VERON, Dominican Republic—
As soaring violence and political turmoil grip neighboring Haiti, the Dominican Republic will hold elections Sunday that have been defined by calls for more crackdowns on migrants and finishing a border wall dividing the countries.
Politics in the two nations sharing the Caribbean island of Hispaniola have long been intertwined. Haiti’s spiral into chaos in recent years has coincided with a harsh crackdown by its Dominican neighbor.
President Luis Abinader, a clear front-runner in the presidential race, has carried out Trump-like immigration policies, including beginning to build a border wall along the Haitian frontier and carrying out mass deportations of 175,000 Haitians just last year. Dominicans also will be choosing members of Congress.
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“We will continue to deport everyone who is illegal from any country,” Abinader said in a debate in late April. “A society that doesn’t do that is chaos and anarchy.”
Abinader, who has also pledged to strengthen the nation’s economy, said he would finish construction of the border wall. His closest competitors — former President Leonel Fernández and Santiago Mayor Abel Martínez — have echoed his calls to ramp up the actions against migration.
The crackdown has marked an intensification of longtime policies by the Dominican government that human rights groups have alleged are discriminatory and put vulnerable people at risk.
Fernández, of the People’s Force party, said Dominicans were “afraid to go out into the streets” despite Abinader’s policies. He said he would continue crackdowns while respecting human rights.
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Dominican voters seem to be rewarding Abinader for the crackdown, with the incumbent favored to get more than the 50% support needed to win in the first round of voting. If no candidate reaches the 50% mark, a runoff between the top two vote-getters would be held.
Ana Pagán, a 34-year-old supervisor at a communications company in the capital, Santo Domingo, said she approved of the border wall being built and other measures taken by the government.
“No foreigner who wants to stay here in the Dominican Republic should do so illegally, and that’s what [the government] has said,” she said.
Pagán said, however, that she is concerned too about other key electoral issues for Dominicans: crime and endemic corruption. She said many of the country’s security problems come from corrupt officials allowing smuggling and other crimes.
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With Dominican voters favoring a continued government crackdown on migrants, many of the hundreds of thousands of Haitians in the Dominican Republic live in fear.
Haiti, long stricken by tragedy, has been in a downward spiral since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021. Gangs have warred for power, injecting terror and turmoil into the lives of many in the impoverished nation.
In recent weeks — following the prime minister’s resignation — a transition council tasked with choosing Haiti’s new leaders has offered a small dose of hope of easing some of the country’s many woes.
The ongoing violence has forced many to flee their homes and seek refuge in places like the Dominican Republic and the United States. The Dominican government’s policies have stirred concerns among both newly arrived migrants and Haitians who have long called the Dominican Republic home.
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Yani Rimpel, a 35-year-old Haitian businesswoman in the eastern city of Veron, has lived in the country for 20 years. She told the Associated Press she’s never seen such uncertainty among Haitian communities, something she attributes to Abinader’s migration policies.
Two weeks ago, she said immigration agents broke into her house at dawn with heavily armed soldiers in tow. She said they searched the house and stole cash she saved up to buy and sell merchandise, leaving her without any means to support herself.
“If [Abinader] stays in power, I can’t live here. I’m going to have to move back to my house in Haiti. Because here I have no value. I’m not safe. I don’t have a way to live here if he continues” as president, she said.
Alcantara and Janetsky write for the Associated Press and reported from Veron and Mexico City, respectively.
More to Read
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Haiti’s prime minister resigns, paving way for new government to take power
April 25, 2024
FAQs
The hostile relations between the two nations continued due to disputes over sections of the border, which was not finally delimited until 1929. A subsequent commission set about conducting on-the-ground demarcation, however there were continuing disputes over certain sections of the boundary.
What do Haiti and the Dominican Republic share? ›
Haiti and Dominican Republic are the two neighboring Caribbean countries which share the border on the island of Hispaniola.
What type of boundary dispute are Haiti and the Dominican Republic? ›
No sovereignty disputes exist along the Dominican Republic - Haiti boundary, so there are no problem areas relative to its alignment. But problems over water rights, movement of people, and commerce center on the position of the boundary and are sources of friction, either actual or latent, between the two states.
Is the Dominican Republic safe with Haiti? ›
Dominican Republic-Haiti border
FCDO advises against all travel to Haiti due to the volatile security situation. Land and sea borders between the Dominican Republic and Haiti are closed. Military and police roadblocks are common in the border area.
Is it safe to go to the Dominican Republic right now? ›
Dominican Republic - Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Country Summary: Violent crime, including armed robbery, homicide, and sexual assault, is a concern throughout the Dominican Republic.
What caused the Haiti conflict? ›
The assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021 exacerbated the political turmoil and led to widespread violence. The COVID-19 pandemic also hit Haiti hard, worsening economic difficulties and straining an already fragile healthcare system.
Why is Haiti so poor but the Dominican Republic is not? ›
Haiti's semiarid climate makes cultivation more challenging. Deforestation — a major problem in Haiti, but not in its neighbor — has only exacerbated the problem. Other differences are a result of Hispaniola's long and often violent history — even TIME called it a “forlorn, hate-filled little Caribbean island” in 1965.
Which is richer, the Haiti or the Dominican Republic? ›
In terms of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and corrected for differences in purchasing power, an average person of the Dominican Republic is nearly nine times richer than an average person in Haiti.
Where do Haitians go when they leave their country? ›
Haiti has a sizable diaspora, present primarily in the United States, Panama, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Canada, France (including its French Caribbean territories), the Bahamas, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil and Chile.
What is happening with the Dominican Republic and Haiti? ›
The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, which has descended into chaos and gang warfare since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Abinader's government has built a wall along its 250-mile border with Haiti and deported at least 175,000 Haitians fleeing crisis last year alone.
Haiti is more Caribbean in terms of its history and identity, but a lot of Haitians do speak Spanish. In fact, many speak several languages. They speak indigenous Creole, which is an African and French mix, and they may speak French and Spanish, or even English fluently.
What is the fault line in Haiti and Dominican Republic? ›
The Septentrional-Orient fault zone (SOFZ) is a system of active coaxial left lateral-moving strike slip faults that runs along the northern side of the island of Hispaniola where Haiti and the Dominican Republic are located and continues along the south of Cuba along the northern margin of the Cayman Trough.
Which is safer, Mexico or the Dominican Republic? ›
Safety Considerations for Travelers
Mexico has a lower absolute crime rate (54) than the Dominican Republic (61), so on a numbers basis you're safer in Mexico. However, in both cases, if you keep to the resort or stay in the tourist areas, you're unlikely to encounter a problem.
Is Punta Cana safe to walk around? ›
Punta Cana is one of the safest vacation spots in the Caribbean. Tourists should feel comfortable traveling outside of the hotel zone. However, petty theft (especially of cell phones, according to some) does sometimes occur, so you should be careful when carrying valuables with you.
Can you drive from Haiti to the Dominican Republic? ›
Can I drive from Haiti to Dominican Republic? Yes, the driving distance between Haiti to Dominican Republic is 410 km. It takes approximately 5h 59m to drive from Haiti to Dominican Republic.
Why did the Dominican war start? ›
The immediate cause of the civil war lay in the May 1961 assassination of Generalissimo Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina and the ensuing political chaos. By April 1965 two powerful factions had emerged, the Loyalists and the Constitutionalists.
Who won the war between the Haiti and the Dominican Republic? ›
But again the Dominicans proved to be superior soldiers, defeating Soulouque's army, which vastly outnumbered them. In the south, 4,500 Dominicans led by José María Cabral defeated 12,000 Haitian troops on December 22, 1855, at the Battle of Santomé. The Haitians lost 695 men, including General Antoine Pierrot.
How did the Dominican Republic gain independence from Haiti? ›
In the 1830s Juan Pablo Duarte—known as the father of Dominican independence—organized a secret society to fight the Haitians. The rebellion gained strength after a devastating earthquake in 1842, as well as the outbreak of civil war in Haiti itself, and in 1844 independence was finally achieved.
What was the Dominican Republic before Haiti? ›
What would become the Dominican Republic was the Spanish Captaincy General of Santo Domingo until 1821, except for a time as a French colony from 1795 to 1809. It was then part of a unified Hispaniola with Haiti from 1822 until 1844.
