Caribbean Review: Crucial Haitian Canal Construction Has Led To More Tensions With The Dominican Republic

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In the wake of natural disasters, Haitian farmers in the north of the country have faced infertile lands and inadequate irrigation, contributing to the food shortage gripping the nation. In 2018, communities in the north started construction on a canal, taking water from the Massacre River that divides Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The DR Government, which has historically oppressed Haitian immigrants, has expressed its opposition to the canal’s construction, even pausing trade between the two countries.

Clinton’s Rice Policy

In a 2016 Interview with Ninja Raoul, the executive director of Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees she says that Bill Clinton’s trade policy with Haiti was “One of the worst things that he’d done, which is still hurting Haiti now especially in wake of these disasters that keep happening to Haiti, is this policy where he took excess rice from Arkansas, where he’s from, and dumped it in Haiti.” 

In 2010, Clinton apologized for forcing Haiti to drop tariffs on imported subsidized U.S. rice while in office. The act severely damaged Haitian rice farming and farmers’ ability to be self-sufficient. Clinton also apologized for his comments that “rich” countries should “relieve” poor countries of the burden to produce food by selling it to them. Ninja Raoul argued that ever since rice was sent to Haiti, farmers have suffered, and people have been suffering from dietary issues. This hit to rice production in Haiti, combined with the 2010 earthquake, and a slew of other natural disasters, have made the country unable to feed itself. 

The Canal

Near the northeastern Haitian town of Ouanaminthe, a few hundred volunteers worked on a canal, built off the Massacre River, measuring over 1.5 miles long and about one yard wide, to help secure irrigation for more than 7,000 acres. This would cover the entire Maribaroux plain, a drought-prone plain in northern Haiti, that has become a crucial local rice supplier. The project was paid for by donations from private supporters.

The name Massacre River comes from the murder of French buccaneers by Spanish settlers in 1728, but it was also the site of the 1937 Parsley Massacre of thousands of Haitians ordered by Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo. Trujillo cultivated much of the discrimination, racism, and prejudice against Haitians that is still present in much of the Dominican Republic.

A November 2023 article written by Haitian journalist Valéry Félix states that the controversy surrounding the canal is the latest conflict in the two Caribbean countries’ long, complicated, and often strained relationship. The relationship has often been conflicts of race and reflects the countries’ different experiences of independence. The Dominican Republic is significantly wealthier than Haiti, and frequently sends economic migrants back across the border when diplomatic tensions are high. 

Disputes with the D.R.

“Dominican President Luis Abinader has said the construction violates a treaty and that the canal would divert water from the Massacre River that runs along the border and affect Dominican farmers and the environment,” writes a report on the Dominican Republic’s border closing. The treaty states that both nations have a right to use the Massacre River’s waters for irrigation and other purposes in a responsible manner and in moderation. The treaty also states that the countries cannot alter the river’s natural course without consulting each other. The D.R. has repeatedly drawn water from the river, having created aqueducts, dams, and five irrigation canals of its own. This is Haiti’s first canal using water from the river. 

Abinader closed all borders and halted all trade with Haiti on Friday, September 15, 2023, after insisting that Haiti stop the canal construction. The border was partially reopened for essential medicine and supplies, but otherwise remains closed. “The idea of this project was never officially communicated to the Dominican government, nor was documentation provided regarding its size, its environmental impact, and the identity of its final beneficiaries,” said Abinader.

The Haitian government said on social media that the agriculture ministry is working with a group of Haitians building the canal so that it meets technical standards and ensures it would not negatively affect crops and people living in the nearby Maribaroux plain, which is under a drought. Haitian farmers and their supportive government see the canal as a matter of food production autonomy. The hashtag, #KPK, an acronym for KANAL LA PAP KANAP, was viral in Haiti during the canal construction. It roughly translates to “The canal construction will not stop”. 

New Hope

An article written in July of 2024 tells of how the Ouanaminthe canal is transforming agricultural production in northeast Haiti. The Maribaroux plain has transformed a lot within just seven months since construction was completed. Local farmers at this point experienced an income increase of over 35% and a significantly improved economy. Rice prices have lowered in local markets, helping to compete against the food crisis in the region, and inspiring many Haitians to work towards self-sufficient food production. Though rising tensions with the D.R. have been a side effect of the canal's construction, it has become a beacon of pride and a push towards making a better Haiti.