Dominican Republic to close all borders despite push to resolve diplomatic crisis

By MARTÍN ADAMES ALCÁNTARA and DÁNICA COTO
Associated Press

DAJABON, Dominican Republic (AP) — The president of the Dominican Republic says he will close all borders with neighboring Haiti starting Friday despite a flurry of last-minute meetings to prevent him from taking such action. President Luis Abinader said Thursday that the closure of air, sea and land borders would occur at 6 a.m. Eastern Standard Time Friday and remain shuttered “until necessary.” It is a rare move for the Dominican Republic and is expected to cripple both country’s economies. The looming closure is a response to the construction of a supposed canal on Haitian soil that targets waters from the Massacre River. It runs along the border shared by both countries on the island of Hispaniola.