A Dominican nationalist group wants to prevent Violette AC from playing in Santiago

Statements from the Leader

The movement's leader, Ángelo Vásquez, has urged his supporters to mobilize. He has spoken of resorting to force against those he considers opponents. According to Rezo Nòdwès, he invoked Dominican sovereignty. The Quotidien 509 notes that he spoke of "respecting themselves," a phrase the media puts in quotation marks.

A Club Match, Not a National Team Game

Both media outlets emphasize that the match is between clubs and not Haiti's national team. According to The Quotidien 509, Concacaf confirmed the match will take place at Estadio Cibao. The media also reports that Violette AC finished atop their group with four wins in four matches, a first for a Haitian club. Three clubs from the competition will earn their spot for the Concacaf Champions Cup 2027.

In the away game on October 13 at Sabina Park, Portmore United won 3-1. Jean-Fabrice Vedrine had opened the scoring for Haiti before Javier Brown scored a brace. This was Violette's first loss of the season, according to The Quotidien 509.

Tensions from October 1

This call extends the controversy that arose from the match between the national teams of Haiti and the Dominican Republic on October 1 at Félix-Sánchez Stadium. Haiti won 4-1. According to Rezo Nòdwès, some supporters forced entry into the stadium and damaged a door. The Dominican Minister of Sports, Kelvin Cruz, then announced that Haiti's national team would no longer be able to use the country's sports facilities. He also demanded apologies from the Haitian players.

The Quotidien 509 provides additional details. The minister later clarified that the measure only prevented Haiti from playing home games there. The media cites a preliminary report from the Zile Foundation, which states that 23,604 tickets were sold for an estimated attendance of 25,000 people. Wilson Isidor's post-match comments, "Hispaniola is Haiti. Here, it is Haiti," sparked intense controversy in the Dominican Republic. The Dominican federation announced a complaint to FIFA and Concacaf.

Rezo Nòdwès notes that the dispute between the ministry and the national team does not, on its own, confirm an outright ban on this club match.

What Remains Unknown

The Quotidien 509 reports that no official statement had been made regarding the security measures planned for Tuesday. Neither Haiti's embassy in the Dominican Republic nor Haiti's consulate in Santiago had commented. It is therefore unclear what impact the rally will have on the safety of players and spectators.