Santo Domingo (AFP) – Two countries, an island and a ball... The Dominican Republic received its neighbor Haiti on Thursday after 13 years, with its relations undermined by the violence of Haitian gangs, immigration that generates a certain racism on the Dominican side and a history of tensions.

First modification: 02/10/2026 - 07:56

The "Hispaniola derby" was surrounded by a large police force inside and outside the stadium, an AFP journalist confirmed.

In terms of soccer, unlike the economic level, the power is Haiti, which this year participated in its second World Cup after 1974. On Thursday it beat a Dominican Republic 1-4 where baseball is preferred.

Immigrants and Haitian fans who crossed the border made up the majority of the nearly 25,000 spectators at the Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium.

Before the game, dozens of Haitian fans and some Dominicans tried to force entry, but were repelled by law enforcement.

It is the only incident reported of the night. In the stands, hundreds of flags from both countries coexisted side by side in a festive atmosphere.

The Dominican president, Luis Abinader, has made the fight against Haitian immigration one of his battlehorses and has ordered the construction of a wall along the 380 km border.

His policy of persecuting undocumented immigrants, which includes raids and police in hospitals, receives criticism from human rights defenders, but earns him great popularity.

Haitian immigration is often accused of being the source of crime in the country, while Haiti is dragged into a spiral of uncontrollable violence.

More than 265,000 Haitians have been expelled from the Dominican Republic between January and August 2026, according to official figures.

"There are many people who take the Haitian issue and migration as something personal, but I have always shared it with our Haitian brothers," says Gorky Lluberes, a 37-year-old Dominican electrical engineer, who attended the stadium.

"There are good and bad Dominicans, just as there are good and bad Haitians. Today they behaved well, there were some situations at the entrance, but that is part of the euphoria, of being able to live this experience," he said.

-A special day for football-

On the field, the "Brigadiers" - the nickname of the Haitian players, inherited from the War of Independence - imposed their law to the joy of their fans, who left the stadium in full joy.

"It is a special day for football. It is a source of pride. The situation in Haiti is complicated, but we are very proud, because the country and the team make a difference and give us joy," celebrated Kerry Dulysse, a 25-year-old industrial engineer living in the Dominican Republic.

"The only thing we have for now is football. Economically, politically, nothing works, but with football we have a good team and that helps us. And besides, football also makes us seen differently in the world," he added.

For Nicolás Tónico, the victory also had meaning beyond the result.

"Our country is going through a very difficult time with many problems, but this victory is a lot of joy," said this 40-year-old crafts street vendor, who works in the tourist resort of Punta Cana (east).

On Tuesday, the UN Security Council extended for six months the mandate of the force deployed in Haiti to fight gangs.

The poorest country in America has long suffered a political, economic and security crisis. The situation has deteriorated considerably in recent years, due to the spread of gangs that spread terror with murders, kidnappings, rapes and recruitment of children.

In this context, the country is preparing to organize its first presidential election since 2016 in December, as well as a constitutional referendum.

Tónico also referred to the fight against immigration.

"Each country has its own immigration law. I respect that, I just need the Dominican government to do a job with a lot of respect, not just with mistreatment, a lot of violence, because there is a lot of mistreatment," he said.

Bill Perly Dulysse, a 35-year-old Haitian electromechanical engineer who also lives in the Dominican Republic, sees the match as an opportunity for reconciliation.

"The Hispaniola derby, I love this, that they see that the Dominican Republic and Haiti can give good things, especially in sports," he said.

© 2026 AFP

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