Lautaro Rivara receives threats in the Dominican Republic

Lautaro RivaraThe Argentine sociologist, editor of the Latin American Information Agency (ALAI) and member of the CLACSO Working Group “Crisis, responses and alternatives in the Greater Caribbean” was the victim of aggression and even threats during his recent visit to Dominican Republic, for his investigations and denunciations of the massive deportation plan of the Haitian migrant population, a situation that warranted a statement from the Steering Committee of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences.

See: No to mass collective deportations in the Dominican Republic

Rivara denounced that after his public statements about the persecution of Haitians in the Dominican Republic, a “massive campaign” was unleashed against him demanding his deportation for alleged acts of “interference” and “threats to national sovereignty,” with accusations of being “pro-Haitian,” of promoting “the merger of the two countries of the island of Hispaniola,” and of being a “paid agitator of international NGOs or the United Nations itself.”

Even more worrying were the threats – including death threats – that he received through social media.

Following these events, several organizations and individuals—including Afro-Dominican Action, Dominican Solidarity with Haiti, Agenda Solidarity, and Force of the Revolution—signed a statement denouncing the "fascist threats" against Lautaro Rivara. "In accordance with the rule of law in our country, human rights and the right to freedom of opinion and movement must always be guaranteed. Therefore, we strongly condemn the threats that known and intolerant fascist groups are making against the physical safety of this friend and prestigious Argentine intellectual," the statement reads.

The Argentine sociologist has indicated that one of the groups that publicly threatened him is the Ancient Dominican Order, a far-right organization with paramilitary characteristics whose members “dress in the style of Mussolini’s Blackshirts, are linked to drug trafficking, travel armed, and have violently attacked several peaceful demonstrations by migrant organizations, feminist groups, and progressive and left-wing political parties.” He elaborated, saying that this “neo-fascist” organization operates in the Dominican Republic amid “state inaction,” promoting hate speech, advocating for mass deportations, and aiming for the “Dominicanization of the country,” even going so far as to incite “pogroms against the local migrant population, primarily Haitians.”

Finally, he clarified that the threats received “are not an isolated incident” in the country, but rather a “small sample” of what social activists, critical academics, independent journalists, migrant communities, and social organizations suffer every day. “Extremist radicalization, the climate of harassment, ideological persecution, the promotion of self-censorship, the doxing of dissidents, media lynching, 'anti-communist' hysteria, and even, on occasion, direct street violence, have led to fear and silencing within Dominican society, and even to the self-imposed exile of numerous individuals,” he denounced.

As a member of the CLACSO Network and as a journalist specializing in the history and reality of Haiti, Lautaro Rivara gave several interviews to CLACSO.tv, including: "There is no constituted political authority in Haiti.".