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Estadio de fútbol caribeño vacío al atardecer, con gradas azules, palmeras y el mar al fondo
Un estadio caribeño vacío al caer la tarde, imagen alusiva a la medida anunciada por el Ministerio de Deportes. · Imagen generada EPM

Dominican Republic keeps ban on Haitian teams playing in its stadiums

Sports minister Kelvin Cruz reiterated the ban preventing Haiti's national team or any Haitian team from playing at Dominican facilities, a measure adopted…

--- The context --- The minister of Sports and Recreation, Kelvin Cruz, reiterated this Sunday the ban preventing Haiti's national football team, or any team from that country, from playing matches at sports facilities in the Dominican Republic. --- The facts --- The measure was adopted after the incidents recorded on October 1 during the match between the two nations' national teams. Cruz reaffirmed the position expressed following the events at the Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez in Santo Domingo, which minutes later received the backing of President Luis Abinader and became the official position of the Dominican government. The statement came after the announcement of a match between Violette AC of Haiti and Portmore United of Jamaica, scheduled for this Tuesday at the Cibao FC stadium in Santiago. It is a semifinal of the Caribbean Football Cup, organized by the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) under the framework of Concacaf. --- The positions --- Cruz said he has already communicated his position to the national football authorities and will send an official communication to FIFA and Concacaf notifying them of the decision. The minister recalled, in indirect terms, that his ministry had already made known its formal position on events involving Haiti, because of the October 1 incidents at the Estadio Félix Sánchez. The stated objective is for the international bodies to know the measure in advance and take the steps needed. The intention is for those matches to be rescheduled in other countries, so future competitions on Dominican territory including Haitian teams avoid problems and are not affected by the restriction. --- What remains unknown --- The source does not specify what will happen to this Tuesday's match, nor whether an alternative venue exists. The content of the communication to FIFA and Concacaf is also unknown, as is the response of the CFU. --- Unanswered questions --- Where will the semifinal between Violette AC and Portmore United scheduled for this Tuesday be played? What will FIFA, Concacaf and the CFU answer to the Dominican communication? Will the restriction cover every future competition involving Haitian teams? What steps will keep the Caribbean calendar from losing matches? --- EPM analysis --- The reaffirmation moves the matter from the sporting field to the institutional one: it is no longer just a minister's position, but the official stance of a government. The decision itself acknowledges an effect on third parties, because tournaments will need alternative venues to be completed. 📌 EPM Take: In EPM's view, the key to this decision will lie in its execution and not only in its announcement, because a ban communicated in advance can bring order to the calendar or leave matches without a venue if rescheduling arrives late. Notifying FIFA and Concacaf opens the path for competitions to continue in other countries, and that exit will protect the teams and the tournament. What will be measured from now on is whether coordination matches the announced firmness.
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