Dominican diplomat released 4 days after taken hostage

The Haitian Times
www.haitiantimes.com 
By Juhakenson Blaise

PORT-AU-PRINCE — A Dominican diplomat was released May 3 after being kidnapped for four days, Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez announced on Twitter. 

“Thank goodness Carlitin Guillen Tatis, counselor at the Dominican Embassy in Haiti was released unharmed after 4 days of abduction,” Alvarez tweeted. “We want to thank all those who actively participated in his release.”

Information is not yet available on how and what brought the release of Tatis, the agricultural and commercial attaché of the Dominican Republic to Haiti.

The 400 Mawozo gang kidnapped Tatis while he was driving from Port-au-Prince to the Dominican border town of Jimani Apr. 29. The gang asked for a $500,000 ransom, according to Listin Diario. It is unclear if that ransom was paid. 

Germine “Yonyon” Joly, 400 Mawozo’s leader, was taken out of Haiti’s National Penitentiary and extradited to the U.S. May 3, the Haitian National Police tweeted. 

Before it was announced that Tatis was released, the director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Azad Belfort said Haitian authorities were aware of the disappearance of the diplomat but the Haitian government did not want to communicate anything on the matter.

“Diplomacy is not done this way,” Belfort told The Haitian Times in a May 3 phone interview. “Any statement could hinder the process. We will be publishing a public statement on the subject, it is necessary to wait for it.”

The Dominican Republic was eagerly searching for Tatis and reinforced surveillance on the border with Haiti on May 3, according to Reuters.

Earlier on May 1, the office of Dominican President Luis Abinader asked Haitian authorities for help in finding the diplomat in a statement. 

Tatis’ relatives were worried for him while he was being held captive, according to Listín Diario.

Alvarez, via Dominican Ambassador to Haiti Faruk Miguel Castillo, had asked the Haitian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to open an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Tatis. 

Reuters also reported that Castillo said he had filed a complaint with the Haitian Judicial Police and provided recordings of recent calls from Tatis’ phone.

Two Dominican technicians were also kidnapped in Port-au-Prince in March of last year. They were kidnapped alongside their Haitian interpreter Junior “Ti Nèg” Augusma and released after a week.