At least 49 Dominican truckers have been kidnapped this year in Haiti, said Thursday, Iván García, the president of the Dominican Federation of Traders.

"When we go to pay the ransom, we go to the border and they send a person and we go with the money in cash and they have the kidnapped person nearby and by video call, everyone is watching the transaction," explained Iván García.

He explained that this situation has worsened since 2019, when the political and social crisis worsened in Haiti, which at the same time translates into a reduction in trade activity between the two nations, due to the insecurity,

which represents a drop of up to $1.5 billion.

"Now we have to leave the goods on this side of the border and wait for the Haitian truckers to come and pick them up because we cannot continue to expose our truckers to be kidnapped, that their lives are in danger and that in the end we have to pay the ransom."

HL/ HaitiLibre