In a backlash against the documentary film "The Price of Sugar" which accuses the Dominican Republic of enslaving Haitian sugar cane workers, officials and organizations from Haiti and the rest of the world have come out to publicly denounce the allegations. The film has angered Dominicans, here and abroad, who consider it to be a deliberate attack against the country and its sugar cane industry.
Representative for Haiti of the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO), Madame Marie Denise Jean has denied that there is slavery in the bateyes where Haitians working in the sugar cane industry live. She spoke at a round table held at the French Parliament on "The Two Sides of Globalization: The Case of the Dominican Republic".
Haitian Ambassador Fritz Cineas has also denies there is any slavery of Haitian sugar cane workers in the Dominican Republic and spoke of the warm relations between the two neighbouring countries. He says he has never received any complaints of human rights violations of Haitian immigrants in the Dominican Republic.
Representative of the Organization of American States (OAS), Paul Duran, also commented that there is no evidence of mistreatment or abuse of undocumented Haitians travelling or working in the Dominican Republic. He commented on the fact that Haitians work in many different sectors of the economy and not just sugar cane, such as fruit vendors, construction workers, gardeners and are increasingly being hired as resort workers.
