Santo Domingo.- This Thursday, a commission composed of three teams of deputies from the Chamber of Deputies in the Dominican Republic will interview Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez. The focus will be on the recent conflict between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, sparked by the construction of a water canal intended to divert part of the Masacre River towards Haitian territory. Additionally, they will discuss the closure of the border between the two countries.
Álvarez is scheduled to meet with the commission at 10:00 am. The commission unites the Border Affairs, Armed Forces, and Foreign Relations committees, which will collectively seek explanations about the canal’s progress and the resulting diplomatic tensions.
This meeting marks the sixth invitation extended to Álvarez by the deputies. His attendance is considered almost mandatory, as failure to appear could prompt the Chamber of Deputies to take further actions. Previously, the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Alfredo Pacheco, expressed frustration when Álvarez excused himself for the fifth time, leaving the congressmen waiting.
The situation at the border has been tense for months, lacking a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. The Foreign Minister will need to address the measures taken to attempt to resolve these differences. Since the canal’s construction, which has received support from Haitian businessmen and politicians, the two countries have faced ongoing disputes. These disagreements have been presented to international organizations without any definitive resolution.
The Dominican government has taken various actions against Haiti regarding the canal’s construction, citing defense of national sovereignty. Measures included a total closure of the borders and a suspension of visas, followed later by a partial reopening for commercial exchanges only. However, the Haitian side has not opened its part of the border, citing objections to the collection of biometric data to regulate passage in the border area as disrespectful.
Earlier in October, Foreign Minister Álvarez attended a Senate session where he addressed the Plenary of 32 legislators regarding the Foreign Ministry’s actions in handling the situation with Haiti.