sea, and land commerce,” the government said in a statement. The announcement is the latest move in a long history of disputes between the two countries, which share the same island of Hispaniola but are split by ethnic, linguistic, and cultural divisions. In an unusual complication, it remains unclear who authorised work on the canal in Haiti.
The Dominican government said it believes Haitian citizens are acting unilaterally to build the waterway without the approval of their local officials. “The Haitian government has repeatedly admitted it does not have the capacity to resolve internal conflicts due to the loss of the Haitian state’s monopoly on force due to criminal organisations,” the statement noted.
Haiti has indeed seen a rise in gang violence in recent years, particularly in the wake of the assassination of President Mr. Jovenel Mose in 2021. No federal elections have been held in recent years, resulting in a power vacuum that criminal organisations have taken advantage of.
The violence has forced tens of thousands of Haitians to flee their homes, with some seeking safety across the border in the Dominican Republic, which is another source of tension between the two countries.
