The Dominican foreign minister’s strong-worded letter to his North American counterpart reflects the country’s dissatisfaction with the treatment received from the United States lately. This includes the ban on sugar exports from Central Romana, the refusal to renegotiate safeguards on rice, the immigration alert leading to tourist cancellations, and criticism of the legal deportations of Haitians. It is worth noting that Washington follows a similar policy, which has received backlash from human rights groups.
Despite President Luis Abinader’s efforts to strengthen relations with the United States, the recent events have been a major setback. President Abinader has supported the US on sensitive issues such as the war in Ukraine, human rights, and the fight against drug trafficking. The Dominican Republic, along with Costa Rica, Panama, and Ecuador, has joined the Alliance for Development in Democracy, a strategic association with the White House of Democrat Joe Biden.
The ban on sugar from Central Romana entering the US due to alleged slavery practices has caused significant damage to the Dominican Republic. It implies official collusion or, at the very least, a lax application of labor laws. As for rice, the inflexible North American position will leave small and large Dominican producers without tariff protection against subsidized exports of the cereal from the United States as of 2025. President Abinader has taken a firm stance on the issue in defense of national convenience, as it will affect hundreds of thousands of Dominicans.