In the Dominican Republic, there is a clear pattern of uncontrolled growth in cities, neighborhoods, and housing developments, driven by organized crime groups, mostly composed of Dominicans and Haitians, who move into private or state-owned land and turn these areas into lawless territories, "and anyone who tries to enter and claim their rights ends up dead." - Eliseo Cristopher.
SANTO DOMINGO - The Dominican Confederation of Micro, Small and Medium Construction Companies Inc. (COPYMECON) believes that by offering better and more attractive conditions, the workforce in the construction sector could become more Dominican and leave less room for illegal immigrants who find refuge in that sector.
In that regard, its president, Eliseo Cristopher, asked President Luis Abinader to find the necessary mechanisms to Dominicanize the construction sector's workforce, making it more attractive and with better guarantees.
He acknowledges that the sector is dependent on Haitian labor. "If we don't have Haitian labor, the construction sector will definitely grind to a halt," Cristopher stated, after affirming that the country can deport any foreigner residing illegally in Dominican territory.
In a press conference, the president of the association, along with a delegation from the entity that represents small builders, praised the measures adopted by the Abinader Government to prosecute invaders of private and Dominican State properties.
Abinader recently issued decree 668-22 which provides for the creation of a specialized unit in the National Police for the prevention and prosecution of the aforementioned actions.
Eliseo Cristopher recalled that on numerous occasions he called the attention of the authorities with the aim of preventing or stopping the illegal occupation of land, both private and state-owned.
“The practice of invading private or state-owned land is very old, carried out by unscrupulous mafias made up of Dominicans and undocumented foreigners, mostly Haitians, who violate the rule of law. We see that overnight they build a neighborhood in a disorganized manner, without urban planning, without a sanitation system, sidewalks, or curbs, which gives rise to vandalism, delinquency, crime, drug addiction, and prostitution,” he explained.
Organized mafias
He said that small construction companies, in order to develop a project, have to do so in an orderly manner and comply with all the legal regulations that govern construction, and sometimes they spend years or decades planning an urbanization or any other project, and yet "these unscrupulous people, they get in by force and in weeks they build a city, without any kind of guarantee.".
In his opinion, the Dominican Republic is experiencing a disorderly growth of cities, neighborhoods, and urbanizations carried out by organized mafias, mostly composed of Dominicans and Haitians, who move into private or state-owned land and turn those places into no man's land "and anyone who tries to enter to claim their right ends up dead.".
“We definitely and broadly support the regulatory measures contained in the presidential decree issued last Friday, the 11th of this month, which seek to guarantee property rights, since it affects all sectors across the country,” declared the president of Copymecom.
Cristopher reaffirmed his support for the provisions contained in the aforementioned decree, hoping that the bodies instructed therein, such as the Ministries of the Interior and Police, Foreign Affairs, the General Directorate of Migration and the National Police, will guarantee the effective protection of property rights, which is relevant today to strengthen legal security and prevent irregular occupations or invasions of private property.
