Dominican Republic and Bahamas, on alert due to deterioration of crisis in Haiti

The Dominican Republic is on “alert” due to the deterioration of the crisis in neighboring Haiti, said this Monday the Dominican president, Luis Abinader, who warned of a “drastic” response to criminals from that nation who try to cross the border. towards the national territory.

The country, from the Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces, the National Police and the different security agencies, is on alert for the situation in Haiti “and we are taking all measures to try to continue with the level of peace and control that we have in the Dominican Republic“said the ruler.

Abinader referred to the issue in his Monday press conference, in which he insisted that “special measures” to protect the border, although he refrained from giving details about these, claiming “safety reasons”.

However, he announced that his Government will “a drastic response if some of those people appear” in national territory, after the attacks on Saturday of two prisons in Haiti at the hands of armed gangs, La Capitale and Croix des Bouquets, the largest in the country, from which some 3,600 inmates would have escaped.

Likewise, Abinader, who has warned in various scenarios about the need for the urgent deployment of an international force in the neighboring nation, which is going through a crisis at all levels, recalled that three weeks ago he warned about the worsening of the situation in Haiti, so your Government “was preparing” to take action in that regard.

The Haitian Government established a state of emergency for three days, with a curfew throughout the western department, between 6:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., local time, (11:00 p.m.-10:00 a.m. GMT) from this Monday until next Wednesday, after the events of Saturday.

Insecurity is expected to increase in the coming days due to the release of gang leaders and bandits known for their cruelty who were in the Port-au-Prince civil prison for crimes such as kidnapping, robbery, rape and murder.

Since last Thursday, there has been an escalation of violence in Haiti marked by the increase in the number of clashes between the Police and armed gangs, the intensification of shootings in neighborhoods and the increase in the number of deaths and injuries.

Bahamas increases security in the south

The head of the Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF), Raymond King, reported this Monday that the archipelago activated a blockade operation in the south of the Caribbean country after reports that thousands of inmates They escaped in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

The Government of Haiti decreed on Sunday a state of emergency and a 72-hour curfew in the western department, where the capital Port-au-Prince is located, after the takeover of the Caribbean country’s main penitentiary by criminal gangs that caused the escape of more than 3,000 prisoners and left a dozen dead.

“We are taking steps to blockade the southeastern Bahamas using air and multiple surface means. We intend to do so in collaboration with our regional partners, the United States Coast Guard and the Cuban Border Patrol through the exchange of information and intelligence“King said at a press conference.

Thus, he emphasized that he is “taking steps to fortify their position in the southeastern Bahamas to effectively blockade that area and prevent any forced migration from Haiti”.

King acknowledged that Bahamian authorities are concerned that some of the escaped inmates or others may try to flee Haiti and head north.

“We are preparing to reject or intercept any known vessel leaving Haiti heading to the Bahamas.“, stated the head of the RBDF.

Since last Thursday, unprecedented violence has been recorded in Haiti marked by the increase in the number of clashes between the Police and armed gangs, the intensification of shootings in neighborhoods and the increase in the number of deaths and injuries.