Insecurity pushes the population to flee to the Dominican Republic, on the same island, but where the situation is hardly more enviable.
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Drum rolls and the ritual before each demonstration in Port-au-Prince to start the march: a fire lit using pieces of dried wood, and soaked in a mixture of alcohol and salt. Some protesters, carrying signs, take the road to Delmas, a suburb of Port-au-Prince, followed our correspondent in Port-au-Prince, Marie André Bélange.
“ We are here in solidarity with the residents of Carrefour Feuilles who have no place to sleep because of armed bandits. We don’t want to be the next victim. » « I came to march without violence to demand another form of governance. Not everyone wants to leave. Go to the Dominican Republic where we are mistreated and humiliated? We want to stay in our country. We demand a safe climate to be able to work, make plans and make our dreams come true. »
The former interim Prime Minister, Claude Joseph, was critical of the current government: “ The residents of Carrefour Feuilles, Solino, Pernier, Nazon, you are victims because of Ariel Henry. I came to tell you that you are not alone. Ariel Henry, after two years as Prime Minister, you have done nothing to improve the living conditions of the population. You have to leave… Leave room for another team! »
This demonstration took place under police escort. The participants took the opportunity to express their solidarity with the Haitians involved in the construction of the irrigation canal fed by the Massacre River which crosses both Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
An “anti-Haitian resentment” in the Dominican Republic
And precisely, for Haitians living in the Dominican Republic, it was a tense weekend. First, President Luis Abinader announced the closure of the border because Haitian farmers are building an irrigation canal which will be fed by a river shared by the two neighboring countries. Then, a Haitian was arrested for disrespecting the head of state in a video posted on TikTok. Finally, a passenger transport union announced that the buses will no longer take any Haitian passenger, whether in an irregular situation or not, before going back.
It was ultimately the Dominican government that had to intervene and cancel this racist and discriminatory measure. But according to human rights defenders, President Luis Abinader, in the pre-campaign for his re-election, is nevertheless the main person responsible for the slip-ups.
“ When the Dominican government does not respect the Constitution and itself violates the laws of the country, it fuels anti-Haitian resentment, accuses Roudy Joseph, spokesperson for the Collective of Haitians in the Dominican Republic. After the border closure, we demand that the Dominican government publicly vouch for the physical integrity and lives of members of the Haitian community here, in order to avoid any form of reprisals from the population. The canal and border dispute must be resolved at the government level during bilateral talks between the two countries. »
Since Luis Abinader came to power, access to care for Haitians has become more complicated. They are also victims of arbitrary arrests and are expelled en masse.