Dominican Republic's Border Closure with Haiti Escalates Tensions

The Dominican Republic has announced the closure of all land, air, and sea borders with Haiti, escalating tensions between the two nations. The closure comes amid a dispute over Haiti's plans to construct a canal off a river that separates the two countries. Dominican officials argue that the canal would violate a 1929 treaty, while Haitian officials maintain that it is not in violation. The closure of Haiti's only land border threatens to worsen the crisis in a country already on the brink of collapse, with extreme levels of violence and a lack of basic necessities. The closure is seen by critics as a political maneuver to capitalize on anti-Haitian sentiment ahead of next year's elections.