After verifying that La Vigia canal is working, Abinader considers relaxing border closure

Dajabón.- Yesterday morning, President Luis Abinader arrived in surprise at the border in Dajabón to check and validate the operation of the La Vigía canal, which could lead to the relaxation of the closing of the border strip since, according to the government, it guarantees access to water for the producers in the area.

“We are already ready to extract up to one cubic meter of water, which is more than what the flow has at the lowest moments of the Dajabón River,” he expressed.

When asked about the possibility of opening the border, the head of state responded: “I wanted to see and confirm that the canal is ready, and this allows flexibility.”

However, he reiterated that even if it is possible to take measures to make it more flexible, the zone will not be the same. “Here we are going to have many more controls in all orders, here and in the southern border, in all the border, because the Dominican Republic has to take measures that it had not taken before,” he emphasized.

The Head of State reiterated that the border will continue to be closed from the migratory point of view.

The President congratulated the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (Indrhi), the National Institute of Drinking Water and Sewage (Inapa), and the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) “for their great work to put the canal into operation.”As for the Don Miguel dam, he announced that it is in the process of analysis and design for execution.

And the canal, President?
Referring to the construction of the canal being carried out by Haitians in the community of Juana Mendez to divert water to their side, Abinader said that as a nation, they cannot allow that without any consultation, technical and environmental study; these works be carried out, which affect the Treaty of 1929, which means that these border waters should be comanaged between the two countries.

“When making unilateral decisions, we have to protect the national interest, and our national interest is to divert the water that they could take and then send it downstream, and we have already achieved it; that part is ready,” he expressed.

Regarding actions to support farmers and small traders, the President said they had implemented measures through institutions such as the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Mipymes, the Supérate program, and the National Institute of Price Control (Inespre).