The president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, warned Wednesday that his government is ready to take “drastic measures” if the U.N.-backed mission in Haiti fails. He made the statement during his address at the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
Gangs control 80% of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and violence has surged since 2021. Over 3,600 people have been killed in the first half of 2023, a 70% increase compared to 2022.
Abinader thanked Kenya for leading the mission. Kenya recently deployed nearly 400 police officers to Haiti, while Jamaica and Belize have also sent personnel.Another 300 Kenyan officers are expected soon.
He stressed the mission must be fully operational for free and transparent elections in Haiti, which hasn’t held elections since 2016. A transitional council is tasked with organizing them by February 2026. “Conditions are still not in place,” Abinader warned, saying Haiti’s collapse would be imminent if the mission fails.Abinader also noted the Haitian crisis impacts the Dominican Republic, highlighting that 10% of medical appointments last year involved Haitians, and 147,000 of the 200,000 foreign minors in Dominican schools were of Haitian origin.
Under his leadership, Dominican authorities deported over 170,000 suspected Haitians last year, but the U.N. estimates the figure to be closer to 224,000. Despite criticism from activists accusing him of human rights violations, Abinader reiterated that “the Dominican government is profoundly committed to protecting human rights.
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