DR closes borders with Haiti due to canal dispute and racial tensions.

On September 15th, Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader announced the closure of all its land, air, and sea borders to Haiti. This move, which follows the construction of a wall at the border, has stirred up longstanding racial tensions between the two countries.

The Dominican Republic's intention to close its only land border has locked Haitian people in their own country, which is experiencing violence, poverty, and a lack of access to clean water and a failing healthcare system. Over 80% of Haiti's capital city, Port-au-Prince, is under gang control and large-scale killings have crippled the population with fear.

The Dominican Republic's decision to close its borders is based on a decades-long treaty that governs the fair use of waterways shared by the two countries. According to President Abinader, Haiti has violated this treaty by planning to build a canal along the Massacre River. He calls the plan “totally inadequate construction without any type of engineering” and a “provocation that this government is not going to accept.” Haitian officials have expressed disagreement with Abinader’s remarks, believing the move is motivated by his bid for reelection at the expense of Haiti's people.

The canal project began in 2021, and 65% of it was completed before the assassination of former Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. Maismy-Mary Fleurant, a former officer with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, believes Dominican officials are participating in centuries of anti-Blackness toward Haiti, which dates back to the reign of Rafael Trujillo. Fleurant states that “these actions are not driven by concerns for international law, but rather by local politicians aimed at demonstrating who can be the most vehemently anti-Haitian.”

The closure of Dominican Republic's borders and the ongoing canal dispute have caused a lot of stress and fear in Haiti. Many Haitians are left wondering what the future holds for them and their country.

[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]