Almost a year after his promise to build a double perimeter fence at the most conflictive points of the border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, President Luis Abinader will travel tomorrow to Dajabón, a province in the border area, to begin work construction of this.
On February 27 of last year, during his accountability speech in the National Congress, the head of state made the promise that in the second half of that same year the construction of a dividing line between this nation and the neighboring country, which, according to his words, would be carried out as a new security reinforcement measure, which would combine physical and technological means, and would include a double perimeter fence in the most conflictive sections and a simple one in the rest. This would be accompanied by motion sensors, facial recognition cameras, radar and infrared systems.
Although steps have been taken for months to materialize this work that has been criticized by many and accepted by others, the ruler had not set a date for this. The fence will be made up of 200 kilometers of physical fence, which will be integrated into 23 kilometers of existing fences.
An emergency procedure was declared
Through decree 276-21, signed on April 26 of last year, the Executive Power declared an emergency for all purchases and contracts for the design, construction and equipment of an intelligent perimeter fence system on the Dominican Republic-Republic of Dominican Republic border. Haiti, as well as the contracting of services, the execution of works and the acquisition of equipment linked solely and exclusively to this purpose.
This was established in article one of that edict that at that time was not released by the Presidency of the Republic.
“The Ministry of Defense is authorized to carry out these purchases and contracts,” ordered the Executive document. According to that decree, that declaration was made for national security and would have a duration of 12 months from its issuance, so it must end on April 26, 2022.
Likewise, all information regarding the contracting of national security authorized by the decree is classified as “reserved”, in accordance with the provisions of article 17 of Law 200-04, on Free Access to Information.
In the Budget for this 2022, the Government provided 2 billion pesos for these purposes.
He wants to put an end to immigration problems.
When Abinader, in the 2021 accountability speech, made the announcement of the perimeter fence, he stated that with the construction of the wall between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, the government planned, within two years, to put an end to the serious problems of illegal immigration, drug trafficking and transit of stolen vehicles that we have suffered for years and achieve the protection of territorial integrity.
