Haiti Information Project (HIP)

Prime Minister's disconnect with the poor in Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Sat, 05 May 2012 15:11:00 +0000

This article shows the US has circumvented Haiti's constitution a second time to manipulate the political landscape to install candidates of their choosing, not the Haitian people.

The first time was prior to the second round of presidential elections in June 2010 when the US and their allies in the "international community" intervened to allow the comic musician known for dancing naked on stage, Michel Martelly, to run against Mirlande Manigat.

Martelly's regime has been steeped in controversy since he won the elections with less than 14% of ballots cast by the overall electorate in one of the lowest voter turnouts in Haitian history. Martelly has since provided protection to former dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier from prosecution for human rights violations. Recently, one of Latin America's most respected journalists, Nuria Piera, revealed that Martelly personally received more than $2.5 million in bribes for providing non-bid reconstruction contracts to companies in the Dominican Republic.

Now, Bill Clinton and the US Embassy flaunt Haiti's sovereignty yet again by openly pressuring parliament to accept controversial businessman Laurent Lamothe as prime minister despite his not meeting eligibility requirements.

According to Top Billing Magazine, Laurent Lamothe was born in Miami, Florida and moved in 2007 to Cape Town, South Africa with his wife Jenny and their two children. Based on Lamothe's own admission to the author of this article, he is not a Haitian citizen.

What is also on display in this article is the lavish lifestyle Lamothe is accustomed to living despite being foisted upon a country where the average citizen earns less than $2 per day. It is nothing less than a recipe for disaster in a country known for its Morally Repugnant Elite or MREs supported politically by a relatively well-off and conservative American expatriate community. Both of these sectors continue to enforce a system akin to apartheid in Haiti where the chasm between the haves and the have-nots continues to widen.

ARTICLE 157: To be appointed Prime Minister, a person must: 1. Be a native-born Haitian, and never have renounced Haitian nationality; 2. Have attained thirty (30) years of age; 3. Enjoy civil and political rights and never have been sentenced to death, personal restraint or penal servitude or the loss of civil rights; 4. Own real property in Haiti and practice a profession there; 5. Have resided in the county for five (5) consecutive years; 6. Have been relieved of his responsibilities if he has been handling public fund National Magazine says Laurent Lamothe not Born in Haiti

UN Liberating Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 15:34:00 +0000

Resistance against the UN military occupation of Haiti has continued to grow and gain more attention over the past few years. In this article, published in the scholastic journal Mute magazine in 2006, Kevin Pina traces the roots of this resistance to the US-backed coup that ousted Aristide on February 29, 2004.

HAITI ARCHIVES: The CIA & police training scandal in Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:49:00 +0000

Editor's Note: On occasion we re-publish articles that are important to the historical and public record, especially when they are difficult to find. After reading this article you may not be surprised it has all but disappeared from the Internet. We would like to thank the author Sam Skolnick for his kind permission to republish his article on the Haiti Information Project (HIP) blog.

March 1, 1999

EX-DOJ OFFICIAL CLAIMS BID TO KEEP CIA OUT OF POLICE TRAINING

PROGRAM COST HER A JOB


By Sam Skolnik

The former director of the Justice Department program that trains foreign

police officers has alleged that she was forced from her post after raising

concerns that department officials refused to protect her office's law

enforcement mission from possible CIA encroachment.


Janice Stromsem, until last month director of the International Criminal

Investigative Training Assistance Program, has filed a grievance with the

department's equal employment opportunity office, claiming that her efforts

to implement a policy preventing ICITAP's staff from engaging in

intelligence activities resulted in her ultimately being removed from her

job.


The ICITAP program has spawned several complaints from disgruntled

employees. But the issues raised by Stromsem are especially sensitive, given

Cold War- era concerns about keeping domestic law enforcement free of

international espionage.


That historic divide is a flashpoint at ICITAP, a 13-year-old program whose

staffers work to win trust among newly emerging, often unstable

democracies many of which have been of great interest to American

intelligence in the past.


The line between law enforcement and intelligence has been blurring in

recent years, causing tensions among U.S. government agencies. The most

recent: allegations that U.N. weapons inspectors in Iraq were working in

concert with the CIA.


Stromsem filed her EEO action in December 1998, but the underlying incident

at the heart of her grievance dates back to 1996.


That year, she claims, her efforts to implement a policy walling ICITAP

staffers off from intelligence-gathering activities was rejected by Mark

Richard, a powerful career attorney in the department's Criminal Division.

In the fall of 1998, Stromsem claims, she was contacted about the matter by

the office of Inspector General Michael Bromwich, which has been probing a

series of allegations of misconduct at ICITAP and its sister office, the

Office of Professional Development and Training (OPDAT), which trains

foreign prosecutors. Stromsem told Bromwich about the aborted

anti-intelligence policy, and provided documents to back her claim,

according to her attorney, Irving Kator of D.C.'s Kator, Scott & Parks.


Following that contact, Bromwich called in Richard, according to Kator. Soon

after that meeting, Stromsem was told she would be leaving ICITAP, Kator

contends.


HOLDER DENIES CONNECTION


In an interview late last week, Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. said

that there was no cause and effect involved in Stromsem's departure from the

ICITAP program.


"Bottom line, there was no linkage between the IG investigation and Janice

Stromsem's removal, " Holder says.


Asked the department's view on whether programs like ICITAP should ever be

open to intelligence agency participation, Holder says: "We cannot comment

on intelligence activities regarding ICITAP , no matter how unfounded the

allegations might be. We reaffirm the exclusive mission of ICITAP is

international training and nation building."


Stromsem, now an official at the Global Bureau of the U.S. Agency for

International Development (AID), and Richard both decline comment.


A CIA spokeswoman also declines comment.


One U.S. government official, who asks not to be identified, says that "the

CIA is not in any way involved in ICITAP . If you were to report that, you

would be wrong."


RECRUITING IN HAITI


Stromsem is not the only one who has voiced concerns that intelligence

agents have sought to infiltrate ICITAP, a $25 million operation with some

40 staffers fanned out across the Caribbean, Latin America, the former

Soviet Union, and Eastern Europe.


According to four former ICITAP staffers and one State Department official,

the CIA has from time to time sought to recruit staffers, contractors, and

trainees affiliated with the program in countries such as Haiti and El

Salvador, where ICITAP has trained thousands of police officers.


One former ICITAP contractor in Haiti says bluntly that he and other

instructors were informed by students "that they were solicited by U.S.

intelligence services."


Charles Allen, a legal adviser to the Richardson, Texas, police department

who worked for ICITAP in 1995, says the practice, in which intelligence

agents would approach the students during off hours and weekends to try to

recruit them, "was wrong."


"When we went to Haiti, we went with the understanding that the country had

never had a democratic government or civilian police force, " says Allen.

Intelligence recruiting was "not good for those cadets, not good for Haiti,

and not good for the program. We were to make civilian police out of them,

not spies."


Further, The Nation magazine reported in February 1996 that the CIA had

placed agents in the Haitian National Police, which was rebuilt after the

1994 U.S. invasion and the installment of Washington-backed ruler Jean-

Bertrand Aristide. The magazine reported that those CIA recruitments took

place during ICITAP training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.


There was no specific ICITAP policy in place to prevent them from doing so.


In late 1995, Stromsem decided to write a policy that would set in stone

what had been an unwritten rule prohibiting ICITAP staffers from

communicating with agents of the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, or

any other covert intelligence gathering group.


"It is critical for the credibility of the program and for the legitimacy of

U.S. Government efforts in overseas police reform that ICITAP personnel and

contractors be exclusively dedicated to fulfilling ICITAP's mission goals

and objectives, " states the executive summary of the proposal, a copy of

which was obtained by Legal Times. "It is manifestly evident that any

connection between representatives of ICITAP and any internal intelligence

gathering organization would be detrimental to our mission, and would be an

especially sensitive issue with many countries with which we expect to be

dealing in the future."


The proposal also contended that the Foreign Assistance Act of 1960

specifies that no foreign aid money can be used to provide assistance to

U.S. intelligence agencies.


Though it is a Justice Department program, ICITAP receives most of its funds

from the State Department_i.e., from foreign assistance money.


PROPOSAL REJECTED


Stromsem presented the proposed initiative to Richard in March 1996,

according to internal DOJ memorandums.


But Richard, then Stromsem's supervisor, wrote to her on April 25, 1996,

saying, "I have serious concerns about this statement and do not want to see

it moved on without further discussions, " according to an internal DOJ

document.


Richard's decision to nix the proposal was firmed up in a meeting the

following day, according to two participants in the meeting, which included

Richard, Stromsem, and at least three other Criminal Division officials.


Richard said he did not want to preclude putting ICITAP resources at the

disposal of intelligence agencies_including the CIA_when needed, according

to the two participants, who asked not to be named.


In a Jan. 7, 1999, letter to Deputy Attorney General Holder, Stromsem's

attorney wrote that " Stromsem was surprised when Mark Richard . . . refused

to approve the memo. Consequently, the directive was never transmitted to

ICITAP staff and the issue of the use of ICITAP employees for intelligence

work was never dealt with directly."


Kator claims that despite Stromsem's positive job appraisals, Richard forced

her out of ICITAP after four years at its helm, denied her a raise she is

owed, and bad-mouthed her to potential new employers.


Kator says he has received no reply to his letter to Holder. A senior

Justice official says that Holder did respond to Kator in January, adding

that the letter was forwarded to the IG, in accordance with standard

procedure.


Bromwich is apparently interested in probing the question of alleged CIA

involvement in ICITAP, according to two government officials who have been

questioned by the inspector general's office. The officials say his

investigators first raised the issue with them.


Paul Martin, a spokesman for the inspector general, declines comment on the

status of the investigation.


STROMSEM INVESTIGATED


Stromsem_who Kator says will also likely file a whistleblower complaint soon

at the Office of Special Counsel_may herself be a target of the IG's

inquiry.


Although no actions have been taken against her as a result of the wide-

ranging ICITAP probe, Stromsem, according to three Justice officials

familiar with the matter, may be under investigation for relatively minor

allegations of workplace harassment and other charges.


(Stemming largely from the complaints of a pair of whistleblowers, the

inquiry has grown significantly in the last two years and involves

allegations ranging from security breaches to contracting abuses to visa

fraud to hiring irregularities and workplace harassment. (See "Blowing

Whistles at DOJ, " Sept. 21, 1998, Page 2.) The investigation was first

reported by Insight, a weekly news magazine published by The Washington

Times Corp., in September 1997.)


Stromsem does have at least one high-powered backer, however. Sen. Edward

Kennedy (D-Mass.) wrote Holder on Jan. 19, urging him to take the necessary

steps to ensure that Stromsem is treated fairly.


And at least one official at the State Department supports many of

Stromsem's claims.


"As much as we wanted her to continue on as ICITAP director, it was clear

they were making life difficult for her at Justice, " says the official, who

asks not to be named. "Jan has the complete and absolute confidence of the

State Department and AID."


POLICY DEBATED


Kate Martin, director of the Center for National Security Studies, a civil

liberties group, says Richard and other higher-ups at Justice may have

concluded that in the larger national interests of fighting terrorism and

international drug smuggling, it is necessary to keep open the option of

allowing the CIA into programs that on their face have nothing to do with

intelligence gathering.


But Martin warns that there can be "all sorts of terrible effects" when

intelligence agencies are allowed to recruit in programs like ICITAP.


"It can be positively detrimental to the rule of law in countries that for

the first time are trying to build their own intelligence agencies and do

away with the legacies of secret police, " Martin says. She adds that the

suspicion of CIA involvement "is best addressed by the U.S. government being

forthright. It's best to draw a bright line."


Two former ICITAP staffers, who ask not to be identified, concur.


"I didn't sign up to work for the CIA, " says one former staffer. Richard's

decision to reject the intelligence policy "conceptually subverted the need

for an ICITAP."


Former intelligence community officials say, however, that if the CIA has

attempted to gather intelligence or recruit agents through ICITAP, it likely

had good reasons to do so.


Stewart Baker, general counsel of the National Security Agency from 1992 to

1994, says that it's generally not unhealthy for law enforcement and the

intelligence community to be working more closely.


"That's a Cold War notion, that intelligence gathering is dark and dirty,

and law enforcement is just about catching crooks. That world is gone, "

says Baker, a partner at D.C.'s Steptoe & Johnson.


Jeffrey Smith, general counsel of the CIA from 1995 to 1996, and his

predecessor, Elizabeth Rindskopf, decline comment on the allegations

surrounding ICITAP.


But they note that they worked with the general counsel of the Peace Corps

to ensure adherence to the corps' rigid policy of walling off CIA contacts.

(Stromsem used the Peace Corps model in developing her policy proposal,

according to one ex-ICITAP employee.)


Regarding the Peace Corps, "We bent over backwards there to make sure we

were very correct, " says Rindskopf, who is of counsel at the D.C. office of

St. Louis' Bryan Cave. "It seems to me to be the wise policy."


RICHARD CLOSE TO RENO, CIA


Whatever the propriety of the policy or lack thereof, there is little

question that Stromsem's allegations are having an impact at the

department_in no small part because they involve one of its most powerful

and important behind-the-scenes players.


Richard has several adamant defenders, both inside and outside the

department. Even members of the civil liberties community say he is a smart

and honorable prosecutor.


Richard, a Brooklyn native who has spent more than 30 years at the

department, reportedly has the ear of Attorney General Janet Reno.


"Mark Richard has been a longtime official of DOJ, " says Holder. "I've

known him for 23 years. He's a totally dedicated, selfless public servant."


He also has friends in the intelligence community. In fact, he is regarded

as one of Justice's top experts on intelligence, having co-written a report

with Rindskopf, the former CIA general counsel, in May 1995 on improving

ties between Main Justice and the CIA.


Some of his detractors at the department say quietly that Richard carries

the water at Justice for the Langley spymasters.


But Smith, the former CIA general counsel, disagrees.


"Believe me, when I was out there, he took some skin off my back, " says

Smith, now a partner at D.C.'s Arnold & Porter. "He has no problem sticking

up for the Justice Department."


RICHARD'S DUTIES CHANGE


Richard is recovering from lung surgery and is now working part time; his

supervisors expect him to resume full-time duties before too long. But his

portfolio has changed. According to an internal department memo dated Jan.

26, Criminal Division Assistant Attorney General James Robinson has assumed

direct oversight responsibility over ICITAP and OPDAT_taking them away from

Richard. The Jan. 26 memo came less than three weeks after Kator's letter

landed on Eric Holder's desk.


Richard Rossman, chief of staff to AAG Robinson, says Stromsem's departure

from ICITAP and Richard's removal from the program's oversight are not

related to the IG investigation.


"I can assure you that the IG investigation had nothing to do with these

decisions, " says Rossman. "That, I'm adamant about."


Robinson, Rossman says, is interested in education programs, having served

as dean at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit before coming to

Justice, and came up with the idea of taking charge of the policing programs

on his own.


What's more, says Rossman, "the whole international training thing is

mushrooming into an important part of what we do here."


In fact, international police training long predates the appearance of

ICITAP in 1986. And there may be some cautionary lessons there for the

department.


In 1962, Congress created the Office of Public Safety as an adjunct to AID

to formally incorporate police assistance into foreign aid programs.


In 1974, Congress terminated that program amid charges that U.S. trainers

condoned the use of police brutality and torture_and were too closely

identified with the CIA.

Who's behind the campaign to discredit Aristide?

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 05:37:00 +0000

Flashpoints interviews former president Aristide's attorney, Ira Kurzban, about recent "revelations" in the press linking him to drug probes, assassinations and corruption. Joining the discussion is Burt Wides, an expert on US intelligence operations in Haiti.

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Burt Wides has worked on national security policy issues for more than four decades, serving as chief counsel to Senator Philip Hart, Senator Edward Kennedy, and Senator Paul Sarbanes; as Special Counsel to President Jimmy Carter; and as senior counsel to House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers. Among other responsibilities held during that time, he was chief of investigations for the Church Committee, which set the standard for modern-day oversight of the intelligence community, and then was director of the President's Intelligence Oversight Board. He began his government career by working on strategic weapons planning in the Office of the Secretary of Defense during the Kennedy Administration, and he also has represented a variety of high-profile clients on controversial matters as an attorney in private practice.

IRA J. KURZBAN is a partner in the law firm of Kurzban, Kurzban, Weinger & Tetzeli, P.A., of Miami, Florida. Ira Kurzban, has argued several cases in the United States Supreme Court and has been recognized by Newsweek, Time and Esquire Magazines, as well as the National Law Journal and the American Lawyer for his work on behalf of immigrants and refugees. He is the author of Kurzban’s Immigration Law Sourcebook, the most widely used one-volume immigration source in the United States.

Jean Ristil: The People's Journalist of Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 19:17:00 +0000

RIP Jean Ristil

December 12, 1981 - February 25, 2012

Jean Ristil: The People's Journalist of Haiti

by Kevin Pina

I'm sure we all know someone that works tirelessly on behalf of their convictions never caring much about recognition as others around them receive the attention, credibility and accolades. Jean Ristil was exactly that kind of unique soul who cared less about his own recognition than what others were actually doing for his community and his people. Although Jean Ristil was no stranger to being marginalized by those who felt more entitled, it didn't matter to him because in the end talk was cheap and life was more precious. Growing up and living in Cite Soleil in Haiti, Jean knew never to judge anyone, Haitian or foreigner, by what they said or claimed but by what they actually did for others.

Jean Ristil was a people's journalist, unafraid to take chances to show the world the truth about Haiti and Cite Soleil. During the dark days of repression and murder against Lavalas supporters between 2004-2006, we were part of a team that formed an underground network to collect and distribute information from the grassroots in Haiti to the rest of the world.

Jean Ristil was one of the most courageous people I've ever known. When no one else would dare to report on police raids and indiscriminate killings in neighborhoods like Cite de Dieu, Cite Militaire and Bel Air, Jean Ristil would pack his camera and run, not walk, to get the photographic evidence. He knew that since the corporate media and human rights organizations had turned a blind eye to Haiti, in the end all the world would ever see was the photographic evidence we provided of the killings.

Jean Ristil also watched my back on countless occasions while I was videotaping massive Lavalas protests during this period where the police would simply start shooting at people randomly to sow terror. When the US Marines or the UN troops moved against him I would intervene and when the Haitian police came against me he would come to my aid sometimes telling them I was a "stupid blan reporter who didn't know any better." I remember one time it was clear that one particular Haitian SWAT officer knew exactly who I was and what I was doing when Jean played the "stupid blan" card. The SWAT cop lifted his black ski mask to look closely at the press badges hanging from our necks then smiled and waved us on saying, "I know who you two are. Get out of here." To this day I like to think there was a begrudging tone of respect in that policeman's response for the loyalty Jean and I regularly showed each other in the field.

Jean Ristil was an organic intellectual with nerves of steel. I remember a conversation Jean and I had in June 2005 one month before the UN massacre he documented in Cite Soleil. We were discussing what to do about the injured and dying shot by the UN and the Haitian police we were confronting on a daily basis. Was it better to help them if we could or to stay detached to document what was going on. It was a painful discussion with both of us changing sides and positions many times. In the end we decided that if we thought we could actually help save a life we would, but that if someone was clearly dying of their wounds we would be honoring them more if we documented their death. Our thinking was that no one would ever know these people in the poor neighborhoods of Haiti had ever lived save for our documenting their deaths for the world. A month later after the UN raid in his community of Cite Soleil on July 6, 2005, Jean would be put to the test. As Leonce Chery lay dying of a single shot to his jaw from a high-powered rifle, Jean stayed with him until the end. It took seven minutes for Leonce to bleed out and die and Jean captured every second of his excruciating death on camera. Yes, Jean Ristil was a courageous soul who didn't suffer from post traumatic stress syndrome but learned to live with acute traumatic stress in his everyday existence in Cite Soleil. His was a soul and personality of iron.

On September 9, 2005, Jean Ristil would once again jump into the breach. It was already a strange day when I received a frantic phone call from Jean saying that the police were searching Father Gerard Jean-Juste's residence at St. Claire's church in Ti Place Cazeau. Jean-Juste was being held in prison and Jean Ristil was convinced the police were going to try to plant guns in the church to justify his arrest. "Pina, you've got to come now!" he yelled over the telephone. Jean was waiting for me as I arrived and followed me as I jumped a fence and began filming the police searching Jean-Juste's bedroom. A judge accompanied by several large police wearing black ski masks grabbed my arm and tried to take my camera calling me a "White Lavalas Bandit!" I quickly spun to protect my camera yelling "I have the right to film!" as the judge's own momentum sent him flying to the floor in a heap. I told Jean to leave as the police rushed me. The judge, in a screaming and spitting fury, ordered me arrested on the spot. Jean Ristil was out in front of the church videotaping as they escorted me out in handcuffs. Suddenly the judge turns to one of the masked policemen and tells them, "Take this one too. He's with the blan" and now both of us are handcuffed and thrown into the back of a jeep. Jean Ristil spent two days in jail thinking they would keep him longer because he was Haitian and let me go because I had a US passport. When it turned out they let him go a day earlier and the judge ordered me to stay behind bars "until I decide your fate for disrespecting me," Jean Ristil said to me as he left the jail, "Don't worry. you're Haitian now, we'll make sure nothing happens to you."

Kevin Pina and Jean Ristil behind bars in Haiti on September 10, 2005.

For all of his time spent documenting suffering and death, Jean Ristil refused to let it define him. Jean celebrated life in the present and had a clear vision of the life he wanted for the children of Cite Soleil in the future. I remember when Jean Ristil founded the organization Kole Zepòl Sove Ti Moun, Cite Soleil to help orphaned children in his community. Jean said he didn't want foreigners to come in and take the children out of their community to put them on display in their orphanage to raise money for their projects. Neither did he want them to end up as part of the scandalous system of adoption in Haiti that he saw as tantamount to human trafficking. No, Jean Ristil's idea was far simpler and direct. If you really wanted to support Haiti and Cite Soleil than support local families to adopt the orphans in the community. Support them to improve their lives even as they open their arms and hearts to children in their community left parent-less largely due to structural and state-sponsored violence. It was a unique and creative approach that is an example of the way Jean Ristil approached problems in Cite Soleil and in Haiti, with a clear sense of history.

Jean Ristil was that rare person that serves as a bridge between grassroots activism and journalism in the world. Yes, he was truly the people's journalist of Haiti but what others said or didn't say about his work didn't seem to matter as much to Jean Ristil as it does to others. In the end, the only thing that seemed to really matter to Jean was what he was going to do next for his community and for Haiti.

"Dirty dancing" Martelly seen as "unpresidential"

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 17:42:00 +0000

Video released purporting homophobic "dirty dancing" parody performed by president Michel Martelly during recent carnaval in Les Cayes

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The same day prime minister Garry Conille resigns as prime minister of Haiti a controversial video surfaces purportedly from the recent Haitian carnival celebrations held in the southern city of Les Cayes. The video shows current Haitian president Michel Martelly performing a "dirty dance" routine with another man intended to mock homosexuals. At one point the president says "your afraid of my d**k, let me give it to you." The president of Haiti continues the routine to the clear disbelief of many in the audience. He ends the fiasco with "I didn't want to f**k you anyway because your ass is too boney."

Most Haitians, including Martelly supporters that have watched the video circulating on YouTube, have reacted with embarrassment and dismay. "This can only make us look worse in the eyes of others. No matter what, he is supposed to respect the fact that he is the president of Haiti," responded 26 year-old Martine Lescot from New York who describes herself as a Martelly supporter.

The timing of the video is seen as damaging to Martelly as it comes on the heels of the resignation of Conille who openly disagreed with the president over cooperating with a parliamentary investigation into his nationality.

DOC: Uprooting the Ton Ton Macoutes in Haiti/dechoukaj VSN

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:06:00 +0000

A must see documentary to understand the depth of the betrayal of the Haitian people by Michel "Sweet Mickey" Martelly as he rehabilitates and defends Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier.

An excellent but roughly edited documentary film covering the bloody legacy of the Duvalier family in Haiti.

1. Documentaire réalisé en 1986 par les frères Denis (Haïti)

Images inédites, le nec plus ultra des reportages réalisés à l'époque.

Who's protecting Duvalier from prosecution for rights abuses?

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:55:00 +0000

Former dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier is greeted by former
president and UN Special Envoy to Haiti Bill Clinton at a commemoration
for earthquake victims on January 12, 2012.

Margaret Prescod interviews Kevin Pina about charges of human rights abuses being dropped against former dictator of Haiti Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier. Pina also discusses the role of Clinton and actor Sean Penn in providing legitimacy to the current government of Michel Martelly even as it seeks to rehabilitate Duvalier and protect him from prosecution.

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Reflections on Oprah, Kim and Rory in Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 09:21:00 +0000

by Paul W. Miller

The conditions in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti should serve as an indictment of the inherent injustice that exists in a world where the haves have money beyond any possible use other than to mark the number of zeros behind their net worth and the have-nots are subject to the dreadful whims of nature because they are forced to live in the unsafe dregs of the material world.

It is ironic that some of the leading icons in the world of haves that should be most looking inward in this structural system that creates winners and losers are the ones newly offering their empathy to the poor, to be pitied children of the have and have not system where the aftermath of the earthquake is only the latest inhumanity served up to them.

So now we have Kim Kardshian, Oprah Winfrey and Rory McElroy tripping over each other to get involved in Haiti to show their humanity and to burnish their images with the backdrop of Haiti’s ongoing suffering. Do they, for a moment, question their access to grotesque wealth by being on TV, on the PGA tour, and for starring in a sex movie leading to fame and fortune for being, well, famous? Do they look inward to ask how it is they can earn millions and billions of dollars for trivial pursuits while people live and die for want of a drink of clean water? I doubt it.

It is an indictment that the world’s greatest super power could not lead the efforts to rescue trapped human beings in the critical days after the earthquake. Medicine, water and rescue efforts could not be delivered, in the year 2010, as needed and many human beings died due to the politics of Haiti’s role in the world.

Haiti lies a scant 681 miles from the southern most state in the continental United States. The country that produced “Shock and Awe” of the weapons variety produced shock and awe of a different sort in Haiti. The shock and awe of a country left to its own resources for the better part of a week to recover from one of the most devastating natural and unnatural disasters of our lifetime. The news announced that teams of 8 – 12 were sent out to rescue victims under the rubble that would claim upwards of 200,000 lives. The indifference needed for the US to not be able to respond is its own “Shock and Awe”.

Where was Oprah when the US sponsored coup of 2004 created the weak infrastructure and poor governance that would be unable to respond to the earthquake? Where was Rory when the US government was undermining the latest election in Haiti? Where was Kim when US sanctions against Haiti killed water projects that would have minimized the impacts of the recent cholera epidemic? And indeed where were we on those grave occasions? We are all complicit in a system that allows centuries of suffering in a country that has contributed greatly to our own well being through the fruits of slavery, land acquisition and its citizens fighting in our wars.

Haiti deserves to have a place of dignity in the world community. Pity from the iconic figureheads of our inhumanity will not provide Haiti with the rights that will create a just world. Why would anyone who has benefited with wealth beyond their wildest imaginations challenge the structural injustice that created Haiti’s conditions? Not helped to create those conditions, created those conditions.

To say that their efforts are well intentioned has no meaning in the bigger picture. That may or may not be true. Until we look inward to the grotesque injustice we live with everyday the conditions in Haiti will serve only the purpose of letting our leading citizens use Haiti to show, that despite their extreme wealth, they aren’t heartless, for God’s sake.

Haiti is an indictment. Not of Haiti’s inability to govern itself, not of Haiti’s God forsaken place in the world, but an indictment of our choices as human beings to let people suffer in inhumane conditions while we feast at the table of excess in our land of indifference to the world’s great suffering. Sean Penn says we need Haiti. After all we have done and continue to do to create the conditions in Haiti, Haiti sure doesn’t need us.

About the author:

Paul W. Miller is the Director of the Haiti Justice Alliance

Congresswoman Waters to Host Briefing on Who Runs Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:15:00 +0000

PRESS ADVISORY

January 24, 2012 Contact: Mikael Moore
For Immediate Release Phone: (202) 225-2201

Washington - Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-California), a strong advocate for the Haitian people in the U.S. Congress, will host a briefing tomorrow entitled, "Who Runs Haiti? A Discussion of Governance, Political Power, and Democracy in Haiti, Two Years After the Earthquake." The event will be cosponsored by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-California) and feature several prominent speakers from both Haiti and the United States.

WHO:

* Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Member of Congress

* Thomas C. Adams, Haiti Special Coordinator, U.S. Department of State
* Minister Rene Magloire, Vice-President, Haitian Presidential Commission on Justice Reform, and former Minister of Justice (1995-96, 2006-2008)
* Brian Concannon, Director, Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH)
* Mark Weisbrot, Co-Director, Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR)
* Marguerite Salomon, Haitian grassroots activist and leader of a Haitian women's organization
* Peter Sollis, Senior Advisor in the Haiti Response Group, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
* Michelle Karshan, Founder and Director, Alternative Chance

WHAT: Briefing on "Who Runs Haiti? A Discussion of Governance, Political Power, and Democracy in Haiti, Two Years After the Earthquake."

WHEN: Wednesday, January 25, 2012, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM

WHERE: 2456 Rayburn Building, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

WHY: Stable, effective and democratic governance is essential for Haiti's recovery and development following the devastating 2010 earthquake. This briefing will examine Haiti's political process, including the roles of the President, the Prime Minister, and members of Parliament; the various political parties in Parliament and who they represent; and the influence of various interest groups and stakeholders, including the wealthy elites, the business sector, and the impoverished majority. Panelists will also discuss proposals for judicial reform, human rights issues, and the opportunities and challenges facing grassroots activists.

To read more about Congresswoman Waters' longtime work on Haiti, click here.<http://waters.house.gov/Issues/Issue/?IssueID=5163>

Kathleen Sengstock
Senior Legislative Assistant
Rep. Maxine Waters
(202) 225-2201
Visit the Office of Congresswoman Waters Online:
Website<http://waters.house.gov/> | Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/maxinewaters> | YouTube<http://youtube.com/maxinewaters> | Twitter<http://www.twitter.com/maxinewaters>

Senator in Haiti continues to press for investigation

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:04:00 +0000


Haitian Senator Moise Jean-Charles (l) continues to press investigation into Haitian president Michel"Sweet Mickey" Martelly's (r) having provided false information to run for office in the last elections.

Haiti Information Project (HIP) News Flash: President Michel Martelly's woes concerning allegations of holding a US passport are multiplying in Haiti. If true, he would be indicted by the Haitian Senate for having lied on his candidate forms when registering in the last elections. The irony is that he would be indicted for providing a false declaration to the very same Provisional Election Council (CEP) his government is currently prosecuting for fraud.

The US Embassy has not commented on the authenticity of the US passport presented by Senator Moise Jean-Charles to the Haitian Senate. Jean-Charles and the Senate Investigating Commission will be traveling to Washington to meet with US Senators John Kerry (D) and Richard Luger (R). They are expected to forward an official request to the US Department of State to ascertain the validity of Martelly's alleged US passport. Either way, the controversy does not bode well for the Martelly administration which is already facing growing discontent at home and waning support from the international community.

Sweet Mickey invites Baby Doc to Commemorate Haiti's Earthquake

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:24:00 +0000

President Michel "Sweet Mickey" Martelly and his wife greet former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier at a ceremony to commemorate the earthquake that struck Haiti two years ago. Duvalier is under orders not to leave the capital of Port au Prince before he stands trial for crimes against humanity including political murder and torture. (note: Bill Clinton is in background with jaw agape as Martelly greets Duvalier).

Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier was the main attraction at the official government ceremony to commemorate the second anniversary of the earthquake of January 12, 2010.

The former dictator and president-for-life attended the ceremony and sat on the same platform as president Michel "Sweet Mickey" Martelly. During the ceremony he was seated next to former military strongman General Prosper Avril.

Duvalier was also greeted by former U.S. President and current UN Special Envoy William Jefferson Clinton. Most Haitians felt as disconnected from the commemoration as they do from the current government of Martelly. The former musician known as Sweet Mickey was elected president by less than 16% of eligible voters in the final round of controversial elections sponsored by the US government and the "international community."

After recovering his composure, Clinton follows his instincts and extends his hand to the former dictator-for-life in a clear gesture of legitimization.

Masking fear in Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:41:00 +0000

A photo (left) of Michel Martelly, the former musician aka "Sweet Mickey",
circulated over the Internet by Haitians in opposition to his government. The
titles reads "Dear Haiti I'm getting ready for you." The photo on the right
is a study in contrast as the studious and serious image of Martelly cultivated
as president of Haiti.

Flashpoints on Pacifica Radio presents an end of 2011 analysis of the situation in Haiti with Special Correspondent Kevin Pina, Wadner Pierre and Gina, an anonymous Haitian afraid to give her full name.

PLAY PROGRAM

Screening to Oppose the Return of the Haitian MIlitary

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 17:04:00 +0000

Haiti: Harvest of Hope to screen at

School of the Americas Vigil

November 18, 4:30PM

Convention Center, 801 Front Avenue

Columbus, Georgia

Haiti: Harvest of Hope received this review from President Jean-Bertrand

Aristide in 1995, nearly one year after he returned from exile.

20th anniversary radio special observing the brutal 1991 military coup in Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 15:56:00 +0000

Flashpoints on Pacifica Radio takes an in-depth look back to September 30, 1991 when the US-backed Haitian military overthrew Haiti's first democratically elected president in a brutal coup. Special guests Ira Kurzban and Burt Wides join us from Miami and Washington D.C.... but first this update from Port au Prince with independent journalist Ansel Herz.

Mr. Kurzban is former Counsel for the Governments of Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Panama. He is also an adjunct faculty member in Immigration and Nationality Law at the University of Miami School of Law and Nova Southeastern University School of Law and has lectured and published extensively in the field of immigration law, including articles in the Harvard Law Review, San Diego Law Review and other publications. He is the author of Kurzban's Immigration Law Sourcebook, the most widely used one-volume immigration source in the United States.

Burt Wides has worked on national security policy issues for more than four decades, serving as chief counsel to Senator Philip Hart, Senator Edward Kennedy, and Senator Paul Sarbanes; as Special Counsel to President Jimmy Carter; and as senior counsel to House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers. Among other responsibilities held during that time, he was chief of investigations for the Church Committee, which set the standard for modern-day oversight of the intelligence community, and then was director of the President's Intelligence Oversight Board. He began his government career by working on strategic weapons planning in the Office of the Secretary of Defense during the Kennedy Administration, and he also has represented a variety of high-profile clients on controversial matters as an attorney in private practice.

PLAY PROGRAM

20th Anniversary of the 1991 coup in Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Today is the 20th anniversary of the brutal military coup of 1991 in Haiti. By the time it ended three years later, the Haitian military and the CIA creature known as FRAPH, had slaughtered, tortured, maimed and disappeared more than 5000 people. It is this legacy that must never be forgotten as Martelly, a supporter of the same deadly forces, calls for the re-institution of the military in Haiti.

On this day commemorating the memory of the victims of 1991, we are also reminded of the tremendous loss and sacrifice of the Haitian people following the second coup in 2004. The two years of severe repression between 2004-2006 also took thousands of lives as part of the history of the current UN military occupation, without which, a Duvalierist and military supporter such as Martelly could have never risen to power.

Join us in calling:

Long Live REAL popular democracy in Haiti!!

Long Live resistance to injustice & foreign occupations in Haiti!

Long Live the memory of the martyrs of the 1991 & 2004 coups!!

Long live the spirit of freedom, justice and independence in Haiti!!

Haiti: Harvest of Hope Trailer

Can the US Dept. of Justice indict Aristide in Haiti for Teleco bribery scandal?

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:34:00 +0000

Former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide of Haiti addresses a
press conference days before his ouster on February 29, 2004.

Kevin Pina interviews former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide's attorney, Ira Kurzban, about recent indictments related to Haiti telecommunications bribery case.

From: USDOJ-Office of Public Affairs (SMO) [mailto:USDOJ-Office.of.Public.Affairs@usdoj.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 12:37 PM
To: USDOJ-Office of Public Affairs (SMO)
Subject: FLORIDA TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY, TWO EXECUTIVES, AN INTERMEDIARY AND TWO FORMER HAITIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS INDICTED FOR THEIR ALLEGED PARTICIPATION IN FOREIGN BRIBERY SCHEME

Note: The superseding indictment is attached in PDF format.

______________________________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CRM

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2011 (202) 514-2008

WWW.JUSTICE.GOV TTY (866) 544-5309

FLORIDA TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY, TWO EXECUTIVES, AN INTERMEDIARY AND TWO FORMER HAITIAN

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS INDICTED FOR THEIR ALLEGED PARTICIPATION IN FOREIGN BRIBERY SCHEME

WASHINGTON - Cinergy Telecommunications Inc., Cinergy’s president and director, the president of Florida-based Telecom Consulting Services Corp. and two former Haitian government officials have been charged in a superseding indictment for their alleged roles in a foreign bribery, wire fraud and money laundering scheme, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jose A. Gonzalez of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Miami Field Office.

According to the superseding indictment, the defendants allegedly participated in a scheme to commit foreign bribery and money laundering from December 2001 through January 2006. The indictment alleges that during this time period Cinergy and its related company, Uniplex Telecommunications Inc., allegedly paid more than $1.4 million to shell companies to be used for bribes to foreign officials of the Republic of Haiti’s state-owned national telecommunications company, Telecommunications D’Haiti (Haiti Teleco).

According to court documents, Cinergy and Uniplex executed a series of contracts with Haiti Teleco that allowed the companies’ customers to place telephone calls to Haiti. The bribe payments allegedly were authorized by Washington Vasconez Cruz, the telecommunications companies’ president, and Amadeus Richers, the companies’ director, and were allegedly paid to Haitian government officials at Haiti Teleco, including Patrick Joseph and Jean Rene Duperval. According to the superseding indictment, the purpose of these bribes was to obtain various business advantages from the Haitian officials for Cinergy and Uniplex, including preferred telecommunications rates and credits toward sums owed. To conceal the bribe payments, the defendants allegedly used various shell companies to receive and forward the payments, including J.D. Locator Services, Fourcand Enterprises and Telecom Consulting Services.

The six defendants charged in the superseding indictment are:

·         Washington Vasconez Cruz, 63, of Miami, the president of Cinergy and Uniplex, is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and to commit wire fraud, six counts of FCPA violations, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 19 counts of money laundering;
·         Amadeus Richers, 60, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., and Brazil, the then-director of Cinergy and Uniplex, is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and to commit wire fraud, six counts of FCPA violations, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 19 counts of money laundering;
·         Cinergy Telecommunications Inc., a privately-held telecommunications company incorporated in Florida, is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and to commit wire fraud, six counts of FCPA violations, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 19 counts of money laundering;
·         Patrick Joseph, 49, of Miami and Haiti, a former general director for telecommunications at Haiti Teleco, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering;
·         Jean Rene Duperval, 44, of Miramar, Fla., and Haiti, a former director of international relations for telecommunications at Haiti Teleco, is charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 19 counts of money laundering; and
·         Marguerite Grandison, 42, of Miramar, the former president of Telecom Consulting Services Corp., and Duperval’s sister, is charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 19 counts of money laundering.

The superseding indictment also charges Duperval and Grandison with laundering corrupt payments authorized by Joel Esquenazi and Carlos Rodriguez on behalf of another Florida telecommunications company.

Duperval was charged previously in the indictment returned on Dec. 7, 2009, with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 12 counts of money laundering. Grandison was previously charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and to commit wire fraud, seven counts of FCPA violations, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 12 counts of money laundering.

Esquenazi and Rodriguez were charged in the initial December 2009 indictment and are unaffected by the superseding indictment. They are scheduled to stand trial on July 18, 2011.

An indictment is merely an accusation, and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The conspiracy to commit violations of the FCPA and wire fraud count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of the greater of $250,000 or twice the value gained or lost. The FCPA counts each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of the greater of $100,000 or twice the value gained or lost. The conspiracy to commit money laundering counts each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of the greater of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction. The money laundering counts each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of the greater of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction. The superseding indictment also gives notice of criminal forfeiture.

On May 15, 2009, Juan Diaz, the president of J.D. Locator Services, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and money laundering. He admitted to receiving more than $1 million in bribe money from telecommunications companies. On July 30, 2010, he was sentenced to 57 months in prison.

On Feb. 19, 2010, Jean Fourcand, the president and director of Fourcand Enterprises Inc., pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering for receiving and transmitting bribe monies in the scheme. On May 5, 2010, he was sentenced to six months in prison.

On March 12, 2010, Robert Antoine, the former director of international affairs for Haiti Telco, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. He admitted to receiving more than $1 million in bribes from Miami-based telecommunications companies. On June 2, 2010, he was sentenced to 48 months in prison.

The government’s investigation is ongoing. The Department of Justice is grateful to the government of Haiti for continuing to provide substantial assistance in gathering evidence during this investigation. In particular, Haiti’s financial intelligence unit, the Unité Centrale de Renseignements Financiers (UCREF), the Bureau des Affaires Financières et Economiques (BAFE), which is a specialized component of the Haitian National Police, and the Ministry of Justice and Public Security provided significant cooperation and coordination in this ongoing investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorneys Nicola J. Mrazek and James M. Koukios of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. The Office of International Affairs in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division also provided assistance in this matter. The cases were investigated by the IRS-CI Miami Field Office.

###

11-910

DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE USE THE CONTACTS IN THE MESSAGE OR CALL THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AT 202-514-2007.

American Journalist "destabilizing" press in Haiti?

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:06:00 +0000


Kathie Klarreich named by Agence Haitienne de Presse as american journalist using money to "destabilize" the Haitian press

Haiti/post-séisme: les centaines de milliers de dollars amassés par certaines ONG au nom du renforcement des médias haïtiens servent plutôt à les destabiliser

En Haïti, plus de 18 mois après le séisme dévastateur, on se demande toujours à quand la reconstruction du pays, annoncée à grands renforts de publicité et de promesses, lors des diférentes réunions des bailleurs à New-york, Punta Cana (RD) et ailleurs.

La question se pose aujourd'hui plus que jamais, puisque, malgré les 2 à 3 milliards de dollars dont on dit qu'ils ont été décaissés en faveur de la reconstruction, on n'en voit pourtant jusqu'ici aucune véritable trace, sinon quelques centaines de baraques qui auraient pu être des abris provisoires 1 ou 2 mois après le séisme.

La verité, celle qui crève les yeux aujourd'hui, est que le pays croule et gémit encore sous les déblais. La plupart des rescapés du 12 janvier vivent encore dans des tentes déchirées. Et Port-au-Prince étouffe de la pestilence dégagée par les fatras nauséabonds qui investissent littéralement les quartiers. De plus, un véhicule ne peut rouler 10 mètres sans tomber dans une crevasse ou une tranchée.

Cette situation de promesses non tenues, n'est pas limitée à la seule reconstruction. C'est malheureusement la même réalité dans beaucoup d'autres secteurs: la presse, par exemple.

Savez-vous combien de fois les directeurs de médias ont été invités par de grandes organisations internationales, au lendemain du séisme, avec comme réfrains: il faut renforcer la presse haïtienne, il faut donner des moyens aux médias et de la formation aux journalistes pour les rendre plus performants et mieux à même de se mettre au service de la population, après toutes les épreuves subies pendant le tremblement de terre.

Et lors des différentes rencontres, argent, équipement et formation ont en effet été promis. Mais le temps a passé. Et les faiseurs de promesses se sont rendus compte qu'il y avait là une source de business, un véritable tresor. Et ils ont monté leur propre boutique sur le dos de la presse haïtienne.

Et sur le dos de la presse haïtienne, au nom de son renforcement, ils sont partis mendier des fonds qu'ils ont bien sûr trouvés- mais pour eux seuls- ,griace à la grande sympathie dont Haïti et les Haïtiens étaient l'objet.

Et ...pan! La première grande preuve de ce renforcement, c'est de mettre en place des sructures parallèles d'information, de se payer des salaires faramineux... et de dépouiller les medias particulièrement les radios de leurs meilleurs journalistes et reporters, avec les miettes des centaines de milliers de dollars quémandés, mais qui représentent quand même le double voire le triple de ce qu'ils percevaient.

Les promesses s'envolent en fumée. Et ce sont les ONG de la presse qui s'enrichissent avec l'argent reçu pour les médias qui se retrouvent confrontés à bien plus de difficulté qu'avant, face à ces concurents indécents et malhonnêtes qui tirent leur fortune du séisme, alors que des centains de milliers de gens gens pataugent dans la boue.

Aujourd'hui, c'est une autre ONG qui fait son apparition, décidée plus que jamais à faire, elle aussi, son beurre. Son objectif officiel: fournir une formation à de jeunes haïtiens dans le domaine de l'enquête et de l'investigation.

Objectif on ne peut plus noble, si la première démarche des rsponsables de cette ONG créée par la journaliste américaine Kathie Klarreich n'était de destabiliser les médias en faisant une véritable razzia dans les salles de nouvelles, avec en main un sac de gourdes tirées des centaines de milliers de dollars obtenus, là encore, au nom du renforcement des médias haïtiens.

Comble d'indécence, interdiction formelle est faite aux journalistes recrutés: "pas question de donner une période de préavis aux médias que l'on vous fait quitter. On en a pas le temps"

Malheureusement, cette nouvelle ONG bénéficie de la collaboration d'un petit groupe de directeurs de médias grâcement payés, dans la mise en place de son entreprise malfaisante dont le seul appât est l'argent. (dossier à suivre) .

6th Anniversary of UN Massacre in Cite Soleil, July 6, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 07:11:00 +0000

Victims of the UN military assault on Cite Soleil, July 6, 2005

Flashpoints on Pacifica Radio re-examines the accusations of a massacre committed by United Nations military forces in the community of Cite Soleil Haiti on July 6, 2005.

Host: Kevin Pina

Guests: Seth Donnelly and Dave Welsh of the San Francisco Bay Area Labor Council, Ezili Danto of the Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network and Brian Concannon of the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti.

Aristide's return to Haiti and the elections of March 20, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 03:18:00 +0000

Flashpoints Senior Correspondent Kevin Pina speaks with Nicole Phillips of the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH) about the March 20, 2011 presidential elections. He also interviews Haitian journalist Wadner Pierre about Aristide's return and the impact it had on the elections and politics in Haiti.

The Consumate Jean-Bertrand Aristide of Haiti: Speeches

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 18:25:00 +0000

Aristide Speech - United Nations September 29, 1992

Considered one of the best speeches delivered by Aristide to the United Nations on September 29, 1992.

Aristide Speech - March 14, 1992

A speech given by President Jean-Bertand Aristide at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Berkeley, CA on March 14, 1992.

Aristide Speech - September 27, 1991

Few Haitians, scholars and historians have had the opportunity to hear and study the full speech of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on September 27, 1991. The speech was mired in controversy after Raymond Joseph, current Haitian ambassador to Washington D.C. but then Publisher of the right-wing newspaper Haiti Observateur, released a slanted translation. The translation was circulated by Ellen Cosgrove, the political officer of the U.S. Embassy in 1991, to the international press as proof that Aristide supported "pe lebrun" or necklacing with burning tires doused with gasoline. Other translators and scholars have criticized Joseph and the U.S. for that slant countering that Aristide's reference to "tool" and "smell" were colorful Kreyol metaphors describing Haiti's constitution. They say this only becomes clear when heard in the context of the entire speech.

Aristide & Liberation Theology - part 1

Aristide & Liberation Theology - part 2

Aristide & Liberation Theology - part 3

Fraudulent elections in Haiti, Aristide returning...all this ahead on Flashpoints

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:59:00 +0000

Examining the context of the return of ousted Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide's return to his homeland after seven years of exile in the Republic of South Africa.

Flashpoints on Pacifica's Senior Correspondent Kevin Pina interviews journalist Ansel Herz on the ground in Port au Prince. Pina also speaks with Ira Kurzban, attorney to ousted president Jean-Bertrand Aristide about his impending return to Haiti.

Also WATCH Kevin Pina's latest video

Haiti: We Must Kill the Bandits"

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Haiti: We Must Kill the Bandits

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Also available on DVD for personal home viewing for $20 plus shipping (CA residents add 8.25% tax)

Aristide Speech to UN - Sept. 1992

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 19:33:00 +0000

Considered one of the best speeches delivered by Aristide to the United Nations on September 29, 1992, it served to reinforce his reputation as an orator and international statesman. Primarily in French with English translation, the speech is also peppered with Kreyol specifically intended for the large contingent of the Haitian community that attended this session of the United Nation's General Assembly.

Download full text of speech

If Obama can do it then why can't Haiti's Preval?

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 17:14:00 +0000

The heroic and courageous people of Cite Soleil once again took the lead by holding a press conference on Sunday, February 7, 2010 in front of the monument of the Haitian constitution. While denouncing the corruption surrounding the distribution of aid following the massive earthquake that rocked Haiti on January 12, their central message was to ask that former president Jean-Berrtand Aristide be allowed to return to participate in reconstruction. They asked a very simple but poignant question, if Obama could reach across party lines to invite Clinton and Bush to work for Haiti during this crisis, then why can't Preval do the same by inviting Aristide to return?

An Open Letter to Our Brother, President Jean-Bertrand Aristide

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 19:22:00 +0000

Originally published on Rainbow Push: March 04, 2011

An Open Letter to Our Brother, President Jean-Bertrand Aristide

To Our Brother, President Jean-Bertrand Aristide:

We wish to extend to you our full support for your return to your beloved homeland, Haiti.

As people of faith, we know that the road to democracy and justice is not an easy one. These years of enforced exile have been painful – not only for you and your family, but for the people of Haiti. We join the call from all over the world for this exile to end.

The poor of Haiti, those you have represented with such tenacity and dignity over all these years, continue to demand your presence. We hear their voices and we join their call.

In the strongest terms, we urge the United States government to cease its opposition to your return. There can be no democratic development while a democratically elected leader is banished. And there can be no true reconstruction without the participation of the majority of Haiti’s people.

In the aftermath of the terrible earthquake of 2010, your return will provide hope and lift spirits. Please know that when you get to Haiti, we will be there with you.

You are in our hearts and in our prayers.

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.
Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Archdiocese of Detroit
Rev. Phil Lawson, Interfaith Program Director, East Bay Housing Organizations
Rev. C.T. Vivian, Civil Rights Activist, Atlanta, GA
Rev. Sir John Alleyne, Church of England, UK
Dr. Amer Araim, Dar-ul-Islam Mosque, Concord CA
Father Roy Bourgeois, Founder, SOA Watch
Kathy Boylan, Catholic Worker, Washington, D.C.
Rev. Dr. Lorenzo Carlisle, Pastor, Faith Healing Prayer Deliverance Christian Center, Oakland, California
Rabbi David J. Cooper & Rabbi Burt Jacobson
Kehilla Community Synagogue*, Oakland California
Sister Maureen Duignan, OSF, Executive Director, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant
Father Renaud Francois, Montreal, Canada
Sister Stella Goodpasture, OP, Justice Promoter, Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose
Dr. Jacqueline Grant, Womanist and Director of Systematic Theology, Interdenominational Theological Center, Atlanta, GA
Rev. Graylan Scott Hagler, Senior Pastor, Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ, Washington, D.C. and National President, Ministers for Racial, Social and Economic Justice of the United Church of Christ
Father Lawrence Lucas, Our Lady of Lourdes, R.C. Church, Harlem, NY
Rev. Dr. Carolyn McCrary, Womanist and Director of Pastoral Care, Interdenominational Theological Center, Atlanta, GA
Rev. Paul Nicolson, Chair, Zacchaeus 2000, UK
Dr. Itihari Ture, Director of Center for African Biblical Studies, DeKalb County, GA
Mama Zogbe, Chief Priestess, Mami Wata Healers Society of North America
Mamissii Makena Zannu, Priestess, Mami Wata Healers Society
Reverend Doctor Nozomi Ikuta, Interfaith Prisoners of Conscience Project
*for identification purposes only