Santo Domingo, DR. – The Ambassador of the United States, Leah F. Campos, expressed her satisfaction at meeting with the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic (AMCHAMDR), describing it as the “heart and spirit of collaboration” between both nations.
In addition, she said she was willing to discuss the Haitian issue, since she considers it represents a threat for the Dominican Republic and for the United States.
Campos said to be openly believer in God and that he was not ashamed to express it before the crowd. The ambassador pointed out that shared Christian values translate into common values, such as economic freedom, liberty and the search for peace and security.
He highlighted his visit to the vice president’s residence Raquel Penawith whom he claimed to have shared and known the “birth” that he has in his home, as well as his visits to both Catholic and Evangelical churches, the latter being his first religious experience in the Dominican Republic.
Haiti and Dominican Republic
Leah F. Campos He explained that he knows firsthand how important border security is and how borders can represent a threat to the stability of a country, since the United States has gone through similar situations. For this reason, he considers that Haiti is not only a threat to the Dominican Republic, but also to his nation. Consequently, he committed to being part of the solution and establishing a dialogue with President Luis Abinader in search of alternatives to address this issue.
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He emphasized that economic security and national security go hand in hand. As part of the Trump administration’s priorities, it reiterated the commitment to strengthen border security, counter narcoterrorism and improve maritime surveillance, following the vision of “Let’s make America and the Dominican Republic great again.”
In addition to the president AbinaderCampos committed to addressing the issue together with the country’s private sector, in order to find solutions that help stabilize Haiti, with the goal that Haitians can live in a peaceful and safe country.
For Leah, the Trump administration and the Dominican Republic are “100% aligned” in protecting their shared region. This includes working hand in hand to protect populations from narcoterrorism and forces that seek to destabilize the economies and freedoms of both nations.
This commitment was reaffirmed with the visit of the US Secretary of Defense, Hegsethand President Abinader, where the shared values between both countries were highlighted, in addition to the agreements to allow US planes to be piloted from Dominican territory to combat organized crime in the Caribbean.
During her speech, the ambassador thanked her predecessor, Patricia Aguilera, for her firm commitment to bilateral trade. Campos also highlighted his personal connection to the country, mentioning the faith and humility of the Dominican people after attending religious services in Santo Domingo.
Enhanced cooperation against crime
In the fight against drug trafficking and money laundering, the Dominican Republic has been described as a “indispensable ally“. He mentioned joint work with Dominican law enforcement, including expanding collaboration through a joint anti-money laundering task force, focused on information sharing and accountability to dismantle criminal networks.
He highlighted the relationship between both nations and the fight to combat human trafficking
The United States Ambassador stressed that the strategy “America First“does not imply isolation, but depends on the strength of its partners, naming the Dominican Republic as one of its most reliable allies.
The diplomat highlighted the country’s demonstrated capacity to confront regional threats, noting that together they form a “shared border of security, trade and cooperation” that benefits both nations.
Campos said that the Dominican Republic had made important progress regarding human trafficking, moving to level 2 in the reduction of said scourge.
“Regarding human trafficking, I want to congratulate President Abinader and his team for the improvement of the Dominican Republic to level 2 in the United States Report on Human Trafficking,” he said.
“We know the work is not finished, but this is significant progress that deserves to be recognized,” he added.
