Eliseo Almánzar condemns politicization after DR’s defeat against Haiti

Criticism of management and politicization following the match between the Dominican Republic and Haiti

Jurist and commentator José Eliseo Almánzar harshly questioned the way various sectors have reacted following the recent defeat of the Dominican national soccer team against the Haiti team, in a match corresponding to the CONCACAF Nations League. According to Almánzar, the event was marked by a worrying burden of populism, evident logistical failures, and a dangerous tendency to politicize sports.

Deficiencies in the organization

Almánzar pointed out that, despite the country having the technical capacity to organize world-class events, the match exposed serious planning errors. The analyst highlighted that the responsibility for security and access to the stadium fell on the organizers, who did not take the necessary precautions for an event of such magnitude.

The Dominican Republic hosts an international-level sporting event without taking the necessary precautions regarding security, access to the event, and many other things that should have been done there and were not.

Rejection of political instrumentalization

The commentator criticized the official reactions and the xenophobic discourse that emerged regarding the presence of Haitian fans in the stadium. He recalled that the tickets were sold through digital channels and acquired formally, debunking the narrative of irregularity that some sectors tried to impose.

• Questioning the Ministry of Sports’ stance following the statements attributed to the Haitian head coach.
• Criticism of the lack of institutional restraint regarding an event that is, essentially, a sports competition.
• Call for responsibility to avoid damage to the international image of the Dominican Republic.

Meeting context

The match, which culminated in the victory of the Haitian national team, sparked a wave of debate on social media and in the media regarding migration control and stadium management. Faced with the controversy, the Dominican Football Federation took responsibility for the logistical failures that occurred, while government authorities faced criticism for their media handling and warnings regarding the use of public facilities.

Things must be kept at the level where they belong. We cannot continue to look bad internationally. Let’s be a little more responsible and not take everything with that populist and negative discourse. We lost, period, let’s buckle down to see if we can win next time.