The US Secretary of State and the President of the Dominican Republic They discussed various issues behind closed doors, including human rightseconomic prosperity and security regional. However, the cHaiti crisisa country bordering the Dominican Republic and devastated by violence, dominated the conversation.
The Secretary of State of USA, Antony Blinkenarrived at the Dominican Republic for a one-day visit after landing in neighboring Haiti on Thursday, where he supported the U.N.-backed, Kenyan-led mission to fight gangs.
Blinken said he had spoken with the Dominican President Luis Abinader on his concerns regarding Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic.
Abinader He told reporters that his government is concerned about the apparent lack of resources for the mission and the thousands of inmates who escaped after the bands They will take two by storm prisons major attacks in Haiti earlier this year as part of a coordinated attack.
The Haiti crisis has led to an increase in the number of immigrants who try to enter the Dominican Republicsaid Abinaderadding that they are overwhelming the capacity of schools and hospitals.
Crisis in Haiti and its impact on the region
Blinken acknowledged on Friday during the press conference with Abinader that the crisis that Haiti has been going through for years has repercussions throughout the world western hemisphere and promised to continue working so that the neighboring country “is successful.”
The issue of Haiti is “a challenge and is very complicated” because it involves issues that “go back many years, they are deep-rooted problems,” said the senior US official.
During his visit to Haiti, Blinken met with transitional authorities, announced a $45 million increase in humanitarian aid and promised to work during the General Assembly of United Nations to increase international contributions to the mission of security.
In his statements, he noted that there has been some progress in recent months after the installation of the Transitional government and the arrival of the contingent of Kenyan soldiersas part of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMS) to help the National Police deal with the bands armed groups that have spread terror in that country, especially in the capital, Port-au-Prince.
“Our future and our destinies are linked,” said Blinken, who reiterated that USA will bring the Haitian issue back to the United Nations for the mission’s mandate to be renewed in October.
Pressure in the DR
In his appearance alongside Blinken, President Luis Abinader He said the crisis in Haiti has increased the migratory pressure towards the Dominican Republicaffecting public services, such as school and health, in addition to generating risks for the security of the country.
The Dominican ruler recalled that in public hospitals Dominican Republic “14% of hospitalizations and 34% of births are due to immigrants “undocumented Haitians.”
“This does not happen in any health system in the world,” said the head of government.
The president also stressed that the migratory pressure affects enrollment in the Dominican school system “where 6.5% of students, some 147,000, are of Haitian nationality.
Normalize relations with Haiti without affecting the DR
Abinader He said he hopes to normalize “as far as possible” the relations with Haiti so that there is, for example, opening of Travel, but that their priority above all is the security of Dominicans, which is one of the main problems of the neighboring country, which cannot guarantee it to its citizens.
He explained that as Haitians progress in their security internally, in the same way there will be more closeness and exchange of Dominican Republic with the neighboring nation.
“Our intention is to try to normalize as much as possible the relationsbut always respecting and caring for the security of the Dominican Republicour priority as a government is the security of the Dominicans,” he said Abinader while answering questions from journalists after a private meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the National Palace.
Concern for Venezuela
The crisis unleashed by the rejection of the official results of the elections of July 28 and which favor Nicolás Maduro, was also part of the topics discussed between Luis Abinader and Antony Blinken.
In the case of the Dominican president, he responded to the threat of the Venezuelan Minister of Justice, Diosdado Cabello, assuring that “without having oil, without having hydrocarbons, but with an administration that works,” Dominican Republic “has become the seventh largest economy in Latin America in recent years.”
The relations between Venezuela and Dominican Republic have faced serious difficulties since the country expressed its concerns about the legitimacy of the electoral process in the South American country. Since then, Caracas decided to break relations diplomatic relations with the country and suspend commercial Flights between the two countries, this last measure was extended for another month until the end of September.
The latest burden on the relations bilateral relations between the two countries was the seizure by the US government of a plane owned by Nicolás Maduro that had been in the country for several months. Washington cited violations of sanctions and illegal export of the aircraft.
“We don’t have oil, but our economy is bigger than that of Venezuela Now, we will continue to defend democratic values ​​now in this administration and we will continue to defend them whenever and wherever we can,” the Dominican president stressed.
Blinken reiterated the concern of the USA due to the situation of Venezuela after “an election in which the will of the Venezuelan people could not have been clearer, but unfortunately that will and their votes were not reflected in what has happened since then.”
The secretary considers it vital, especially for Venezuelans, that the country returns to a “democratic trajectory,” which is why he indicated that they are working with regional organizations and countries such as the Dominican RepublicBrazil, Colombia, Mexico, to return to Venezuela to “its democratic path.”
