Former Dominican president lectures on globalization

Written by: Camila Fernandez/News Director

There is no humanitarian crisis at the border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, said Leonel Fernández, former president of the Dominican Republic.

Fernández lectured on the effects of globalization and the progress of development in Latin America and the Caribbean as part of the Migration, Diasporas and Transient Communities Series Thursday, Oct. 22. The series is hosted by the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs.

He said that media coverage on recent disputes between both countries has manipulated and distorted their relationship. The Dominican Republic has deported Haitians living in its country illegally who failed to comply with a new immigration policy that requires them to prove their citizenship.

“I think what we need to do is sit down and look at the facts,” said Fernández. “Dominican nationality is defined by our constitution and by our laws and that’s a sovereign right that every state has.”

To participate in the global economy, Fernández said Latin America needs to be more competitive and to increase productivity through technological development and innovation. During his presidential administration, there was a focus on attracting high-technology firms to the Dominican Republic.

The country also reestablished ties with Cuba, and it had an annual 7.7 percent economic growth, according to the Council on Hemispheric Affairs. After normalized relations between the U.S. and Cuba, he said the island should follow the Dominican Republic’s example of tourism.

Instead of depending on an agricultural economy, the Dominican Republic centers on its tourism and services sector, making it the second largest economy in the Caribbean, according to the 2015 Index of Economic Freedom.

news_protest

Students held “Black Dominicans are Dominicans” protests at the Migration, Diasporas and Transient Communities Series. Image by Camila Fernandez/FIUSM Staff

“Dominican Republic is not only the beaches, the sand and the sun. It’s also the mountains, horse riding and golf. There’s a whole menu of choice and services offered that we have in the Dominican Republic that Cuba can very well learn from the Dominican experience,” Fernández said.

Tourism accounted for nearly 10 percent of Cuba’s gross domestic product in 2014, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. The country is expected to receive about five million foreign tourists by 2025.

There is political instability in Latin America because of China’s slow economic growth, said Fernández. He said countries that have exported commodities to China, like Brazil and Chile, have been economically impacted by the country’s deceleration.

Over the past five years, economic freedom in China has improved by less than one point because of a lack of control in government spending, according to the Index.

“What is taking place now is an indication that Latin America needs to move into a new economic and social paradigm shift because the well-being of our nations was dependable to exporting commodities,” Fernández said.

Fernández also said there needs to be a promotion of trade between different enterprises in Latin America and other parts of the world. He said that Europe can help promote and finance infrastructure development in Latin America.

“I think the idea of looking at globalization through interregional relationships is a way of being very concrete because otherwise, globalization becomes something very abstract,” Fernandez said.

He said the Dominican diaspora has diversified the Dominican Republic’s economy to increase competitiveness and to create more job opportunities.

He also said there needs to be continuous political dialogues with Latin America and the Caribbean and the U.S. and Canada. “The U.S. has an enormous influence, not only in Latin America — worldwide — so we cannot ignore the U.S. That would be self-inflicting for Latin America and the Caribbean.”

However, there also needs to be an increase in trade and investments and cooperation on social issues among the Latin American and Caribbean countries, he said.

“We need to coordinate our foreign policy as a region. If you [ask] what does Latin America think about what’s taking place in Syria, we’re voiceless,” Fernández said. “Each country represents its position at the United Nations level, but on global issues, we are not unified.”

Images by Camila Fernandez

camila.fernandez@fiusm.com

About the Author

Camila Fernandez
A FIU School of Journalism and Mass Communications Student - Began working with Student Media in 2013.

Be the first to comment on "Former Dominican president lectures on globalization"

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published.


*