Newsgroups: apc.reg.carib

Subject:

From: jclancy@peg.apc.org Subject: US Threats to Haiti

The notorious USAID -Agency for International Development-won’t give up its obsolete agenda; which is to develop those Third World countries that totally accept US hedgemony, political, commercial control, and economics via the IMF/World Bank. The promised $4.6 million (massive?) aid to Haiti is still withheld because Haiti has given no sign of moving towards neo-liberalist reforms such as the privatisation of state-owned companies.

Nine main such enterprises have been studied by International Finance Corp’n (IFC), and include telephone and power companies, main ports and airports, a flour mill and a cement factory. The sales must be to the highest bidder-in a politically restricted market. The probable result will be total ownership by US corporations, who have been known to take advantage of any available slave labor force which earns around $225 per year.

According to observers, the resignation of Prime Minister Smark Michel is due to the lack of popular support for the privatisation plans. His successor Claudette Werleigh may be more responsive. Foreign and Haitian NGOs maintain that the proposed reforms could add to the people’s economic difficulties. The ‘people’ of course are possibly trying to assist the US ShareMarkets, which have breached the record 5100 points mark and are heading for 6000, all depending on how much sweat it can grind from ‘happy’ workers.

The people are still demanding the disarming of the ruthless former ‘army’ and fraph members who have been transferred into the National police force, one of which recently fired at a vehicle driver, missed and killed a young girl. (US trained police force!) The population reacted by sacking the police station, burning a police car and chasing the offending cop, who shot dead seven pursuers. That led to dozens of homes and stores being destroyed. That led to US interests being perturbed, as the schism between President Aristide and his US benefactors seemed to grow wider.

One of the new Deputies, an Aristide supporter was shot dead, which caused Aristide also to demand that the occupation troops the police and the people(?) be disarmed. This was supported by PM Werleigh, who said that the occupation troops should carry out this disarmament as they had always promised. The PM also suggested that the shootings were being encouraged by those opposing any change from the old days.

On Nov 13, a crowd attacked the home of a known former Fraph member, beating and burning him to death. To try to save him, UN troops fired into the crowd massed at his home killing three and wounding 30. A Priest said that the shots were fired from the house, not by the people, as claimed by the UN commander.

A member of a UN financed workers legal team suggested that, “The sitting and waiting for foreigners to give us security -forget it! If you respect yourself, get your Constitution, your Laws, your Police, and block the thugs from throwing cadavers on the ground.” (From a variety of sources – JC)