In a matter of hours, two revelations have come to light, as if by chance: the reiteration of a statement by a journalist named Milton Cordero – alias Lechuga – that the country should already have a Haitian representation in Congress; and the other revelation referred to the findings of the “Democratic Culture Survey 2022-2023”, presented by the Ministry of Economy, whose incumbent, at the time, is Pável Isa.
The first thing to note about both revelations is that they arise at a time of exacerbation over issues of border management and migration or an overwhelming Haitian presence, since such a reality becomes a phenomenon confusingly shaped by foreign and media interests; and in the case of the survey, nuanced by bias, historical decontextualization and somewhat misleading comparison. Let me explain.
First of all, in what country is representation in Parliament granted on behalf of a minority or a non-nationality? That is like saying, for example, that Adriano Espaillat represents Dominicans in the American Congress, which is a vulgar lie, because Espaillat, above all, is an American citizen and swore to defend first, the country, the values, the Constitution and the laws of the United States, and not those of the Dominican Republic, although his ancestry is Dominican and does not prevent him from adhering to initiatives in favor of any minority at any given time. The latter is acceptable; but from there to occupy a seat to represent the interests of a minority is a contradiction that we do not believe any constitution states.
Regarding the survey in question, it seems induced – it focuses, basically, on citizen preferences when “running for public office” – and it reveals an obsolete language or use of concepts, since, scientifically, there is only the human race, neither black nor white; in addition to a comparison, in terms of journalistic writing or for mass consumption, which leaves much to think about, without leaving it to the imagination if such an exercise were done in another country – for example, the United States or Haiti, for example – listening to the answers we will realize how history, prejudices, comparison and presentation of the “findings” could color the sample, or when the questionnaire itself is not the problem or the induced intention of what is sought as a final product: a real photograph or of various intentional nuances on that photograph or glass with which one wants to measure a certain reality that can be conditioned by history or, not infrequently, by foreign interests. In addition, in our country, the variables or “indicators” such as clientelism, use and control of public powers, among others, have been active and determining factors when it comes to aspiring to and achieving an elected position and not so much ethnic-racial, sexual orientation or religious belief.
Of course, not everything is manipulation or foreign interests, but we are not going to ignore supranational agendas when we talk about the issues in question; but when we do this type of exercise, we should not see ourselves as the center of the world or that in other societies or countries, even those with more development, the same thing is not happening.
