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A6 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 12 OcTOber 2023
Dominican Republic has partially reopened its border with Haiti.

But a diplomatic crisis persists

By MARTÍN A. ALCÁNTARA officials to revive use of a
and DÁNICA COTO nearby canal to collect
Associated Press water before the river en-
DAJABON, Dominican Re- ters Haitian territory.
public (AP) — The Domini- On Monday, Haiti's gov-
can Republic partially re- ernment issued a state-
opened its border with Haiti ment saying the attempt
on Wednesday to limited to divert water from the
commercial activity nearly Massacre River to "deprive
a month after shuttering Haitians of it" is "unaccept-
the frontier in a continuing able and hostile." The state-
spat over construction of a ment stressed the need for
canal targeting water from dialogue and said the only
a shared river. suitable outcome would
Vendors in Dominican bor- be an equal sharing of wa-
der cities are allowed to sell ter resources, the normal-
basic goods like food and ization of relations between
medicine, but exporting the two countries and a re-
electronic products and turn to the free movement
construction materials, in- of people and goods.
cluding cement and metal "This project unleashed
rods, is prohibited. Dominican soldiers stand on the bridge that crosses the border between Haiti and Dajabon in the quite an exceptional
Wednesday marked the Dominican Republic, Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023. movement of national
first time since Sept. 15 Associated Press unity that perhaps was not
that the border partially what Abinader expected,"
reopened, although Do- lined up nearby, filled with and other items in his stall tries share on the Carib- said Diego Da Rin, with the
minican President Luis Abi- goods. and condemned the bor- bean island of Hispaniola. International Crisis Group.
nader maintained a ban The Dominican border re- der closure. "How are you The river is named after a "The canal has become an
on issuing visas to Haitian opening was delayed after expected to survive?" bloody 18th-century battle almost historical point of
citizens that he implement- a pre-dawn fire at the main Rodríguez, who first between French and Span- honor.
ed last month and will keep marketplace in Dajabon opened his business in ish colonizers. Haitians want to make it
the border closed to all mi- destroyed dozens of stalls. 1995 and earns some $176 Haiti's government has said clear that they are a nation
grants, regardless of wheth- Authorities said they were a week, said that despite farmers urgently need the that will not allow them-
er they're seeking entry for investigating what caused Abinader promising to help water after an extended selves to be humiliated by
work, tourism, health or ed- the blaze. Dominican business own- drought withered crops their neighbor."
ucation purposes. The marketplace remained ers affected by the border in the nearby Maribaroux Da Rin said Haitians in
While the gates at the largely empty and quiet as closure, he hadn't received plain. general appear willing to
northern Dominican border a handful of vendors re- any aid. Meanwhile, Abinader has forego certain goods to
city of Dajabon opened opened their stalls nearly The most recent diplomatic said construction of a canal support construction of the
late Wednesday morning, a month after they were crisis stemmed from con- violates a 1929 treaty and canal. The diplomatic cri-
the gates on the Haitian forced to close. struction of a canal on the would divert water needed sis also appeared to be a
side remained closed, and "There's been a heavy loss Haitian side that aims to by Dominican farmers and boon for Haitian Prime Min-
it wasn't immediately clear here," said Santo Rodrí- collect water from the Mas- affect wetlands in the area. ister Ariel Henry, who has
why. Meanwhile, dozens of guez, who sells pasta, but- sacre River that runs along Shortly after the spat be- been "extremely unpopu-
trucks and containers were ter, mayonnaise, ketchup the border that both coun- gan, Abinader ordered lar," Da Rin said.q

Evacuations are underway in

Argentina’s Cordoba province as

wildfires grow amid heat wave

flames in hills surrounding ported that dozens of peo- lives, wherever evacuation
populated areas as fire- ple had been evacuated. is necessary, it will be done."
fighters worked to com- There was hope that rains There were five active wild-
bat the flames that had expected Tuesday night fires in the region Tuesday,
reached some homes in and early Wednesday according to Argentina's
the region. It was not im- morning could help calm National Fire Management
mediately clear how many the fires that had spread Service."
homes had been affected rapidly due to strong winds. Ulises Xarate, 27, has been
A firefighter is silhouetted by the flames of a forest fire on the by the flames. "I call on the population to detained accused of start-
outskirts of Villa Carlos Paz, Argentina, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023. A total of 960 firefighters respect the indications of ing a fire Monday after-
Associated Press were working to combat the firefighters and authori- noon in an area close to
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina Tuesday as wildfires grew the wildfires with eight fire- ties who are working in the the city of Villa Carlos Paz
(AP) — Dozens of people amid an intense heat fighting planes and two affected areas," Cordoba in the province's Punilla re-
were evacuated from their wave. helicopters, the provincial Gov. Juan Schiaretti wrote gion, according to local
homes in Argentina's cen- Images and video from government said Tuesday on social media. "The most media citing prosecutor
tral Cordoba province on the area showed massive evening. Local media re- important thing is to save Jorgelina Gómez. q