Paul Arcelin visited Listín Diario. / JORGE CRUZ
Santo Domingo, DR
The former ambassador to Haiti, Paul Arcelin, considered yesterday that the Dominican government has a vital role in alleviating the crisis in Haiti, apart from the international collaboration mentioned by President Luis Abinader in his recent speech before the UN.
“The Dominican Republic can try to bring together Haitian leaders to discuss the situation and in that way achieve a peaceful decision,” said the former diplomat, after highlighting the robust commercial relationship that both nations have so far, which must be preserved.
Abinader declared last Wednesday before the UN that although he has shown and will continue to show solidarity with the Haitian people in the face of the crisis they are facing, “there is not, nor will there ever be, a Dominican solution to the Haitian crisis.”
In addition, he said that after the Haitian elections, “Haiti must prepare an integral plan of economic and social development supported in solidarity by the international community, since it is no longer possible to think only of humanitarian measures.”
Arcelin estimated that Abinader’s collaboration should be the main one since everything that affects Haiti in one way or another disturbs and splashes the Dominican territory. “They can really help to solve the crisis because they are part of the crisis,” he said, referring to the Dominican government and the call made by Abinader to the international community. On the mistreatment of Haitian immigrants in the United States, he said that “it is a terrible crime what they have done to Haitians, the guards on horses, with nooses to detain them… they treated them like mere animals. That is why even the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, has spoken out about this,” he said indignantly. Likewise, he considered that U.S. President Joe Biden has turned his back on Haitian residents in his country after kneeling to get their votes and saying that “the policy would change.”
Blame.
“What is happening in Haiti is the fault of the U.S. and the Western powers,” Arcelin said. Regarding the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, he stated that this was a long time coming. “He made so many enemies throughout Haitian society that the wanted one was him,” the former diplomat pointed out.