Dominican Republic cautions over Haiti collapse and U.S. 'Shield of the Americas' security plan

A coalition of Dominican citizens and organisations issued a public letter to the presidents and leaders of the nations that created the “Shield of the Americas” initiative – a security framework promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump. The signatories warned that Haiti’s continuing state failure threatens the security and peace of the Dominican Republic and the broader Caribbean region. They argued that treating the Dominican Republic as a buffer zone would strain its limited resources and jeopardise its citizens’ wellbeing.

The letter criticised past UN and OAS missions to Haiti for lacking an executive mandate to rebuild essential state functions and to combat organized crime, citing UN Deputy Secretary‑General Edmond Mulet’s 2019 warning that Haitian migrants could cross into the Dominican Republic in search of food and shelter. It also referenced the 2010 Punta Cana conference, which the authors described as a fiasco plagued by scandals. The authors called for a revised approach that respects the Dominican Republic’s sovereignty and demographic integrity while addressing Haiti’s humanitarian and security challenges.