Dominican Republic - Haiti Observer Blog

The efforts of Haitian activist Colette Lespinasse have not been in vain. She has labored tirelessly for the last 20 years to fight for the rights of Haitian refugees who have relocated to the Dominican Republic as well as Dominicans who have been treated unfairly while in Haiti.

Lespinasse has finally been recognized by Refugee International, which has awarded her the coveted 2nd annual Richard C. Holbrooke Award together with a $5,000 token in appreciation of her work. The award was created to honor those who demonstrate beyond any reasonable doubt that they are committed to ensuring fair treatment of refugees, with protection of all their human rights.

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Jean Pierre Boyer, Haiti's 4th President, ruled for 25 years. He was one of several military leaders instrumental in establishing the Republic of Haiti in 1804. A high-born mulatto, he received his education in France, where he entered the French Revolutionary Army, becoming a battalion commander.

Boyer originally fought alongside Toussaint L'Ouverture towards the beginning of the Haitian Revolution, but switched allegiance to Alexander Petion when he learned the French wanted to re-introduce slavery. During Petion's rulership of Haiti, he had the Constitution amended so he could name his successor. Shortly before his death, he appointed Boyer.

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The Martelly-Lamothe administration of Haiti have recently been meeting and trying to collaborate with other countries, especially with its neighbors for mutual economic development and international cooperation. In addition, Haiti has been participating and joining in different international organizations such as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) where the country is an active full member.

To expand Haiti's international relations, the government has been in negotiation with the Dominican Republic for a Free Trade Agreement. This aims to promote regional development through open trade of goods and services between the two nations. With the DR's newly-elected President Danilo Medina, it appears that this agreement is a great probability.

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Every crisis tends to be much bigger if it takes place in Haiti and that holds true as well for the last tropical storm Isaac. According to the latest report from Haiti, the death toll from Tropical Storm Isaac has jumped to 19. In the meantime, it was reported that only two people died in the neighboring Dominican Republic after they were swept away in a river.

Again as you may recall, the 2010 earthquake did not kill over 200,000 people in Haiti; their homes did!

It was reported that three minors were among the dead, a 10-year-old girl who died when a wall collapsed onto her home in Thomazeau, a boy struck by a falling tree in the capital suburb of Carrefour, and another boy who was electrocuted in the northern city of Gonaives.

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A priest in the Dominican Republic has come up with some views that Haitians did something abhorrent for having dominated the Dominicans for 22 years. According to him, he said that Haitians have this high time to go down on their knees and beg forgiveness from the Dominicans. This is according to the fact that over the last 170 years, Haiti had exerted its dominion over the Dominicans a thing that made them to lag behind for 22 years. The priest, Francis Havel comes from the parish in the area La Caleta.

The priest was speaking during an inauguration of two housing projects in Guerra Municipality, Santo Domingo. One of the notable people in the government was the president of the Dominican Republic, Leonel Fernandez. He praised the president for the developments he has brought since he assumed power in Santo Domingo. He said that the country could have been far much ahead despite the fact that Haiti had suppressed the country for some period of time. Adding to his speech, he said that he was hopeful that the president could take back the position of a head of state for another term. He commented and said that the president is capable for leading the country for another 12 years.

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Haiti is part of the number of island nations in the Caribbean that have been succumbed to foreign rule for decades and centuries but mostly retained their independence by the 1900s. But ironically for the once conquered Haiti, the nation formally ruled over its neighboring country Dominican Republic in the early 1800s for more than twenty years. The Dominican were faced with poverty and violence under the Haitian military leader Jean-Pierre Boyer and his soldiers until it gained independence in 1844.

For the 22 years of Haitian occupation over the Dominican Republic, Haitian priest Francis Haver who claims to be a Dominican has recently stated that all of his countrymen should kneel before Dominicans and apologize. He mentioned this during the blessing of two housing projects of the Dominican Republic government in the presence of the country's President Leonel Fernandez in the Guerra municipality. With the advancements of the Dominican Republic's economy as compared to that of Haiti's, Father Haver believes that Haiti shouldn't have ruled over its neighbor in the first place. This is so both countries could have had a better working relationship in terms of economic growth and development. But should present-day Haitians apologize for the mistakes of their ancestors?

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Concerns are mounting that salami imported from the Dominican Republic (DR) is tainted with unhealthy levels of fecal matter. Deputy Fritz Chery has urged Minister of Commerce and Minister of Health and Population to ban importation of salami from the Dominican Republic.

Chery became alarmed after reading in the DR Listin Diario the Dominican Institute for the Protection of Consumer Rights (DIPCR) discovered 51% of 258 salami samples revealed fecal coliform at unacceptable levels.

Chery's belief is that dangerously high levels of fecal matter risks developing cancer in consumers, who ingest the contaminated meat. From a lay-person's perspective, with no training in microbiology, it's not necessarily the fecal matter itself, which may cause cancer, but the occurrence of sodium nitrate, a known carcinogen. Very high levels of fecal particulate may turn into a deadly form of ecoli, an intestinal illness, but not lead to cancer.

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Prime Minister (PM) Lamothe is cracking down on illegal contraband smuggled on the Haitian-Dominican border. His primary objective is to replenish the government coffers that have been drained by untaxed goods by-passing inspections.

Laurent Lamothe met with officials of the Economic Forum of Private Sector Affairs at the end of June, to discuss strategies for monitoring the Haitian-Dominican border. Besides the problem of contraband, Lamothe also addressed peripheral issues that obstruct the efficiency and efficacy of government services.

The purpose of gathering together the EFPSA was to join forces and alert the public that smuggling and tax fraud, among other crimes, will not be tolerated and will incur heavy penalties, including jail time, depending on the severity of the crime.

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This is a report of the entire event that took place on January 10, 2012 in Limonade. President Michel Joseph Matelly and Dominican President Leonel Fernández were present at the Inauguration of the first University Campus Roi Henry Christophe in Limonade.

The campus offered by the Government of the Dominican Republic and business sectors of the Dominican Republic is estimated at a cost of $50 million dollars.

President Leonel Fernández who addressed the public in French said: "We are conscious today more than yesterday, in terms of higher education as in all areas of community life, that the status quo for us, is suicidal. This university must be a platform, which will allow to repatriate a lot of our brains, our scientists left of our inclement skies so that their value is recognized"

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Just look for a moment what Haiti has to offer. We have the most historic sites in the Caribbean. We have some of the most beautiful beaches in the area. We are located just a little more that one hour from the US.

What the h.. is going on?

The tourism industry is the most important thing the Caribbean counties have going for them. When you look at whether Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Kitts-and-Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent-and-the-Grenadines, Trinidad-and- Tobago, Turks-and-Caicos Islands or United States Virgin Islands. They all have one thing in common: These Caribbean islands are focusing on the tourist industry.

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