QUITE A SHOCK, INDEED!

It seems some have suddenly discovered a truth that is actually elementary: the Haitian border is not an annex of the Dominican Republic!

According to a United Nations report on Haiti, a significant portion of the weapons and ammunition fueling violence in the country originates in the United States and the Dominican Republic, particularly through cross-border trafficking routes.

And since some memories need refreshing, let us also recall the affair involving 900,000 rounds of ammunition that were allegedly diverted and sold to gangs by Dominican officers and soldiers.
It was a scandal of exceptional gravity, yet it resulted in judicial sanctions deemed particularly lenient by many observers.

The measures adopted in 2015 under the Martelly-Lamothe administration to strengthen the fight against smuggling and arms trafficking were neither new nor secret.

Yet today, whenever Haiti takes steps that appear to disrupt certain habits or interests, protests erupt immediately.

People demand explanations, stir up a fuss, call for discussions, and suddenly start questioning what is happening on the Haitian side of the border.

Curious, isn’t it?

The Dominican Minister of Defense was at the border yesterday and stated—according to reports—that there were no particular issues there.

Very well! So why all this agitation?

Why this rush to know about, comment on, or question decisions Haiti makes regarding its own territory?

What a magnificent contradiction!

When things run the way certain people have grown accustomed to, everything is fine. Yet, the moment Haiti decides to tighten controls, monitor its borders, and enforce its own rules, some people suddenly discover a need for dialogue and explanations.

It is therefore necessary to reiterate something that should not need explaining:

HAITI DOES NOT NEED PERMISSION TO CONTROL ITS OWN TERRITORY.

A state’s sovereignty is not up for negotiation based on commercial interests, smuggling habits, or the convenience of those who have long viewed Haiti as a territory where they could exert influence without facing real resistance.

If these new measures are causing discomfort, let the reasons be stated clearly.

Let the specific points of contention be explained.

And above all, let us put an end to this ongoing charade where every attempt by Haiti to assert authority over its territory is immediately portrayed as a provocation.

Controlling a border is not a provocation.

Enforcing one’s laws is not a provocation.

Protecting one’s territory is not a provocation.

It is simply the normal exercise of national sovereignty.

It is high time Haiti stopped giving the impression that it must ask for permission before making decisions on its own soil.

When it comes to its borders, its security, and its national dignity, Haiti must speak with one voice.

The era when others made decisions for Haiti while Haitians looked on in silence must be a thing of the past.

Haiti is on its own soil.

Its border is its own.

And control over its territory belongs to it alone.

MEMBERS OF THE HAITIAN PRIVATE BUSINESS SECTOR (MESPHAR)