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Blinken and Abinader discuss political crisis in Venezuela and security in Haiti

Blinken and Abinader discuss political crisis in Venezuela and security in Haiti

The political situation in Venezuela and the security crisis in Haiti were two of the main topics discussed on Friday during the meeting between the President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, and the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.

Blinken arrived in Santo Domingo for the meeting with the president, where, he said, they also discussed the economic prosperity strategies they seek to implement for “growth and the provision of job opportunities.”

The Dominican president explained in a meeting with the press that during the meeting he expressed his “concern about the Haitian crisis” and the effect that this has had on his country due to “migratory pressure.”

Abinader explained that currently, in the Dominican Republic, 6.5% of students in public schools, some 147,000, are of Haitian nationality.

He also said he considered it “essential” to renew the mandate of the UN-backed multinational security force that has already begun to establish a presence in Haiti, but which is set to expire in October.

“This has been a challenge for many years, many decades, and precisely for that reason, I don’t think anyone can minimize the magnitude of the challenge, but I also don’t think we can minimize the importance of addressing it and addressing it together,” Blinken said.

The US Secretary of State arrived in the Dominican capital after a visit to Haiti, where he spoke with security force leaders and other local officials.

Around 400 Kenyan police officers have been deployed in Haiti.

The mandate, Blinken said, will be something the US will address in New York at the UN “because it expires in October, and we will all be together at the United Nations General Assembly, and I will bring together ministers from many interested countries to sustain and increase our support.”

Abinader, for his part, assured that his “idea” is to normalize relations with Haiti at some point, prioritizing the “security” of Dominicans.

Concerns about Venezuela

The Dominican president told reporters that one of the points of concern he expressed to Blinken was “the situation in Venezuela” following the July 28 presidential elections, in which the National Electoral Council of that country declared Nicolás Maduro the winner.

Results that have been questioned by the opposition and the international community, who claim that Edmundo González was the one who obtained the greatest number of votes.

“We will continue working with the international community and other countries to become defenders of democracy and the desire of the Venezuelan people,” Abinader said.

Blinken reiterated that they are “deeply concerned about the path Venezuela is taking following the elections, in which the will of the Venezuelan people could not have been clearer, but unfortunately, that will and their votes were not reflected.”

The US Secretary of State added that they are working “closely” with other countries in the region such as Brazil, Colombia and Mexico to “return Venezuela to the democratic path.”

Regarding the recent seizure of a Maduro plane in the Dominican Republic, Blinken reiterated that it was a violation of the sanctions imposed by the US and “they have been very clear” that these will be implemented.

New financing program

Blinken announced after the meeting that the US and Dominican Republic would launch a new initiative in which the US government will provide $3 million to the Dominican government to “train its workforce, build industrial parks and attract high-tech industries” to the country.

In addition, the United States will seek to partner with Dominican universities to provide students with “skills to be successful in the semiconductor industry,” he added, so that they can build microchips essential for technological devices.

“The United States is committed to working alongside the Dominican Republic and the Dominican people to support these efforts, from training Dominican officials to help combat fraud and abuse to promoting human rights and workers’ rights,” Blinken said.

Abinader expressed his appreciation for Blinken’s visit and said that it is a confirmation that their relationship is at “one of its best moments.”

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