As the police in Haiti struggle to control powerful armed gangs, a dispute has arisen between the Dominican Republic and Canada as of Friday, complicating an international plan aimed at strengthening the capabilities of Haiti's well-equipped police force.
This discord followed a day after Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly announced plans to establish a Canadian office to coordinate support for the National Police of Haiti this summer in the neighboring Dominican Republic. In response, his Dominican counterpart denied any agreement that would allow for the establishment of such an office on Dominican territory.
In a social media post, Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez stated that no agreement had been reached, adding that the Dominican government had not even discussed such a plan.
In a subsequent statement to Reuters, the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it continues to work with 20 countries and international organizations to support Haiti's police and enhance security, noting ongoing talks "to finalize a plan for selecting a location that supports the group's work geographically close to Haiti."
The statement did not specify whether the site would be in the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.
Relations between Haiti and the Dominican Republic have long been strained. With the escalation of gang violence in Haiti last year, the Dominican Republic enhanced security at its borders and deported tens of thousands of Haitians fleeing the crisis back to their homeland.
