We are absolutely clear that, during the period of its rule, Lavalas did nothing for us. On the contrary! It was just corruption, theft, rape, and illicit trafficking of all kinds. We always fought this state of affairs. The Casecs and Asecs in place did nothing but violate people's rights. We also fought against this. As for repression, this was the common currency of this disastrous regime. This too we had to stand up against, and we must continue to increase our response.

But we mustn't come through the Lavalas era and then just fall in the shit! In 1986, the experience showed us that we knew much of what we didn't want, but we weren't clear about what we did want, or how to fight for it. And for this reason, today we find ourselves in this macabre and confused situation. We've had the illness; we must know the remedy!

Today, after a new style of coup d'etat, the country finds itself occupied! We can say that the ruling class, the politicians of all kinds – Lavalas the same as the Opposition – led us to this situation. Repression, always accompanied by corresponding terror, haunts us day and night. All our democratic rights that have not yet been trodden underfoot are heading that way. The free trade zone at Ouanaminthe is the most obvious proof. There, members of the Dominican middle class, taking advantage of the vacuum at the State level, do nothing but increase their rate of exploitation. As ever, the result is the denial of our rights and subsequent repression. It's the same at the factories run by local capitalists where these local blood-suckers, again benefiting from the institutional vacuum, use violence to try to crush even the few rights that we previously enjoyed in this most unfair society: massive dismissals at the merest suspicion of union organising, systematic repression, permanent intimidation… terror! All with the aim of an even greater increase in the rate of exploitation. In the framework of this offensive, they have even begun, in certain cities – in Cap-Haitien for example, to take control of the public administration.

In the countryside, the big landowners (grandons) or Duvalierists who had been long exiled, supported by the self-proclaimed “rebels” and members of the former Army of torturers, have returned to sow terror among hard-working people, blatantly trying to steal the land of the small farmers, just like in the 'good old days'.

Everywhere therefore, in the towns and in the countryside, there is an offensive by a ruling class, which was already 'reconciled' with Lavalas, but is today bolstered by the occupation which, as they well know, is only there to support their reaction. THE BATTLE IS ONLY JUST BEGINNING AND IT IS VERY TIGHT!

The terror which we suffered under the Lavalas regime, and which still haunts us, must be resolved! Nobody will do it for us. As far as the ruling class is concerned, we are clear: the occupiers only came to resolve the problems of the international and local ruling classes! Our responsibilities to defend ourselves in this new situation SHOULD ONLY BE ASSUMED BY US! In every town, in every district, in every hamlet, section, commune or rural zone, we must set up organisations to defend the interests of workers!

Those known as “the Opposition”, along with the imperialists, think they are going to rebuild the same rotten State without our consent. It is indeed the same apparatus that they intend to establish, without any substantial change, without any major transformation, to again deprive us of any means of achieving truly popular control. IT IS IMPERATIVE FOR US TO BLOCK THIS PROJECT OR MAKE IT FAIL! And it is only by our autonomous struggles, with our organisations solely based on our own interests as exploited people, as the majority, as workers, that will we be able to deal with these two problems which confront us today, namely: the rulers' offensive characterised by the terror and the repression which always go with it; and their attempt to rebuild the same rotten State as always. Today, it is certainly time to make the boundaries clear: No bourgeois-technocratic government must be allowed to fool us or make us deviate us!

The popular masses must continue to organise themselves and continue their fight for democratic rights. We need to restate our platforms, according to new possibilities offered by each place, each balance of forces, each moment, even when our demands remain the same. Electricity, drinking water, roads, the cleaning up of our districts, support for craftsmen's workshops, irrigation in the countryside… problems of health, education, justice!…but, also a lowering of the cost of living, blocking the market taxes which are only used to enrich the authorities, and demanding that the State recognises that land belongs to those who work it and not to any upstart or self-declared official! We need to put a brake on the exactions of the Mayors, Casecs and Asecs. We must fight the exploitation in the towns as in the countryside. These are the issues around which we always fought. We must still continue to attack them. And, at the same time, also continue to organise ourselves to face the problems that effect us in general, those which the State will never try and resolve. LONG LIVE THE POPULAR DEMOCRATIC STRUGGLES!

Faced with the existing vacuum, we must propose our own alternatives. The combat against the reinstallation of the rotten State is currently of vital importance. The persons in charge at all the levels must be chosen by us, and not by the central State, even less by the political parties. Moreover, with those that we choose, we must require not only the acceptance of a clear and explicit mandate, and not only must we require the perfect execution of these mandates, but we must set up of the mechanisms to control them and to dismiss them whenever this becomes necessary. LONG LIVE ANOTHER NEW AND DIFFERENT STATE!

It is certainly a difficult moment. However, if we start with our own interests and our platforms already set out, we can organise ourselves resolutely and make big advances.

LET US GRASP OUR RESPONSIBILITY WITH TWO HANDS! LONG LIVE THE AUTONOMOUS WORKERS' FIGHT! IN THIS WAY, LET US WORK TO UNITE ACROSS THE LAND! RESOLUTELY ORGANISED FOR THIS TASK, THE MOMENT IS OURS! LET'S SEIZE IT!

LONG LIVE THE HAITIAN WORKERS' STRUGGLE!

www.batayouvriye.org

(translated from French and Creole versions by Andrew Taylor and Charles Arthur for the Haiti Support Group)

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