Dajabón, Dominican Republic.- The cross-border market held Fridays in the northwestern city was snarled today as widespread protests being staged in nearby Ouanaminthe and other Haitian towns mean huge losses for merchants.
At least one Dominican trucker has been reportedly injured as the result of the unrest.
Heated clashes between residents and police have be taking place during several days in the towns of Fort Liberte and Ouanaminthe, whose inhabitants demand better services and lower taxes on merchandise bought in Dominican territory.
Many in the area however link the protests to the turmoil which has rocked Port-au-Prince in the last few days, with demands that president Michel Martelly step down.
The hobbled market jeopardizes people on both sides of the border, since most of the hauled goods hail mostly from the northern Cibao, especially farm products.
the protests at Ouanaminthe have forced numerous trucks full of goods to remain at the Dajabón gate, from where they cannot cross into Haiti.