Dominican President Abinader seeks to ‘normalize’ relations with Haiti

Santo Domingo.- During a press statement with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Dominican President Luis Abinader discussed the ongoing issues in Haiti and the Dominican Republic’s efforts to manage them. Abinader emphasized the government’s priority of ensuring the safety of Dominicans while attempting to normalize relations with Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic.

The border between the two countries has been largely closed for a year, following the Dominican Republic’s decision to restrict access in response to Haiti’s construction of a canal to divert water from a shared river. Currently, only essential goods are traded, and flights between the two nations remain suspended.

Abinader acknowledged the support from the U.S., including the deployment of a peacekeeping force in Haiti, which he hopes will help advance internal security in Haiti and potentially lead to the reopening of travel between the countries. He stressed that while the Dominican Republic can no longer manage Haiti’s crises, his administration is focused on security measures, including a 174-kilometer border wall and ongoing deportations of Haitians. In 2023 alone, the Dominican Republic deported 250,000 Haitians, a move that Amnesty International criticized as discriminatory.

Blinken recognized Abinader’s leadership in addressing corruption and public management and expressed the importance of regional efforts to help Haiti overcome its crisis. The two leaders also discussed the upcoming Summit of the Americas, scheduled to be held in the Dominican Republic next year.