By Vania Andre
The Haitian government released a statement Wednesday denying rumors that the government had placed a trade embargo on the Dominican Republic.
“Contrary to widespread rumors on some blogs and social networks, there isn’t a ban on the sale of Dominican products in our territory,” according to a statement issued by the prime minister’s communication office.
In recent days, blog posts have circulated the internet, alleging Haiti has banned Dominican goods in an attempt to pressure the Dominican government to reverse their decision to deport thousands of Dominico-Haitians.
The only requests the Haitian government has made to Dominican authorities is to handle the deportations in a respectful way, and that two entry points be set up — one in Ouanaminthe and one in Malpasse — so the Haitian government can document the “victims of this discriminatory migration operation.”
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Evans Paul visited border-town Ouanaminthe, where he met with deportees.
“This visit was an opportunity for the prime minister to strengthen the refugee reception center established at the border post,” the prime minister’s office said.
To date, roughly 11,000 people have arrived to the Ouanaminthe border crossing. Most of them are “nursing mothers and pregnant women.”