As part of his first official visit of Central America and the Caribbean, Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to the Dominican Republic where he met with Dominican President Luis Abinader.
One of the most urgent topics discussed by the two is the crisis in Haiti, the Dominican Republic’s neighbor that occupies the western half of the island of Hispaniola.
Haiti’s political instability, poverty and extreme gang violence have caused hundreds of thousands of Haitians to migrate across the border.
That’s an enormous problem for the Dominican Republic, according to Dominican President Abinader, “There is no Dominican solution for the Haitian crisis.”
Indeed, we cannot ignore the issue of Haiti, said Secretary Rubi. “It’s a tragedy. It’s horrifying, and it needs to be dealt with.”
“I want to be clear: The future of Haiti belongs to the people of Haiti, and they and their – the elites in that society have to make up their minds and have to think through what they want their future to look like, because that is their country, and their future belongs to them. But we are going to help.”
In late January, Secretary Rubio signed a waiver to make sure that U.S. programs in Haiti continue.
As well, “The United States is committed to continue to work with the international mission [in Haiti],” said Secretary Rubio.
“It’s also important to be clear: we cannot and will not ask the Dominican Republic to accept or be expected of them to accept an uncontrolled migratory wave. No country in the world should be asked to do that, and this country should not either.”
Noting his sponsorship of the HOPE/HELP act in the U.S. Senate, which, if passed, will afford preferential treatment for imports of certain goods from Haiti, Secretary Rubio believes that improved foreign investment opportunities will help improve Haiti’s situation.
“There’s a real opportunity for Haiti to grow into a hub of near-shore manufacturing, near-shore light manufacturing. That presence already exists there now. That can be expanded. They have a young and strong, vibrant workforce,” said Secretary Rubio.
“If we can deal with the security challenges and pass legislation to give investors certainty about the future,” said Secretary Rubio, “we hope to see more investments that bring those industries from other continents here to our hemisphere, shortening supply chains, and creating prosperity and opportunity for the people of Haiti.”
