Minustah escorts Dominican trucks in Haiti

SD. The president of the National Federation of Dominican Transportation (Fenatrado), Blas Peralta, reported that members of the United Nations Mission for Stability in Haiti (Minustah) and the Haitian police established a strip along which the trucks which transport merchandise from the Dominican Republic to Haiti can travel under the custody of these forces in order to guarantee their safety in the neighboring country, where they have now begun to enter and leave through Jimani and Dajabon.

In the meantime, the Minister of Foreign Relations, Andres Navarro, said that in spite of having taken the firm measure of temporarily closing the five consulates in Haiti, the Dominican Republic does not have among its plans breaking off relations with that country.

Peralta told the Diario Libre that neither in Dajabon or Jimani are there any trucks that are still stuck there, due to the fact that they left for Haiti under the protection of the Minustah and the Haitian police.

He said that they established a strip where the truckers can enter Haiti, which goes from Jimani to the town of Kwadebouke, and from there to the area around the international airport in Port-au-Prince.

Likewise, he said that due to the fact that the number of members of the Minustah is not sufficient, they committed themselves to only provide security along this route.

"The trucker who deviates from this route to some other place without security, could run the risk of being attacked, killed and that the merchandise be stolen," said Peralta.

The trucking leader indicated that drivers, since yesterday, have already begun to return from Haiti, after delivering their merchandise.

He stated that the only thing which Fenatrado demands is that in order to enter and leave Haiti, the Haitian authorities must be committed to protect the trucks as far as their destination.

"To the contrary, we are not going to enter, because according to rumors the Haitians are preparing to take vengeance against the Dominican Republic for the Haitian that was hung in Santiago," he said.

He indicated that a group of Haitians was going around with a video in Haiti showing the citizens of that country their compatriot hanging and some Dominicans that fought with inhabitants of the neighboring country on the frontier and calling on the population to take vengeance.

The Chancellor speaks

For his part, Chancellor Navarro said that the closure of the consular missions is temporary and the recall of the personnel of the Embassy is a preventive measure and a sort of waiting period until the Haitian state takes a credible step, he told Euri Cabral on the television program "La Otra Cara."

"This is not a retaliatory message nor do we have any intention of cutting off relations with Haiti. We are waiting for the Haitian government to react in an adequate manner and we will restore the talks and the negotiations in order to resolve this situation," said Chancellor Navarro.

He assured his hosts that in spite of the historical problems with Haiti "Dominicans have never entered a Haitian consulate and disrespected their flag and tried to change it for a Dominican flag. This is unthinkable."

The situation in Dajabon

As for Dajabon, the local authorities asked Dominicans not to cross into Haitian territory until that nation can guarantee the physical integrity of these persons. "It is important that the Haitian authorities adopt greater controls in their territory. Until then we are issuing a call to Dominicans not to enter that country," said Ramona Rodriguez, the Governor of Dajabon.

She indicated that the situation along the northern strip of the frontier between the Dominican Republic and Haiti was normal over the weekend. Nonetheless, they expect disturbances in the neighboring country today, which could affect the commercial exchange which is carried out on Mondays and Fridays at the bi-national market in Dajabon.

Given the possibility of disturbances in the neighboring country, members of the Specialized Corps for Frontier Security (Cesfront) are patrolling the riverbanks of the Massacre River.

Haiti tells DR it reinforced security

The Haitian Minister of Foreign Relations sent a letter to his Dominican counterpart, Andres Navarro, in which he says that the authorities of the neighboring country have reinforced their security forces at the Dominican diplomatic missions, in order to guarantee the physical integrity of the personnel and of the locales which house the different legations.

In a letter addressed to Navarro, the Haitian Chancellor Pierre Duly Brutus, explained that around the five Dominican consulates in the neighboring nation they have posted a greater number of Haitian police agents, as well as soldiers belonging to the Minustah, as a measure which he assures will insure that violent actions against the installations will be avoided.

He indicated that he ordered the reinforcement of the security at the consulates located in Port-au-Prince, Juana Mendez, Anse a Pitre, Belader, and Cape Haitian, the same as around the Dominican Embassy in the Haitian capital.

"With feelings of profound consideration we are pleased to inform your Excellency the Minister of Foreign Relations of the Dominican Republic, Andres Navarro that our government has adopted the security measures necessary in order to guarantee the security of the ambassador, the consuls and the rest of the personnel which works at the diplomatic missions."

Diario Libre