President Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona announced plans to close all borders with Haiti starting September 15, 2023, despite last-minute attempts to deter such actions.
The Dominican Republic’s president announced the closure of all borders including land, sea, and air at 6 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, which may result in economic strain for both nations due to an unusual action by the Dominican Republic.
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The impending shutdown is a reaction to the alleged building of a canal on Haitian property that would target the Massacre River, which flows along the common border between the two nations on the island of Hispaniola. The source of authorization for the excavation is unknown.
In recent days, Abinader also stopped providing visas to Haitians and blocked the border near the northern town of Dajabon, cutting off a vital source of income for the country’s citizens who regularly purchase and sell items there. People who reside in Haiti travel across the border each day to work in the Dominican Republic.
According to Haitian merchant Pichelo Petijon, “They are suffering a lot here in Dajabon, and in Haiti, too, because there are a lot of goods that are spoiling.” He added, “There are millions of dollars in losses.”
Abinader alleged that Haiti was attempting to divert water from the Massacre River and that this would have an adverse effect on the environment and farmers in the Dominican Republic. The river was the scene of a massacre of Haitians by the Dominican army in 1937, and it was also the location of a deadly battle between French and Spanish colonizers in the 1700s.
Occasionally, animosity between Haiti and the Dominican Republic sparked amid simmering anger, according to Jorge Duany, an anthropology professor at Florida International University who has researched Caribbean nationalism and migration.
Duany remarked, “This is a very complicated border situation that does not seem to have an immediate solution.”
The media was unable to get in touch with Ariel Henry, the prime minister of Haiti, for an immediate response.
Haiti’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently noted that there will be a meeting with Dominican representatives in the Dominican Republic to discuss the issue.
The conference went into a second day, according to the Dominican government, but no further information was given. When President Abinader declared he would close all borders beginning on Friday, the meeting was still in progress.
Recently at the Dominican border town of Dajabon, a queue was formed as scores of people attempted to enter Haiti for various reasons, with many carrying luggage or large backpacks on their heads.
Only authorized individuals were permitted to pass through the gate, which the authorities only opened three times each day. A 47-year-old Haitian guy who only went by the name of Egnel was one of those waiting to cross. Despite working on a banana plantation in the Dominican Republic, he stated he needs to take one of his little kids to the hospital because she is unwell and that he is willing to take the chance of not being able to return.
“My objective is to take care of my daughter,” Egnel shared.
