Dajabón merchants will hold a rally on Friday due to border closure

Dajabon.- The Nuestra Señora del Rosario Church and the Chamber of Commerce and Production of Dajabón recently held a meeting with local merchants to address the ongoing challenges caused by the closure of the Haitian border. This closure, resulting from restrictions imposed by the Dominican government, has significantly impacted commercial exchange in the region.

Father Roberto Guzmán, representing the Church and acting as the spokesperson for the merchants, announced that they would publicize a document detailing four key points from their meeting. This document will outline the issues discussed and the proposed recommendations to the government concerning the binational market and trade in Dajabón.

A follow-up meeting is scheduled for Friday, the 24th of this month at 10 AM at the Dajabón border market. In this meeting, merchants plan to present the topics discussed in the initial meeting and outline the next steps.

Prior to the merchants’ meeting, Santiago Riveron, the border mayor, expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of these discussions. He pointed out that the decision to open the border rests with Haiti, as the Dominican Republic has kept its side of the border open. Riveron suggested that certain groups in Haiti, particularly large merchants benefiting from importing goods through ports like Cap Haitien, might be financing efforts to keep the border closed for their own advantage.

The closure of the Haitian border has led to severe food shortages in towns like Juana Méndez and other areas in Haiti. This situation has reportedly resulted in food trafficking from the Dominican Republic into Haiti, which the border police of Haiti are attempting to prevent. The meeting and subsequent actions by the merchants and church representatives are aimed at addressing these complex and challenging issues affecting cross-border trade and relations.