The incident occurred in the community of Tabara Abajo, where five Haitians were being pursued by the patrol. All five threw themselves into the Ysura Lateral 1 canal, a major irrigation channel in the region, but two of them drowned while the other three miraculously survived. The identities of the victims and survivors were not immediately available as they were not carrying documents, and the military patrol did not allow journalists to intervene.
The Ysura canal is part of a major irrigation system in the Azua region, which benefits thousands of farmers and covers hundreds of thousands of arable land, making a significant contribution to local agriculture. This system is regularly maintained and improved by the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INDRHI) to guarantee water supply despite seasonal drought.
This event takes place against a wider backdrop of tensions between Haiti and the Dominican Republic over the use of cross-border water resources, notably irrigation canals on shared rivers such as the Rivière Massacre (Dajabón). Diplomatic disputes and controversies exist over the construction and use of these infrastructures, with accusations of violating bilateral treaties.
