A celebratory remark after a soccer game deepens rift between Haiti and the Dominican Republic

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- It took six words after a soccer match to unleash racial, political and economic tensions that have long simmered between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

“L’Hispaniola c’est Haiti! This is Haiti!” star player Wilson Isidor shouted after helping Haiti beat the Dominican Republic 4-1 in Santo Domingo.

Hispaniola is the Caribbean island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, two neighbors with a long and troubled history. The reaction was swift.

“We have very bad news for…Haiti’s team,” Dominican Sports Minister Kelvin Cruz said Friday as he announced that Haiti would no longer be allowed to play in the Dominican Republic.

Reached Monday, he said only that he stood by his announcement.

Cruz did not mention Isidor or his remarks, but accused Haitian fans of damaging the stadium's infrastructure. Dominican authorities also used pepper spray on Haitians as some peacefully streamed into the stadium for Thursday's game, with some Dominicans blaming their government for not controlling the crowd.

On Saturday, the Dominican Soccer Federation filed a formal complaint with CONCACAF, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Football Association, about what occurred on Thursday. A CONCACAF spokesperson did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

As the Dominican Republic prepares for its 2028 elections, presidential hopefuls have seized on the incident to promise an intensified crackdown on Haitian migrants, with one going as far as to say he would enslave them.

Celebration ignites longtime tensions

The fallout from the game is the latest flashpoint to drive a wedge between the two countries that share a bloody history.

The game was played a day before the 89th anniversary of the Parsley Massacre, when Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo ordered the killing of thousands of Haitians along the shared border.

One fan held up a sign Thursday in Haitian Creole that read, “A great tribute to those who fell on Oct. 2, 1937. Today this match is played in your memory.”

Isidor’s remarks about La Hispaniola being Haitian have gone viral, with social media users debating historical facts and wishing a good day to everyone “except the Haitians;” one person even compared Isidor’s comments to a German player giving a Nazi salute.

One video posted online and captioned “4-1” streams wealthy areas of the Dominican Republic above impoverished areas in Haiti.

The Haitian Soccer Federation said it supports its players and asserted that Isidor’s comments were “an expression of attachment” to his roots.

“This attachment to Haiti cannot...be interpreted as a sign of hostility or disrespect toward another people or nation,” it said. “Sporting rivalry, however intense, must never make us lose sight of the mutual respect that should unite players, fans, and nations.”

One person on X noted that the comments by Isidor, who was born in France, are similar to the “Ici c’est Paris” chant by Paris Saint-Germain fans, even during away games: “No one thinks they’re reclaiming territory.”

Ex beauty queen calls for retraction

Garry Jean-Pierre saw the game at his home in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. He doesn’t believe Isidor’s comments were political but was not surprised by the Dominican government's response.

“We understand why they did it. They were humiliated at home in front of their supporters,” he said.

Haiti and the Dominican Republic each finished with nine points in League A of CONCACAF’s Nations League tournament, but only Haiti advanced to the quarterfinals because of best goal differential.

André Joseph, a 20-year-old accounting student in Port-au-Prince, said he expected post-match fallout: “There’s always going to be a war between the Haitians and the Dominicans because of the way the Dominicans treat the Haitians."

The Dominican Republic has long been criticized for arresting and deporting people born there who are of Haitian ancestry; for leaving them stateless; and for the way immigrants are treated when they’re detained. Dominican officials have said the country cannot sustain the increasing number of immigrants fleeing Haiti's poverty and violence.

Joseph and other Haitian soccer fans have called on their government to ensure the team has a place to train and play in Haiti.

The main stadium in Port-au-Prince and a nearby training facility has been overrun by gangs that control an estimated 70% of the capital. Haiti’s home matches leading up to the World Cup had to be played elsewhere, with Haiti qualifying for the first time since 1974.

Haitian content creator Windy Phele wrote on X that Haitian politicians have left them greatly dependent on the Dominican Republic.

"Dominicans have every reason to be proud of their country, whereas I personally don’t see any reason today to say I’m proud of Haiti,” he wrote on X. “We should fight to create the conditions so the national team can stop playing away from home.”

Joining the debate was Sarodj Bertin, a lawyer and former beauty queen who was born in Haiti but was sent to the Dominican Republic after her mother was killed.

She posted a video in Spanish and French asserting that people must respect their neighbors to earn respect. Bertin called on Isidor to retract his “inappropriate” comments, at least for his “brothers,” if not for his country.

“In the end,” she said, “those who are going to suffer are the Haitians who live in the Dominican Republic.”

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Associated Press reporters Evens Sanon in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and Martín Adames in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic contributed to this story.