Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Mar 23, 2010 / 19:52 pm
The Archbishop of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, lamented a report from the U.N. accusing his country of “racism and poor treatment of the Haitian population” following Haiti's devastating earthquake on January 12.
According to Fides news agency, on March 17, the U.N. published a report stating the Dominican Republic should "adopt comprehensive strategies to combat racism, including specific measures on the conditions and protection of persons of Haitian origin.”
“Instead of criticizing the Dominican Republic,” the cardinal told the U.N., “the solidarity and speed with which the Dominican government moved to help the people of Haiti when it experienced the earthquake should be underscored.”
The former secretary of the Dominican Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Benito Angeles added, “Everyone knows that the Dominican authorities immediately came to the aid of Haitians and that the hospitals on the border, as well as those in the capital, were full of Haitians receiving first aid.”
Immediately following the earthquake, he said, people from the Dominican Republic began sending money, food and water to their Haitian neighbors. He added that a telethon held in the country raised an additional $1.3 million.