Haiti Information Project (HIP)

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 in Haiti?

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.

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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

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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Watch for Kevin Pina's new documentary Haiti: The Betrayal of Democracy

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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

HAITI NOW: Lecture and film presentation by Kevin Pina

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:05:00 +0000

Journalist and film maker Kevin Pina will present his latest documentary Haiti: We Must Kill the Bandits at Mills College in Oakland, CA on Wednesday, March 9. Directions to Mills College can be found here:

Mills College 5000 MacArthur Blvd. Oakland, CA 94613

Pina is an American journalist and filmmaker. He is known for his reporting that focused on human rights abuses in Haiti following the ouster of Jean-Bertrand Aristide on February 29, 2004 and the installation of the interim government of Gerard Latortue and Boniface Alexandre in March 2004. Pina reported on events in Haiti from 2003-2006 as a Special Correspondent for the radio program, Flashpoints, heard on KPFA - the flagship station of Pacifica Radio based in Berkeley, California. Pina is also the Founding Editor of the Haiti Information Project (HIP), a non-profit news agency based in Port-au-Prince and Northern California, and an Associate Editor for the Black Commentator, an online magazine.

For further information contact 510-338-4105

Interview with Aristide's attorney Ira Kurzban

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 05:36:00 +0000

Ira Kurzban

Kevin Pina interviews exiled Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide's attorney Ira Kurzban. They discuss Aristide's possible return to Haiti, the political situation, Duvalier, and the scheduled second round of "elections" in Haiti.

Also WATCH Kevin Pina's latest video

Haiti: We Must Kill the Bandits"

WATCH the FINAL CUT of

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

Return of Aristide to Haiti?

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:12:00 +0000

Robert Knight interviews journalist and film maker Kevin Pina about the significance of recent moves towards the return of ousted president Jean-Bertrand Aristide to Haiti. They also discuss elections in Haiti, the return of dictator Jean Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, and the legacy of current Haitian president Rene Preval.

Also WATCH Kevin Pina's latest video

Haiti: We Must Kill the Bandits"

WATCH the FINAL CUT of

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

Haiti: Aristide Speech - September 27, 1991

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 20:01:00 +0000

President Jean-Bertrand Aristide delivers speech in front of Haiti's national Palace on 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 his "translation" of the speech.

Joseph's 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. Many translators and scholars have since criticized Joseph and the U.S. for slanting the translation 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.

The historical context of the speech is equally important as it follows an attempt by the Duavlierists and Roger Lafontant to overthrow Aristide's government in a coup only three months earlier. Aristide was caught between plots by Duvalierists aligned with Haiti's wealthy elite and the violent reaction and impulses of the Haitian masses to decades of brutal repression known as dechoukaj.

Aristide was overthrown two days after delivering this speech on September 31, 1991. The Joseph translation of the speech was handed out by Ellen Cosgrove to the press on October 7, 1991 during a visit by the Organization of American States (OAS) to Haiti.

This speech has been referred to many times, including in the present context, to justify keeping Aristide out of politics and the violent repression of Haiti's poor masses represented by the Lavalas movement.

Kevin Pina and the Haiti Information Project (HIP) now offer for history the complete unedited speech in Kreyol as it was videotaped that day in Sept. 1991.

Also WATCH Kevin Pina's latest video

Haiti: We Must Kill the Bandits"

WATCH the FINAL CUT of

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

"Haiti: Harvest of Hope" FREE broadband viewing

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 06:54:00 +0000

Narrated by Roscoe Lee Browne, Haiti: Harvest of Hope is the quintessential primer for understanding the roots of the current crisis in Haiti. The film dramatically captures seminal moments in the history of Jean-Bertrand Aristide and the Lavalas movement that swept him into the presidency in December 1990.

Haiti: Harvest of Hope was originally planned as a documentary about democracy coming to Haiti with the election of Jean-Bertrand Aristide in December 1990. During the final editing of the original (late September 1991) Haiti was struck by yet another military coup. Editing of the first version came to a halt as Kevin Pina (the filmmaker) returned to Haiti and spent the next three weeks chronicling the brutality and machinations of Haiti's new military leaders and their supporters.

Kevin Pina returned to Haiti in late July 1993 just after the negotiation of the Governor's Island Accord between the Haitian Government in exile and General Raoul Cedras. Pina returned again in 1994 to film Aristide's return to Haiti. The world television premiere of Harvest of Hope was in Haiti on Mother's Day, March 28, 1994. The broadcast was dedicated to the mothers of Haiti who sacrificed so much during the years of the coup to restore democracy to Haiti.

The Creole version was produced in association with Jean-Claude Martineau who also introduced the film on Haitian National Television. The first English version of Harvest of Hope was shown to a sold-out house at the Mill Valley, California Film Festival in the summer of 1994.

Never having received wide distribution since, Harvest of Hope is a rare film that few have had the opportunity to experience. The final director's cut was completed in 1998 and has only been seen by a select few. (DVD, 57 minutes, 1998)

WATCH Haiti: Harvest of Hope FREE!!

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Also WATCH Kevin Pina's latest video

Haiti: We Must Kill the Bandits"

WATCH the FINAL CUT of

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

US Congresswoman Slams Duvalier, Preval and Foreign Intervention in Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (Haiti Information Project (HIP)) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 07:47:00 +0000

Washington D.C. — Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) issued the following statement today:

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.

Duvalier's return comes in the midst of a desperate attempt by President Rene Préval to maintain control of Haiti by ensuring the election of Jude Celestin, his chosen successor. President Préval did this by appointing a Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) that was biased in his favor, which refused to allow candidates from over a dozen political parties to participate in the elections. Among those excluded was Lavalas, Haiti's largest political party and the party most popular among Haiti's poor. The result was a deeply flawed election that generated widespread and sometimes violent protests among the Haitian people.

Had the elections truly been inclusive, the most likely result would have been the election of a President who represented the impoverished majority of the Haitian people. This would have been contrary to the interests of the rich and powerful business elites of Haiti, whose main goal has always been the exploitation of the Haitian people as cheap labor. It is these wealthy Haitian elites who benefited under the reign of the Duvalier regime and who would no doubt benefit if he were to return to power.

Additional confusion was created by the Organization of American States (OAS), which attempted to salvage these flawed elections by issuing a report based on flawed methodology. The OAS did not conduct a full recount, but instead examined a sample of only 919 of the 11,181 tally sheets from voting booths across Haiti, threw out 234 of these tally sheets, and then concluded that Michel "Sweet Micky" Martelly should advance to a runoff, along with Mirlande Manigat, in place of Jude Celestin. The OAS report concluded that Martelly defeated Celestin by a margin of only 0.3 percent of the votes reported on those tally sheets that the OAS chose to count. This would mean Préval's candidate, the candidate who is most likely to be trusted by the elites, would be eliminated.

However, according to an analysis by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), tally sheets were either missing or were discounted for irregularities at 1,326 voting booths or 11.9 percent of the total. The proportion of discounted votes and other irregularities is more than sufficient to cast doubt upon the entire process, especially when the difference between the number of votes counted for Celestin and Martelly is so small. The recommendation of the OAS to change the names of the candidates included in the runoff election is an ill-advised and sloppy attempt to fix an election that should be scrapped entirely.

In any case, it is now clear that no runoff can be held this month as previously planned, and no successor will be elected prior to February 7th, the last day of President Préval's term in office under the constitution. Consequently, there is the possibility that Haiti could find itself with no President, thus creating a void and the opportunity for a dictator.

I was shocked to learn that OAS officials discussed forcing President Préval to leave the country on board a plane – much the way that former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was forced to leave the country in a coup d'état in 2004. Ricardo Seitanfus, the former OAS Special Representative to Haiti, recently revealed that at a meeting of United Nations, OAS and donor country officials, some representatives suggested that President Préval should leave the country and an airplane should be provided for that purpose.

The OAS and other international agencies have no right to dictate the outcome of the election and no right to plot the exile of the current President of Haiti. Despite President Préval's role in these failed and fraudulent elections, the OAS cannot be a part of a plan to try to determine the outcome of the elections.

It is absurd and outrageous that anyone would even think to take advantage of this situation to facilitate Baby Doc Duvalier's return to Haiti. Unfortunately, he has returned, and it is important to ask why. Who assisted Duvalier in his return? Where did he get the money to pay for his return? Were any officials of the U.S. Government aware of his plans to return? Was the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) aware? If so, was any action taken to stop him from returning or to ensure that he would be arrested and prosecuted for his crimes and not allowed to usurp power if he did return?

I am deeply concerned that the wealthy elites of Haiti who supported the Duvalier regime in the past, along with the assistance of international agencies, may have encouraged Duvalier to return in the hope that the flawed elections will create a power vacuum that could allow him to take power once again. I am even more concerned that OAS officials may be wittingly or unwittingly helping to create precisely the type of power vacuum that would enable him to do so.

It is important that we determine what role U.S. officials played, if any, in facilitating Duvalier's return. It is even more important that we determine what role the U.S. Government will play moving forward.

The U.S. Government promised to help Haiti recover from last year's earthquake and develop its economy. I introduced legislation to forgive Haiti its foreign debt, and allow the country to secure additional aid in the form of grants so that it wouldn't incur further debt. I was very pleased that Congress passed the legislation in a bipartisan manner, and that President Obama signed it into law just three months after the earthquake. President Obama also requested and Congress appropriated almost $3 billion in funds for humanitarian assistance and long-term reconstruction and development for Haiti. Meanwhile, donor countries committed more than $9 billion in aid for Haiti's reconstruction at an international donors' conference last March.

Haiti's next government will be called upon to make difficult decisions regarding the allocation of these resources. If these decisions are not made by a credible and legitimately-elected government, billions in U.S. taxpayer funds could be wasted and many donors may refuse to distribute the funds that were promised. Meanwhile, Haiti's recovery could be delayed for decades and the Haitian people will continue to suffer.

I believe the only recourse is for Haiti to organize new elections that will be free and fair, inclusive of all eligible political parties and candidates, and open to participation by all Haitian voters. The U.S. Government should demand a clear statement to that effect by both the OAS and President Préval, and the U.S. should stand ready to assist Haiti in organizing new elections.

Only through free, fair and inclusive elections will the people of Haiti be empowered to create a better future for themselves and their children.

Sean Bartlett
Press Secretary
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-35)
2344 Rayburn HOB / Washington, DC 20515
(o) 202.225.2201
(f) 202.225.7854
www.waters.house.gov