News
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| 14/4/06 |
Foreign interests taking Gold and Copper out of Haiti under UN protection |Preval meets with Castro| Seeking An “Even Playing Field”: Washington and the UN Work to Create Anti-Lavalas Coalitions by Jeb Sprague | Who really killed Jean Dominique and Jacques Roches? |
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Date: 14 April 2006 22:11:22 BDT – Gold and Copper Exploitation Operations to Resume in the North and North East Departments of Haiti (Radio Kiskeya reporting, April 8, 2006 – Unofficial English Translation by Fondasyon Mapou |eugenia@fondasyonmapou.org) (in French & English below) **************** – René Préval in Havana BY DEISY FRANCIS MEXIDOR?Granma daily staff writer? April 13, 2006 – René Preval on working visit to Cuba| Granma International, April 12, 2006 ****************** – Seeking An “Even Playing Field”: Washington and U.N. work to create Anti-Lavalas coalitions By Jeb Sprague |Haïti Progrés, April 12 – 18, 2006, Vol. 24, No. 05 – Who really killed Jean Dominique and Jacques Roche? ************************************ GOLD AND COPPER EXPLOITATION OPERATIONS TO RESUME IN THE NORTH AND NORTH EAST DEPARTMENTS of Haiti. (Radio Kiskeya reporting, April 8, 2006 – Unofficial English Translation by Fondasyon Mapou |eugenia@fondasyonmapou.org) The Canado-Haitian firm Sainte Genevieve/Haiti, a subsidiary of the Sainte-Genevieve Group, will resume their operations of exploitation of The Firm, which was forced to suspend its activities in those regions A 25 year deal granted to the Firm in 1997 and reaffirmed in 2005, authorizes the exploitation of gold and copper reserves in 3 distinct localities in the North and the North East. The Haitian Government has in addition GIVEN 5 MORE PERMITS to the Firm for the prospection of more of less significant reserves in other areas of the same Departments. The estimated value of those reserves are: 1.1 million tons, with an average range of 2.4 grams of gold per ton and 1.3 million tons of copper with an average range of 0.5%. The exploitation will resume at the end of the month. ******* Posté le samedi 8 avril 2006 | Par Radio Kiskeya La firme canado-haïtienne Sainte-Geneviève/Haïti, filiale du groupe canadien Sainte-Geneviève, reprend à la fin du mois d?avril ses opérations d?exploitation de gisements d?or et de cuivre dans les départements du Nord et du Nord-Est, a annoncé mercredi le Bureau des Mines et de l?Energie. Dans cette perspective, la société qui avait dû cesser ses activités en 2005 en raison de troubles sociaux dans les zones d?intervention, a officiellement rouvert ses bureaux vendredi à Port-au-Prince. La veille, ses principaux actionnaires s?étaient mis à la disposition de potentiels investisseurs haïtiens à Caribe Convetion Center (Juvénat, Est de Port-au-Prince) en vue d?élargir le portefeuille d?actions de la société. Une concession de 25 ans accordée à la firme en 1997 et reconduite en 2005, autorise celle-ci à exploiter des gisements se trouvant dans 3 localités distinctes du Nord et du Nord-Est. L?Etat haïtien a accordé à la firme 5 autres permis de prospection dans d?autres zones des mêmes départements où pourraient exister des gisements plus ou moins importants d?or et de cuivre. Les réserves dont l?exploitation va continuer à partir de la fin du mois sont estimées à 1.1 million de tonnes, avec une teneur moyenne de 2,4 grammes d?or par tonne et 1.3 million de tonnes de 0.5% de teneur moyenne pour le cuivre. [jmd/RK] *************************** Haiti, Cuba Expanding Cooperation Havana, Apr 14 (Prensa Latina) Haitian president-elect Rene Preval is exploring Friday new areas in which his nation and Cuba can cooperate, such as health and education. Thursday, Preval and President Fidel Castro discussed issues that could be a starting point for a re-launching of both nation’s historical ties. The two statesmen expressed interest to broaden Cuban aid to Haiti, mostly oriented towards health, but also on other key sectors to achieve stability in the neighbor Caribbean nation. The president-elect came to the island accompanied by 60 young Haitians who have scholarships to study medicine here and 535 low-income patients who will have free eye surgery as part of Operation Miracle. During their stay, the Haitian guests will meet with local officials and tour sites of scientific and social interest. mh/ymr/apf/mf ********************************* René Préval in Havana BY DEISY FRANCIS MEXIDOR?Granma daily staff writer? “IT is very clear that cooperation is going to continue,” affirmed René Préval, president-elect of Haiti, after his arrival at 6:00 p.m. yesterday at José Martí International Airport in response to an invitation from President Fidel Castro. René Préval in HavanaPréval commented that he is to meet with his “friend Fidel and look at all the possibilities there are for cooperation.” He added that his presence in the capital was not only in response to the invitation from the leader of the Revolution but is also a working visit, which began yesterday morning in Santiago de Cuba, where a further 60 young Haitians have arrived to study Medicine on the island. That also meant that he brought “some 40 patients for Operation Miracle.” Thanks to that humane project 25 flights have come from that sister Caribbean nation with sick people and “approximately 600 have been treated already.” In a brief meeting with the press, Préval emphasized that “close to 500 Haitian health troops are being trained in Cuba” and praised the role of the Cuban medical brigades lending their services in Haiti, and who “are working very hard. They have done more than eight million consultancies and performed more than one million operations. In Haiti, it?s said that the Cuban doctors are next in line to God.” ************************************ Granma International April 12, 2006 René Preval on working visit to Cuba The president-elect of Haiti, René Préval, initiated a working visit to Cuba this April 12, in response to an invitation from President Fidel Castro. Préval traveled with a delegation composed of various members of his future government and other Haitian figures, according to an official note published in Granma daily at the close of this edition. His visit coincides with the arrival of a group of Haitian scholarship students, as well as patients from that country who are to receive medical attention in Haiti under Operation Miracle, a Cuban-Venezuelan project that offers free ophthalmological care to poor patients in the Third World. According to the information, Préval and his delegation are to be received by President Fidel Castro and have a full agenda, including visits to places of scientific and social interest, as well as talks with other national authorities. Préval, former president of Haiti (1996-2001) and in 1991 former prime minister in the government of Jean Bertrand Aristide, won the presidential elections on February 7 with an absolute majority that gave him the presidency in the first round. Copyright (C) 2006 Granma. *************************** Seeking An “Even Playing Field”: Washington and U.N. work to create Anti-Lavalas coalitions By Jeb Sprague |Haïti Progrés, April 12 – 18, 2006, Vol. 24, No. 05 As Haiti’s legislative run-off elections approach, it is worthwhile to review elements of Washington’s campaign to rig the vote in favor of its local client parties. This “democracy promotion” – which is anything but that – is strategically critical to winning the Haitian parliament, with which President-elect René Préval will name the new prime minister, Haiti’s most powerful executive post. Researcher Jeb Sprague has published the findings that are the basis of this article on his weblog ( www.freehaiti.net ). In the years leading up to Haiti’s 2006 presidential and legislative elections, whose second round are now set for April 21, the International Republican Institute (IRI) helped form and coach three coalitions of right wing and social-democratic parties, which were all partisans of the Feb. 29, 2004 coup d’état against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. IRI’s goal was the “strengthening [of] democratic political parties,” according to an October 2004 IRI document I obtained through a recent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. But in the past, as pointed out in Irwin Stotzky’s Silencing The Guns in Haiti, the IRI proposed “leadership training exclusively for non-Lavalas centrist political party representatives,” considering supporters of Lavalas as “undemocratic.” All of the client parties trained and facilitated by the IRI were arrayed against the FL in the Democratic Convergence political front, supporting the 2004 coup. Nonetheless, IRI had a hand in merging a rump faction of former FL leaders into a coalition with the Movement for the Installation for Democracy in Haiti (MIDH) of Marc Bazin, whose ill-fated campaign as a supposed “Lavalas” presidential candidate netted him only 0.68% of the February 7 vote. According to interviews conducted by Canadian journalist Anthony Fenton, the IRI was involved in the meetings to merge the rump “Lavalas” and MIDH. FOIA discoveries by researcher Jeremy Bigwood indicate that Marc Bazin was involved in meetings with IRI prior to the 2004 coup. IRI is the Republican arm of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a quasi-official foundation which carries out Washington’s “democratization” programs in nations around the globe – working to promote candidates and parties that further U.S. strategic interests. IRI has worked continuously to undermine democracy in Haiti, as made clear in the January 28, 2006 New York Times article “Mixed U.S. Signals Helped Tilt Haiti Toward Chaos” (see Haiti Progres, Vol. 23, No. 47, 2/1/2006). IRI’s Democratic Party counter-part at the NED is the National Democratic Institute (NDI). In addition to other funding, the IRI and NDI have a joint $5.7 million contract in Haiti for 2002-2006 with USAID. Meanwhile, through another FOIA request, I have learned that the U.S. State Department’s Agency for International Development (USAID) recently funneled $3 million through the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) to provide “logistical support to democratic political parties during the 2005 electoral campaign.” According to the released USAID document, USAID and UNOPS “invited the democratic parties” – again no mention of who the “undemocratic” parties are – “to attend an information meeting on Friday, November 4 [2005].” At that meeting the parties were asked to “sign memoranda of understanding” that would allow them to use SUVs and minivans “for outreach and election-monitoring activities in outlying cities.” The USAID money also went to “purchasing media time for campaign messages” and the providing “shirts, posters, campaign materials, etc.” as well as the all important “operational expenses for political party representatives” monitoring the elections. All this for “democratic parties” who came to an “understanding” with USAID and UNOPS. USAID’s Haiti Country Team selected the “democratic and law-abiding political parties and coalitions… in consultation with” IRI and NDI. According to the document, the $3 million was to be disbursed from August 22 through December 31, 2005 “with possibility for extension… due to election delays.” Reportedly, René Préval’s Lespwa party refused the UNOPS/USAID funding. Meanwhile, leaders of the Lavalas Family party were jailed or exiled by the de facto government. With millions going to help rival political parties in Haiti, it is no wonder that USAID says that its UNOPS project would help “even the playing field for the upcoming elections.” It is also interesting the importance that USAID gave to helping create a “socialist” coalition between the Struggling Peoples Organization (OPL) of Paul Denis, the National Progressive Revolutionary Haitian Party (PANPRA) of Serges Gilles, the National Congress of Democratic Movements (KONAKOM) of Victor Benoit and Micha Gaillard, and Ayiti Kapab. I believe that the IRI is working to neutralize and destroy the parties championing Haiti’s Lavalas ideals by strengthening and constructing rival parties and coalitions. Is this democracy when neo-conservative political operatives, funded by the world’s foremost superpower, work to undermine the political process of the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country? The OPL’s Paul Denis surely suspected that his IRI and USAID support was not going to put him in the lead. Just before the election, he “denounced what he termed the lack of determination by the Provisional Electoral Council to make corrections to the electoral process before February 7, 2006, the date of the first round of the presidential and legislative elections,” the Haitian Press Agency (AHP) reported. “The OPL provided an upbeat assessment of [Denis’s] electoral campaign and considered that the failure to regularize the situation will result in a low voter turnout, which could in turn lead to doubts about the legitimacy of the results of the election and a new confrontation in Haiti. Mr. Denis said he feels assured of victory, but he regrets that his advice was not taken into account by the actors involved in the electoral process.” Here is an extract from the IRI documents my FOIA request released: “Since 2002, IRI has formulated seminars, targeted at women and youth from political parties and civil society, on campaign management, political party structure, fundraising, polling, political communication, platform development and the uses of Internet Technology to strengthen political parties. . . Throughout the year [2004], IRI helped with the ongoing emergence of three major coalitions and one merger of left of center parties. The coalitons are: the Grand Front Centre Droit (GFCD), Union Patriotique, and Fronciph. . . From July 31 to August 1, 2004, leaders of left of center parties, Ayiti Kapab, KONAKOM, OPL, and PANPRA met to discuss ways to accelerate a merge and the various techniques needed to advance the goal at the municipal level. At the end of the session, they put in place a work plan for the departments and municipalities to implement the merger of the four parties, now called the Groupe Socialiste. . . IRI is still working with the Christian democratic parties for a similar coalition. . . IRI’s information technology trainings have helped political parties create their own websites:. . . OPL. . . GFCD. . . MDN. . . Generation 2004.” The Haiti Democracy Project, an elite-funded think-tank, has put on its website an interview between pro-coup journalist Nancy Roc and Paul Denis. In the interview, Denis discusses the OPL’s role in Democratic Convergence’s campaign against Haiti’s democratically elected government: “We had a Convergence which gathered parties from the left and the right, but we were joined together around the same objective: the fight against Aristide and for his departure.” This is the kind of “democratic and law-abiding” party that IRI and USAID are spending millions to support. All articles copyrighted Haiti Progres, Inc. REPRINTS ENCOURAGED. Please credit Haiti Progres. ******************************************** Who really killed Jean Dominique and Jacques Roche? Kevin Pina recently interviewed legendary Haitian priest and human rights activist, Father Gerard Jean-Juste from Miami, Florida on the program Flashpoints www.flashpoints.net heard on the Pacifica network. The following is a transcript of the interview made possible by Kevin Salinger. Kevin Pina: Good afternoon, this is Kevin Pina with Flashpoints on Pacifica. Today’s very special guest is my dear friend, and a man who has fought tirelessly for justice in Haiti, who has fought tirelessly for human rights in Haiti, Father Gerard Jean-Juste. Father Gerard Jean-Juste is currently in Miami, he is undergoing chemotherapy. He was, of course diagnosed with leukemia while he was being held without charges in a Haitian jail. He was tested by Doctor Paul Farmer, who then smuggled out his blood and diagnosed him with leukemia. Finally the US, United Nations-backed forces, the US-backed government, installed government of Gerard Latortue was forced to free Father Gerard Jean-Juste to allow him to begin his medical treatment. Father Gerard Jean-Juste, good afternoon, and welcome to Flashpoints. Fr. Jean-Juste: Good afternoon Kevin, good afternoon to all the listeners of Flashpoints. Kevin Pina: Well, now you’ve had a little bit of time, you’ve been in Miami. How are the treatments going Father, how are you feeling? Fr. Jean-Juste: It has been improving for a while, and I feel better now. I thank God; I thank all of you for your prayers, and for your support. And also, I’m getting ready right now for the second cycle of chemotherapy treatment. I have about five more cycles left, so the first one went very well, and I hope the second one will go well too, and the other ones, so they hope within five months I may recuperate pretty good. Kevin Pina: Now I now that, in theory, your case is still pending in Haiti, but I’d like to get into that a little bit, particularly in light of the fact that there’s been a lot of talk lately by Reporters Without Borders, and by the widow of Jean Dominique lately, raising the question of Jean Dominique haitiaction.net/News/about/Dominique.html , in particular the involvement of Lavalas in the murder of Jean Dominique; and I can’t help but think of the parallels, in that, you of course are accused of being involved in the kidnapping and the murder — a preposterous accusation of course — and the murder of Jacques Roche. Jacques Roche was a reporter who was, really, I guess a sort of slanted reporter, I guess there is another term for it, a reporter who worked with the Group 184, which was, of course, the opposition group that helped to oust President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on February 29, 2004. But Father, I don’t think that we ever really heard from you. How did you feel when you first heard this preposterous accusation against you? I know you must have felt it was preposterous. Fr. Jean-Juste: Definitely, definitely, it was ridiculous to charge me with such a preposterous accusation. I was in Miami on business, and then I returned to Haiti on the 15th, two days or three days after the Jacques Roche assassination. So I had nothing, absolutely nothing to do with Jacques Roche. Of course, now they are looking for a way to get rid of me, to shut my mouth, and also to stop Lavalas from participating in the election, in order for them to go to the elections and carry all the posts. But, unfortunately for them, and fortunately for us, within time the case of Jacques Roche has been dying — inaudible — because the search found nothing about us, they dropped the charges. But I would like to see Jacques Roche obtain justice, in the sense that they should try to find the true killers and go after them, and bring justice to the case. But now we have to ask the question: who was the true killers of Jacques Roche? Because it seems to me this is a political killing in order to capitalize, in order to benefit out of the exploitation of the death of Jacques Roche. And this is the beginning of what we call the “arming of ti machet.” That was the first in a series where we’ve been attacked at the church, it was something plain, by some officers of the de facto government, and later on we discovered that the death squad was in full speed going after Lavalas people, even at the soccer game, organized, or sponsored by the USAID, where so many Lavalas people have been assassinated and killed in cold blood. So I guess there was a — inaudible — going on, and they were looking for a way to trap us Lavalas, and put everything on our back, and then get rid of Lavalas. So they have failed, Lavalas has survived, and now we hope we will keep moving forward, obtain justice, not only for myself, but for the other political prisoners, and for everyone else accused falsely in the case. Kevin Pina: It seems so hard though to figure out the truth and to be able get justice, when people seem to politicize incidents like this, and use it as a tool of political persecution against those who are associated with Lavalas. Of course there’s the most recent example of your own where you were not involved with Jacques Roche, but yet we know that the minister of culture under the Latortue government got up and accused you personally, accused Lavalas of involvement. Without any proof it was printed in the media, in the mainstream media and in the Haitian press, and there were very few questions raised as far as the validity of it until you were finally released when the charges were dropped. But I can’t help but also think about the Jean Dominique case. And now I hear about Michelle Montas, who of course I have respect for, and I hear Reporters Without Borders who I have very little respect for, bringing up the Jean Dominique case again. But I also remember when those same forces had accused President Jean-Bertrand Aristide of having given Senator Dany Toussaint the order to have Jean Dominique, Haiti’s most famous journalist, assassinated. I remember quite clearly, everyone, the political line was President Jean-Bertrand Aristide gave Senator Dany Toussaint the order to kill Jean Dominique. And yet, Senator Dany Toussaint, in the recent presidential elections, ran as a candidate for the presidency, and nobody said a word about it again. But yet the damage had been done. Father, can you help us to understand how these sorts of mysterious murders are used for political reasons, for a tool of political persecution against Lavalas, how accusations are made, peoples’ lives are destroyed, and then suddenly we find out that what they told us was the truth, wasn’t the truth. Fr. Jean-Juste: Yeah, it is unfortunate Kevin that in Haitian politics, some politician can do anything to blame, or to condemn the opponent, the adversaries. So, this is a very bad practice. It reminds me of the tactic on the international level, once in awhile we see that whenever they want to create a problem for a president, for a party, for a group, they manage to get somebody killed, and then they manage to blame some group they want to get rid of. In French we always say that — speaking in French — we say that whenever we want to get rid of somebody, just look for an alibi, look for a case we hear of murder, and put it on the back of the person, and then we make propaganda about it. So it is unfortunate. And in the case of Jean Dominique, Jean was a Lavalas, strong Lavalas, and helping the peasants, helping the poorest ones. And who should profit off the killing of Jean? Who should profit off getting rid of such a great journalist? You understand, so they use Jean to put pressure on the Lavalas government. It’s like having a family, where someone will try to kill the son or the daughter of the family, and now try to blame the whole family for the killing. It is ridiculous. So in that sense, we are putting it so Jean Dominique could obtain justice. But I think that Reporters Without Borders is just using the case for their own purpose. Understand that the last three years we heard nothing about the case. Why is it now coming back again on the scene? It seems that every time a Lavalas, comes back- is running, they try to bring up something in order to stop the government of the people. Kevin Pina: And of course Reporters Without Borders said absolutely nothing, or very little about this thing of Abdias Jean. You know we don’t know, there’s no clear evidence who killed Jean Dominique, but we know that there were eyewitnesses who say that the Haitian police summarily executed Abdias Jean in January 2005, in the neighborhood of Cite de Dieu. We know that for a fact. Fr. Jean-Juste: Yeah, that’s true. Unfortunately, this is the type of reporting we have coming from France. And understand that some French officials have been helping some Haitian students in order to make them rise against the Lavalas government all the time. And because President Aristide was apparently asking for France to repair it, to repair, to uh – Kevin Pina: Give reparations. Fr. Jean-Juste: – for reparations, and they [owe] 22 billion dollars to Haiti, and France refused, and in that case, I guess Reporters Sans Frontiers is trying to think ahead, to make us forget what we are looking for. We’re looking for reparations, we’re looking for restitution, and I think its about time that France stop- and deal frankly with the issue, otherwise, they cannot understand the issue. We’re still alive, and probably after Jacques Chirac or some other government, we’ll still continue to demand reparations and restitution, and we will gain justice someday. Kevin Pina: Now you know, sometimes it almost seems like a cultural war for me. When I see the attacks, the character assassination on leadership of Lavalas, when I see the attempt to destroy the reputation of Lavalas, when I see the attempt to paint it with a wide brush stroke, that it was a violent movement at the behest of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the dictator of Haiti, all of this sort of propaganda machine within culture. And a latest example is this film that was just released, which I haven’t seen yet, but the main theme of it, its called Ghosts of Cite Soleil, its produced by the son of Jorgen Leth, Asgar Leth. Jorgen Leth of course was the former Danish honorary counsel to Haiti, who had to resign because he had written a book that detailed his sexual exploits with his 17-year-old house servant, and that created a very moral uproar and he had to resign from that position. But his son Asgar Leth now has produced a film called Ghosts of Cite Soleil, in which he now chronicles the exploits of two gang leaders in Cite Soleil called Tupac and Billy. And according to this film, there are these phone calls that are made reportedly, in this film, that say that they are being made by those close to Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who is getting leadership to the gangs in Cite Soleil to go out and kill the opposition. Father Gerard Jean-Juste, I’ve never asked you this question before: what is your opinion about the accusations that have been leveled against Jean-Bertrand Aristide, that he was using the state to sponsor violence against the opposition in Haiti? Fr. Jean-Juste: Well its completely false, its completely propaganda, its completely unjust doing that to President Aristide. The president was elected by the people, the president was well-loved by the people, by most Haitians, as the president was being so good to the poorest ones in Haiti by offering education to everyone, regardless that the international community had stopped all aid, all assistance to President Aristide as well as President Preval in the past; and these presidents, loved by the people, had managed to offer maximum services to the people. And that is the reason that now we have so many people coming out, still supporting these Lavalas presidents. So I guess the enemy should take a lesson, instead of trying to destroy all those who want good for the grassroots, who want good for the people in general, who want good for everyone in general, rich or poor, who want possibilities for the poor, want – going after these good Haitians; and I think they should, instead, try to find ways to bring cooperation and help us better the life of the people. That’s the way how I see it, but unfortunately we have a long way to go to make these people, to make the enemies of the Haitian people understand that. Its not the proper way to live, its not the proper way to operate, and they should come on the side of the people. So we hope with our prayers, with our discipline, we shall convince them, someday they will change. That’s why hope, or otherwise I’ll see why people who are educated, who are supposed to know better, will go in a way of — inaudible — that leads to the assassination of so many Haitian brothers and sisters. And President Aristide, he is loved by the Haitian people, not because he is President, or because he has done something great, its because he has shown complete love for the people. Poor people can enter the palace and eat with the president, and party with the president, as well as rich people. So President Aristide has been opening his arms and heart to everyone. So at the moment that the people have tasted this type of service, this type of offer coming from the president – Kevin Pina: Open government. Fr. Jean-Juste: – from the government — you can do whatever you want, they will give their life for the movement, because the movement is in their advantage, giving them more dignity, and more hope, and improve their living. So that’s the best way to operate. The best way to operate is completely to come with some services that allow people to receive basic human needs. So this is the best way, and you’re going to have the Haitian people with you forever. But the Kevin Pina: You know Father, there seems to be a revision of history going on as well. People seem to be wanting to sweep under the rug what life has been like in Haiti the past two years, which I can only describe as a human rights hell. But I wonder if you could just help our listeners to understand, if you could describe, define what the last two years have been like in Haiti before the elections, after the coup against Aristide, February 29, 2004. How would you describe that period of history, Father. Fr. Jean-Juste: Well as you just were referring, it was hell in Haiti, cause, imagine that we had a democratic government functioning, and in effect, within the international community, they come together and, with some putchist leaders, coup leaders, and they get rid of this elected president. And that has been quite a blow to us Haitians. So many innocent people have been killed for nothing, and the people who have survived have received no services at all, and all the public places that were built, to serve the people, to welcome them — the parks, the public institutions in education, meant to serve the people — everything has been either destroyed or disappeared. And so the de facto government that has been imposed on us the last two years has received more assistance from that sector of the international community — from the international community at large, I should say — and has done nothing for the people in concrete. Look at Haiti now: they are still without electricity, no woods, and no food for the people, and — inaudible — it’s very expensive. And on the human rights level forget it. The jails are overcrowded with innocent people, most of them Lavalas people. And so this is a situation where they have tried to force a government in the throat of the people, and the people have stood up and thwarted them. So I think we have a great lesson today, and Haiti should never, never live such a sad, hellish moment, like we’ve had the last Kevin Pina: I understand Father. This is Kevin Pina on Flashpoints on Pacifica, our guest today is Father Gerard Jean-Juste. Now Father they’ve set you free to undergo chemotherapy for lymphatic leukemia, which of course is very dangerous. They had held you to the point where it had become life-threatening, and of course your treatment had to commence immediately. But technically you’re still a political prisoner, because technically after your treatment you’re supposed to return to Haiti. Is that right? Fr. Jean-Juste: Yes, I’m looking forward to returning to Haiti. As far as my case is concerned, in order to send me for treatment the government wanted to pardon me. I said, what have I done to deserve a pardon? So I am the one who went on appeal. I’m going on appeal, and I would like to win the case all the way, all the way, and I won’t back off until I receive justice from the government of Haiti, probably now would be under government under Preval administration, yeah. Kevin Pina: Well I can’t thank you enough Father Gerard Jean-Juste. God bless you sir and thank you so much for your time. Please take care. Fr. Jean-Juste: Thank you very much Kevin. My greeting to all the listeners, and I hope God bless every one of us. Thank you. See Also: “ At 6:15 a.m. on Apr. 3, a gunman entered the courtyard of Radio Haiti Inter and shot to death pioneering radio journalist Jean Dominique, 69, as well as the station’s caretaker, Jean-Claude Louissaint. Dominique, who was just arriving by car to prepare for his hugely popular 7:00 a.m. daily news roundup, was struck by one bullet in the head and two in the neck. He was loaded with Louissaint into an ambulance, but both men were pronounced dead on arrival at the nearby Haitian Community Hospital in Pétionville.” Apr 2004. ******************************** Men Anpil Chay Pa Lou! – Many Hands Make Light a Heavy Load! ************************************* ****************************** ****************************** See, Urgent Media Alert: HLLN’s Media Letter Writing Campaign: Stop Mainstream Media libelously railroading President Preval and the people of Haiti – Keep writing, denouncing these false accusations. https://lists.riseup.net/www/arc/ezilidanto/2006-02/msg00027.html Letter to the New York Times from Hazel Ross-Robinson office https://lists.riseup.net/www/arc/ezilidanto/2006-02/msg00028.html Why we cannot forget the past by Harry Comeau, A letter to Washington, Ottowa, Paris and the international media from a Haitian man https://lists.riseup.net/www/arc/ezilidanto/2006-03/msg00000.html Letter’s to the Media – It’s the INTERNATIONAL EFFORT that has brought Haiti where it stands today. Stop these international LIES about Haiti, stop stealing and calling it “helping Haiti!” | Pouki sa lapres lang long fin dechennen kont pep Ayisyen an? | Plans to make Haiti a penal colony and officially placed under UN Protectorate proceeds. https://lists.riseup.net/www/arc/ezilidanto/2006-03/msg00002.html ********* HLLN’s Media Campaign to FREE the political prisoners in Haiti Join HLLN’S MEDIA Campaign to expose the corrupt role of the UN, US, Canada, O AS, France, this international community’s (the “International Community”) culpable role in keeping in office, over the OBJECTIONS of the majority of Haiti’s peoples, at home and abroad, for more than TWO years now, and training and paying a puppet Haitian government with no popular mandate and massive human rights abuses and political repression. Stop UN, US, OAS, Canada, France’s hypocrisy. Their authorities are the ones holding the political prisoners in Haiti, they are coup d’etat countries with the UN as their proxy. They are the RESPONDIAT SUPERIORS, not the puppet Latortue government or its corrupt and paid-off judges. Write to media urging them not to let the International Community pass the blame to their very employees – the Latortue death regime and its corrupt justice system. Demand that the mainstream media stop turning a blind eye to the truth in Haiti: the WHO holds the keys locking the political prisoners behind bars. It’s this INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY with UN soldiers as henchmen, wielding its defacto protectorate in Haiti, with Latortue regime as its proxy and “black face” Demand that these coup d’etat implementers, FREE the people before giving back the reigns of government illegally held by the international community’s employees in Haiti. – 3 Sample Letters for HLLN’s media campaign to protect the Feb 7th mandate, release political prisoners, release Haiti’s children from prison immediately – HLLN’s Urgent Action Request to the UN/US/France/Canada – RELEASE THE ******************************************************************* We are collecting endorsers. Join the list of sponsors. Answer the call. ANSWER THE CALL and support the current 2006 www.margueritelaurent.com/solidarityday/18_06pressrel.html and * FREE THE POLITICAL PRISONERS: Sample letters for HLLN’S Media Campaign to ***************************** To support HLLN?s work, please donate to the Haitian Lawyers Leadership **************************** |
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