International

Haiti summons Dominican ambassador after border closure

Photo: @SomosRMNoticias

September 16 |

After the Dominican Republic closed all its borders with Haiti, the Haitian government summoned the Dominican ambassador Faruk Miguel Castillo to explain the decision taken by President Luis Abinader that “will have negative consequences for relations between the two countries”.

The Foreign Ministry informed that in a meeting with Ambassador Faruk Miguel Castillo “they agreed that only through dialogue can allow the two countries to resolve this dispute.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Haiti communicated to the Dominican ambassador in that country its concern for the safety of Haitians in the Dominican Republic and requested that measures be taken to protect them.

The two nations are at loggerheads over the construction of a canal on the part of the Masacre River that passes through Haiti.

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Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader ordered Thursday the closure of all borders with Haiti, after several days of meetings between officials from both countries trying to reach an agreement in the conflict over access to water from the Masacre River.

All borders with Haiti were closed as of Friday, September 15 at 06H00 local time, according to the Government’s decision. This includes air, land and maritime border crossings.

A communiqué from the Haitian Foreign Ministry reported that in a meeting between the minister in charge of interim affairs, Émmile Prophète, and the Dominican ambassador, both parties “agreed that only the way of dialogue can allow the two countries to solve this dispute in a lasting way”.

“After exploring with him (Castillo) the various facets of the crisis arising from the resumption of the canal works on the Masacre River, we finally agreed with Ambassador Miguel Castillo that only through dialogue can the two countries find a lasting solution to this dispute”, reads the official note.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has informed the population that, following the implementation of the Dominican president’s threats to close the land, air and maritime borders with the Republic of Haiti, the Haitian delegation put an end to the bilateral negotiations underway in Santo Domingo, and that Ambassador Castillo was then summoned to give explanations “on this unilateral decision”.

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The Dominican government has been denouncing since the beginning of the month the construction by a private Haitian of this system to channel water from the Masacre river, shared by both countries, with the idea of selling it to farmers in their country. A work that does not have the endorsement of Port-au-Prince.

Santo Domingo claims that the work violates the Treaty of Peace and Perpetual Friendship and Arbitration of 1929, the Border Agreement of 1935 and the Border Revision Protocol of 1936.

“It is a totally inadequate construction, without any type of engineering, it is a provocation that this government will not accept”, insisted Abinader, who has maintained a tough policy on Haiti with massive raids against undocumented immigrants and the construction of a border fence.

International

U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute

The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.

All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.

The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.

The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.

“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

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International

Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.

“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.

Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.

According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.

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International

Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power

Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.

The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.

Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.

Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.

The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.

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Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.

Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.

In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.