Deputy Castillo demands to remove the Dominican diplomatic staff accredited in Haiti
The Dominican Deputy Vinicio Castillo Semán, of the Progressive National Force (FNP), (the ultra-nationalist right) asked President Danilo Medina to remove the Dominican diplomatic staff accredited in Haiti, for fear of demonstrations in Haiti against the Dominican Republic because of his immigration policy.
"Haiti declared a diplomatic war against the Dominican Republic. Danilo should remove the diplomatic staff in Haiti, where they will be at risk in the next weeks," writes the Member of Parliament on his Twitter account. Assuring that the Government of Haiti "is going to toughen its offensive against the Dominican Republic, manipulating its population to cause an angry outburst against the Dominicans ".
President Martelly at the 36th meeting of the conference of the heads of state of the Caribbean
Last Thursday, President Michel Martelly left the country and headed to Bridgetown (Barbados) to participate in the 36th regular meeting of the Conference of the Heads of State and/or Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), under the chair of Prime Minister Barbadian Freudel Stuart.
Accompanied by, among others, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense, Lener, and the Minister of Justice, Pierre Richard Casimir, the Head of State attended the official launch ceremony of this 36th ordinary meeting of the leaders of this community. He acknowledged the warm welcome reserved for the Haitian delegation by the Barbados authorities.
These conferences addressed several key issues, in particular the sustainable development of the community internationally, and relations with the Dominican Republic.
President Martelly’s Speech
The President of the Republic, Joseph Michel Martelly, has changed his tone and speech regarding the repatriations of Haitians and Dominicans denationalized by the Dominican Republic, observed the on-line AlterPresse agency.
During the 36th summit of heads of Caribbean state and government, Martelly has called for multilateral negotiations regarding the repatriations-evictions by the Dominican Republic.
During the plenary session last Friday, Martelly condemned, for the first time, the Dominican policy towards the Haitian migrants and the Dominican citizens denying them citizenship by a ruling taken in 2013.
The Dominican government prefers to speak about citizens' "voluntary departure" Haitian citizens towards their country.
It is, in fact, about "often violent deportations,” specified Michel Martelly in his speech on July 3rd, 2015.
While recognizing the right of Haiti’s neighboring country to decide on its own migratory policy, Martelly also pointed out that the political administration in Santo Domingo refused, in all the meetings, categorically to negotiate a protocol on the process and the mechanisms for repatriations.
Martelly especially called upon CARICOM, the Organization of American States (OAS), and the United Nations Organization (UNO).
"The international community cannot keep silent, when people, whose labor was exploited during several decades, are being chased away, without having the possibility of receiving a pension, let alone regain their heritage," asserted Martelly.
Martelly’s intervention, on July 3rd, 2015, at the CARICOM summit seemed to follow the position taken this week by his Prime Minister Evans Paul, who, in a communiqué, deeply criticized the night repatriation (from Wednesday, July 1st till Thursday, July 2nd, 2015) of 21 migrants.
OAS urges Caribbean countries to take advantage of Panama Canal expansion
JAMAICA OBSERVER
WASHINGTON (CMC) – The Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP) of the Organization of American States (OAS) wants Caribbean countries to take advantage of commercial opportunities offered by the Panama Canal expansion.
Addressing the opening of a three-day meeting on Wednesday, Executive Secretary for Integral Development of the OAS, Sherry Tross, recalled that more than 80 per cent of world trade is transported by sea, and noted that the redevelopment of the Panama Canal will increase traffic and maritime trade worldwide.
“This increased capacity not only implies savings for world trade, but has the potential to increase trade between Latin America and the world,” she said.
“The impending expansion of the Panama Canal presents both challenges and opportunities for the entire region,” she added. “This expansion has the potential to stimulate trade in the region and, as we know, has already spurred infrastructure development designed to increase port capacity for large vessels post-Panama.”
The OAS official also said the increase in maritime traffic requires OAS member-states to modernize their laws, guidelines and regulations for the implementation and enforcement of international safety standards.
During the meeting, OAS member-states are expected to discuss the prospects for strengthening regional port dialogue in order to promote competitiveness in the sector with the imminent enlargement of the Panama Canal.
Inauguration of Port Lafito
The President of the Republic, Mister Michel Joseph Martelly, took part on Thursday, July 2nd, in Lafito, in the inauguration of the new port.
In the presence of members of government, the managing director of the National Harbour Authority (APN), Alix Célestin, representatives of the private sector, and police authorities, the Head of State praised the efforts of all those who participated in the realization of this big project. President Martelly took the opportunity to indicate the importance of the construction of these infrastructures in the process of economic and tourist development in Haiti.
For his part, the managing director of the APN, Alix Célestin, indicated that the realization of this project was the result of a real partnership between the Group Biggio, the Haitian State and several entrepreneurs from the Haitian private sector.
Gilbert Biggio thanked President Martelly and the Managing director of the APN who contributed to the realization of the new Lafito Port.
This multifunctional terminal shelters the deepest port in the country, with 12 meters of draft and 450 meters of mooring berth. Initiated by the Group Biggio, this project, which cost $150 million, is part of Global Lafito Project. This big first in the Haitian maritime and harbor sector has the potential to create 20,000 jobs in the next four years.
Sen. Durbin in Haiti
CHICAGO (AP) -- The office of U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois says he has met with officials in Haiti to discuss the status of U.S. assistance programs more than five years after an earthquake killed thousands.
A news release from Durbin's office says he and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida were in Haiti over the weekend. The release says they met with Haiti President Michel Martelly, U.S. Ambassador Pamela White and other officials. Durbin said in the release that he's "encouraged" by recovery efforts that he has seen.
Discussions also addressed Haitian border issues after its neighbor, the Dominican Republic, said it would start deporting some non-citizens.
Durbin's office says it was his third trip to Haiti in 10 years.
Haiti - Economy: Haiti owes more than $2 billion to Venezuela
Haiti Libre – Friday (June 26th) in a press conference, the Venezuelan Ambassador Pedro Antonio C. Gonzalez reiterated the commitment of his government to pursue the PetroCaribe cooperation agreement with the Haitian government, which has funded nearly 300 projects and recalled that on 29 June PetroCaribe will celebrate its 10th anniversary, with the participation of a Haitian delegation to Venezuela that will travel to Venezuela for this anniversary.
The Ambassador recalled that this fund is part of efforts to consolidate the ideology of Hugo Chavez and to promote the elimination of social inequalities. According to Pedro Antonio C. Gonzalez, the funds are used in projects related to the needs of the Haitian population.
How the PetroCaribe funds work:
The Office of Monetization plays an intermediary role between the Venezuelan supplier PDVSA Petroleo S.A. and local oil companies in Haiti. To each delivery PDVSA Petroleo SA bills the BMPAD which in turn provides the bill to local oil companies who pay the state 100% of the FOB value of the cargo.
According to the price of oil on the international market, the Haitian Government transfer 40% to 75% of the amounts collected, to the PDVSA Petroleo SA. The remaining balance must be paid by Haiti, over 25 years at an annual interest rate of 1% after a grace period of 2 years. The change in the percentage retained by Haiti depends on the price of the barrel, the higher the price of oil is, the higher the portion retained by Haiti down and vice versa.
Part financed over 25 years with 1% annual interest including 2 years of grace:
If the price of barrel is $150 or more: Part Cash 30% - Part Funded 70%
Between $80 and $100. Part Cash 50%: Part Funded 50%
Between $50 and $80. Part Cash 60%: Part Funded 40%
Between $40 and $50. Part Cash 70%: Part Funded 30%
Part financed over 17 years with 2% annual interest including 2 years of grace:
If the price per barrel is between $30 and $40: Part Cash 75%: Part Funded 25%
234 projects funded by the PetroCaribe funds:
This PetroCaribe agreement, signed by Haiti on May 14, 2006 with the Venezuelan government. has helped to finance between 2011 and 2014, 234 projects for nearly $1.2 billion. All the details on these investments are available in a report of over 200 pages, which summarizes and illustrates all public interventions undertaken for 31 months under the Martelly-Lamothe administration through this mechanism.
Download the PetroCaribe Report: http://www.haitilibre.com/docs/GZS_13183_Bilan_PetroCaribe_2015-02-23.pdf :
According to the Bureau of Monetization of Development Assistance Programs (BMPAD) the PetroCaribe long-term debt, accumulated as of January 31, 2015, to be paid over 25 years amounted to nearly 2 billion US dollars (1,999,265,940.11).
IDB funds for Haiti
WASHINGTON, (CMC) –The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Tuesday said it would provide a US$15 million grant to Haiti for a sustainable artisan-fishing development project in the south of the country.
It said fishing is a key socioeconomic sector in Haiti, generating some 77,000 full-time jobs. Artisan fishing still remains the predominant type of marine fishing in the country and takes place in 420 localities in 9 of the 10 departments.
The project seeks to improve artisan fishermen’s productivity and income in the Grand’Anse, Sud and Sud-Est departments by providing improved public services for the fishing sector.
These are the most productive departments in terms of fishing and house most of the fishing localities, which has made them a key priority for the government. Additionally, institution-strengthening and capacity-generation activities will benefit all fishing communities in the country.
The new grant complements other financing sources for the projects, including a US$2.7 million grant from the Spanish Cooperation Agency for International Development (AECID) and US$1.5 million in local funding.
The IDB is Haiti’s largest multilateral donor. In the past four years it has provided US$1.2 billion in grants and disbursed more than US$686 million to support the country’s economic recovery and its long-term development investment in areas such as agriculture, water and sanitation, transportation, energy, education and private sector development.
Approximately 200 of 300 prisoners who escaped from the Prison of Croix-des-Bouquets again under lock and key
The search continues at the level of the head office of the Criminal Investigation Department (DCPJ) to catch all of the escaped prisoners.
Those were the words of the National police force inspector Garry Desrosiers.
For the moment only 200 of those who escaped from the civil prison of Croix-des-Bouquets in August, 2014, have been returned to their cells, added the spokesperson of the PNH.
Garry Desrosiers again called upon the population to collaborate with the PNH and to alert the police immediately about any suspicious fact.
Approximately 300 prisoners, including criminals, escaped, on Sunday, August 10th, 2014, from the civil prison of Croix-des-Bouquets.
