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La deuda ética de nuestra America con Haití. 5/22/2021 Jesus Chucho Garcia: Black Alliance for Peace Why is President Biden backing a coup in Haiti? 3/28/2021 The Michigan Daily: "As such, Moïse was elected nine months after his predecessor’s term ended, in what we in the United States would call a special election. This is why Haiti’s Superior Court of Justice ruled that Moïse’s term ended on Feb. 7, 2021, and an interim successor should be sworn in. Moïse has responded by remaining in office, and, for good measure, unilaterally firing three justices from the court that ruled against him. If you have trouble seeing this as a coup, replace Moïse’s name with Trump’s and that should make it clear." Cardi B, Bobby Shmurda, Noname & More Stars Voice Their Support for #FreeHaiti Movement 3/15/2021 Billboard: "Haitian protesters received all-star backing from the Jamaican-American rapper Shmurda, who showed "love to all my Zoes" on Saturday and shared a link to Karen Civil's Hike for Haiti fundraiser with Hope for Haiti, which plans to donate 100% of the proceeds to "education, teacher training, health education, school gardens, and reforestation." ARTISTS MENTIONED Bobby Shmurda Cardi B Noname For anyone needing more context on the situation, Noname shared a 13-minute mini-doc from Vice that was released on Friday, the same day as the operation, that sheds light on the increased kidnapping, murder and overall suppression of the people happening under Moïse's reign." As Haiti plunges deeper into turmoil, a social media rallying cry emerges: #FreeHaiti 3/15/2021 Miami Herald: "Taking a life of its own, the #FreeHaiti hashtag has been shared in posts on Twitter more than a half-million times by influencers, ordinary and angry Haitians, Haiti-born celebrities like actors Jimmy Jean-Louis and Garcelle Beauvais, and rappers French Montana, Tyga and Cardi B. The Grammy winner tweeted under her @iamcardib handle, “When ya see third world countries or countries that can be more developed don’t blame the people of the country….Blame the government.”" Otro muro fronterizo en América Latina: Haití-República Dominicana 3/4/2021 Cubadebate: "La intención del Gobierno de República Dominicana de construir un muro en su frontera con Haití, con el objetivo de frenar lo que consideran “graves problemas de inmigración ilegal”, ha generado críticas entre quienes rechazan el gasto millonario que implicaría esta obra de gran magnitud, similar al proyecto sin éxito del expresidente estadounidense Donald Trump." Protests in Haiti as political standoff continues 2/21/2021 CNN: ""Those of us fighting, who want another Haiti, a Haiti pearl of the Antilles, say no to the dictatorship," one protester told Reuters in capital city Port-au-Prince, where Haitian opposition and civil society groups had called the demonstration. Another criticized the United States and international organizations for supporting the President. At the heart of protests is a dispute over the President's term limit: Moise has served only four years of the usual five, and says his term ends in 2022 -- a stance backed by the United States, United Nations and Organization of American States. Protesters, however, say he should have stepped down February 7, citing a constitutional provision that starts the clock once a president is elected, rather than when he takes office." Haití, la rebelión permanente: Ede Nou Goumen 2/11/2021 Aporrea: por Jesús Chucho García - "Su rebelión bajo el juramento en una de las expresiones espirituales mas hermosas del Caribe, el Vudu, hoy sufre los embates de la intervención militar, la recolonizacion con la complicidad de la Organizacion de las Naciones Unidas que con sus tropas, MINUSTAH (2004-2017) infectaron a la isla de Colera e hicieron violaciones masivas a mujeres jovenes y ninas, haitianas. La organización de Estados Americanos y muchas ONG como OXFAM y la Fundación Clinton, a parte de guardar silencio ante este crimen poblacional en proceso, se prestaron para violar jóvenesmujeres como lo hizo la ONG OXFAM de Inglaterra y los Clinton obtuvieron mucho dinero a nombre del dolor del pueblo haitiano." Haití: OEA y EEUU junto a JOVENEL: partidocracia en maniobra y pueblo en rebeldía 2/10/2021 Aporrea: "El gobierno de ese hermano país ha podido sostenerse por el apoyo de las fuerzas militares y policiales creadas por la intervención militar de EEUU y Brasil con la complicidad de la ONU (Minustah), por el respaldo de la mafia empresarial de la cual forma parte el propio Presidente Moíses y por la determinación imperial de EE.UU y su OEA, en complicidad con Francia y Canadá." Haiti braces for unrest as a defiant president refuses to step down 2/7/2021 NYT: "Haiti is “on the verge of explosion,” with many accusing the government of supporting gangs to stay in power as a constitutional crisis looms" Playlist: Haitian Rhythms And The Music Of New Orleans 2/1/2021 NPR: "Much of what distinguishes New Orleans today from other American cities can be traced back to French and African influences from Haiti. The cultural ties go back more than 200 years, when 10,000 free and enslaved people left what was then the French colony of Saint Domingue during the country's revolution. NOLA's multi-cultural DNA is its calling card, and it's reflected in the food, architecture, art, and most notably, music. Kanaval: Haitian Rhythms & the Music of New Orleans is a new three-part documentary, hosted by Grammy-winning musician Leyla McCalla, that explores the history of Haiti, and its continuing impact on the music of New Orleans." Rep. Waters Urges U.S. Ambassador Michele Sison to oppose elections in Haiti until politically motivated attacks against government critics have ceasedand all Haitians are able to participate without fear 10/8/2020 Haiti Action: "Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), the Chair of the House Financial Services Committee and a long-time friend of Haiti, sent a letter to the Honorable Michele J. Sison, U.S. Ambassador to Haiti, urging her to “use [her] considerable diplomatic experience and influence with the government of Haiti to promote respect for the rule of law and basic human rights and to oppose the organization of elections in Haiti until such time as the widespread politically motivated attacks against government critics in Haiti have ceased; the perpetrators have been held accountable; an independent Provisional Electoral Council can be formed with broad participation by civil society and in accordance with Haiti’s constitution; and all political parties, stakeholders, civil society organizations, and Haitian citizens are able to participate in the elections without fear.”" State Department Awarded Contract to Security Firm Linked to Palace Guard Chief 9/12/2020 Haiti Analysis: "In November, 2019, as part of its support for the Haitian National Police (PNH), the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) awarded a $73,000 contract for the provision of “riot gear kit[s]” for the police’s crowd control unit, CIMO, according to information contained in the U.S. government’s contracting database. Earlier this summer, CIMO and other PNH units used U.S.-manufactured tear gas to disperse activists who had assembled in front of the Justice Ministry rallying for the right to life amid a rapidly deteriorating security situation. The police repressed the protest even though the organizers had received proper legal clearance." An Impending Crisis: COVID-19 in Haiti, Ongoing Instability, and the Dangers of Continued U.S. Deportations 6/1/2020 Counterpunch: "On Tuesday, May 26, the Trump administration deported 30 Haitians. It was the eighth deportation flight to Haiti since early February. Though the US has pledged to conduct preflight testing of all deportees, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is utilizing a 15-minute rapid test that is highly unreliable. Tuesday’s flight included at least eight people who had tested positive in recent weeks, and one individual who was experiencing symptoms the night before his deportation. Even if testing were improved, the possibility of false negatives makes it impossible to confidently deport only people who do not present a potential risk to public health. The pandemic is unprecedented; the measures to reduce its spread must be as well." Unique African Studies Master's At FIU Faces Two Threats: Stubbornly Low Enrollment — And COVID-19 5/28/2020 WLRN: "In this Florida International University graduate elective examining the societies and cultures of the Caribbean, professor Andrea Queeley and her small group of students relate the hatred that motivated that long-ago violent episode to the prejudices that persist in the island region and here in South Florida today: Bias against people of African descent, people with darker skin, people who speak Creole." Haiti faces a coronavirus catastrophe 4/8/2020 Worker's World: "The predictions are grim, and the figures are totally misleading: As of April 5, 6 p.m., Haiti reported only 21 COVID-19 cases and one death. The Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, reported 1,745 cases and 52 deaths. (worldometers.info/coronavirus/) Haiti has only 130 ICU beds. Dr. Paul Farmer, head of Partners in Health, a nongovernmental organization, believes that only 30 of them are fully functional and there are at most 64 ventilators in the country. Both Haiti and the Dominican Republic have about the same population — 10 million. According to the World Bank, the Dominican Republic has nearly 20,000 physicians; according to Haiti’s National Institute of Statistics, Haiti has only 911. A significant number of Haitians go back and forth between Haiti and the Dominican Republic every day, as workers or traders, which makes it even harder to trust the official COVID-19 numbers for Haiti. What the numbers really signify is that Haiti only tests the elite or foreigners, who manage to get treated by one of its rare doctors in a hospital, while testing in the Dominican Republic is broader. But it’s also an admission that COVID-19 does exist in Haiti." Haiti on the Precipice as Coronavirus and U.S.-Imposed Leadership Take their Toll 3/30/2020 Haiti Liberte: "On Sun., Mar. 29, local medical experts interviewed on Radio Kiskeya, one of the country’s most important radio stations, suggested that up to 800,000 Haitians could perish from the virus. The Grayzone spoke with Dr. Ernst Noël, of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy (FMP) in Port-au-Prince, who stated that the number of 800,000 is not an exaggeration. In his view it is highly probable that many people will die due to Coronavirus, and many more than perished in the 2010 earthquake." Cuban doctors in Haiti resume Operacion Milagro 2/11/2020 PL: "With more than 15 years, this humanitarian project, devised by revolutionary leaders Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez, has improved or restored the vision to more than 6 million low-income people in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa." Haitian Revolt Targeting Canada 11/1/2019 Counterpunch: "Haiti is the site of the most sustained popular uprising among many that are currently sweeping the globe. It’s also the most explicitly anti-imperialist, which is part of the reason why it has received the least coverage. For six weeks much of Port-au-Prince has been shuttered in the longest in a series of strikes since the revolt began 15 months ago. There have been innumerable mass protests by diverse social sectors calling for presidentJovenel Moïseto go." Haiti paid over $20 billion in present-day money to free itself from France. Here’s why 10/17/2019 Face2face Africa: "Forbes Magazine analysed in 2017 that the cost of all the money Haiti paid with its interests amount to $21 billion in present-day money. The moral deplorability of the whole affair is strangely lost on the French. In 2015, they declined a request by the Haitian government to pay any of the bulk amount back." Haití se queda sin combustibles y la escasez desata protestas 9/19/2019 Espectador: "La economista Emmanuela Douyon cree que, en cualquier momento, este país caribeño puede experimentar una nueva escasez. En su opinión, el problema es mucho más complejo. "Este no es un asunto de gobierno. Se trata de un problema de un Estado que no asume sus responsabilidades. Es un Estado fallido que no planea nada. No somos inmunes a la escasez. Cualquier actor importante con un monopolio en el país puede decidir crear escasez", concluye." Cubans turn Haiti into unlikely shopping oasis 3/18/2019 France 24: "You wouldn't think the poorest country in the Americas would be anyone's shopping dream. Yet Haiti has become just that for Cuban merchants. Cubans, in the region's only communist country with a still mostly state-led economy, face very high prices and not much selection at all. So at the Hippolyte street market in Haiti's capital, vendors -- amid piles of clothing and shoes -- call out in Spanish trolling for their likely clients: Cubans on short shopping trips." You Can't Understand Haiti's Protests Without Understanding History 3/11/2019 WBUR: "We are doctors who divide our time between Boston and rural Haiti, where we work in HIV clinics staffed by Haitian physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and community health workers, supported by Partners In Health and its sister organization, Zanmi Lasante. We have witnessed the impacts of the worsening economic state in Haiti over the past few years, and we were in Haiti during the most recent protests and during those in the fall of 2018. We believe that the prevailing characterizations of the deteriorating situation in Haiti by the American media and government are inadequately informed by history and that a broader view reframing of the crisis is essential." As U.S. coup stalls in Venezuela, Haiti rebels 3/3/2019 Struggle - La lucha: "Take Haiti, for example. The protests that exploded in July 2018 appeared as if coming out of thin air — as if coming from a fourth dimension into our three dimensional world, missing the element of time and history giving context. But those protests — of fuel price increases of 38 percent to 50 percent by President Jovenel Moïse’s government — were also a culmination of anger at the consistent violence, poverty, shortages and stolen elections in collusion with U.S. and European imperialism. Also at the center of the complaints against the Moïse government is the consistent corruption that culminated in proven theft of the $4 billion in Petrocaribe loans given by Venezuela to Haiti for social service relief programs, money that wound up in the pockets of government officials and members of the Haitian Parliament." What Were Armed White Men With Rifles, Pistols and Drones Doing In Haiti? 2/23/2019 Atlanta Black Star: "The backdrop of the arrests and subsequent release of the mercenaries were two weeks of protests in which Haitians demanded the resignation of President Jovenel Moise, the U.S.-backed leader, and Prime Minister Ceant, amid rising inflation and allegations of corruption. The Toyota Prado and Ford pickup the men drove were traced to people close to President Moise." Crisis en Haití: se cumplen dos semanas de tensión política y retornan las protestas 2/22/2019 Centro de Saberes Africanos: "También aseguró que quieren que se haga justicia en el caso de la presunta malversación de fondos de Petrocaribe, el programa mediante el cual Venezuela suministra petróleo a Haití a precios blandos, y señaló que con Moise no la habrá porque “está involucrado”. Una auditoría presentada a comienzos de febrero por el Tribunal de Cuentas reveló irregularidades entre 2008 y 2016 en este programa y señaló a quince exministros y actuales funcionarios como involucrados en el asunto, así como a una empresa que dirigía Moise antes de llegar a la presidencia." Americans arrested in Haiti driving around with an arsenal are flown to the U.S. 2/20/2019 Miami Herald: "Airport employees say the men seemed quite at ease and were taken inside the VIP diplomatic lounge to wait on the flight after their tickets were purchased at the counter. One of the two Serbians initially was not allowed to board the flight by Haitian immigration because he had no stamps showing where he resides. After a few calls were made, he was put on the flight. The Haitian national, Michael Estera, who goes by the pseudonym “Cliford,” was not among those sent back to the U.S. He faces illegal weapons charges." It's back to the future with Venezuelan "Contras," the neocons, and the CIA 2/19/2019 Wayne Madsen Report: " Planted in the Haitian media were reports that the Venezuelan fuel assistance funds had been pocketed by Moise and members of his government. That prompted violent protests on the streets of Port-au-Prince, Cap Haïtien, Jeremie, Gonaïves, and Jacmel that have been raging since February 7. More suspicious is that the U.S. State Department ordered all non-essential personnel out of the country following the outbreak of the protests." Black Alliance for Peace Says Struggle in Haiti and Venezuela Connected 2/18/2019 Black Alliance for Peace: "Continued U.S. oppression of Haiti was most recently demonstrated when U.S. sanctions against Venezuela made it impossible for Haiti to repay their loan as part of the PetroCaribe deal, thereby ending the arrangement in 2017. Moïse further demonstrated his loyalty to the United States when he directed his ministers to support a U.S.-engineered vote at the Organization of American States (OAS) that declared the illegitimacy of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro." [It is not clear Moise was the perpetrator of the theft, and it appears the US is trying to get rid of him now, judging by the Seal team that was recently captured by the Haitian police.] Haiti’s airports declared illegal 2/18/2019 Haiti Telegraph: "Pierre Chauvet, an expert in travel and tourism told local radio station Magic 9 that this decision also cancels all hotel rooms and virtually erase Haiti as a tourist destination. According to Mr. Chauvet, it will take years to recover from this decision." Petrocaribe – Protests are multiplying 2/14/2019 Haiti Progres: "The past few days have been troublesome across the country with demonstrations intensifying and the mounting costs of property loses. Protests against the high cost of living, corruption and the call for the departure of President Jovenel Moïse have paralyzed the nation and most business activities have been suspended in the capital as well as in other cities across the country. Various reports have stated that Port-au-Prince is practically deserted with only a scattering of edgy taxi drivers and very few private cars on the roads. Schools, stores and banks have all closed, while barricades of burning tires can be seen in certain neighborhoods across the capital. In a post on its Facebook page, the national television, TNH reported that the government called on protesters not to destroy any property and that the police and security forces have been ordered to ensure that protesters do not take matters in their own hands and allow people to go on with their daily business." Haití arde mientras el mundo lo ignora 2/13/2019 Contagio Radio: "En Haití no hay petróleo, y Estados Unidos ya vino “a salvarlo”, o mejor a intervenirlo (siempre luego de algún momento de desestabilidad política o algún fenómeno natural como el terremoto de 2010 o el Huracán Jeann en 2004), a través de la “donación” de casi 60 mil sacos de semillas híbridas de maíz y otros vegetales provenientes de MONSANTO, alterando la agricultura local y afectando la semilla nativa, porque nunca se explicaron los efectos futuros sobre el suelo y las posibles consecuencias de su uso en el medio ambiente y en la salud de las personas." At Least Two Dead and Several Injured in Feb. 7 Protests in Haiti 2/8/2019 Haiti Analysis: "Thousands of Haitians demonstrated on Thu., Feb. 7, in the streets of Port-au-Prince and several provincial cities to demand the departure of President Jovenel Moise and the arrest of the officials responsible for the plundering of the Venezuela-provided PetroCaribe fund over the last 10 years. At least two dead, three vehicles burned, one police station attacked, 36 arrests, and many wounded, including 14 police officers – that is what Haitian authorities gave as the official figures on the evening of Feb. 7 after a day of nationwide protests." Protestas en contra del presidente Jovenel Moise se tornan violentas en Haití 2/8/2019 Saberes Africanos: "Los haitianos, convocados por sectores de oposición y organizaciones sociales, salieron masivamente a las calles en rechazo al Gobierno que encabeza del presidente Jovenel Moise, quien este jueves cumplió dos años en el cargo, en medio de una acuciante crisis política y económica. En varios puntos del país se registraron protestas, la mayor de ellas en la capital, donde miles de personas marcharon contra el Gobierno, dos días después de que anunciara varias medidas para intentar paliar la crisis económica que afecta al empobrecido país, que aún no ha aprobado el presupuesto para este año." La multimillonaria multa que Haití le pagó a Francia por convertirse en el primer país de América Latina en independizarse 12/30/2018 BBC: "Era una espiral sin fin para pagar una deuda inmensa que incluso cuando fue rebajada a la mitad en 1830 era demasiado alta para el país caribeño. Tuvo que pedir enormes préstamos a bancos estadounidenses, franceses y alemanes con tasas de interés exorbitantes que le obligaban a destinar la mayor parte del presupuesto nacional en reembolsos. Finalmente, en 1947 Haití terminó de compensar a los dueños de las plantaciones de aquella colonia francesa que fue la perla de las Antillas. Le tomó 122 años pagar su deuda de la Independencia." US-backed Haitian government agents accused of conducting massacre 12/20/2018 Haiti Analysis: "In recent weeks and months, people in Haiti have been sharing horrifying videos over social media and WhatsApp. Videos from the Port-au-Prince neighborhood of La Saline reportedly show numerous killingsat the hands of paramilitary and state-backed groups between 11 and 13 November. One local human rights group has claimed 59 people have been killed, while some local residents and opposition politicians claim an even higher death toll. Because Washington backs the current Haitian government, however, you won’t have heard too much about this in the mainstream media." US-backed Haitian government agents accused of conducting massacre 12/20/2018 Haiti Analysis: "In recent weeks and months, people in Haiti have been sharing horrifying videos over social media and WhatsApp. Videos from the Port-au-Prince neighborhood of La Saline reportedly show numerous killingsat the hands of paramilitary and state-backed groups between 11 and 13 November. One local human rights group has claimed 59 people have been killed, while some local residents and opposition politicians claim an even higher death toll. Because Washington backs the current Haitian government, however, you won’t have heard too much about this in the mainstream media." "Haiti government complicit in La Saline Massacre" Claims human rights NGO 12/4/2018 Haiti Action Net: "Before dark on Tuesday, November 13, 2018 the brutal massacre of over 60 men, women and children was set in motion. The La Saline neighborhood near Port au Prince, Haiti had been the focal point of several acts of provocation by a dark hand in the weeks previous. The attack started with bursts of automatic rounds according to residents. What’s now known as The La Saline Massacre would begin around 4 PM. In the next few days very disturbing images, videos and reports were shared widely over the social media of the corpses left in garbage piles and thrown into pig pens to terrorize the local pro-democracy activists that had been organizing peaceful demonstrations against the government. Most of the organizers of the massive demonstrations lived in nearby communities of Delmas, Cite Soliel and Port au Prince. The main assembly point for most of the major demonstrations by Fanmi Lavalas was near La Saline." Presidente de Haití inicia visita a Cuba 12/3/2018 Cubadebate: "El presidente de Haití, Jovenel Moïse, inicia este lunes una visita oficial a Cuba que incluye conversaciones con autoridades cubanas y el homenaje al Héroe Nacional, José Martí, en el memorial que lleva su nombre en la Plaza de la Revolución capitalina. Moïse anunció en agosto último su intención de viajar a Cuba y visitar a los jóvenes de su país que cursan estudios en isla mayor de las Antillas. En esa ocasión, el mandatario agradeció la colaboración de Cuba al expresar que “la cooperación cubana, si no es la mejor, es una de las mejores”, y agregó que la Isla ha ayudado a Haití en todos los sectores." VIDEO: Haitians Strike Against IMF Friendly President, & Face Paramilitary Violence 11/24/2018 Haiti Analysis: "Here is a recent interview with RT America on the mass killings of anti-corruption/anti-PHTK protesters in recent weeks, carried out by government and government support groups in #Haiti. The piece also discusses how U.S. and UN policies have facilitated these tragedies." The Roots of Haiti’s Movement for PetroCaribe Transparency 9/18/2018 Counterpunch: "Today, again, the Haitian people are again rising up to demand a reckoning after the governments of Martelly and Moïse, in cahoots with Washington, France, and Canada, fronted by the IMF, try to take back the oil and development wealth that the Venezuelan people gave to Haiti, thanks to Hugo Chavez’s internationalist spirit." Presidente de Haití expresa intención de visitar Cuba 8/18/2018 Cubadebate: “Voy a ir donde ustedes, a Santiago de Cuba”, precisó el jefe de Estado durante el encuentro sostenido con 23 nuevos becarios, que en septiembre iniciarán el programa de estudios gratuito ofrecido por el gobierno cubano a naciones de escasos recursos. Los estudiantes comenzarán las carreras de medicina, ciencias farmacéuticas, telecomunicaciones, ingería civil y agrónoma y tecnología médica, para retornar al país e insertarse en la comunidades donde son necesarios." Understanding patterns of protest against Cuba’s medical internationalism 8/3/2018 London School of Economics: "The Haitian case follows the same pattern. Cubans arrived in 1998, following the devastation of Hurricane Georges, and have been providing healthcare across the county ever since. Cubans have provided approximately 75 per cent of rural health care, as well as training over 1,000 Haitian doctors at the University of Medical Sciences in Santiago de Cuba (known colloquially as “the Caribbean Faculty”) at no cost to the students or the Haitian government." Roger Hanson: Haitian leader Francois Duvalier manipulated Voodoo religion for political gain 8/3/2018 Stuff: "Duvalier's problem was how to finance his regime. His good luck was to come to power just before the Cuban revolution. Cleverly, immediately after Castro became leader of Cuba, Duvalier approached the fiercely anti-communist US government and asked for financial aid to keep Haiti free of the communists. The US duly provided millions of dollars of aid each year; the money went straight into the pockets of Duvalier and his cronies." Fanmi Lavalas Press Release - Petrol Crisis 7/7/2018 Haiti Action Net: "Salye tout ayisyen ayisyèn kap viv yon moman difisil akòz desizyon kriminèl ki pran pou monte gaz la, se vre ayiti pa fè gaz kòm se sa yap di, men se pa yon rezon pou se nou menn ki pi vilnerab la yo vle detwi 38 ,47, 51% ogmantasyon Gaz pou toupizi majorite a poutan yo gen fich gaz , yo gen milyon pou gagote !" Haiti - Cuba : Towards the Literacy of 300,000 more Haitians 6/7/2018 Haiti Libre: "Following a working meeting of Ministers of Education Pierre Josué Agénor Cadet (Haiti) and Ms. Ena Elsa Velazquez (Cuba) at the XI Annual Congress on Higher Education held in Havana in February 2018, around monitoring among other of projects in the field of literacy, the Cuban cooperation in Haiti, is preparing to literacy of a 300,000 additional Haitians." Haiti and the Dominican Republic Share a Common Hero: Anacaona 3/14/2018 Remezcla: "After all, Haiti and the Dominican Republic share a common hero: Anacaona, the Taino chief who averted Spanish invasion on the island for over more than 10 years. She ruled the independent province of Xaragua until she was the defeated by the Conquistadors. We are duty bound, together, to uphold the resilient legacy of Anacaona. It’s mandated by the land, the mountains, and the rivers we share." In 1825, Haiti Paid France $21 Billion To Preserve Its Independence -- Time For France To Pay It Back 12/6/2017 Forbes: "In 1825, barely two decades after winning its independence against all odds, Haiti was forced to begin paying enormous “reparations” to the French slaveholders it had overthrown. Those payments would have been a staggering burden for any fledgling nation, but Haiti wasn’t just any fledgling nation; it was a republic formed and led by blacks who’d risen up against the institution of slavery. As such, Haiti’s independence was viewed as a threat by all slave-owning countries – the United States included – and its very existence rankled racist sensibilities globally." Work Begins Soon to Bring Haiti into 'Silk Road' After China Invests US$30 billion to Develop Infrastructure 9/1/2017 teleSUR: "The People's Republic of China is preparing to carry through with plans to invest a massive US$30 billion in developing Haiti's infrastructure, including power plants, sanitation works, water systems, railways, affordable housing, and marketplaces, in an agreement that is expected to have a major social, economic, and developmental impact." Politicians and diaspora organizations pushing to stop Haiti deportations from the U.S. 11/6/2016 NY Daily News: "In light of the destruction from Hurricane Matthew and a deadly cholera outbreak, it's not the time for the deportation of Haitians from the U.S., according to the Haiti Renewal Alliance and the United Front of the Haitian Diaspora organizations – sponsors of a petition to halt the resumption of deportations." What the Clintons Did to Haiti 11/2/2016 Current Affairs: "One of the first acts in the new “business-centered” Haiti policy involved suppressing Haiti’s minimum wage. A 2009 Haitian law raised the minimum wage to 61 cents an hour, from 24 cents an hour previously. Haitian garment manufacturers, including contractors for Hanes and Levi Strauss, were furious, insisting that they were only willing to agree to a seven-cent increase. The manufacturers approached the U.S. State Department, who brought intense pressure to bear against Haitian President René Préval, working to “aggressively block” the 37-cent increase." Piden apoyo a Segob para 6 mil haitianos y afrodescendientes 10/10/2016 UNOTV: "El presidente e integrantes del Comité Ciudadano en Defensa de Naturalizados y Afromexicanos, acudieron a la Secretaría de Gobernación (Segob), para exponer la situación actual de la crisis humanitaria de refugiados haitianos y africanos que tiene lugar desde el mes de marzo en la frontera de Baja California, con Estados Unidos." The Clintons’ Haiti Screw-Up, As Told By Hillary’s Emails 9/2/2016 Politico: "“The incompetence is mind numbing,” she told her parents. “The UN people I encountered were frequently out of touch … anachronistic in their thinking at best and arrogant and incompetent at worst.” “There is NO accountability in the UN system or international humanitarian system.” The weak Haitian government, which had lost buildings and staff in the disaster, had something of a plan, she noted. Yet because it had failed to articulate its wishes quickly enough, foreigners rushed forward with a “proliferation of ad hoc efforts by the UN and INGOs [international nongovernmental organizations] to ‘help,’ some of which have helped … some of which have hurt … and some which have not happened at all.” The former first daughter recognized something that scores of other foreigners had missed: that Haitians were not just sitting around waiting for others to do the work." Aristide, in rare public appearance, supports Narcisse for Haiti president 8/29/2016 Miami Herald: "“It’s not money, it’s dignity,” said Aristide, sitting alongside Narcisse, who is running under his Fanmi Lavalas political party banner. “The rendezvous with dignity is Feb.7, 2017.” That’s the date a newly elected Haitian president is supposed to take office if all goes well with the country’s scheduled Oct. 9 presidential rerun. The balloting is taking place almost a year after allegations of fraud and street protests plunged a poverty-stricken Haiti into a messy transitional period run by a caretaker government." Court Upholds Immunity for U.N. in Haiti Cholera Reparations Case 8/22/2016 Democracy Now: "The U.N. claims it has immunity under a 1946 treaty, but the office of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon acknowledged for the first time last week that the U.N. may have played a role in the epidemic." Drogue : Marc-Antoine Acra inculpé ! 8/10/2016 Haiti Liberte: "Deux membres de la bourgeoisie marchande haïtienne se trouvent dans le collimateur de la justice pour des actes de kidnapping et de trafic de drogue. Il s’agit de Clifford Brandt et de Marc-Antoine Acra. Le premier est incarcéré depuis le 16 octobre 2012 pour être l’auteur intellectuel du kidnapping de deux jeunes gens d’une autre famille bourgeoise, les Moscoso: Nicolas, âgé à l’époque de 24 ans et Coralie, 23 ans. Son jugement a été reporté la semaine dernière pour une énième fois. Le juge Jean Wilner Morin s’est déchargé de l’affaire sur demande de la partie défenderesse. Quant au second, Marc-Antoine Acra, l’un des responsables d’une compagnie dénommée NABATCO, il s’est fait inculper ainsi que son frère Sébastien François Xavier pour « trafic illicite de drogue » trouvée dans un bateau censé transporter une commande de sucre en avril 2015." Will a Haiti election without U.S. dollars undermine the vote? 7/18/2016 Miami Herald: "For months, the United States has stressed the importance of Haiti scheduling elections, holding them and quickly inaugurating a democratically-elected government. But as Haiti now prepares to complete the election cycle that began last year, the Obama administration has said it won’t finance the effort a second time. It won’t underwrite the Oct. 9 vote. It’s demanding the return of unspent elections dollars it granted. And it’s asking two U.S.-based elections organizations to stop supporting the process." Haiti becomes part of the African Union 5/10/2016 BBNomics: "Haitian Ambassador to South Africa, Jacques Junior Baril says Haiti finally being part of the African Union (AU) is a place that the country earned as they paved way to other African countries to be free today. The Caribbean state of Haiti will officially become a member of the AU come the next AU Summit which will take place next month in Lilongwe, Malawi." Haiti - Education : Cuba and Haiti are preparing the 7th literacy campaign 5/6/2016 Haiti Libre: "The Ambassador of Cuba in Haiti, Luis Castillo Campos held a working meeting with Mrs. Paulna Julien Brutus, Secretary of State for Literacy in Haiti, to which also participated Jorge Despaigne, head of the Cuban Brigade of Education in Haiti. During the meeting, the details have been finalized for the implementation of the 7th stage of the literacy campaign in Haiti and the decision to initiate this step in the department of Nippes (Southwest) was confirmed. Literacy work will be extended to 6 communes area of attention (Miragoâne, Anse-à-Veau and Baradères)." The Militarization of Prayer and Evangelical Spiritual Warfare in Haiti 4/18/2016 NYU: "This talk draws on recent ethnographic fieldwork to look at how American prayer warriors train for the spiritual battlefield. It describes how Americans engage evangelicals in Haiti to fight against the creole religious tradition called Vodou, which they consider a Satanic enemy. Spiritual warfare theologians and warriors imagine an invisible, more real realm with spiritual entities and legal codes that, once understood, can give a believer access to the same powers as Jesus Christ himself." Why is the Dominican Republic Deporting Its Haitian Residents? 4/5/2016 Counterpunch: "More than 80 years since Trujillo’s mass slaughter, Dominicans of Haitian descent remain economically disadvantaged and mired in a time-capsule of repressive politics. It’s time to let go of Trujillo’s legacy and embrace a more prosperous partnership between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, one that can be better remembered than the Parsley Massacre." Cuba’s Medical Mission 2/15/2016 Monthly Review: "Though Cuba was in Haiti before the earthquake, provided the quickest and most professional emergency assistance, and remained long after the earthquake was history, Spain’s leading paper, El País, omitted Cuba from its list of countries that provided help. In the United States, a 2012 study by Harvard Medical School failed to mention Cuba’s contribution. Fox News actually criticized Cuba with the astounding claim that it failed to provide assistance. Meanwhile, the 22,000 Americans in Haiti were almost entirely military. Not only did U.S. doctors reach Haiti later and depart sooner than those from Cuba; they did not stay where Haitian victims huddled. After working hours, they tended to return to luxury hotels, while Cuban doctors lived in the communities of the Haitians they treated." 'We're back' - Aristide allies toast Haiti's interim president at palace 2/15/2016 Reuters: "A senator who served as interior minister under former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide was sworn in as Haiti's interim president on Sunday, a development met with elation by allies of the leftist leader who days ago were leading street protests." ‘Rotten system’ blamed as Haiti’s election ends in stalemate 2/13/2016 The Guardian: "As Haiti’s politicians debate, beyond the capital the country is facing its worst food insecurity in 15 years, partly from a prolonged drought. The gourde, Haiti’s currency, has also dramatically depreciated." Haiti - Environment : Cooperation Cuba-Haiti in the forestry sector 1/3/2016 Haiti Libre: "The Minister of the Environment, the engineer Dominique Pierre, held a working meeting with the Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of Cuba, Liliana Garcia Socarras around the development and continuity of the Cuban cooperation in the sector forest with his Ministry. During the meeting, the Minister stressed the importance of these exchanges through the Cuban experts in forestry, while four of them end their mission in Haiti." Why ‘Naturalization’ Laws in the Dominican Republic are not just a “Dominican” Problem 11/25/2015 Amber in the Sky: "Many black and brown American people do not know the deep history of the issue or what it means for their own collective struggles in the United States. I argue for fighters against the devaluing of black American bodies to critically access the global infrastructures of racial injustice. In particular, these fighters for justice in America should examine how injustice is sustained for their very close neighbors in Latin America and the Caribbean." Vodou is elusive and endangered, but it remains the soul of Haitian people 11/7/2015 Guardian: "Far from B-movie cliches, vodou is spiritual system and a way of life but even in Haiti, where it became an official religion, it faces prejudice and hostility." Call for Papers: Haiti and the Spanish Caribbean 11/2/2015 Repeating Islands: "In her masterful 2012 study, From Sugar to Revolution: Women’s Visions of Haiti, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic, Myriam J. A. Chancy issues a stunning, and accurate indictment of the fields of American, Latin American, and Caribbean Studies for their disciplinary exclusion of Haiti. She writes that her aim is “to highlight the ways that racist essentialism has demarcated Haitians and other groups of African descent within the Caribbean as subalterns without agency” (xv). In an effort to contribute to the correcting this exclusion, sx salon: a small axe literary platform seeks discussion essays for a special section on Haiti in the literatures of the Spanish Caribbean imaginary." US, Cuban Doctors to Work Together in Haiti 9/18/2015 VOA: "A U.S. diplomat says his country and Cuba have a "historic opportunity" to work together to provide medical care for Haiti, still struggling to recover from a devastating 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people. Brian Shukan, deputy chief of mission at the U.S. embassy in Port-au-Prince, said Thursday that following the re-establishment of diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Cuba, the doctors of both countries could work together to help improve Haiti's dilapidated health care system." Returning Haitians stuck in dire camps near Dominican border 8/5/2015 Reuters: "Tens of thousands of Haitians and Haitian-Dominicans have fled the Dominican Republic in response to its strict new immigration policy with many settling in squalid camps in Haiti. Haitian officials estimate the population at four camps in the south of Haiti is at least 2,000 and growing." Haitianos salen por Dajabón hacia su país 6/27/2015 El Caribe: "Los primeros cuatro ciudadanos haitianos indocumentados, que no fueron acogidos en el Plan de Regularización de Extranjeros en el país, salieron este viernes por esta parte de la frontera.Los extranjeros escoltados por dos inspectores de Migración fueron trasladados a Dajabón procedentes de la ciudad de Santiago, en una guagua de la empresa Transporte Espinal, con aire acondicionado, la cual tiene rentada la Dirección General de Migración." Medina dice que RD no acepta chantaje 6/27/2015 El Caribe: "El presidente Danilo Medina manifestó en Guatemala que la soberanía del país no se pondrá en cuestión ni por un turista más, ni por un centavo más de inversión.Medina explicó al pleno de la XLV Cumbre de Jefes de Estado y de Gobierno del SICA 2015, los pormenores de documentación para mejorar el estatus migratorio de extranjeros en situación irregular en República Dominicana." Concerns Over “Ethnic Cleansing” in the Dominican Republic 6/26/2015 Costa Rica Star: "“The Community calls on the Dominican Republic authorities” to adhere to the principles of protection of citizenship to Dominicans of Haitian descent, adding that those “persons shall not be rendered stateless,” CARICOM said in a statement. The 15-member regional body has expressed its “human rights concern” on deportation methods applied to people whose nationality has been revoked." Presidente defiende plan migratorio ante Cumbre SICA 6/26/2015 El Nacional: "La verdad es que en RD más de 350 mil personas se han regularizado - Significó que la verdad es que en República Dominicana más de 350 mil personas han visto regularizada su situación y serán dotadas del estatus documental que les corresponde," Thousands March on Dominican Consulate to Protest Haitian Deportations 6/26/2015 Miami New Times: "But standing alone across the street was one demonstrator protesting against the Haitians. His sign read "Stop the lies.” A white Dominican attending FIU, Edward Sarrain, arrived from the Domincan Republic a year ago. "They are trying to do harm to the country by saying to boycott Dominican tourism, but really a lot of Haitians work in that sector,” he explains. advertisement When an older Haitian woman heard what he said, she wailed out in tears. "I am so mad, and my emotions are already up to here! It’s so hurtful! So mean!” " Junot Diaz and Edwidge Danticat jointly speak out against Dominican Republic refugee crisis 6/25/2015 Fusion: “The last time something like this happened was Nazi Germany, and yet people are like, shrugging about it,” Diaz told Fusion of the international community’s silence on the matter. “Think about how much fear you would have to feel for you to suddenly pick the fuck up and flee.” Both authors made calls for travelers to think twice about visiting the Dominican Republic, write letters to embassies and politicians in Washington, and to protest Dominican officials when they make regular appearances in the U.S." 1861: The first time Haiti boycotted the Dominican Republic 6/24/2015 Sentinel: "In Haiti, a boycott was launched. It wasn't so much as cutting off business with the Dominican Republic, it was about not doing business with the Spanish crown. It was needed help because in the D.R., rebels sprang up in the countrysides and began waging guerrilla attacks on the Spanish army. They were outmatched in the cities, hunted in rural regions and the Spanish armada held their waters. They received help from the Haitians living along the then-“ill-defined” Haitian-Dominican border. The Haitians harbored and fed the fighters in homes and farms along the hills and valleys between the countries." Xenophobia in Dominican Republic - Interview on the Global African 6/24/2015 TeleSUR: "Bill Fletcher, host of teleSUR’s The Global African, interviews social rights attorney Elizi Danto, scholar of the African diaspora Dr. Msomi Moor, and member on the board of the Institute of Policy Studies, James Early." Dominican Republic calls NYC Mayor ‘intolerant, hypocrite' 6/23/2015 Domincan Today: "Dominican ambassador in Washington on Monday called New York mayor Bill de Blasio’s call to boycott Dominican Republic’s tourism an "act of intolerant political hypocrisy." How to deal with the Dominican Republic 6/23/2015 Jamaica Observer: "According to Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Senator AJ Nicholson, Jamaica will not support any move for the Dominican Republic to join Caricom if that country's attempt to denationalise hundreds of thousands of its own people is not appropriately resolved. More recently, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has spoken out on the issue, pointing out that the consequences of expulsion could be devastating. We reiterate that CARIFORUM should undertake a serious review of the Dominican Republic's membership with a view to suspension, and, if necessary, expulsion, if the country insists on this most egregious policy." The Dominican Republic's mass Haitian deportation reflects its racist history 6/23/2015 The Guardian: "But Trujillo himself had a grandmother of Haitian descent, as had generations of both Dominican elites and working people. Ulises Heureaux, president of the Dominican Republic in the 1880s, was partly of Haitian descent. Popular 20th-century presidential candidate Jose Pena Gomez was adopted into a Dominican family and thought to have had Haitian birth parents who fled Trujillo’s death squads. Haitians and Dominicans come in a myriad of shades, and few of either nationality would get a second look if they were manning the grill at an African American family reunion." Cada día hay menos haitianos en las calles del país 6/22/2015 El Caribe, RD: "Sentado en la rotonda del kilómetro 9 de la Autopista Duarte, afirma que aunque puede desplazarse libremente sin temor a ser repatriado, muchos de sus compatriotas que lograron inscribirse en el proceso, han optado por regresar voluntariamente a su tierra, porque ya no tienen dinero para completar la documentación exigida por las autoridades." Haiti - Dominican Republic : The exodus of Haitians is growing 6/22/2015 Haiti Libre: "While repatriation by the Dominican authorities have not yet begun, the voluntary departures of Haitian in an irregular migratory situation, which began early last week have greatly increased this weekend." The problem with boycotting the Dominican Republic: why it is not the answer to the human rights crisis 6/22/2015 Huff Post: "A large number of Black Dominicans, most of whom come from Haitian decent, work for cheap to sustain an economy that relies on tourism. Boycotting would essentially make the poor, poorer." Mass deportations of Haitian immigrants from Dominican Republic feared 6/21/2015 CNN: "Wednesday is the deadline for undocumented immigrants in the Dominican Republic to register under the regularization plan or face deportation." Trabajadores cañeros haitianos tendrán oportunidad de regularizar su estatus en RD 6/21/2015 El Nacional, RD: "El viceministro de Interior y Policía, Washington González, informó este domingo que esa institución le dará una oportunidad de regularizarse a los trabajadores cañeros haitianos que hayan trabajando diez, quince o veinte años en la República Dominicana, “aunque no tengan un documento de identidad, es posible que se les busque una solución”." Podcast: The Dominican Republic’s Plan to Racially Cleanse the Country of Black Haitians 6/21/2015 Fire Dog Lake: "Army General Ruben Paulino, who leads the immigration agency, said his agency would conduct patrols of neighborhoods with “large numbers of migrants” after June 18. Any “non-citizens,” who were unregistered, would be “repatriated.” The individuals would be loaded on buses, trucks, or ambulances—and then expelled from the country." Reportan congestión en puestos fronterizos dominicanos 6/21/2015 PL: "Indica que para proteger a los que regresan voluntariamente a su país las autoridades dominicanas formaron brigadas que trabajan para evitar que bandas de delincuentes los asalten en su retirada. Sin embargo, revelan que continúan las quejas por las dificultades en la Dirección General de Aduanas y por los ultrajes de parte de supuestos empleados migratorios, que cobran a muchos haitianos entre mil y cinco mil pesos (entre 22 y 112 dólares) por regresar a su país rápidamente." Another Haitian Tragedy 6/20/2015 AfroCubaWeb: "As I write these notes, Haitians are being beaten, threatened with machetes and a massive deportation hangs over their heads. Scorned by those who opened their borders, when they needed cheap labor for the sugarcane, construction and other menial jobs." Sugarcane workers are poor for failing to organize: Dominican mogul 6/20/2015 Dominican Today: "Sugar mogul Juan Bautista Vicini said the mostly Haitian workers of the sugarcane industry in the Dominican Republic are poor for failing to organize themselves in cooperatives and for not saving money. The workers who for decades have toiled in the Dominican sugar industry, a large part owned by several generations of the Vicini family, have been staging marches and protests during several years to demand a pension from the Dominican government." Crece inquietud en Caribe por deportación de haitianos en Dominicana 6/20/2015 Radio Habana: "Más países y organizaciones del Caribe expresaron inquietud por la decisión de República Dominicana de deportar a miles de haitianos con sus descendientes y piden revocar la medida por considerarla una forma de apartheid. El ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Trinidad y Tobago, Winston Dookeran, dijo que a su gobierno le preocupa profundamente esa movimiento pues está en juego el respeto de los derechos humanos." Stop mass deportation from the Dominican Republic to Haiti 6/19/2015 Al Jazeera: "The Dominican Republic is expected to begin deporting an estimated 500,000 undocumented immigrants after the deadline to file paperwork for adjustment of status expired on June 17. The specter of mass deportations has raised alarms about an unfolding humanitarian disaster. Yet the crisis has generated little international attention, much less condemnation from world leaders." Haitians abandon Dominican cities to avert deportation 6/19/2015 Dominican Today: "Few Haitians went Friday morning to the areas in and around the capital’s ‘Little Haiti’ where they traditionally do business, while bus and taxi drivers who ply the route from Santo Domingo to nearby provinces said they’re surprised with the low number of those passengers during the last 48 hours." Black lives under attack in the Dominican Republic: Why this crisis deserves our attention 6/19/2015 Griot: "The policy, which violates various international treaties and conventions, is a clear-cut case of ethnic cleansing. It is also the culmination of a rising tide in anti-Haitian sentiment within the Dominican Republic, born out of nearly a century of government-sanctioned prejudice, racist rhetoric and propaganda that openly targets blackness." CARICOM Member States Urged to Boycott Dominican Republic Products 6/19/2015 Prensa Latina: "In a letter to Caricom chairman, Bahamian Prime Minister Perry Christie, the Jauvay Ayiti project, based at the University of the West Indies (UWI), expressed shock that the regional body has not commented on the issue and deemed the policy discriminatory." Ojo por ojo! 6/18/2015 AfroCubaWeb: "Ha llegado la hora de aplicar la ley universal de diente por diente. Ni un comensal mas en las bodegas, bares y restaurantes Dominicanos en estos lugares. Ningun turista Latino Americano debera visitar Republica Dominicana mientras se mantenga esta ley draconiana y no seamos remisos a denunciar a sus indocumentados en estos paises del mundo en un simple, Ojo por Ojo!" AJWS on crisis in Dominican Republic: We stand in solidarity with Dominican-born communities and Haitian migrants 6/18/2015 Dominican Today: "Ruth Messinger, president of American Jewish World Service (AJWS), the leading Jewish international development and human rights organization, issued the following statement in advance of the impending deportation of Dominican-born individuals and Haitian migrants from the Dominican Republic." Dominican Republic Set to Deport Haitian Migrants 6/17/2015 NYT: "On Monday, Yayine Mesilus was snatched off the streets of her small village in the Dominican Republic and taken back to Haiti, from where she had migrated eight years ago with her little brother to look for work. That, by the government’s own account, was not supposed to have happened. Ms. Mesilus, 29, and other migrant workers in her situation were supposed to have until Wednesday night to register with the Dominican authorities before being deported." Haitians fear deportation from Dominican Republic as deadline looms 6/17/2015 Reuters: "Human rights groups say the new law could impact hundreds of thousands of these migrants and a smaller number of Dominican-born people of Haitian descent who lost citizenship after a constitutional court ruling in 2013 that has faced international criticism. That ruling reversed the right of citizenship for foreigners born in the Dominican Republic, stripping children of Haitian migrants of their Dominican nationality, human rights groups say." The bloody origins of the Dominican Republic’s ethnic ‘cleansing’ of Haitians 6/17/2015 WaPo: "There was a time when that split between the two countries was drawn with blood; the 1937 Parsley Massacre is widely regarded as a turning point in Haitian-Dominican relations. The slaughter, carried out by Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo, targeted Haitians along with Dominicans who looked dark enough to be Haitian -- or whose inability to roll the "r" in perejil, the Spanish word for parsley, gave them away." There’s a Vicious, Slow-Motion Pogrom Happening a Few Hundred Miles From the US 6/5/2015 The Nation: "The Dominican Republic is preparing to deport more than a hundred thousand people to Haiti. Born in the Dominican Republic, the targets for expulsion are descendants of Haitians who came to work in sugar plantations in the early 20th century yet never legalized their residency status. They are nearly all poor, street venders, peasants, domestic servants, laborers, mothers and fathers." The Red Cross had $500 million in Haitian relief money, but it built just 6 houses 6/4/2015 WaPo: "The report hones in on a major blunder that hindered the charity’s work in Haiti and led to mismanaged funds early on: “An overreliance on foreigners who could not speak French or Creole.” ProPublica reported that, despite an effort to hire locals, few Haitians have reached leadership positions within the Red Cross, hampering projects and costing the organization more money. “Lacking the expertise to mount its own projects, the Red Cross ended up giving much of the money to other groups to do the work,” according to ProPublica. “Those groups took out a piece of every dollar to cover overhead and management. Even on the projects done by others, the Red Cross had its own significant expenses – in one case, adding up to a third of the project’s budget.”" ¿Cuánto le cuesta a República Dominicana quedarse sin haitianos? 5/18/2015 El Diario, NY Malcolm X’s Internationalism - The Struggle for Liberation in Haiti Today 2/27/2015 CounterPunch: “…when you select heroes about which black children ought to be taught, let them be black heroes who have died fighting for the benefit of black people. We never were taught about Christophe or Dessalines. It was the slave revolt in Haiti when slaves, black slaves, had the soldiers of Napoleon tied down and forced him to sell one half of the American continent to the Americans. They don’t teach us that. This is the kind of history we want to learn.” – Malcolm X #BoycottDR - Why you should boycott the Dominican Republic 2/19/2015 Quartz: "In response to the law, many are calling for a boycott of the Dominican Republic. I fully support this effort. Being of Haitian descent, and someone who cares deeply about human rights and racial justice, I cannot in good conscience spend my dollars in a country, or purchase its goods, when it is woefully violating principles that I hold dear. Many of my friends and colleagues have made the same the decision." Haitian man lynched in Dominican Republic park 2/19/2015 SF Bay View: "In Haiti, the U.S.-installed Martelly dictatorship and its controlled opposition remain silent about this atrocious lynching. The activist-for-hire human rights industry, like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the big NGOs and the U.N., along with the former slave holding nations and Canada have also remained relatively silent about the treatment of Haitians in the Dominican Republic." Haitian's Lynching Renews Protests Against Dominican Citizenship Law 2/15/2015 WCQS: "A Haitian man was lynched at a public plaza in the Dominican Republic this week. Authorities there say it was the result of a personal dispute, but activists claim it's part of rising racial animus and anti-Haitian attitudes in the Caribbean nation." Haití por el día de los enamorados 2/10/2015 Cuba TV: "Existen diversas teorías acerca de la elección del 14 de Febrero como Dia de los Enamorados, de San Valentin, de la Amistad o como quiera denominarsele. Lo cierto es que la fecha constituye motivo de encuentro para gente de todo el planeta. A propósito Haití tiene formas peculiares de celebrar." Haitians Worry World Bank-Assisted Mining Law Could Result in “Looting” 1/13/2015 IPS: "The Justice in Mining Collective, which represents around 50,000 Haitians, drew up the complaint after the draft mining law was leaked in July. No formal copy of the legislation has been made public, nor has the French-language draft law been translated into Haitian Creole, the most commonly spoken language. “The process has been very opaque, with a small group of experts from the World Bank and Haitian government officials drafting this law,” Sarah Singh, the director of strategic support with Accountability Counsel, a legal advocacy group that consulted on the complaint and is representing some Haitian communities, told IPS." Inside the Occupation of Haiti 12/26/2014 CounterPunch: "These paramilitary troops were hand-picked by Martelly for training in Rafael Correa‘s Ecuador, and they look very much like the kernel of a new Tontons Macoutes. Indeed they are meant to become the core of a new military force. Officially, they go by the inoffensive title of “military engineering corps,” and the regime says they are based in Artibonite, although they are hidden in the PNH." Tension mounts in Haiti as clock ticks on electoral impasse 12/9/2014 Reuters: "The Obama administration and the United Nations are pressuring Haiti's government to resolve a long-festering dispute over postponed elections in the face of anti-government protests across the impoverished Caribbean country." Some Dominicans suddenly outsiders in their own country 10/24/2014 CNN: "Some Dominicans who have never traveled outside of their country of birth could suddenly find themselves outsiders. The citizenship of tens of thousands of Dominicans of Haitian descent may be stripped, the result of a court ruling that affects those who were born to parents who were in the country illegally." Haitian film series screens in South Florida 9/26/2014 Miami Herald Haitian ex-president supported amid arrest fears 9/11/2014 AP: "Supporters of former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide rallied Thursday at the site of an infamous church massacre and outside his home as the ousted ex-leader faced possible arrest for failing to appear at a court hearing. The rallies were intended to mark the anniversary of the deadly attack by gunmen in September 1988 at the church of St. Jean Bosco, where Aristide led services and opposition to the dictatorship as a Catholic priest — as well as to guard against any attempt to arrest him at the home where he has resided quietly since his return from exile in 2011." Un mundo destruido, una nación impuesta: La masacre haitiana de 1937 en la República Dominicana 9/1/2014 University of Michigan: "El olvido, y hasta yo diría que el error histórico, son un factor esencial en la creación de una nación, de modo que el progreso de los estudios históricos es a menudo un peligro para [el principio de] la nacionalidad." “Anténor Firmin, the ‘Egyptian Question,’ and Afrocentric Imagination” 8/1/2014 The Journal of Pan African Studies: "This essay examines Joseph Anténor Firmin’s engagement with the racial situation in ancient Egypt. We are particularly interested in Firmin’s confrontational claim of the Black African origin of the ancient Egyptian civilization. This analysis also considers Firmin’s thought along the line of Afrocentric articulation of the historic contribution of the Kemetic culture to classical Greece and world civilizations, as well as his plea for the “formal recognition” of the achievement of the “Black race” in the intellectual development of the modern world." Declaración del Capítulo haitiano de la Articulación de Movimientos Sociales hacia el ALBA 7/15/2014 Centro Martin Luther King: "Haití un país al que el imperialismo no perdona su irreverente dignidad al derrotar al ejército napoleónico y obtener su libertad en 1804. Hoy la ocupación militar nos impide constituirnos independiente y evita que definamos nuestros modelo de desarrollo ligado a los intereses fundamentales de la población. A un año de cumplirse el centenario de la primera ocupación del ejército de Estados Unidos en nuestro país (1915-1934) y con una nueva ocupación de 10 años de la MINUSTAH (Misión de las Naciones Unidas para la Estabilización en Haití 2004-2014) desde nuestras organizaciones decimos BASTA! " Casi 40 mil casos de chikungunya en Haití, según autoridades 6/23/2014 Caribbean News Digital El Ejército de Haití vive de la droga: Aristide 6/22/2014 Diario de Queretaro: "Sí, fundamentalmente el Ejército vive de droga, los golpistas viven del estupefaciente; la agencia que se ocupa de la droga en Estados Unidos lo sabe y hace tres semanas se publicó un artículo en el New York Times donde se dice claramente que es la razón por la cual los golpistas no quieren negociar o rechazan la negociación, se esconden tras de eso; apunta el mismo artículo que los golpistas reciben 500 millones de dólares o más al año por la droga; en el Banco Nacional se pueden verificar estas cifras." Lawyers Say UN Chief Served With Haiti Lawsuit in New York 6/21/2014 AFP: "Lawyers for more than 1,500 victims of Haiti's deadly cholera epidemic said they had served UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with a personal summons to appear in US court." Haïti - Santé : Inauguration du nouvel hôpital Dr Raoul Pierre-Louis 6/12/2014 Haiti Libre: "Mercredi, dans le cadre de la coopération tripartite, Cuba-Brésil-Haïti, le Président Michel Martelly, en présence du Dr Florence D. Guillaume, la Ministre de la Santé, de Jude Machado Pierre, Maire de la commune, du Député de Carrefour, Elie Blaise, des Ambassadeurs en Haïti Ricardo Garcia Napoles (Cuba) et Jose Luis Machado E Costa (Brésil), a procédé à l’inauguration de l’Hôpital communautaire de référence, Dr Raoul Pierre-Louis situé à Arcachon 32 (Carrefour)." Henry Louis Gates Explores Why Many Dominicans Deny Their African Heritage 6/5/2014 Huffington Post: "In the episode “Haiti and the Dominican Republic: An Island Divided,” Gates speaks with Juan Rodriguez from the Dominican Ministry of Culture about a clear aversion within the country to self-identification as black. Rodriguez explains that he only associated himself with his African heritage after visiting the United States and realizing that his roots lay in Africa not in Spain. Rodriguez asserts that most Dominicans see themselves as “indio” not “black.” " Pretenden erradicación total del cólera en Haití 5/28/2014 Radio Habana: "Una comisión mixta de alto nivel de la Organización de Naciones Unidas y Haití tiene hoy como principal objetivo la eliminación del cólera en este país, donde la enfermedad causó más ocho mil 300 muertes humanas. El grupo velará también por acompañar a las comunidades y las personas afectadas, y se ocupará de movilizar los recursos necesarios para la gestión eficaz del proceso." Haitian president arrives in Cuba for official visit 5/20/2014 La Info Consider a Cuba, Haiti, J'ca co-hub 1/27/2014 Jamaica Observer: "Taking into consideration these factors, the country's economic quagmire, and the possible development opportunities, a "trade-off" position is a co-hub between Cuba, Jamaica and Haiti. This approach would lessen the impact on Jamaica's environment. In Jamaica, the Vernam Field site should be developed, with a seaport and manufacturing zone in close proximity. The Goat Islands should be used for environmental protection and ecotourism." "Cuba no abandonará a Haití ni a su gobierno" 1/3/2014 Diario Libre: "Ambas naciones hemos tenido que pagar un alto precio por la audacia de enfrentar a los imperios dominantes", dijo Raúl, al tiempo de proclamar que reiteraba "al hermano pueblo haitiano y a su gobierno, que los cubanos jamás los abandonaremos, y que siempre podrán contar con nuestra modesta colaboración". "Cuba will not abandon Haiti..." says Castro 1/3/2014 Sentinel: "This statement, which led to the applause of several thousands of guests to the activity, occurred at a time in which Castro alluded to the date of the Haitian independence, also a first of January, which he said had a great impact in Cuba, noting that Haitian blood runs through the veins of many Cubans according to Diario Libre. "Both nations have had to pay a high price for daring to confront the dominant empires," Raul said, while reiterating proclaimed "brother, the Haitian people and their government, that the Cubans never wil abandon you, and always will have our modest contribution." ONU reconoce papel de médicos cubanos en Haití 4/2/2013 CubaDebate: "La secretaria general adjunta de la ONU, Rebeca Grynspan, dijo en Quito, la capital de Ecuador, que sin los médicos cubanos hubiera sido imposible dar una respuesta al cólera en Haití. La también administradora adjunta del Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD), declaró que “de las cosas más esperanzadoras que vi en Haití fue la ayuda cubana y el aprecio del pueblo por los médicos cubanos”." Caribbean and Latin American Integration 3/20/2013 CounterPunch: "The French truly have ruined this country. They turned the lush and bountiful Caribbean tropical forest that existed here at the time of the Columbus expeditions into unsustainable monocultures of sugar cane, cotton, coffee and indigo. The crops sucked up excessive amounts of water and nutrients and eroded the soils. The environmental wreckage and accompanying tale of genocide of the original population, and the oppression and brutality suffered by African slaves who worked until literally dropping dead, resulted in great benefit and profit for the French empire. The colony of Saint Domingue, as it was called then, was nicknamed France´s Golden Teacup. By the 1780's it was producing 40% of the sugar and 60% of the coffee consumed in Europe. It was producing more coffee and sugar than all of the British-controlled Caribbean isles. In the early 19th century, taking advantage of the chaos and havoc caused by the French revolution and the Napoleonic wars, the slaves went for it. The resulting rebellion was the only successful slave revolt in the Western hemisphere." An Unconscionable Situation - Pain Relief in Haiti 2/20/2013 CounterPunch: "In the United States we tell patients with pain, “We have more morphine than you have pain”. High income countries such as the United States, Canada, and the UK consume 93% of the world’s morphine supply yet 70% of deaths from cancer occur in low and middle income nations. Every year five million people in the world with cancer die in pain, without access to pain medication. In India 1-2% of patients with cancer are given morphine. In Haiti it is even less." Haiti - Health : 435 doctors trained in Cuba, in the Haitian health system 1/20/2013 Haiti Libre: "Recently, the Ministry of Health, in the presence of Dr. Florence D. Guillaume, the Minister of Health, Dr. Raymond Guirlaine, Director General, of Dr. Sinal Bertrand, President of the Health Commission of the Chamber of Deputies [one of the doctors of the first generation of Haitians trained in Medicine in Cuba], executives of the Embassy of Cuba whose the Vice-Dean of the Faculty : Dr. Medina Zoera and many other cadres of MSPP, welcomed the Haitian doctors trained in Cuba, that have integrated the Haitian Health. Today they are 435 [on 816] to be full members of the Ministry of Health working in different areas. Of 381 doctors not yet integrated, 160 are overseas and the Minister has promised to make every effort for the gradual integration of the remaining 221." Hundreds of thousands homeless in Haiti three years after Earthquake despite billions in aid funneled to NGOs, contractors and internationals 1/7/2013 Haiti Action: "Despite billions in aid which were supposed to go to the Haitian people, hundreds of thousands are still homeless, living in shanty tent camps as the effects from the earthquake of January 12, 2010 remain. The earthquake devastated Haiti in January 2010 killing, according to Oxfam International, 250,000 people and injuring another 300,000. 360,000 Haitians are still displaced and living hand to mouth in 496 tent camps across the country according to the International Organization of Migration. Most eat only one meal a day." Haiti's police rough up Lavalas demonstrators commemorating Aristide's first victory 12/23/2012 Haiti Action: "Haiti's police used excessive force in downtown Port au Prince last Sunday, December 16 to disrupt Lavalas demonstrators protesting the latest insecurity of the Martelly government. Twenty-six protestors — ten women and sixteen men — were arrested and taken to the National Penitentiary. A member of Haiti's Parliament, Deputy Arnel Belzaire, was unusually proactive in trying to obtain the freedom of all those arrested, risking arrest himself as well as bringing food for the victims. He spent the night at the jail." HAITI: Assassinated Cop Led Kidnapping Ring from Police Station 11/14/2012 Global Research: "“Bellefleur had just dropped his children at school, he was in civilian clothes, and he was killed by gunmen traveling in a vehicle with tinted windows and a ‘service of the state’ [government] license plate” said PNH spokesman Lerebours. According to witnesses at the scene, Bellefleur was hit by many bullets, his attackers had automatic weapons, and they were in a Toyota all-terrain vehicle, commonly called in Haiti a “Zoreken” (Shark bone)." Parsley Massacre: The Genocide That Still Haunts Haiti-Dominican Relations 10/15/2012 IB Times: "Under the brutal regime of the Dominican dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina, in the fall of 1937, up to as many 20,000 Haitians (perhaps many more) were massacred -- many in the most horrific ways -- by Dominican soldiers and civilians wielding machetes, bayonets and rifles." The massacre that marked Haiti-Dominican Republic ties 10/13/2012 BBC: "It earned the name the Parsley Massacre because Dominican soldiers carried a sprig of parsley and would ask people suspected of being Haitian to pronounce the Spanish word for it: "perejil". Those whose first language was Haitian Creole found it difficult to say it correctly, a mistake that could cost them their lives." 'Kout Kouto-a': Haitians & Dominicans Come Together to Share a Tale of Genocide 10/10/2012 Veguero Viajero: "The group, converged there under the umbrella of “Border of Lights,” making the pilgrimage to the river to mark the 75th anniversary of one of the worst acts of genocide in the history of the Western Hemisphere. Over the course of a few bloody, harrowing days in early October 1937, tens of thousands of innocent people – men, women, children, elders – were slaughtered under the order of the dictator of the Dominican Republic at that time, Rafael Trujillo." Tourism, Displacement and Death in Haiti - Massacre at La Visite 8/3/2012 CounterPunch: "When the commandos tried to remove the residents by force, they fought back with stones in a battle that lasted 4 hours. Dozens were injured. Initial reports noted that 4 children were shot dead along with 8 adults... The children’s bodies have disappeared. Police Chief Ovilmar Sagesse initially denied that anyone had been killed. He told the press that 5 policemen had been injured by stones, and the operation had to be aborted to avoid loss of life." Noruega y Cuba refuerzan cooperación humanitaria en Haití 7/12/2012 CubaDebate: "Cuba y Noruega firmaron hoy el tercer acuerdo de cooperación triangular y ayuda humanitaria para Haití por un monto de 800 mil dólares, cuyo objetivo es la sostenibilidad y permanencia de los servicios médicos cubanos en esa nación caribeña." Report from Haiti: Where’s the money? 12/28/2011 SF Bay View: "Where has the money raised for Haiti gone? What about the Red Cross? What about the U.S. government? What about the money raised in France, Canada and across the world? What about the pledges to the U.N.? Where is the money? The people of Haiti continue to be plagued by the earthquake of more than 20 months ago. They are our sisters and brothers. They deserve answers. They deserve help." Haití: Minustah investiga denuncia de maltrato a tres haitianos por soldados brasileños 12/15/2011 Legado Afro: "La Misión de Naciones Unidas para la Estabilización de Haití (Minustah) anunció que investiga una denuncia de malos tratos supuestamente cometidos por miembros de su contingente brasileño contra tres jóvenes haitianos." Haití: Proyecto BID-GEF mejora alumbrado público en dos campamentos para víctimas del terremoto 12/15/2011 Legado Afro: "La falta de alumbrado es una preocupación en los campamentos para víctimas del terremoto en Haití, dado que la oscuridad cobija a los delincuentes. En los meses que siguieron al sismo, una ola de crímenes como robos y violaciones en los campamentos llevó algunos administradores a imponer toques de queda para tratar de frenar la violencia." HAITI: Minister Farrakhan Donates $150K Water Purification System — Allah-u-Akbar!! 12/13/2011 haiti-cuba-venezuela HAITI: Minister Farrakhan Donates $150K Water Purification System — Allah-u-Akbar!! 12/13/2011 HCV Analysis Why it took 11 months instead of three weeks to show that Haiti’s cholera is Nepalese - A tale of noble and ignoble scientists, Harvard and the U.N. 11/25/2011 SF Bay View: "Back when a precise knowledge of the source of the epidemic would have saved lives and probably aborted the renewal of the U.N. (MINUSTAH) mandate in Haiti, John Mekalanos’ group at Harvard promised to carry out the study that was finally done by Aarestrup, Keim and Shakya. Mekalanos argued that the conclusive proof of the origin of any cholera could only come from studies using the most modern methods. Other scientists deferred to Harvard, first because, well, it was Harvard, and second, because they could not afford the new technology. Instead of doing a proper study, however, Mekalanos’ group compared the DNA of the cholera from Haiti to the DNA of three types of cholera from different epidemics. Not a single one was from Nepal. In the end the Harvard group published an article in which the word “Nepal” did not appear even once. The cholera they used were from an epidemic in Peru and two different epidemics in Bangladesh. They merely concluded that the cholera in Haiti is Asian: a fact that was already known from the CDC studies." The Truth Comes Out: OAS Overturned Haitian Prez Election in a “Political Intervention,” – New CEPR Paper Suggests 10/17/2011 Haiti Cuba Venezuela Analysis The Truth Comes Out: OAS Overturned Haitian Prez Election in a “Political Intervention,” – New CEPR Paper Suggests 10/17/2011 HCV Analysis: "An Organization of American States (OAS) Mission overturned the results of the first round of Haiti’s presidential elections last year, despite that it had no statistical evidence to do so, a new Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) paper finds. “The OAS’ actions in taking the unprecedented step of overturning an election, without a recount or evidence for its action, casts serious doubt on the institution’s credibility as an independent, neutral arbitrator or election observer,” CEPR Co-Director Mark Weisbrot said. “It’s difficult to see this as anything other than a political intervention.” The Organization of American States in Haiti: Election Monitoring or Political Intervention? 10/1/2011 CEPR: "Although this paper is by its nature rather technical, the basic issues are not complicated. It calls into question, in a very serious manner, the conduct of the OAS in its unprecedented action that reversed the electoral result of the first round in Haiti’s most recent election. As has been noted previously, this decision was not based on statistical inference from the electoral data. This paper goes further, and shows that the OAS decision was inconsistent with the electoral data. If the OAS decision was made for political reasons – as appears to be the case – it raises serious questions about the OAS as an independent arbiter of electoral or other disputes that arise in the hemisphere. It also indicates that the hemisphere may need a new multilateral organization to safeguard the rights of people in Latin America and the Caribbean to freely choose their own governments, and to democracy and self-determination more generally." Haiti: “Violent Altercation” Between Prime Minister Nominee Garry Conille and Presidential Adviser 9/11/2011 HCV Analysis: "Radio Caraibes RTVC reported the altercation occurred as advisers to the President asked Dr. Conille to sign an undated letter of resignation from his post as Prime Minister, before becoming Prime Minister. Refusing to sign the letter, Dr. Conille called for officers of the Police Nationale d’Haiti (PNH) to ensure his safety from the field." UN Troops in Haiti Accused of Sexual Assault 9/7/2011 HCV Analysis: "The video is profoundly disturbing. It shows four men, identified as Uruguayan troops from the UN mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), apparently raping an 18-year old Haitian youth. Two of them have the victim pinned down on a mattress, with his hands twisted high up his back so that he cannot move. Perhaps the most unnerving part of the video is the constant chorus of laughter from the perpetrators; it’s just a big drunken party to them.ABC News reports that Uruguayan Navy Lieutenant Nicolas Casariego confirmed the authenticity of the video. A medical certificate filed with the court in Port Salut, a southern coastal town where the incident took place, says that the victim was beaten and had injuries consistent with a sexual assault." For PM, Martelly Picks Former Justice Minister Who Persecuted Aristide Supporters under Illegal Gov’t. Selected by US in 2004 7/6/2011 HCV Analysis: "Haitians just can’t get a break. Bernard Gousse, Martelly’s nominee for Prime Minister, was a particularly evil “justice” minister in the illegal government of Gerard Latortue who was anointed by the 2004 “coup team” of US-France-Canada, a move that violated the Haitian constitution. Gousse oversaw a justice system that targeted Aristide supporters — hundreds incarcerated without charge and thousands killed by Haitian National Police through death squads and summary executions in Aristide-supporting neighborhoods. It was during this time period that the UN”peacekeepers” committed several massacres in these neighborhoods as well. No one associated with the murders or massacres has been prosecuted. It appears that there may be light at the end of this tunnel. The Haitian Parliament seems ready to soundly reject Gousse. If it does, Martelly will simply be an occupant of the presidential palace, no closer to getting a government formed." HAITI HEADLINES: New MINUSTAH Head Well-Suited to Do US Bidding, Case Against Amnesty for Baby Doc, and UN Says Haiti Institutions Should Get the Dough 6/24/2011 HCV Analysis “No Houses that Aristide Built Fell Down in the Earthquake:” Disaster Capitalism and the Housing Vultures 6/21/2011 HCV Analysis Haïti Liberté commence la publication de câbles de WikiLeaks sur Haïti 6/1/2011 Haiti Liberte Desde Haití: “Si le pedimos a Dios un médico, le pedimos que sea cubano” 5/28/2011 Cubadebate Against all odds Aristide returns to Haiti 3/19/2011 SF Bay View: "Aristide returned to Haiti today. I’ve not seen such genuine happiness on the faces of Haiti’s poor in over seven years." Haiti's recovery on hold: The US unleashes the 'Big Stick' 1/30/2011 Jamaica Observer: "HARDLY anything about Haiti should surprise anybody these days, but the return of Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier blindsided just about everybody on both sides of the Atlantic... well maybe with the exception of the French." Wikileaks: US Embassy Makes Its Case for MINUSTAH 1/29/2011 Media Hacker: "A premature departure of MINUSTAH would leave the Preval government or his successor vulnerable to resurgent kidnapping and international drug trafficking, revived gangs, greater political violence, an exodus of seaborne migrants, a sharp drop in foreign and domestic investment, and resurgent populist and anti-market economy political forces – reversing gains of the last two years." Haiti: Detras del “suicidio” del jefe brasileño de la MINUSTAH, el mercenario Guy Phillippe 1/22/2011 Contrainjerencia: "Como coincidencia, en diciembre de 2009, una mujer dominicana aseguró haber visto a Guy Phillippe al mando de un grupo armado que merodeaba un área que recorrería Leonel Fernández en el norte de Dominicana. La nota fue divulgada por el Diario Digital en Santo Domingo y aunque menciona que la declaración de la testigo fue inconsistente, la policía abrió una averiguación. Vale destacar que Phillippe confesó ser el promotor de protestas contra la visita del presidente Leonel Ferández a Puerto Príncipe. El mercenario había estado protegido en quisqueya durante el gobierno del antecesor de Fernández, Hipólito Mejías, quien le permitió usar el territorio dominicano para la desestabilización de Haití y el posterior golpe contra Aristide." WikiLeaks points to US meddling in Haiti 1/21/2011 Guardian: "It seems unlikely that a decorated army veteran, parachutist and instructor would be careless enough with a pistol to accidentally shoot himself in the head. Furthermore, Bacellar was a very religious man, with a wife and two children in Brazil. He had just returned to Haiti four days earlier from a Christmas visit home. Even if suicide cannot be ruled out, one would have expected such a man to leave behind a message of some sort. Yet, according to the sources of Brazilian journalist Ana Maria Brambilla, Bacellar "did not display any signs of depression during his last days". He was accustomed, after "39 years of service, to pressure far worse than he had seen in his four months in Haiti," his military colleagues told the Independent. According to the South African newspaper Beeld, "the latest reports in the Dominican media questioned the feasibility of suicide, as no bullet casing was found near the body … He would have been an easy target for a sniper." Most incongruously, Bacellar's T-shirt and boxer-clad body was reportedly found with a book on his lap, according to the Dominican daily El Nacional, as he had apparently been reading and relaxing in his underwear on his balcony when the urge to shoot himself came on." Some See a Cash Motive in Duvalier’s Return 1/21/2011 NYT: "But the new law does not go into effect until Feb. 1, which may explain the timing of Mr. Duvalier’s bold move. Under the current rules, states making claims to money in Switzerland must show that they have begun a criminal investigation against the suspected offender before any funds can be returned. So if Mr. Duvalier had been able to slip into the country and then quietly leave without incident, as he was originally scheduled to do on Thursday, he may have been able to argue that Haiti was no longer interested in prosecuting him — and that the money should be his." Ask them how the US assassination of a Brazilian general......would impact US-Latin American relations 1/20/2011 Quotha: "KIM IVES: Exactly. They’ve been pressuring Brazil. And there’s another interesting WikiLeak that came out today, that the Brazilian general in 2006 who supposedly committed suicide in his hotel room— AMY GOODMAN: Under MINUSTAH, the U.N. forces. KIM IVES: Of the U.N. forces, MINUSTAH—was that he may in fact have been assassinated." Jean-Claude Duvalier charged with theft over 15-year rule 1/19/2011 BBC: "But human rights groups say Mr Duvalier should also face trial for the torture and murder of thousands of people." Former Haiti Dictator Charged With Corruption 1/19/2011 Sky News: "After several hours of questioning, he left the prosecutor's office but was ordered to remain in the country." Haiti's democracy in the balance 1/19/2011 Znet: "The first problem with the OAS Mission’s report is that there were more than 1,300 tally sheets representing about 156,000 votes that went missing or were quarantined. This is about six times as many ballot sheets as the ones that the Mission eliminated. Since these areas were more pro-Celestin than the rest of the country, he would very likely have come in second if the missing tally sheets had been included. The Mission did not address this problem in its report. The second problem is that the Mission examined only 919 of the 11,181 tally sheets to find the 234 that they threw out. This would not be so strange if they had used statistical inference, as is commonly done in polling, to say something about the other 92 percent of ballot sheets that they did not examine. However this is not included in the leaked report." Philip Crowley, vocero de Hillary, se dice “sorprendido” por el retorno de“Baby Doc” 1/18/2011 Contrainjerencia 'Baby Doc' Duvalier charged with corruption in Haiti 1/18/2011 Guardian: "His longtime companion, Veronique Roy, when asked whether Duvalier was being arrested, laughed and said nothing." Congresswoman Waters opposes plot to control Haiti 1/18/2011 Maxine Waters: "The plot to control Haiti has gone from the absurd to the ridiculous. The return of Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier to Haiti in the midst of a flawed election is truly shocking. The Duvalier dictatorship was absolutely brutal, and there is extensive documentation of the human rights violations suffered by the Haitian people during his reign. I was pleased to hear that the authorities had taken him into custody, and I urge that he be tried for his crimes. Nevertheless, Duvalier’s return raises serious questions about who in Haiti facilitated his return and what his supporters expect to gain by bringing him back." 17.01.2006: DOMINICAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES STATE DAS FOR CARIBBEAN 1/17/2011 Aftenposten: "Fernandez inquired about the circumstances surrounding the death of Brazilian Army General Urano Teixeira da Matta Bacellar. DAS Duddy confirmed that all indications pointed to suicide. Fernandez expressed skepticism. He had met General Bacellar; to him, suicide seemed unlikely for a professional of Bacellar´s caliber. Fernandez said he believes that there is a small group in Haiti dedicated to disrupting the elections and creating chaos; that this group had killed MINUSTAH members in the past (a Canadian and a Jordanian, and now the Brazilian General); and that there would be more violence against MINUSTAH forces as the election date approaches. The President said he knew of a case in which a Brazilian MINUSTAH member had killed a sniper. Although he allowed that Bacellar´s death might be due to an accidentally self-inflicted wound, he believes that the Brazilian government is calling the death a suicide in order to protect the mission from domestic criticism. A confirmed assassination would result in calls from the Brazilian populace for withdrawal from Haiti. Success in this mission is vital for President Lula of Brazil, because it is part of his master plan to obtain a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council." Ex-Dictator 'Baby Doc' Back in Haiti for First Time in 25 Years 1/17/2011 Common Dreams: "Duvalier arrived in Port-au-Prince on an Air France flight into the political vacuum left by the wake of disputed presidential elections that are threatening further instability in the earthquake-ravaged country. An AFP journalist saw the former dictator enter the passport control at Port-au-Prince airport wearing a blue suit and accompanied by his wife Veronique Roy shortly after their flight landed. A delegation of former officials who had served as cabinet ministers under Duvalier awaited his arrival at the airport and a few dozen supporters were gathered outside the complex, the AFP reporter said. The 59-year-old Duvalier was ousted by a popular revolt in the 1986 after his family and supporters were accused of plundering tens of millions of dollars of state funds during his 15-year reign." V.-P. dominicano: el regreso a Haití del dictador Duvalier responde a intereses de Estados Unidos 1/17/2011 Contrainjerencia: "Todo indica que es llevado por los Estados Unidos, por el gobierno norteamericano, buscando la manera de establecer un gobierno no solo que le sea afín a él, sino que sea un régimen fuerte, capaz de poner orden en la vecina república”, comentó Bergés. El diplomático indicó que no fue un hecho sorpresivo ni una motivación personal el hecho que ahora Baby Doc se encuentre en la nación caribeña. Indicó que se trata de un hecho fundamental considerando la actual crisis que atraviesa Haití." Human Rights Groups Call for Immediate Arrest of Jean-Claude Duvalier 1/17/2011 IDJH: "Mr. Duvalier is not protected against prosecution by any statutes of limitations. According to Article 466 of the Haitian Code of Criminal Procedure, the proceedings for misappropriation of funds are not proscribed because of the continuing prosecution of the case from 1986 to 2008. The political killings and torture are not proscribed because they are crimes against humanity, which are imprescriptible under international law." Duvalier's return adds to Haiti's political turmoil 1/17/2011 WaPo: "The U.S. ambassador to Haiti, Kenneth Merten, said in an interview that the U.S. government supports the OAS report and its conclusions. "The international community is entirely unified on this point. There is nothing to negotiate in the report," Merten said. He said he hoped that the Preval government and electoral council would accept this "and move forward with second-round elections." Call on the Preval Government to Arrest and Try Jean-Claude Duvalier for Crimes Against Humanity 1/16/2011 Haiti Analysis: "Today, January 16, 2011, former dictator "for life" Jean-Claude Duvalier returned to Haiti aboard a plane from Haiti. During his regime, between 1971 and 1986 thousands of people were disappeared, tortured, raped, and murdered in a systemic state-backed campaign of repression. According to one source that wishes to remain anonymous former-military henchmen of the Duvalierist regime have recently cut deals with the DEA and other U.S. agencies to work against any possible uprisings or protests by Haiti's poor majority. With the Preval administration's CEP banning of Haiti's most popular political party, Fanmi Lavalas, and over 70% of the voting-age population not taking part in the recent "election", any new Haitian government will be significantly weak and unpopular. Duvalier saw his chance to return, as now both the lead candidates in the U.S./U.N./O.A.S. backed elections are on friendly terms with him." Haiti's political earthquake 1/16/2011 LA Times: "In the first vote count, in early December, it was Martelly who came in third, but after those results were released, his supporters went on a four-day rampage, burning public buildings and committing other acts of violence and vandalism. If the OAS report is accepted by the Haitian government — and there will be intense pressure for that — it could mean that Martelly will be the next president of Haiti. According to many sources, including the president himself, the international community has threatened Preval with immediate exile if he does not bow to their interpretation of election results. Sweet Micky, which is Martelly's stage name, is a complicated character. He's a wild performer who has appeared in diapers and in women's clothes on stage (though not simultaneously). A new, sweeter Micky seems to have left those days behind, and his presidential campaign focuses on competence, transparency and delivery of services, all areas in which the current administration has fallen short… Among all this misery, the young, blond, carefree cadres of nongovernmental organizations skitter around in their SUVs, trying to fix a few small things. They start new orphanages; they feed a neighborhood; they erect a school; they make sure Bill Clinton, the U.N.'s special envoy to Haiti, gets from one event to the next. They go out to bars and restaurants in the better parts of town." Why Stability in Haiti Requires New Elections - Beyond the Blue Helmets 1/14/2011 CounterPunch: "Along Avenue John Brown in Port-au-Prince, freshly painted graffiti reads aba seleksyon! — down with the undemocratic selection process. It is a key message in a visual protest against the failure of democracy in Haiti. It has been added alongside older messages that read aba MINUSTAH, aba okipasyon, calling for an end to the commonly perceived foreign occupation by the United Nations stabilization mission, known by its initials as MINUSTAH." International monitors want Preval's candidate out 1/11/2011 Ottowa Citizen: [Canada is right up there with France and the US in imposing a right wing solution on Haiti] "It will be very difficult for (President Rene) Preval to ignore this recommendation," said the diplomatic source, speaking on condition of anonymity." Haiti Election Recount Report Reveals Massive Irregularities Beyond Those Noticed by the OAS and CEP 1/9/2011 CEPR: "The participation rate was extremely low, with just 22.9 percent of registered voters having their vote counted. As a comparison, presidential elections in 2006 saw a participation rate of 59.3 percent." Sube a 3 651 el número de muertos en Haití por la epidemia de cólera 1/6/2011 Cubadebate: "El número de muertos por la epidemia de cólera declarada en octubre en Haití se eleva a 3.651, con un total de 171.304 afectados por la enfermedad, según un boletín hecho público hoy por el Ministerio de Salud Pública y Población (MSPP). De acuerdo con la información, fechada el 1 de enero, 95.039 personas han sido hospitalizadas a causa de la mortal enfermedad -que presenta una mortalidad del 2,1 por ciento- aunque 92.618 ya recibieron el alta médica." U.S. TAKES CONTROL OF HAITIAN ELECTIONS AND RECONSTRUCTION: CEP POSTPONES RUN-OFF 1/5/2011 Haiti Analysis: "The election was illegitimate not only due to Haitians' widespread disenfranchisement on Nov. 28 but because, a year earlier, exiled former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's political party, the Lavalas Family (FL) - Haiti's largest - was excluded from running. The result was that only 23% of Haiti's 4.7 eligible voters, according to the CEP's own figures, went to the polls, a phenomenally low turn-out from a people denied the right to choose their head of state for three decades under the dictatorial Duvalier dynasty (1957-1986). Some would-be voters reported walking past cholera victims' dead bodies on the street in search of a polling station with their name on the voters' list only to find the name of their neighbor who died in the Jan. 12 earthquake." |
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