Santo Domingo.- Former President of the Republic and presidential candidate of the Fuerza del Pueblo (FP) party, Leonel Fernández, has voiced concerns regarding the construction of an irrigation canal on the Dajabón River, known as Masacre, by Haitians, asserting that it constitutes a violation of Dominican sovereignty as outlined in the Constitution and the 1929 treaty signed between the two countries.
Addressing the issue, current President and candidate for re-election, Luis Abinader, took to Twitter to handle the dispute. Fernández criticized Abinader’s approach, stating that instead of utilizing available diplomatic measures, the president opted for demonstrations of force, which ultimately harmed national producers and merchants.
Fernández further alleged that Abinader’s actions reflect those of a candidate seeking re-election rather than a statesman, resulting in significant damage to the patriotic sentiment of the Dominican Republic.
Haiti recently completed the connection of the canal designed to divert water from the Massacre River in the city of Juana Méndez. Within less than 24 hours, this led to a significant reduction in the river’s flow.
More reading: Haiti’s canal lowers the flow of the Masacre River