Dominican Republic rejects OAS offer to plan meeting to ease citizenship dispute with Haiti
WASHINGTON(AP) _ The Dominican Republic has rejected an offer by the Organization of American States to organize talks with Haiti on resolving a tense dispute over citizenship and legal residency.
OAS Secretary-General Luis Almagro on Wednesday proposed that the OAS plan a meeting between the Caribbean neighbours “to find paths of solution,” among other recommendations.
But Dominican Foreign Minister Andres Navarro said his government never requested OAS mediation. He said the Dominican Republic is ready to resume talks once Haiti “abandons its attitude to discredit the Dominican Republic.”
Dominican authorities have asserted that Haiti is spearheading an international campaign to make them look bad.
In 2013, a Dominican court ruled children born in the country to non-citizens didn’t qualify for automatic citizenship. Most of those affected are Haitians or of Haitian descent.
www.canadahaitiaction.com
Alwin Marshall-Squire is the Editor-in-Chief of S-Q Publications Inc., overseeing editorial strategy for GTA Weekly, GTA Today, and Vision Newspaper. He leads the publications’ mission to deliver bold, original journalism focused on the people and communities of the Greater Toronto Area, Canada, and the global Caribbean diaspora.
Also writes for GTA Weekly and GTA Today.
