Development for the border

If anything has been highlighted by the prolonged Haitian crisis, it is the historical debt that the Dominican Republic has with its own border. The provinces that guard that line of more than 390 kilometers not only face the direct consequences of the collapse of the Haitian state, but have also been, for decades, forgotten territories in the major national development plans.

The northwest and southwest lines -Montecristi, Dajabón, Elías Piña, Independencia, Pedernales- are among the areas with the highest poverty, lowest investment, and greatest social challenges in the country. And yet, they are the ones that bear the most direct weight in terms of irregular migration, security, informal trade, and constant tension. It is not possible to build a firm migration policy without, at the same time, promoting a real border development policy that is sustainable, multi-sectoral, and with a vision of the State. That development cannot be limited to promises, nor to scattered or reactive projects. It requires territorial planning, permanent tax incentives, strategic infrastructure, access to productive credit, connectivity, technical training, and institutional presence at all levels. We must transform the border into a wall of opportunities and patriotic love, not a symbol of precariousness. The country has taken important steps, such as the Border Development Plan, free zones, tourist poles like Pedernales, and the construction of the physical wall. But the challenge is to integrate all these actions into a coordinated strategy, with measurable goals, guaranteed budgets, and continuity beyond changes in government. The border needs to be seen not only as a control zone, but as a territory of national development, of unbreakable identity. May its schools, its hospitals, its cultural centers be strengthened. May local entrepreneurship, agribusiness, bilingual education, and responsible private investment be encouraged. There, where the Republic begins, social justice must also begin. And for that to happen, political will, inter-institutional coordination, and civic pressure are required. The border cannot continue to be a reason for speeches in times of tension and oblivion in times of calm. There is no national development without a living, safe, and prosperous border. That is the great pending task of the Dominican State.