Haiti experiences recurring cycles of armed violence that result in devastating effects and humanitarian needs that rival those of armed conflicts. This happens just a few kilometers away from the Dominican Republic, a country with limited defense and combat capacity. The Global Firepower Index evaluates the armed forces of countries based on equipment, troops, resources, alliances, and other factors to measure their strength. The Dominican Republic ranks 118th out of 145 countries, with a population of over 10,647,000 and 90,000 military personnel, 60,000 of whom are active with no reservists. The country has 63 aircraft, 8 attack aircraft, 31 helicopters, 12 tanks, 2,050 armored vehicles, and 34 ships but lacks aircraft carriers, destroyers, and submarines.
Security expert Carolina Ramírez attributes the Dominican Republic’s ranking to several factors, including its non-warlike constitution, status as an International City of Peace, and limited financial resources. She believes that Haiti, despite being of interest to the Dominican Republic, does not pose a military threat. Former deputy Pelegrín Castillo emphasizes that the Dominican Republic has an essentially defensive approach in its defense doctrine and by constitutional mandate. He believes that any confrontation the country might face would involve destabilizing actions within a scheme of asymmetric, irregular, or hybrid warfare. Castillo denounces the scenario being prepared in Haiti, where arms, ammunition, mercenaries, communication equipment, and money are flowing, seeking to fuel the fire and confrontation.
He maintains that despite having fought against powers like England and France, the Dominican Republic does not seek to become a country of intervention or aggression against others. Rather, it needs a strategy to deter those who might try to occupy the country, knowing that they would face active resistance at the state or spontaneous levels.