Dominican Republic Archives

Haiti condemns Dominican Republic plan to deport 10,000 migrants per week

October 8, 2024
As Haiti remains plagued with gang violence, thousands are fleeing to the neighboring country of the Dominican Republic, and many are reportedly illegally crossing the border into the Dominican Republic. Now, the Dominican Republic said that it plans to deport tens of thousands of these migrants back to Haiti.

The move drew condemnation from Haiti’s leaders on Monday, Oct. 7. Haitian Foreign Minister Dominique Dupuy strongly disagreed with the Dominican Republic’s policy on social media.

He wrote on platform X, “The brutal scenes of roundups and deportations that we are witnessing are an affront to human dignity. We strongly condemn these dehumanizing acts and demand respect and justice.”

The Dominican Republic said last week that it would deport up to 10,000 migrants per week who were in the country illegally.

Dominican officials defended the country’s policy, saying that they are taking care to respect human rights while doing what they need to in order to defend their borders. They say they have lost patience with a beleaguered United Nations-approved international security mission to quell gang violence in Haiti.

The U.N. is asking nations in the region to stop sending Haitians back to a region marked by violence. Last week, Haitian police said that a gang massacre killed at least 70 people including three infants and 10 women in farming community in Haiti.

If the Dominican Republic follows through with its new immigration policy, the number of migrants deported would reportedly rise sharply from 200,000 Haitians deported last year.

Meanwhile, Haitian construction workers are protesting and demanding employers give them work permits to stay in the Dominican Republic.

Additionally, Dominican Republic civil rights groups are criticizing the crackdown by the country on migrants and said they believe the mass deportations violate international law.
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Pressure builds for cease-fire deal after 6 hostages killed in Gaza

September 3, 2024
Calls continue to grow for a cease-fire deal after the bodies of six hostages were recovered in Gaza. And thousands of hotel workers are on strike at major hotel chains across the country. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024.

Pressure builds for cease-fire deal after 6 hostages killed in Gaza

Pressure continues to build in Israel for a cease-fire and a deal to release hostages. It comes just days after the bodies of six hostages, including one Israeli-American, were recovered from Gaza.

When asked by reporters on Sunday, Sept. 1, President Joe Biden criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not making enough progress toward an agreement.

Protests erupted for the third consecutive day in Jerusalem as thousands demanded that Netanyahu secure a cease-fire and negotiate a hostage release. A court has also ordered workers in Israel’s largest union to return to work after a strike on Monday, Sept. 2, halted industries nationwide.

The U.S. is increasing its pressure on Netanyahu. President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with their hostage negotiation team Monday. Biden indicated he plans to speak with Netanyahu “eventually.”

At a news conference, Netanyahu expressed regret for not being able to bring the hostages back alive but firmly rejected the mounting pressure against him. Netanyahu addressed President Biden directly, urging the international community to focus its pressure on Hamas.

On Monday, thousands gathered in Jerusalem for the funeral of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American among the six hostages found dead.

In the meantime, nearly 50 Palestinians have been reported killed this week according to health officials, amid ongoing strikes in Gaza and raids in the West Bank.

Netanyahu has vowed that Hamas will face “severe consequences.”

The United Kingdom has announced it will suspend some of its weapons exports to Israel due to concerns over potential violations of international humanitarian law. However, the U.K. emphasized that this is not a comprehensive ban, noting that its arms exports to Israel are relatively small compared to those from other countries, like the U.S.

Biden joins Harris in joint campaign event; Walz motorcade vehicles crash

President Biden joined Vice President Harris in their first joint appearance since Harris became the Democratic nominee on Monday. Before Biden and Harris met with supporters in Pittsburgh, Harris was in Detroit speaking to union leaders who are backing her bid for the White House.

While most major unions are supporting Harris, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters remains undecided. Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, who spoke at the Republican National Convention, has stated they will not make an endorsement until Harris meets with their members.

Also on Labor Day, Harris’ running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz held a campaign event in Milwaukee. Vehicles in his motorcade collided on the way to the event, resulting in minor injuries to some staffers and reporters, who were taken to nearby hospitals.

Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump and his running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance are gearing up for a busy week ahead. Trump is scheduled to visit Nevada, North Carolina, and Wisconsin later this week.

Harris will be heading to New Hampshire to prepare for her upcoming debate with Trump.

10,000 hotel workers on strike across the U.S.

Thousands of hotel workers across the U.S. are on strike. The workers want hotel owners to raise their wages and benefits and bring back automatic daily room cleaning, which was scaled back at many hotels during the pandemic.

🚨🚨Thousands of hotel workers with @unitehere across the country are now on strike! Hotel workers are fighting for higher pay, manageable workloads, and increased staffing that were eroded through COVID-era cuts by the major hotel operators.🚨🚨 pic.twitter.com/IhXTVPsFUD
— On the Line (@laborontheline) September 1, 2024

The dispute has taken center stage during tense contract negotiations in cities across the U.S. this summer, with at least 15,000 members threatening strikes this fall in 12 cities.

The first of the strikes began on Sunday, when thousands of workers in 25 cities walked off the job after contract negotiations with major hotel chains Hyatt, Hilton and Marriott stalled without a deal. Organizers say the strikes are set to last between two and three days.

Judge issues arrest warrant for Venezuelan opposition leader

A Venezuelan judge has issued an arrest warrant for former presidential candidate Edmundo González. It’s part of a criminal investigation into the results of July’s election, which both the ruling party and its opponents claim to have won.

Nicolas Maduro just issued an arrest warrant for Edmundo Gonzalez, the President-Elect of Venezuela.

A predictable outcome after a month of international inaction: offering carrots to Maduro only means more repression. pic.twitter.com/KNNE8O8J03
— Kareem Rifai 🌐 (@KareemRifai) September 2, 2024

The warrant was issued at the request of authorities, who accused González of various crimes including conspiracy, falsifying documents and usurpation of powers. The move is the latest against the opposition since election officials declared president Nicolás Maduro won a third six-year term in office.

Meanwhile, a plane belonging to Maduro is in Florida after being seized by U.S. authorities in the Dominican Republic. The Justice Department says the plane was illegally bought for $13 million and smuggled out of the U.S. in violation of sanctions and export rules.

ESPN and Disney go dark for millions of DirecTV customers

ESPN, Disney, ABC stations, and streaming services like Hulu have gone dark for millions of DirecTV customers. Disney pulled all its services from DirecTV Sunday at a crucial time for sports fans.

ESPN was in the middle of airing the U.S. Open tennis tournament and just minutes away from the start of the college football game between Louisiana State University and the University of Southern California.

WTF Directv and ESPN. pic.twitter.com/4RSyAn429L
— Thomas B (@BaseballThomasB) September 1, 2024

The dispute centers on the carriage fees DirecTV pays Disney to broadcast its programming.

DirecTV accuses Disney of “taking an anti-consumer approach” by demanding a new deal include bundled services. DirecTV wants to allow customers to be able to take an a-la-carte approach to subscribing to specific networks, making it easier to lower their costs.

In a statement, Disney said, “We will not enter into an agreement that undervalues our portfolio of television channels and programs.”

Joey Chestnut eats 83 hot dogs to win Netflix’s livestreaming contest

As Netflix continues to take a bite out of the world of live sporting events, the streaming giant crowned its first-ever hot dog-eating champion during a Labor Day special. Joey Chestnut defeated his competitive eating rival Takeru Kobayashi to win the title in Las Vegas.

Chestnut, a 16-time Nathan’s hot eating contest winner, ate 83 hot dogs in 10 minutes — beating his own world record of 76 which he set in 2021.

Joey Chestnut beats Takeru Kobayashi AND his own World Record with 83 hot dogs in 10 minutes. #ChestnutVSKobayashi pic.twitter.com/ThF9GSkWQF
— Netflix (@netflix) September 2, 2024

Kobayashi totaled 66 hot dogs in what he announced would be his last competition.

In addition to a full stomach, Chestnut walked away with $100,000, a trophy, and a championship belt.
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Haiti reopens airport after months of gang violence. Where are the gangs now?

May 21, 2024

Haiti’s main international airport in Port-au-Prince reopened Monday, May 20, three months after being forced to close due to escalating gang violence. Haitian gangs grew more powerful and independent since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.

Previously, the gangs relied on financial support from Haiti’s corrupt political and business elites, particularly during election times. Gangs used financial backing to influence votes to maintain power.

In recent years, however, these gangs funded their activities through kidnappings, extortion and drug trafficking, making them less dependent on political partners. According to the U.S. Justice Department, some groups acquired more sophisticated weapons and adopted a more militaristic stance. The gangs focused on national ambitions instead of typical turf wars. Gunfights became prominent in the streets.

Tensions escalated in March after gangs stormed prisons, freeing thousands of inmates and prompting a mass exodus of tens of thousands of Haitian citizens.

Several groups then took control of the capital city and demanded the resignation of then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who ultimately stepped down. A transitional council with nine members now governs the country, with Henry’s former finance minister serving as interim prime minister. However, gangs continue to cause chaos.

In response, Kenya prepared to lead an international task force, approved by the U.N. Security Council, to deploy a police presence to help the transitional council restore stability.

“A bilateral reciprocal agreement was entered into between Kenya and Haiti which facilitates Kenya to be able to deploy, and we are in the process or government is in the process of finalizing preparation to deploy,” said Korir Singoei, the principal secretary of foreign affairs for Kenya. “I can tell you for sure that that deployment will happen in the next few days, few weeks.”

The militia-like gangs’ growing influence deepened Haiti’s political instability, complicating efforts to stabilize the country. Neighboring Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader announced Sunday, May 19, a government crackdown along its shared border, promising to finish a border wall.

Abinader, now in his second term, deported more than 250,000 migrants in 2023.

U.S. airlines JetBlue and American expect to resume flights to Port-au-Prince by early June.
9 dead in wall collapse as torrential rains batter Dominican Republic

November 20, 2023

At least nine people died when a concrete wall collapsed in a tunnel on a busy avenue in Santo Domingo on Saturday, Nov. 18. The incident is a result of heavy rains and floods caused by a tropical disturbance impacting the western Caribbean.

The Caribbean country’s government is facing criticism as experts, including civil engineer Cristian Rojas, had warned over 20 years ago about the design weaknesses and lack of efforts to address them. Rojas told The Associated Press, “It has weaknesses in the design. No anchors were placed, and that is why the wall collapsed.”

The wall that collapsed late Saturday afternoon is part of the infrastructure designed to speed up traffic. Despite emergency alerts, many cars were still driving in the area during the flooding.

Compounding the situation, damaged pipes released water into the tunnel, complicating rescue efforts.

Delfin Rodriguez, deputy director of Civil Defense Operations, informed the AP that officials discovered “about nine bodies” in the area.

The victims have not yet been identified.

The president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, emphasized the need to address climate change seriously after heavy rains claimed the lives of at least 21 people across the country and displaced thousands. More than 13,000 individuals had to relocate to safer areas according to the country’s Emergency Operations Center (COE) on Sunday.

https://twitter.com/COE_RD/status/1726410195444674732

Abinader said it is the “largest rainfall event ever” in the history of the Dominican Republic.

“Those who do not believe in climate change, start believing,” Abinader said, while addressing the “extensive and substantial” damages.

According to COE, 2,541 people were rescued in the El Bajo Yuna community and other towns in the Sánchez Ramírez province. Additionally, 31 of 32 provinces are under emergency alert.

Haiti condemns Dominican Republic plan to deport 10,000 migrants per week

Pressure builds for cease-fire deal after 6 hostages killed in Gaza

Haiti reopens airport after months of gang violence. Where are the gangs now?

9 dead in wall collapse as torrential rains batter Dominican Republic

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