Haiti’s government to oversee canal project that prompted Dominican Republic to close all borders

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Haiti’s government is doubling down on the construction of a canal on Haitian soil that prompted the neighboring Dominican Republic last week to shutter land, air and sea borders that both countries share. The Haitian government said on social media that the agriculture ministry is working with a group of Haitians building the canal so that it meets technical standards and ensure it would not negatively affect crops and people living in the nearby Maribaroux plain, which is under a drought. The statement is likely to further deepen tensions between the two countries that share the island of Hispaniola.