Santo Domingo.- On Wednesday, Haitian authorities reinforced the border area near Dajabón with a combination of police and military presence. This measure came after a protest by Haitian merchants the day before, who opposed the patrols carried out by the Dominican army in the area.
Hundreds of Haitian protesters continued to gather at the site, stating that Dominican authorities should not be allowed to patrol the area because they have built a wall that could potentially serve as a new territorial division on the island.
Haitian police, POLIFRONT border police and UDMO special forces were deployed to maintain order and keep the growing crowd at bay. In the same area, the construction of a canal was also progressing in the Gaya community of Juana Méndez.
Additional reinforcements from the Dominican Republic Army (ERD) arrived in the area to support the existing presence. An army helicopter had been flying over the area since the early hours of Wednesday, and more police personnel were sent to the border region.
The Dominican military adopted a strategy of distancing itself from the border strip where the conflict had originated. Meanwhile, protesters continued to express their anger and frustration with Dominican authorities but did not attempt to advance toward the border strip.
It is worth noting that on Tuesday, Haitian merchants had burned tires and placed tree trunks in an attempt to obstruct the Dominican army’s patrol activities in the area.
Commander Domingo Cruz Sosa reminded his Haitian counterparts that their actions violated the border treaty signed in 1929 between both countries.