Dominican leaders rally behind Abinader’s plea for global support in Haitian crisis

Santo Domingo.- In a unified display of support, political and academic leaders, who are signatories to the National Pact for the Formulation and Execution of the Policies of the Dominican State to confront the effects of the crisis in Haiti, rallied behind President Luis Abinader’s address to the United Nations Security Council (UN). The joint declaration, eloquently presented by Juan Daniel Balcácer, the President of the Dominican Academy of History, underscored their endorsement of Abinader’s stance on the Haitian crisis and emphasized the urgency of collective action.

President Abinader’s call for the international community to shoulder responsibility for assisting the Multinational Support Mission in Haiti resonated strongly among the political and academic leaders present. They echoed his grave concern that Haiti stands on the verge of a civil war, emphasizing the severe ramifications not only for the Dominican Republic but also for the broader region.

“We are here to decisively support the Dominican position that either we fight together to save Haiti or we will fight alone to protect the Dominican homeland,” reiterated the leaders and academics in a unified voice, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.

The signatories to the National Pact emphasized the pressing need to equip the mission with the necessary economic resources and logistical tools for swift and effective deployment. They acknowledged the substantial contributions made by the Dominican Republic, both in terms of financial resources from the national budget and ongoing efforts to address health, education, and employment needs for the Haitian people.

However, the leaders stressed that the commitment of other nations that have promised financial support to address this crisis should be promptly fulfilled. “Our country has contributed too many resources from its national budget to meet the health, education, and employment needs of the Haitian people. We have been the most supportive in the world. But today we believe that the countries that have promised to help financially with this problem should do so now,” they indicated.

Prominent political figures and academics, including Rogelio Genao, Eduardo García Michel, Pelegrín Castillo, Bernardo Vega, Andrés Lugo, Raul de Moya Español, Maritza López, Julio César Valentín, Juan Dionicio Rodríguez, Karina Aristy, Manuel Nuñez Modesto Guzmán, and Fernando Ferrán, were among those who rallied behind President Abinader’s position, emphasizing the collective responsibility to address the unfolding crisis in Haiti.