SANTO DOMINGO.- The former Prime Minister of Haiti, Jean Max Bellerive, blamed the government of his country for the conflicts in the Dominican Republic.
He assured that the lack of authority of the Haitian government is the fundamental cause of his country’s problems in the Dominican Republic, in addition to insecurity and the construction of a canal that diverts the water of the Masacre River.
He said that after the death of President Jovenel Moise, in Haiti there is no authority that expresses his representation and control of the Haitian territory and institutions.
“The lack of interlocutors between the Dominican Republic and Haiti is a problem, which can be solved with a simple work table and has become an unnecessary conflict between the two countries,” explained Bellerive in the program Summary Matinal , where he was interviewed by Juan Reyes and Miguel Tavárez.
He recalled that before the death of Moise, work groups were created, but the vacuum led to the development of problems in his country.
“Let us commit to dialogue and put aside differences; There are people who want to take advantage of the politics of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, something that should not happen because the populations of both countries live together in peace,” he added.
LEGITIMATE CONCERNS
For his part, the former Consul General of Haiti, Edwin Paraison, considers that the Dominican Republic has legitimate concerns about the technical failures of the ongoing work on the Haitian canal project in the Masacre River, but understands that “it must be explain whether or not they oppose the project itself.
“It is for us that the emphasis is very much on rejection, which in Haiti means that the Dominican administration does not accept the right of Haiti to use this binational resource,” Paraison explained to Diario Libre.
He recalled that since 2021 the conflict to build a canal in the Masacre River was managed and negotiations were held where it was agreed to create a water table, but it did not happen, even though there was a joint declaration between the two. countries.
He said that, due to the current situation, a meeting should be held since the conflict has re-emerged and is trying to reach a joint agreement on cooperation.
«In the current situation, we are faced with two different readings: in the Dominican Republic it appears that behind the work carried out in the canal are the Haitian politicians and businessmen who seek to create a conflict between the two countries, while in Haiti. The communities said “Jobs became a battle where everyone contributed what they had,” he said.
He said he views with concern the possibility of a total border closure if the Haitian government fails to respect the measures taken by the Dominican government with its ultimatum set for Thursday, knowing- and the institutional and political weaknesses suffered by the Haitian people.
“We are afraid that this will be seen as a ‘provoker’ to the Haitian community, like the deployment of the military and heavy equipment in Dajabón that is supposed to help seal the canal, which pushes many people to join the canal work,” he said..
He suggested the use of “civil diplomacy” through organizations, such as Zile, of which he is the executive director, to find a solution to the real need for irrigation in plantations that they should establish a fruitful dialogue that would allow them to be broken. the failure.
“Members of the Haitian community will feel more confident if they are their peers who will talk to them on this issue that is very important to them, but there are mistakes to be corrected starting from the place where they want the river,” he emphasized.
