Haitians angry, armed with sticks, machetes and stones, attacked trucks carrying food, chicken, eggs and other goods on the bridge which separates the province of Dajabón and Juana Mendez in Haiti. These trucks of goods purchased by Haitian merchants, were emptied and goods burnt.

Roulet Joseph, a spokesman for the Haitian demonstrators, said it was retaliation, since the Dominican authorities do not allow them to sell their products on the market. Accordingly, they [the Haitians] do not accept that goods from the Dominican Republic, come to Haiti.

It is regrettable that the government of Haiti, keeps silence, by not informing the tradesmen that the decision was not unilateral but was taken by the governments of the two countries because of the cholera epidemic in Haiti. This lack of communication cannot designate the Dominican Republic as the only responsible and inflame hatred and violence. However, on the border, the Haitians hopelessly seek to trade with their neighbors. Let us recall that the transborder markets represent economic exchanges of almost 500.000 dollars each week.

John Taveras [a tradesman] said that his colleagues were very concerned, several tradesmens have loans with banks for the purchase of such goods, and fear of not being able to meet their financial commitments, if they can no longer sell them.

Carlos Rivera Portes, chief of staff of the Army of the Dominican Republic made a surprise visit to troops stationed at the border. He asked them to act with firmness in the fight against human trafficking, drugs or goods and other problems plaguing the border.

Between misery and incomprehension of share and others, exacerbating the fear of cholera, the economic issues of border markets could well serve as a detonator for social confrontation, more and more common on the Haiti-Dominican border.

See also:

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-1541-haiti-social-violent-clashes-in-dajabon.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-1508-haiti-social-firing-tear-gas-at-the-border.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-1556-haiti-epidemic-permanent-alert-on-the-dominican-border.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-1503-haiti-epidemic-the-dominican-republic-closed-its-border-update-4h10pm.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-1526-haiti-economy-reopening-of-border-markets-under-high-surveillance.html

S/ HaitiLibre