Press Review of the Americas

In the News: Haiti under pressure, end of the ultimatum of the Dominican Republic

The Massacre River, shared between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. © Matias Delacroix / AP

By: Achim Lippold Follow

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This Thursday expires the ultimatum before the closure of the border with the Dominican Republic. The Santo Domingo government had given Haiti 48 hours to halt the construction of a canal to divert the course of the Massacre River. According to the Dominican newspaper Listín Diario, on Thursday, all economic activities between the two countries could stop and the sea, land and air borders could be closed. If this happens, writes the daily, "both countries will pay the price. And it's too early to say who has the most to lose... in the very unbalanced relationship that the two countries have been experiencing since 2010."

Lower egg prices

The impact of the tensions is already noticeable not only on the Haitian side, but also in neighboring Dominican. According to Gazette Haiti, the price of eggs has fallen in the Dominican Republic. This is due to the low demand and therefore the decline in the sale of this agricultural product. These are the first economic consequences for this country after the partial closure of the border at Dajàbon, according to Gazette Haiti.

Beginning of the trials against the rioters on January 8, 2023

Brazil's Supreme Court has opened the first of more than 200 scheduled trials against supporters of far-right ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, accused of ransacking places of power on January 8 in Brasilia. Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes, rapporteur in this case, set the tone, believes O Estadão. By asking for a sentence of 17 years in prison against one of the four accused, we are moving towards heavy, exemplary sentences. The newspaper specifies that the judge defends the thesis of a "collective crime" and therefore does not wish to judge the acts individually.

An approach that is contested by both the defense and some judges of the court, including Kassio Nunes Marques, appointed by former president Jair Bolsonaro. While the defendants will be tried for crimes such as coups and violent abolition of the democratic state, among others, a poll shows that young Brazilians' adherence to democracy is declining. It is to read in Folha de S. Paulo. Only 57% of people between the ages of 18 and 35 believe that democracy is better than any other political system. And 42% of young people surveyed think that a military regime would be an acceptable form of governing the country.

Colombian soldiers threaten civilian population

In Colombia, there is outrage after the dissemination on social networks of images of armed soldiers, unidentified, and threatening villagers in the north of the country. In these images, repeated in loop by the Colombian media, one of the soldiers, his face masked, pulls out a pistol and points it at a mother carrying her baby. Another brandishes his automatic rifle at a group of villagers, among whom are crying children who cling to their parents. The government described the case as extremely serious and opened an investigation, El Colombiano newspaper reported. The soldiers, who have not yet been identified, are also reported to have ransacked some houses. According to testimonies collected by El Colombiano, this is not the first time that soldiers based in rural areas have behaved in this way. And according to El Espectador, these soldiers all belong to the Seventh Division, a unit commanded by General Oscar Leonel Murillo. The newspaper had repeatedly asked the general for explanations, but never received an answer.

Mitt Romney announces his political retirement

In the United States, Senator Mitt Romney, an unsuccessful presidential candidate against Barack Obama in 2014, has announced his retirement from politics. Mitt Romney is one of the most critical conservatives of former Republican President Donald Trump, recalls the Washington Post. One of his major arguments for not running for another term as a senator is his age, as he said in a press conference. "I took into account my age and the fact that at the end of my second term, I would be over 80 years old. I think for these people like me, it's important to make room for younger people. Because it is up to them to build the world in which they will live." According to Mitt Romney, neither President Joe Biden, 80, nor his rival Donald Trump, 77, are able to face the challenges that await the United States in the coming years.

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  • Press Review of the Americas
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  • Haiti
  • Dominican Republic
  • Brazil
  • Colombia
  • United States