Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Jul 25, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Bishop Francisco Ozoria Acosta of San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, issued a statement this week expressing the support of all of the diocesan clergy for the work carried out by Father Christopher Hartley among the Haitian immigrants, who are brought into the country illegally in order to work on sugarcane plantations.
In recent days, several newspapers in the country have criticized the pastoral work of Father Hartley with sugarcane workers and their families.
In his statement, the bishop noted that thanks to the work of Father Hartely, many immigrants “have realized they have dignity and rights” and they have lost their fear of denouncing the injustices they are suffering and of “demanding and defending their human and worker’s rights.”
Father Hartley’s work in the formation and education of both Dominicans and Haitians “has made it difficult to maintain the abusive work regimen they have been subjected to,” reads the statement. “This has affected the profits of some companies located in his area and that have benefited from the flagrant injustices.”