International
President Abinader: border with Haiti will remain closed
September 18 |
The president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, announced Sunday that the border with Haiti will remain closed, while stating that the situation on the dividing line is under control and that there is no threat to the development of the daily activities of Dominicans.
In a message to the nation, the president affirmed that “peace and security (…) are guaranteed”. He noted that this Monday he will travel to New York City for debates at the United Nations General Assembly, an occasion he will use to continue to raise awareness among the international community to assist the neighboring nation.
He explained that in August 2018, Haitian citizens began to unilaterally, unconsultedly and illegally build an irrigation canal supplied by waters from the Masacre (or Dajabón) River, with the purpose of irrigating large plantations and selling water to small producers.
He said that the Dominican Chancellery demanded in May 2021 to paralyze the work, which occurred after the assassination of former president Jovenel Moïse (July of that year), but that its construction was restarted weeks ago, “promoted by the same agents provocateurs as always”, he said.
He warned that such a work could lead to “an escalation of constructions that would destroy the river”, for which reason his government took measures to guarantee security, care for the environment, agricultural production and respect for the interests and rights of the population.
He detailed that several measures have been taken to force the stoppage of the work, such as the suspension of the delivery of visas, the prohibition of entry to the country of the promoters of the project, the closing of the borders and the increase of the military presence in the dividing line, among others.
He stated that in view of this serious situation, “we have understood the need to give a forceful response in legitimate defense against the uncontrollable groups that do not obey the Haitian constitutional order nor recognize the bilateral agreements that govern the border relations between both nations”, for which reason the measures adopted by his country will be maintained as long as necessary.
If there are uncontrollables in Haiti, they will not be uncontrollable for the interests of the Dominican government, he said, although he made it clear that his country does not want a confrontation and that both seek to live in peace.
He said that the Haitian people are suffering the consequences of the instability and insecurity generated by what he called insurgent groups. He added that these groups control a large part of the country, do not recognize his government and are causing a serious institutional crisis, which is resulting in an unsustainable political and economic situation.
He stressed that “Haiti’s problem is no longer in Haiti, it is in the hands of the international community”, and that “there is no Dominican solution to the Haitian problem”.
International
Trump Orders Construction of New ‘Golden Fleet’ to Revitalize U.S. Naval Superiority
President Donald Trump issued an executive order this Monday for the immediate construction of two new warships that will bear his name. These vessels will be the pioneers of what he described as the “Golden Fleet,” a future generation of “Trump-class” battleships that he claimed would be “100 times more powerful” than those currently in service.
The announcement took place at his private residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. The President indicated that following the initial two ships, the administration aims to commission up to 25 additional vessels. He is scheduled to meet with Florida-based contractors next week to expedite production, criticizing existing defense firms for failing to deliver results efficiently.
This naval expansion is a cornerstone of Trump’s goal to revitalized the American shipbuilding industry and address the strategic gap between the U.S. and competitors like China.
The move comes amid heightened geopolitical tension. Just last week, Trump ordered the seizure of all sanctioned tankers involved with Venezuela’s “ghost fleet” to cripple the country’s crude oil industry. Since December 10, the U.S. military—deployed in the Caribbean under the guise of counter-narcotics operations—has already detained two tankers linked to Venezuelan oil transport.
International
U.S. Judge Blocks ICE from Re-detaining Salvadoran Erroneously Deported Under Trump Administration
A U.S. federal judge ruled this Monday, December 22, that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is prohibited from re-detaining Salvadoran national Kilmar Ábrego García, who was erroneously deported to El Salvador earlier this year during the administration of President Donald Trump.
During a hearing in Maryland, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ruled that Ábrego García must remain free on bail through the Christmas holidays, concluding that his initial detention lacked a legal basis. The ruling follows a request from his legal team for a temporary restraining order to prevent ICE from carrying out a new arrest.
Earlier this month, on December 11, Judge Xinis ordered his release from a Pennsylvania migrant detention center after determining that the government had detained him without a formal deportation order. In 2019, an immigration judge had already ruled that Ábrego could not be returned to El Salvador because his life was in danger.
Despite that protection, Ábrego García was deported in March 2025 following a raid by the Trump administration. Officials argued at the time that he was a gang member, and he was sent directly to the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT) in El Salvador. In June, he was returned to the United States to face a new trial for alleged human smuggling—a charge he denies.
On Monday, Judge Xinis also temporarily invalidated a new deportation order issued by an immigration judge following Ábrego’s recent release, granting him legal protection through the coming weeks. His trial is scheduled to begin in Tennessee in January 2026.
International
Fire at substation triggers major blackout in San Francisco
The U.S. city of San Francisco was plunged into darkness Saturday night after a power outage left about 130,000 customers without electricity, although the utility company said service was restored to most users within hours.
Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) said in a statement posted on X that nearly 90,000 homes had their power restored by 9:00 p.m. local time (05:00 GMT on Sunday), while the remaining 40,000 customers were expected to have service restored overnight.
Large areas of the city, a major technology hub with a population of around 800,000, were affected by the blackout, which disrupted public transportation and left traffic lights out of service during the busy weekend before Christmas, a crucial period for retail businesses.
“I know it’s been a difficult day,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a video posted on social media from the city’s emergency operations center. “There has been progress, but for those still without power, we want to make sure they are safe and checking in on their neighbors,” he added.
Lurie said police officers and firefighters advised residents to stay home as much as possible. He also noted that officers and traffic inspectors were deployed to manage intersections where traffic lights were not functioning.
The mayor confirmed that the outage was caused by a fire at an electrical substation. Parts of the city were also covered in fog, further complicating conditions during the incident.
As a result of the blackout, many businesses were forced to close despite it being the weekend before Christmas. The sudden drop in shopper traffic ahead of the holiday is “devastating” for retailers, the manager of home goods store Black & Gold told the San Francisco Chronicle.
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