Santo Domingo.-U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the country last night at Las Americas International Airport (AILA) to discuss an official agenda with President Luis Abinader after his several-hour visit to Haiti.
The American official arrived in the country at 7:40 pm aboard an official plane and was received by a delegation headed by Rubén Silié, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs; General Enmanuel Sufront, Director of the Specialized Corps for Airport and Civil Aviation Security (CESAC); Víctor Pichardo, Director of the Airport Department, and the Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy, Patricia Aguilera.
Blinken was received in Haiti by the Transition Council.
A large security force was deployed at the airport terminal, consisting of elite and rapid-action units of the Armed Forces and the National Police, as well as canine units.
The Secretary of State will be received today at the National Palace by President Abinader, with whom he will hold a private meeting and then a bilateral meeting with delegations from both countries.
Blinken arrived in the country accompanied by a large delegation made up of collaborators, Secret Service agents, journalists and photographers.
The American official was transferred from AILA to his accommodation in an armored vehicle, accompanied by a convoy of 12 vehicles.
Agenda
According to the agenda provided by the President’s Press Office, Blinken will arrive at the National Palace at 9:55 a.m. with the entourage accompanying him.
After his arrival, he will meet privately with the Dominican president to discuss issues of common interest, followed by a broader bilateral meeting with both delegations.
After the meetings, both will offer statements to the press to highlight the points discussed in the meetings.
The day will conclude with a lunch at the National Palace, where the talks will continue in a more relaxed atmosphere.
In Haiti
Blinken met yesterday in Port-au-Prince with Haiti’s transitional authorities, confident that the country will be able to hold elections in 2025, with improved security following the start of the Kenyan-led multinational mission.
“Security is the foundation of everything that needs to happen here, including a path to elections next year, but also to deliver services to the Haitian people,” Blinken told reporters alongside Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille.
Blinken, the first secretary of state to visit the impoverished Caribbean country since John Kerry (in office from 2013 to 2017, during Barack Obama’s second term), said the “critical” next step is to establish an Electoral Council, something he discussed with the president of the Presidential Transition Council, Edgard Leblanc Fils.
Haiti
—1— More resources
The head of US diplomacy announced yesterday that humanitarian aid of US$45 million will be provided for Haiti and asked other countries to contribute to financing the international security force.
—2— Crisis
Haiti has been mired in a deep institutional crisis for years since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
