A government delegation consisting of the ministers of Environment, Agriculture, as well as Commerce and Industry, James Cadet, Charlot Bredy and Ricardin Saint Jean, respectively, met in the town of Ouanaminthe with members of the canal construction committee in the irrigation of the river Massacre and members of civil society.
Cadet also clarified that the Executive is ready to give its technical and financial support to the committee so that the works can continue.
In the same way, he explained that the technicians they will send have a mission to evaluate the needs on the ground before presenting their recommendations to the Government for possible financial support.
In the same way, they committed to help farmers and provide means for the production of corn and okra for three months, allowing residents to face the challenges of closing the border.
Last August, farmers and residents of Ouanaminthe resumed the construction of the irrigation canal that was stopped after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021.
The construction should allow the irrigation of about three thousand hectares in the plains of Maribaroux, in the northeast of the country, an area considered the second basket of Haiti.
However, the drinking water was not well received by the authorities of the Dominican Republic, who accused the promoters of trying to divert the Masacre River, which serves as the dividing line for five of its 55 kilometers.
In retaliation, the neighboring country’s government unilaterally closed the border, suspended visas for Haitian citizens and banned binational trade and transportation.
For its part, Haiti defended its sovereign right to use water resources and assured that the works will not stop, despite Dominican pressure.
