{"id":10791,"date":"2023-07-25T22:58:13","date_gmt":"2023-07-26T02:58:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tempestmag.org\/v01_2020\/staging\/?p=10791"},"modified":"2023-08-03T00:01:24","modified_gmt":"2023-08-03T04:01:24","slug":"reject-racist-persecution-by-the-dominican-government","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tempestmag.org\/test02\/2023\/07\/reject-racist-persecution-by-the-dominican-government\/","title":{"rendered":"Reject racist persecution by the Dominican government"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><span class=\"dropcap\">L<\/span>ast November, President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic (DR) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latinorebels.com\/2022\/11\/17\/antihaitiandecree\/\">stepped up the detention and deportation<\/a> of thousands of refugees fleeing the social and economic instability in neighboring Haiti. Abinader is constructing a fence to separate the two countries, and activists say that the repression has stoked racism against all darker-skinned people in the DR. Haitian migrants have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/2023\/03\/16\/haiti-dominican-republic-migrant-crackdown\/\">long been concentrated<\/a> in low-wage work in construction and agriculture\u2014and have served Dominican politicians as scapegoats for crime and poverty.<\/p>\n<p>The statement below was initiated by <strong>Dominican writers and activists<\/strong>, who are calling for supporters to <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSfYUGkYkLBJqhERu1JaErlQiLBxcQ6Wr9O3L4kuM73MQwR2Yg\/viewform\">sign it online<\/a>. Besides protesting the racist repression of Haitians, the signatories also call for a boycott in August of an annual international book fair in Santo Domingo, which this year is set up as a tribute to apartheid Israel. Leftists in the DR authored the original <a href=\"https:\/\/bdsmovement.net\/news\/santo-domingo-book-fair\">BDS call<\/a> for a boycott.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr class=\u201chalf\u201d>\n<h4>We reject the racist persecution by the Dominican Government and call for a boycott of the 2023 Santo Domingo International Book Fair, dedicated to Israel<\/h4>\n<p>The undersigned artists, writers, intellectuals and activists express solidarity with the Haitian writer Jhak Valcourt, who was arrested on the morning of July 13 by police agents and taken to two police headquarters in the city of Santo Domingo, before being transferred to the Haina [immigrant] detention center, despite having his immigration papers in order. Valcourt has lived in the Dominican Republic for 11 years and during all these years he has forged collaborative ties with Dominican writers. His case illustrates how the policy of mass deportation against Haitian immigrants in the Dominican Republic is based on racial profiling and discrimination, with a de facto state of exception where no legal or constitutional guarantee is respected.<\/p>\n<p>Faced with the ongoing barbaric persecution, which is reflected in thousands of weekly arrests, warrantless raids, extortion, confinement in overcrowded places without access to water and food, among other abuses, we raise our voices in repudiation of this racist, xenophobic anti-Haitian witch hunt by the Dominican government under President Luis Abinader. Following on the same footsteps of [right-wing] pelede\u00edsta<span title='Pelede\u00edstas are supporters of the PLD\u2014Partido de la Liberaci\u00f3n Dominicana\u2014founded in 1973 by former President Juan Bosch. The PLD has won five of the last seven presidential elections.' class='inline-footnote' style=''>1<span class='footnoteContent' style='display:none;'>Pelede\u00edstas are supporters of the PLD\u2014Partido de la Liberaci\u00f3n Dominicana\u2014founded in 1973 by former President Juan Bosch. The PLD has won five of the last seven presidential elections.<\/span><\/span> and balaguerista<span title='Joaquin Balaguer was a repressive three-time president for 24 of the 36 years from 1960 to 1996.' class='inline-footnote' style=''>2<span class='footnoteContent' style='display:none;'>Joaquin Balaguer was a repressive three-time president for 24 of the 36 years from 1960 to 1996.<\/span><\/span> governments in the past, President Abinader has followed point by point the script of the most reactionary sectors of the ruling class, giving free rein to the propagation of racial hatred, while the powerful local and foreign capitalists enrich themselves on the backs of working-class Dominicans and immigrants.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"pullquote\">Faced with the ongoing \u2026 persecution \u2026 reflected in thousands of weekly arrests, warrantless raids, extortion, confinement in overcrowded places without access to water and food \u2026 we raise our voices in repudiation of this racist, xenophobic, anti-Haitian witch hunt.<\/aside>\n<p>We strongly reject the discriminatory immigration policy of the Dominican State, which in recent months has intensified its violence. We also reject cooperation between neo-fascist groups and the authorities, for example with the \u201cpatriotic marches\u201d organized by an official institution, the Instituto Duartiano as well as the recent induction of the genocidal general Ramiro Matos to the Dominican Academy of History. All these facts, together with the legalization of a Trujillist party,<span title='Rafael Trujillo was dictator of the Dominican Republic from 1930 until his assassination in 1961.' class='inline-footnote' style=''>3<span class='footnoteContent' style='display:none;'>Rafael Trujillo was dictator of the Dominican Republic from 1930 until his assassination in 1961.<\/span><\/span> mark the accelerated anti-democratic deterioration of the country.<\/p>\n<p>Within this framework of racist violence, persecution, mass deportations and abuse of power, the Dominican State is organizing the Santo Domingo International Book Fair (FILSD), scheduled for the end of August, and dedicated to the apartheid regime of Israel. The 2022 edition of the same book fair was the scene of acts of censorship for reasons of homophobia and racism. Both the Culture Minister Milagros Germ\u00e1n and the General Director of Books and Reading within the Ministry of Culture \u00c1ngela Hern\u00e1ndez have refused to guarantee that there will be freedom of expression and protection for the safety of writers and artists at the book fair after cultural organizations made such a request in January of this year. Faced with this very serious situation, we call on writers, artists, editors, publishers and cultural workers around the world not to attend the next Santo Domingo International Book Fair in 2023, and to continue demanding that the Dominican government respect human rights and democratic freedoms.<\/p>\n<h4>Rechazamos la persecuci\u00f3n racista por parte del gobierno dominicano y llamamos a no participar en la Feria Internacional del Libro de Santo Domingo dedicada a Israel<\/h4>\n<p>Quienes suscribimos esta declaraci\u00f3n, artistas, escritores, intelectuales y activistas, expresamos nuestra solidaridad con el escritor haitiano Jhak Valcourt, quien fue arrestado la ma\u00f1ana del d\u00eda 13 de julio por agentes policiales y llevado a dos cuarteles de la ciudad de Santo Domingo, antes de ser trasladado al centro de detenci\u00f3n de Haina, a pesar de tener sus papeles migratorios en orden. Valcourt tiene 11 a\u00f1os viviendo en la Rep\u00fablica Dominicana y durante todos estos a\u00f1os ha forjado lazos de colaboraci\u00f3n con escritores dominicanos. Su caso ilustra c\u00f3mo la pol\u00edtica de deportaciones masivas contra inmigrantes haitianos en Rep\u00fablica Dominicana se fundamenta en el perfilamiento racial y la discriminaci\u00f3n, con un virtual Estado de excepci\u00f3n donde no se respeta ninguna garant\u00eda legal o constitucional.<\/p>\n<p>Ante la b\u00e1rbara persecuci\u00f3n en curso, que se refleja en miles de detenciones semanales, allanamientos sin orden judicial, extorsiones, reclusi\u00f3n en lugares hacinados y sin acceso a agua y alimentos, entre otros abusos, alzamos nuestras voces en repudio a esta cacer\u00eda racista, xen\u00f3foba y anti-haitiana del gobierno dominicano presidido por el presidente Luis Abinader. Siguiendo la ruta de los gobiernos peledeistas y balagueristas, el presidente Abinader ha seguido punto por punto el gui\u00f3n de los sectores m\u00e1s reaccionarios de la clase dominante, dando rienda suelta a la propagaci\u00f3n del odio racial, mientras los grandes capitalistas nacionales y extranjeros se enriquecen a costa del pueblo dominicano e inmigrante.<\/p>\n<p>Rechazamos de manera contundente la pol\u00edtica migratoria discriminatoria del Estado dominicano que en estos \u00faltimos meses ha intensificado su violencia. Tambi\u00e9n rechazamos la cooperaci\u00f3n entre grup\u00fasculos neofascistas y las autoridades, por ejemplo con las \u201cmarchas patri\u00f3ticas\u201d organizadas por una instituci\u00f3n oficial, el Instituto Duartiano, as\u00ed como la reciente admisi\u00f3n del militar genocida Ramiro Matos a la Academia Dominicana de la Historia. Todos estos hechos, junto a la legalizaci\u00f3n de un partido trujillista marcan el acelerado deterioro antidemocr\u00e1tico del pa\u00eds.<\/p>\n<p>En este marco de violencia racista, persecuciones, deportaciones masivas y abusos de poder, el Estado dominicano est\u00e1 organizando la Feria Internacional del Libro de Santo Domingo (FILSD), programada para finales de Agosto, y dedicada al r\u00e9gimen de apartheid de Israel. La edici\u00f3n de 2022 de la misma feria fue el escenario de actos de censura por motivos de homofobia y racismo. La ministra Milagros Germ\u00e1n y la directora general del Libro y la Lectura, \u00c1ngela Hern\u00e1ndez, se han negado a ofrecer garant\u00edas de que habr\u00e1 libertad de expresi\u00f3n y protecci\u00f3n a la seguridad de escritores y artistas en la Feria, ante el pedido de organizaciones culturales realizado en enero de este a\u00f1o. Ante esta grav\u00edsima situaci\u00f3n, llamamos a escritores, artistas, editoriales y trabajadores de la cultura del mundo a no asistir a la pr\u00f3xima Feria Internacional del Libro de Santo Domingo del 2023, y a continuar exigiendo al gobierno dominicano que respete los derechos humanos y las libertades democr\u00e1ticas.<\/p>\n<h4>Partial list of endorsers<\/h4>\n<p>1-Lauristely Pe\u00f1a Solano, gestora cultural, Rep\u00fablica Dominicana<\/p>\n<p>2-Ingrid Luciano, teatrista, escritora, activista, Rep\u00fablica Dominicana<\/p>\n<p>3-Alicia Mendez Medina, actriz, Rep\u00fablica Dominicana<\/p>\n<p>4-Johann\u00e9 G\u00f3mez-Terrero, cineasta, Rep.Dom<\/p>\n<p>5-Tom\u00e1s P\u00e9rez, teatrista, Rep\u00fablica Dominicana<\/p>\n<p>6-Virgilio Burgos. actor y profesor de teatro. Dominicano<\/p>\n<p>7-Edwin Solano, escritor, Rep\u00fablica Dominicana<\/p>\n<p>8-Raquel Virginia Cabrera, escritora, EE.UU<\/p>\n<p>9-Jhak Valcourt, escritor haitiano residente en Rep\u00fablica Dominicana.<\/p>\n<p>10-Junot D\u00edaz, escritor, EE. UU.<\/p>\n<p>11-Johan Mijail, escritora travesti afrodominicana, Rep\u00fablica Dominicana<\/p>\n<p>12-Koldo Campos Sagaseta, escritor, Estado Espa\u00f1ol<\/p>\n<p>13-H\u00e9ctor Miol\u00e1n, escritor<\/p>\n<p>14-Amaury Rodriguez, escritor y traductor, EE. UU.<\/p>\n<p>15-Ivanova Veras de Jes\u00fas, investigadorx, Rep\u00fablica Dominicana<\/p>\n<p>16-Neici M. Zeller, profesora em\u00e9rita, EE.UU<\/p>\n<p>17-Sandy Pl\u00e1cido, historiadora, EE.UU.<\/p>\n<p>18-Johanna Fern\u00e1ndez, profesora, EE.UU.<\/p>\n<p>19-Lissette Acosta, profesora, EE.UU.<\/p>\n<p>20-Isabel Amarante, acad\u00e9mica, Lenapehoking, Turtle Island (EE.UU.)<\/p>\n<p>21-Dana Cloud, profesora, Estados Unidos<\/p>\n<p>22-Carlos Decena, profesor, Estados Unidos<\/p>\n<p>23-Amarilys Estrella, Estados Unidos<\/p>\n<p>24-Juli\u00e1n Gonz\u00e1lez Beltrez, bibliotecarie\/historiadore, EE.UU\/RD<\/p>\n<p>25-Am\u00edn P\u00e9rez, profesor universitario<\/p>\n<p>26-Catherine Bourgeois, investigadora, Bruselas, B\u00e9lgica<\/p>\n<p>27-Genesis Lara, historiadora, EE.UU.<\/p>\n<p>28-Frank Garc\u00eda Hern\u00e1ndez, historiador y soci\u00f3logo, Cuba<\/p>\n<p>29-Victor Miguel Castillo de Macedo, antrop\u00f3logo,Brasil<\/p>\n<p>30-Nelson Santana, catedr\u00e1tico, Estados Unidos<\/p>\n<p>31-Raj Chetty, professor, EE.UU.<\/p>\n<p>32-Amaury P\u00e9rez, profesor universitario, RD<\/p>\n<p>33-Marisel Moreno, profesora, EE.UU.<\/p>\n<p>34-Ra\u00f9l Zecca Castel, antropologo, Italia<\/p>\n<p>35-Natanael Disla, investigador social, Santo Domingo, Rep\u00fablica Dominicana<\/p>\n<p>36-Mariel Acosta, estudiante universitaria, EE.UU.<\/p>\n<p>37-Daniela Robles, estudiante universitaria, EE. UU.<\/p>\n<p>38-Samir Eskanda, artista y organizador, Palestina\/UK<\/p>\n<p>39-Kiya Vega, artista, EE. UU.<\/p>\n<p>40-Nelson Ricart-Guerrero, artista y escritor, Francia<\/p>\n<p>41-Gerardo R. Mercedes, artista y gestor cultural, Moca, Rep\u00fablica Dominicana<\/p>\n<p>42-Christian Vauzelle, artista, Francia<\/p>\n<p>43-Claudio Remeseira, periodista<\/p>\n<p>44-Luis Feliz Leon, periodista, EE.UU.<\/p>\n<p>45-Saulo Col\u00f3n, New Politics, Puerto Rico<\/p>\n<p>46-Ana Maria Ramirez, enfermera, EE.UU.<\/p>\n<p>47-Daniel Infante, arquitecto, Argentina<\/p>\n<p>48-Micely Diaz Espaillat, trabajadora social, Rep\u00fablica Dominicana<\/p>\n<p>49-Virgilio Aran, organizador laboral, pol\u00edtico y escritor<\/p>\n<p>50-Jose M F\u00e9lix, economista<\/p>\n<p>51-Fiona Brown, United States<\/p>\n<p>List courtesy of <a href=\"https:\/\/acento.com.do\/cultura\/escritores-y-activistas-acusan-al-gobierno-de-persecucion-racista-y-llaman-a-boicot-contra-la-feria-del-libro-dedicada-a-israel-9228089.html\">Acento.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><small>Featured image credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:At_the_Border_of_Haiti_and_the_Dominican_Republic_(8057179936).jpg\">Wikipedia<\/a>; modified by Tempest.<\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Dominican writers and activists<\/strong> have initiated an international call to condemn the racist repression of Haitian migrants\u2014and also to boycott a book fair that is set to honor to apartheid Israel.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":249,"featured_media":10795,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[469,241,243,211],"class_list":["post-10791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-dominican-republic","tag-haiti","tag-immigrant-rights","tag-israeli-apartheid"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/tempestmag.org\/test02\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/dominican_statement_feature_card.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tempestmag.org\/test02\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10791","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tempestmag.org\/test02\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tempestmag.org\/test02\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tempestmag.org\/test02\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/249"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tempestmag.org\/test02\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10791"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tempestmag.org\/test02\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10791\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tempestmag.org\/test02\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tempestmag.org\/test02\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10791"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tempestmag.org\/test02\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10791"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tempestmag.org\/test02\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10791"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}