News Americas, SANTO DOMINGO, DR, Fri. Aug. 21, 2015: Dominican Republic police say they can sure of the reason why a Haitian man was murdered there Wednesday night.
On Thursday, cops said they were still seeking to determine if the unidentified man who was found stabbed to death along the side of a road near Hatillo Palma, was killed because of a protest against migrants in the area.
Police Lt. Col. Pablo Ortega told the Associated Press that authorities have not confirmed that the killing and the protests were connected. He said six people had been detained for questioning about the death as well as for the attacks on the migrant community.
The man’s murder came just hours after a group of people had burst into a shantytown to protest the alleged rape of a local woman by three Haitian migrants during a robbery. Later, a home where about 20 people lived was destroyed by a fire that was intentionally set.
Authorities have since increased security in the area seeking to prevent further violence.
The murder comes amidst rising tension in the Dominican Republic recently over the deportation of Haitians following the expiration of a deadline to apply for legal residency.
