Dominican President Luis Abinader and former presidents Leonel Fernández, Hipólito Mejía and Danilo Medina met on Wednesday May 14, 2025 at the Ministry of Defense headquarters in Santo Domingo for an exceptional two-hour meeting devoted to the Haitian crisis and its repercussions on the Dominican Republic.
Course of the meeting
The meeting began at 4:00 pm, with the initial participation of senior officials, including Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez, Defense Minister Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre, the Commander General of the Army, the Director of the National Department of Investigations (DNI), the Director of Migration and the Dominican Ambassador to Haiti.
After a detailed presentation on the border situation, security and migration dynamics, a second part was held in private between Abinader and the three former presidents to share strategic analyses and agree on a common position in the face of the gravity of the Haitian crisis.
Main agreements reached
Four fundamental points were agreed to define a coherent national policy on Haiti:
Creation of joint and bilateral working spaces between the government and the former presidents to draw up a national policy on Haiti.
Convening of the Economic and Social Council (CES), an institutional body where the president and former presidents will discuss concrete proposals.
Periodic report to former heads of state on the state of national security in relation to the Haitian crisis.
Adoption of a unified foreign policy on the implications of the situation in Haiti, with bilateral meetings between the President and each of the former Presidents.
Findings and commitments
The leaders unanimously recognized that Haiti is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian, institutional and security crises in recent history, marked by the absence of a functioning government, the control of territories by armed gangs, and the inability of the Haitian state to guarantee the fundamental rights of its population.
They stressed that the Dominican Republic cannot bear the consequences of the crisis alone, and that the solution must be found in Haiti, with the determined support of the international community.
With regard to migration, they reaffirmed the strict application of the law, while respecting human rights, and supported operations to repatriate illegal immigrants.
A message of national unity
The summit was described as an act of political maturity and historic responsibility, illustrating the willingness of Dominican leaders to act with a single voice in the face of a common threat. They insisted on the patriotic duty to protect the country’s sovereignty, stability and democracy, beyond partisan differences.
“This is a clear message: in the face of a common threat, the Dominican Republic acts as one nation,” said Homero Figueroa, presidential spokesman.
In short, this meeting marks the beginning of a concerted State policy to tackle the Haitian crisis and its repercussions on the Dominican Republic, with a strong commitment to security, border development and regional diplomacy.
