DAJABON, Dominican Republic -- The Dominican Republic shut all land, air and sea borders with Haiti on Friday in a dispute about construction of a canal on Haitian soil that taps into a shared river, as armed Dominican soldiers patrolled entry points and military planes roared overhead.
Flights were canceled and border towns usually teeming with vendors and Haitians crossing daily to work in the Dominican Republic were subdued. Crowds of people on the Haitian side gathered under the shade of trees as they observed the scene on Friday. Nearby, a white flag fluttered in the breeze under a Haitian flag in a sign of peace.
It was unclear how long the rare closure of the borders will last, with Dominican President Luis Abinader saying the measure will remain in place "as long as necessary." The country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the canal project violates a 1929 treaty and "must be halted immediately before pursuing any other dialogue."
Abinader ordered his administration to buy all perishable goods normally exported to Haiti, including chicken, onions, beans and eggplants. The food will be used for government programs that offer free meals to students and others, according to Joel Santos, minister of the presidency.
"Producers should know that the government is going to support them in this situation, because the measure taken by the president represents an issue of security and defense of national sovereignty," he said.
The diplomatic crisis began earlier this month when workers in Haiti resumed construction of a canal near the Massacre River that runs along the border, to help alleviate a drought that hit Haiti's Maribaroux plain. The river is named after a bloody clash between Spanish and French colonizers in the 18th century, and was the site of a mass killing of Haitians by the Dominican army in 1937.
Abinader says the canal will divert water and negatively affect Dominican farmers and the surrounding environment, while Haiti's government insists that building the canal falls within its sovereign right to decide how to use its natural resources.
The border closure will represent a significant economic hit for both countries that share the island of Hispaniola, although Haiti is expected to feel it more acutely.
"It's really a very drastic measure that doesn't make sense economically for either the Dominican Republic or Haiti," said Diego Da Rin with the International Crisis Group. "This will clearly have very bad consequences economically in the Dominican Republic, and it will very likely worsen the humanitarian situation mostly in the areas close to the border."
Haiti is the Dominican Republic's third biggest trading partner, with $1 billion in exports to Haiti last year and $11 million in imports, according to the Dominican Republic's Export and Investment Center.
Meanwhile, a study by the Dominican Republic's Central Bank found that $430 million in informal border trade was conducted in 2017 between the countries. Of that amount, more than $330 million consisted of exports to Haiti.
Abinader announced this week that he has stopped issuing visas to Haitians and closed the border near the town of Dajabon. He also has pushed to limit the number of Haitians migrating to the Dominican Republic and has expelled tens of thousands of them, as well as those of Haitian descent. Bronté noted that in August alone, some 22,000 Haitians were deported -- twice the usual monthly number.
A Dominican Republic soldier stands on the bank of the Massacre River, a natural border with Haiti, in Dajabon, Dominican Republic, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. The Dominican Republic shut all land, air and sea borders with Haiti on Friday in a dispute about construction of a canal on Haitian soil that taps into the shared river. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)
Dominican Republic soldiers look out from a tower on the border with Haiti, in Dajabon, Dominican Republic, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. The Dominican Republic shut all land, air and sea borders with Haiti on Friday in a dispute about construction of a canal on Haitian soil that taps into the shared river. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)
Dominican Republic soldiers patrol on the bank of the Massacre River, a natural border with Haiti, in Dajabon, Dominican Republic, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. The Dominican Republic shut all land, air and sea borders with Haiti on Friday in a dispute about construction of a canal on Haitian soil that taps into the shared river. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)
A Dominican Republic soldier stands next to people on the closed border bridge as they wait to allowed to cross back into Haiti, from Dajabon, Dominican Republic, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. The Dominican Republic shut all land, air and sea borders with Haiti on Friday in a dispute about construction of a canal on Haitian soil that taps into the shared river. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)
Dominican Republic soldiers stand on the bank of the Massacre River, a natural border with Haiti, as they look toward others constructing a canal on the Haitian side, seen from Dajabon, Dominican Republic, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. The Dominican Republic shut all land, air and sea borders with Haiti on Friday in a dispute about construction of a canal on Haitian soil that taps into the shared river. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)
A Dominican Republic soldier stands on the border bridge between Dajabon, Dominican Republic, and Haiti, which is closed, as a pedestrian walks toward Haiti while authorities allow some to leave then close the border behind them, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. The Dominican Republic shut all land, air and sea borders with Haiti on Friday in a dispute about construction of a canal on Haitian soil that taps into the shared river. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)