Haiti snubs Dominican Republic´s ´owners´

Santo Domingo.- DominicanRepublic´s biggest truckers union (Fenatrado) – dubbed the country´s “owners”for their often violent strikes with apparent impunity- on Sunday complained thatHaiti´s government has exacerbated their walkout now in its fourth week, byfailing to show up for previously agreed meetings.

Fenatrado president BlasPeralta said a scheduled meeting on Monday was rescheduled for Tuesday and then suspended “for no apparent reason,” andthere hasn’t been any communication with the Haitians since.

He said after morethan three weeks since the flow of trucks has been halted, senior Haitian governmentofficials agreed to meet to solve the deadlock and resume the haul of freight, interruptedwhen several truckers were victims of attacks.

"For Monday, weagreed a meeting with Haitian authorities, without explanation we were leftwaiting. Then we met on Tuesday and Thursday we told we would get a response.But it is Saturday and we still haven’t heard from them," Peralta said.

“There are sectorswho want chaos both in this country and in Haiti. We believed that we would bynow have a solution to this problem on Wednesday and wasn’t resolved. Acommission was convened in Jimani (west), they were there that day to reach anagreement and the next day the Haitian government would sign it, but we´re stillwaiting."