PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC—The Haitian government has defended its decision to have senior government officials here not attend Friday’s inauguration of the second-term President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinade.
Haiti will be represented at the ceremony by its chargé d’affaires from the Haitian Embassy in Santo Domingo.
Chancellor Dominique Dupuy has sought to end speculations regarding Haiti’s refusal to participate in the inauguration ceremony, saying that the closure of the airspace between the two countries continued to Port au Prince’s decision.
The Dominican Republic closed the airspace on September 11, 2023, following a conflict between the two countries related to the construction of an irrigation canal in Haiti.
On that day, the National Security Council, led by President Abinade, also agreed to permanently suspend the entry of all persons involved in the conflict and suspend the issuance of visas to Haitian citizens until further notice.
Dupuy said that while the Dominican Republic had officially informed Haiti that the ban did not affect diplomatic and humanitarian flights, “the Haitian authorities do not want to benefit from a privilege to which the Haitian people do not have access.”
She has reiterated to her Dominican counterpart Roberto Álvarez the position of the Haitian authorities demanding the total reopening of the airspace without being limited to exceptions and without negotiations.
However, in a more measured “diplomatic language,” Prime Minister Garry Cornille and President Edgar Leblanc Fils of the Transitional Council (TPC) informed President Abinader “of their inability to leave Haiti, given the multiple urgent obligations related to the national situation.”
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