President Fernández Meets With African American Congress People

President Fernández Meets With African American Congress People  

The Congressional Black Caucus of the United States made a commitment to help in the struggle to stop international drug trafficking and to bring more rebuilding aid to Haiti. The commitment came out of a meeting, headed by the Caucus leader Barbara Lee, with Dominican President Leonel Fernández.

 “Security and combating drug trafficking are among the main issues for the Dominican Republic and we are trying, along with other countries affected by this situation…”

President Fernández explained the importance of having the backing of various political entities from the United States in order to form a regional policy to stem drug trafficking, reported the President’s Office of Information, Press and Publicity.

 “Security and combating drug trafficking are among the main issues for the Dominican Republic and we are trying, along with other countries affected by this situation, to maintain close collaboration and to seek a new vision of how to confront these problems,” said the Dominican President. He went on to explain that it is very clear that any anti-drug policy must be directed at those who supply them as well as though who demand them.

Fernández explained that the Dominican Republic is making progress in its internal process of creating better conditions and opportunities for those who live in poverty in order to counteract the influence of the drug traffickers who move millions of dollars in the country.

Congress woman Barbara Lee said the Caucus is interested in maintaining links with the process underway in the Dominican Republic, adding that the needs of Dominican society are very similar to the processes and needs of African American groups in the US.

At the meeting, they also talked about the rebuilding of Haiti and the need to make donor funds more accessible to get the process started right away. All agreed that the rebuilding process could take up to ten years to complete.

Fernández invited Congress woman Lee to visit the Dominican Republic to become familiar with the process of transformation currently underway there.
Those present at the meeting included Congressman Charles Rangel, one of the founders of the Congressional Black Caucus; Donald Payne, in charge of Hemispheric Affairs; Gregory Meeks, a member of the House Financial Services Committee and California Congresswoman Donna Watson.

Following the meeting, Caucus members and President Fernández met with Congressman Eliot Engel of the House of Representatives who heads the Committee for Hemispheric Affairs. They continued their discussion about Haiti and the struggle against drug trafficking.