Dominican President Suspends Visas for Haitians, Threatens to Close Border With Its Neighbor

September 11, 2023 11:55 PM
Associated Press



FILE - People bathe in the Massacre River, named for a bloody battle between Spanish and French colonizers in the 1700s, on the border with Haiti in Ouanaminthe, Dominican Republic, Nov. 19, 2021.


SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC —
The president of the Dominican Republic announced Monday that he has suspended issuing visas to Haitians, and he threatened to shut down land, air and sea traffic between the two neighbors over their latest dispute.

President Luis Abinader's move follows the recent excavation of a supposed canal in Haiti that Dominican officials argue will divert water from the Massacre River and harm its farmers and the environment. The river, which runs in both countries, is named for a bloody battle between Spanish and French colonizers in the 1700s.

It is not clear who, if anyone, authorized the digging of the canal in Haiti.

"If the conflict is not resolved before Thursday, (officials will) completely close the border to air, sea and land commerce," the Dominican government said in a statement.

That would be an economic blow to Haiti, which gets much of its imports from the Dominican Republic and where inflation has skyrocketed and poverty deepened amid a surge in gang violence.

It would also hurt Dominican businesses.

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