“Ariel Henry is not welcome in the Dominican Republic,” says President Luis Abinader
The Dominican president said the decision was taken in the interest of safeguarding national security.
Finally, the end of his silence on the burning issue of the refusal to land Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s plane by the island’s authorities.
For the first time, Dominican President Luis Abinader speaks on this subject and on the security issues currently affecting the two countries sharing the island.
First of all, for security reasons, his administration refused the landing of the jet carrying the head of the Haitian government. “This decision was taken in the interest of safeguarding national security”he specifies.
President Abinader also emphasizes that this decision comes at a time of tension and violence in Haiti, where gangs have challenged the authority of the government, further complicating the political and social situation in the region.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Mr. Abinader explained that due to the current context, he did not consider the presence of the Haitian Prime Minister in the Dominican Republic appropriate.
He also stressed that the crisis in Haiti represents not only a humanitarian challenge, but also a direct threat to the stability and security of the Dominican Republic.
Also questioned by the newspaper Listìn Diario, the Dominican president insists that the Dominican Republic has closed its 390 km land border with Haiti since the recent increase in violence, implementing strict restrictions on the flow of goods.
During the interview, the Dominican president deplored the absence of government and authority in Haiti, describing the security situation as “totally unsustainable”mainly in the southern part of Haiti and Port-au-Prince.
This is why the Dominican President once again called on the international community to join the effort to pacify Haiti and develop a viable plan for democratic elections, affirming that without a legitimate government and a significant reduction in violence, the electoral process would be unfeasible.
