Haitian Activist Myrtha Desulme Calling for Dominican Boycott

Haitian activist Myrtha Desulme condemned the decision of Dominican Republic Constitutional Court ruling that stripped Dominican citizenship of Haitians who were born on Dominican soil after 1929. Dominican Republic and Haiti share the island of Hispaniola, in the Caribbean. Since the beginning of the twentieth century many Haitians crossed the border of Haiti to escape miserable poverty in homeland and work in the sugar cane plantation in Dominican Republic.

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Myrtha said the decision of the Dominican court is racist and abominable, a crime against humanity. It will leave about 210,000 people stateless. Dominicans are now refusing to recognize their own citizens. As South Africa was boycotted during the apartheid era, Dominican Republic must be boycotted with same hatred. The whole global community should protest against the 23rd September ruling given in Santo Domingo, the capital city of Dominican Republic. We have to use the same blue print as was followed against South Africa until the Dominicans accept to come back to the norms of a civilized society.

The ruling shocked both national and international observers. Social activist and Barbadian lawyer David Commissiong criticized the court's decision. It was also strongly condemned by U.S based Open Society Foundations and other hemispheric organizations. Commissiong commented, unless Dominican Republic, as a member of the CARICOM (Caribbean Community and Common Market), amends its reprehensible policy, it is becoming a concern for CARICOM.

Myrtha Desulme also represents the Federation of Latin America and Caribbean Haitian Diaspora. She said her organization is recommending the imposition of trade sanctions and an international boycott of the Dominican Republic.

However, José Ricardo Taveras, the director of Dominican Republic Immigration Agency assured that his state has a constitution based on legality and solidarity. The change will not harm any legal immigrant's residential status. This is a method to regularize and creation of path to Dominican citizenship. But he did not clarify how it would work or who will be covered.

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