Dominican lawmakers fear for president’s safety in Haiti

Lawmakers here said Thursday they are concerned for the safety of the country’s president during an upcoming trip to Haiti.

Former ambassador Roberto Saladin, who also served as Central Bank governor, asked the Senate to issue a resolution demanding Dominican President Danilo Medina refrain from traveling to Haiti to continue bilateral talks with the western neighbor.

“Danilo Medina’s life could be at risk,” said Saladín, who referenced an assassination attempt on former President Leonel Fernandez in Port au Prince during a visit to Haiti in December 2005.

The issue of the president’s security was raised in the media shortly after Medina and Hatian President Michel Martelly agreed earlier this week to restore each other’s ambassadors after relations soured between the two countries in July, after the Dominican government took measures to regulate illegal immigration from Haiti.

The two leaders also agreed to hold more talks in Port–au–Prince in an effort to improve commercial ties that were strained at the beginning of October when Haiti imposed a ground transport ban on 23 Dominican products.

Some Dominican business owners, however, are not ready to reconcile. The Dominican Merchants Federations on Thursday demanded the country close its border to Haiti, until Port-au-Prince rescinded the road transport ban.

“Our government should close the border, the same way Haiti did with us,” said Fernando Díaz, president of the Dajabón´s Merchants Association. He said it was embarrassing to the country when Medina was unable to lift the ban.

Sen. Heinz Vieluf of the border province of Montecristi dismissed Haiti’s ban.

He suggested the Dominican Republic apply the Biblical concept of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” and demanded his country deny entry to Haitians.

Haitian Foreign Affairs Minister Lener Renauld warned that Haiti is not considering a lifting of the ban.

The back-and-forth comments have increased tensions with troops deployed to the border to help quell potential disturbances.

By Senabri Silvestre

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1 thought on “Dominican lawmakers fear for president’s safety in Haiti

  1. October 18, 2015
    A big meeting to discuss Haiti took place at the DR capital today. The subject of the meeting was Haiti, and how the Dominican Republic would interfere with the electoral process.
    2 senators , 11 deputies 3 ministers and their representatives were présent…
    1) Ruben Darío Maldonado
    2)Pedro Billilo
    3) Rafael Calderón is a senator of Azua
    4) Edis Fernando Vasquez is also a senator of Barahona.
    5) Julio Alberto Pena
    6) Mariano Montero
    7) Gregorio Reyes
    8 ) José Antonio
    9)Roberto Pères
    10) Victor Suarez
    11) Hugo Fernelis
    12) Manuel de Jésus
    13) Francisco Dominguez the minister of justice
    14) one représentant of the minister Andres Navarro which name is Alberto Javier
    15)Jose Ramon Fadul
    16) One representing a minister Jose Del Castillo: his name is Antonio Rivas
    And 2 représentatives of the Political Party PLD Ramon Rivas ans Nadin Rivas were présent.
    The financial implications of Martelly closure of the Haitian/Dominican border are catastrophic and Haiti is in vulnerable condition, with the first round of Presidential Elections next Sunday.

    Rumor sees a large pot of money transiting from the Dominican Republic, into Haiti, for action against the elections.

    Time will tell.

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