Early in the morning, angry Haitian shopkeepers and drivers demonstrated violently at the Jimani-Malpasse border crossing, where they blocked traffic for several hours.

Barricades consisting of burning tires, large rocks and carcasses were erected on the Haitian side at the entrance to the Malpasse border gate. The large trucks carrying everyday goods from the neighboring territory and the buses traveling between the two countries remained blocked.

The demonstrators were protesting against the constant increase of the taxes demanded to them by the Haitian customs authorities on goods imported from the Dominican Republic and denounced arbitrary taxes varying between 20,000 and 60,000 Gourdes on goods that were not even evaluated in order to be taxed normally. The protesters demanded the withdrawal of this practice, which they believe could aggravate their already precarious economic situation and claim that they will continue their means of pressure until obtaining satisfaction.

Following a meeting between the leaders of the National Federation of Transport and Haitian Workers (FENATRATH) and the customs authorities, the traffic was able to resume its normal course after 2 long hours. At the end of the meeting, no information on the decisions reached between the two parties was revealed.

SL/ HaitiLibre