From: cpt@igc.apc.org Date: 2 Feb 1996 11:03:27 -0600 Subject: CPT HAITI ANSWERS TIME MAGAZINE

CPTNET January 18,1996

An article that appeared in Time Magazine on December 18, 1995 stated, “Rene Preval is more of a leftist than Aristide.” In the 11 years I have lived in Haiti, I have never heard Haitians use the term “leftist” to define their politics.

Haitians divide their political arena between those who want democratic change and those who maintain the oligarchy. Thousands of people who dared participate in a democratic election in 1990 were arbitrarily beaten, arrested, raped, or executed by a brutal military regime that ousted rightfully elected President Aristide and proved itself willing to use whatever means necessary to maintain the status quo of rich and poor, powerful and powerless.

Constitutional rule of law and establishing a working justice system has been the strongest platform of “Lavalas,” the political movement of Aristide and Preval. This is no different than any of the stated objectives of our own politicians, whether Democrat or Republican. Why, then, is the belief in democracy, equality, and justice, shared by almost everyone in North America, labelled “leftist ?”

Rene Preval favors policies that block the U.S. from using Haiti as a surplus market for rice, fish, and turkey (to name a few examples). Fear of this kind of economic policy led the U.S. to arm death squads (the paramilitary group FRAPH) that killed countless Lavalas supporters during the military rule. I suspect that American journalists are playing along with U.S. interests when they label Preval a “leftist.”

Carla Bluntschli Mailing address: c/o Lynx Air P.O. Box 407139 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33340-7139 Port-au-Prince Haiti address and telephone/fax: Delmas 50 #10 (509)-46-0477 email: crb@acn.com

Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) is an initiative among Mennonite and Brethren congregations, and Friends meetings who participate in public responses to organized violence. Contact CPT at P. O. Box 6508 Chicago, IL 60680 tel. FAX 312-455-1199 e-mail cpt@igc.apc.org

FORWARDED BY: — Jim Lynch <written at Rochester, New York> ==============================================================================

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