According to local press reports, after the soldiers entered Haitian territory, the farmers building the water intake set up barricades using burning tires along the highway that separates the two countries.

The demonstrations paralyzed traffic and created an atmosphere of chaos in the city.

“I strongly condemn the violation of our territory by the Dominican army, which constitutes an act of war in international relations. It is time to build the State of Haiti to confront this. Shame on the de facto government,” Frantz Exantus, former Secretary of State for Communication, wrote on social networks.

Footage circulated on the networks shows Dominican soldiers pointing their weapons at Haitian citizens.

The incident occurs amid diplomatic tensions between the countries over the construction of an irrigation canal that, in Santo Domingo’s opinion, will divert the Massacre River shared by the two nations.

The Government of Haiti, reaffirmed its right to use the shared water resources and recently reiterated its willingness to solve the conflict through diplomatic channels.

jrr/llp/jha/ane traspassing