Dominican nationality ruling sure to stoke rebuke from abroad: Top general

Santo Domingo.- The recent row over the Constitutional Court ruling which denies a Dominican nationality to thousands of descendants born in the country of undocumented Haitian immigrants will likely heighten the international rebuke against the country, the Minister of Defense affirmed Wednesday.

Lt. Gen. Wilfrido Pared called the mounting criticism of racist against Dominican Republic undeserved, noting that “We are the only country in the Americas, except for Haiti and the Caribbean islands, which has had a black president.”

He also said that Dominican Republic is the only country is the world that halts its nationals from traveling abroad. “We have to halt Dominicans, Haitians, Cubans and others from leaving from our coasts , it’s a major responsibility.”

Pared described as a “crude lie” reports that 47,000 Haitians are being expelled every month, “when in fact what the Army has done is halt those 47,000 from coming across the border illegally.”

The official, interviewed in Hoy Mismo Channel 9, said Dominicans have no latent racism and noted the lack of black officials in other countries of the region, especially Costa Rica, home to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. “In countries including Costa Rica, there’s not even one mid level official who’s black.”

“There are regrettable cases but Dominican Republic doesn’t deserve those attacks.”