Dajabón, RD. – The mayor of the Dajabón province, Santiago Riverónsaid the border market with Haiti It generates more expenses than benefits for the City Council, pointing out that income is not even enough to cover cleaning and payroll costs.
“The market more salt than the goatbecause what occurs there barely covers cleaning and salaries. There are people who pay 25 or 50 pesos per position, and with that the system is not sustained, ”Riverón said in an interview for the program Morning his world.
Massive presence of Haitians
The mayor warned about the increase of Haitian citizens in the area, product of the violence that the neighboring country is experiencing.
“More than half a million Haitians have moved near our territory, in communities such as Juan Méndez and Cabaretianand many cross undocumented by the bridge and even the same market, ”he said.
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Riverón warned that one of the points where Haitians undocumented are entering the country is precisely the border bridge, a route that facilitates irregular entry and has been used by those who seek to evade migratory controls. He pointed out that this situation represents a constant challenge for local and national authorities in border control.
Reinforced security
The mayor assured that these situations have been constantly denounced, highlighting their responsibility and transparency when expressing themselves about security problems in the area. He added that, as part of the preventive measures, they will have to electrify the old cemetery, since some people have been introduced there, which reflects the magnitude of the actions that must have been implemented in Havana.
“I am a responsible person and everyone knows how I am when I express myself … we will have to electrify it too, because they are getting into the old cemetery.”
In addition, He revealed that 20 surveillance cameras with live broadcast online will be installed.
“They are extreme measures, but necessary to face the smuggling mafias and the complicity of some military,” he said.
He stressed that, for the first time in history, a significant volume of resources to the National Army has been allocated and the rescue bodies on the border, including salary increases, technological equipment, motors and trucks. However, Santiago Riverón warned that, despite these investments, cases of corruption persist both between military and border officials, which generates concern about their complaints, making it even “the black sheep” of the government.
“They will always see corrupt military, not only military, also here on the border there are corrupt officials … when one makes this type of complaint becomes white even the black sheep of the same government,” said Santiago Riverón.
Infrastructure problems
Mayor Santiago Riverón stressed that he has requested support from the Municipal League and Fedomu to meet the needs of the border market and the municipality, although he acknowledged that the answer has been slow. He pointed out that last year they received a truck as help, but that the growth of activity in the area has been extraordinary, which requires greater response capacity.
“We have called him, we have made a request … they supported us, they gave us a truck last year,” said Santiago Riverón.
Riverón explained that all municipalities will receive a game of 3.5 million pesos for the construction of sidewalks and containers, but emphasized that it has already requested additional resources to acquire necessary trucks for the cleaning and logistics of the market.
“Now we have already made an order for trucks … we have not had an answer from the palace,” he said.
Meanwhile, the mayor stressed that he cannot wait for official responses and has decided to act proactively, renting trucks to guarantee market operation and infrastructure maintenance, managing a monthly budget of 4.8 million pesos.
“Right now I am renting trucks here in Dajabón … In fact, you know what budget that I handle monthly here is 4,800,000 pesos,” said Santiago Riverón.
In the same way, he denounced that the trucks used in the construction of the border wall are deteriorating the streets of Dajabón.
“At least they must guarantee that, when they finish, those ways are paved again,” he claimed.
Meeting with Abinader
Mayor Santiago Riverón stressed that he was summoned at 10 in the morning for the reception of President Luis Abinader, highlighting that, despite the difficulties they face on the border, they have always received a distinguished treatment by the president. It also emphasized the constant surveillance and effort required by the border area due to the dynamic presence of the Haitian people.
“The president, despite the situations we have always distinguished us, we must express it” – Santiago Riverón.
Santiago Riverón said that he has always acted with transparency and responsibility, prioritizing the truth over please the government. “I cannot please the president with lies. Now I really tell the government and who has to tell her and that is why we have always had clashes here in this border municipality,” he said.
The mayor recalled political tensions during the past elections, where Haitian merchants invested more than 15 million pesos with the intention of moving him from local power, although he finally managed to maintain his position.
“Thank God we were able to retain power and that is the situation that is happening with us before the fixed position we have had with the especially Haitian issue,” he said.
Riverón highlighted the assistance of certain ministers during the presidential visits to the border, but criticized the absence of others, such as the Minister of Interior and Police, Faride Raful.
Criticism within the PRM
The official expressed his exclusion from certain strategic spaces of the official party, noting that some political activities are reserved for members of the National Executive Directorate, which he referred to as “Cueltos stopped
“They do not take me into account, that is for the ‘stopped necks’. However, I defend the president because I tell the truth, although that has brought me clashes in the government,” he said.
Despite this, he reaffirmed his commitment to the government, defending the administration with truthful information. “The president knows that we are here defending his government because what we do is that we tell the truth and what they have often confused with the lie that do not reach it as they are there,” he concluded.
Regularization no, contracts
Finally, Riverón emphasized that the measures regarding Haitian workers should focus on temporary contracts and not a general regularization, warning about the consequences that this would have for families.
“That they talk about contracts, which are talk about contracts for six months, a year as they did before and that everyone who is undocumented that has passed their territory there to here regularize the issue of contracts, but do not talk about regularization … that CES The Dominicans did not vote for the CES. They cannot make decisions that may compromise the Dominican Republic,” he concluded.
