A coalition of regional leaders issued a statement emphasizing the need for justice, reason, and a prudent warning to preserve peace and security across Hispaniola, the Greater Caribbean, and the Americas.
The signatories contend that decades of international intervention have failed to rebuild Haiti’s institutions or dismantle the criminal networks now dominating much of the country.
They caution that certain policies could turn the Dominican Republic into a permanent buffer state for Haiti’s crisis, shifting long‑term humanitarian and migration pressures onto Dominican territory.
The letter references past warnings that policies under the current U.S. administration could dramatically increase migration flows toward the Dominican Republic.
While not formally requesting Haiti’s admission into the Shield of the Americas, the statement argues that the coalition could offer the most effective regional framework for restoring order, dismantling criminal groups, and supporting Haiti’s reconstruction from within its own borders.
Less than a year after its launch, the Shield of the Americas is moving from concept to implementation, with Colombia’s anticipated accession, Ecuador’s expanded security partnership with the United States, and growing calls from Dominican officials for the coalition to help stabilize Haiti.
The initiative aims to build a permanent alliance of democratic nations capable of securing borders, defeating transnational criminal organizations, protecting sovereignty, and strengthening economic prosperity throughout the Western Hemisphere.
Originating from a summit in Miami, the program is rapidly evolving into one of the most ambitious hemispheric security efforts of the current administration, reflecting a renewed focus on partnership, sovereignty, and regional stability.
