Détails

Catégorie : En Bref

Création : 8 octobre 2025

Editorial of Marcus Garcia, Haïti en Marche, October 3, 2025
MIAMI, October 3 – Bad news. (VBI) Announced suspension of Hope–Help. The end of the HOPE/HELP program threatens thousands of textile jobs. The end of the preferential HOPE/HELP regime plunges Haiti’s textile industry into uncertainty. This sector, which represents 90% of the country’s exports, risks collapse, local actors warn.
Further, “The Codevi industrial park, at the Haitian–Dominican border, concentrates most of the sector, with 18,000 of 26,000 jobs. Fernando Capellán, president of the complex, told the Wall Street Journal of his concern: ‘Without these jobs, we will see more people on the streets, more people drawn to crime and gangs.’”
“In 2021, the textile industry still employed 60,000 people. But violence, political instability, and uncertainty surrounding the program had already weakened the sector. The Caracol park, inaugurated in 2012 in the north with $300 million in U.S. and multilateral funding, now has only 2,000 jobs out of the several thousand initially announced.”
Etc.
The information will make headlines for a day or two, then silence; moreover, so far, there has been no public comment from the real decision-makers, whether economic or political.

Why end the Hope–Help agreement?
First, what exactly is it?
According to the news agency Vant Bèf Info (VBI):
“The Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act (HOPE) and the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) are two U.S. laws adopted respectively in 2006 and 2010. They aim to support Haiti’s economy by offering preferential access to the American market for locally manufactured garments.
“These provisions allowed Haitian companies to export duty-free, attracting major textile groups and contributing to the creation of tens of thousands of jobs. After the 2010 earthquake, the HELP program extended and strengthened this framework, becoming a pillar of Haiti’s economy.
Further: “Today, their expiration would be a severe blow for the country, whose textile industry is the main driver of exports and one of the few formal employment sectors.”

Why would the Trump administration end this program?
It is not the U.S. government that decides on the renewal but Congress. However, Congress is now Republican-controlled in both chambers.
It also results from a campaign (…) of awareness led by both the companies benefiting from the measure and the country concerned.
If such a campaign exists, it has so far been limited to a very small circle—until the sudden news of a possible end to the programs broke.
But why would the current U.S. administration want to end the Hope–Help conditions… while it (President Trump himself) speaks constantly of reviving American industry in the face of the massive influx of imported goods—especially from Asian countries? Hence his policy of raising tariffs on imports from those countries.
Unless products made in Haitian factories are now classified as purely imported goods… whereas they are, in fact, part of the same American production chain—or at least, they were until now.

Why do we need to hear more from Haitian officials in the sector—both political and economic?
Because this is what is called: the public’s right to know.
The issue does not concern only those in power or the big players in the so-called subcontracting sector.
These actors, traditionally, keep everything to themselves—starting, of course, with the economic returns of a sector long treated as a private preserve.

But let’s go back to the beginning.
What we call “small industry,” or “factories,” or more directly the “assembly sector,” was born in Haiti in the early 1970s as a sort of boost for the young dictator Baby Doc, whose choice had been approved by the star-spangled power.
It was a boom. Haiti, thanks mainly to the talent of its female workers, won international awards—for baseballs, fashionable bras, and more.
But by the 1990s, Washington began turning its interest toward other regions, likely more profitable—first and foremost, Asian countries with even larger and cheaper labor forces.
Today, however, a new change—full reverse gear. Trump calls for bringing production back home. Thus appears the sudden policy of heavy import tariffs, which the current occupant of the White House uses as a real weapon of pressure: Do you want it or not?

Have Haiti’s political and economic assembly leaders understood the new game—or did they, as the Creole saying goes, arrive there “with both hands and both feet,” meaning without having done any homework?
Probably!
In fact, we always talk about “renewal” but never “renegotiation.”
That is to misunderstand Mr. Trump, who gives gifts to no one—that’s his least flaw, as the fable would say.
From the height of their majesty—or should we say their “millions-twenty,” as the Creole puts it—they land in Washington as if walking into a windmill.
And it’s always the same faces. No change whatsoever. You know what I mean.
But Haiti in 2025 is far from the Haiti of the years X or Y—you see again what we mean.
That’s why we are almost certain the question was probably misframed…
And that, as we used to say in school, we “assumed the problem was already solved.”
With the current occupant of the White House, nothing is less certain…
Nothing is ever too certain.
So—it’s back to square one.
Marcus Garcia, Haïti en Marche, October 3, 2025

Translation by Lorquet, Joel (Port-au-Prince)
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Détails

Catégorie : En Bref

Création : 7 octobre 2025

The Haitian star was the Champions League’ Young Player of the Season and the French league’s second top scorer
by Onz Chéry Oct. 01, 2025
Overview:
Onz Chéry, The Haitian Times sports reporter, breaks down why Melchie Dumornay should have ranked higher in the 2025 France Football Ballon d’Or and encourages Haitian fans and media outlets to defend her more, as she is often undervalued in individual recognition awards.
CAP-HAÏTIEN — In April 2025, it seemed as if women’s football was at Melchie Dumornay’s feet. The Haitian midfielder scored in four consecutive Champions League matches, helping Lyon defeat Bayern Munich 6-1 on aggregate in the quarterfinals before falling 5-3 to Arsenal in the semifinals.
Back then, Dumornay looked like a legitimate Ballon d’Or contender. Yet five months later, she barely cracked the top 20, finishing 18th.
No one expected her to win the award or even finish in the top 10, but 18th feels far too low for a player who had one of the best individual seasons in Europe.
A season of milestones
Dumornay was the second-leading scorer in France’s Arkema Première Ligueand the fourth-leading scorer in the Champions League. She earned Lyon’s Player of the Season, Champions League Young Player of the Season, a spot in the Champions League Team of the Season and a Concacaf Player of the Year nomination.
Her résumé for 2025 includes:
• 15 goals in the Arkema Première Ligue (2nd)
• 6 goals in 9 Champions League matches (4th)
• 2 assists in 8 Champions League appearances
• 4 goals in 8 matches for Haiti
• Champions League Young Player of the Season
• Champions League Team of the Season
• OL Lyonnes’ Player of the Season
• Concacaf Player of the Year nominee
The only blemish was at the international level, where Haiti played no major tournaments. She also won just one team trophy, the French league, in a voting system that places heavy weight on silverware. Even so, finishing 18th undervalues her accomplishments.
Voter reaction and Haitian silence as Dumornay’s talent is undervalued
“I think Melchie should have finished higher,” said sports journalist Caleb Jephté Pierre, who voted in the Ballon d’Or.
“Looking at who finished above her, there were international competitions in Africa, South America and Europe, but she did not play in the Concacaf region. Maybe that played a role in the rankings.”
“I’m not fully satisfied with 18th place,” he added. “But maybe it’s a good start that will push Melchie to work even harder.”
Fans also voiced frustration on social media, calling the placement unfair. Still, the broader Haitian sports community remained muted, with little pushback compared to the debates surrounding the men’s Ballon d’Or.

Détails

Catégorie : En Bref

Création : 7 octobre 2025

The University of Miami standout defensive end is emerging as one of college football’s best, with Haitian roots grounding his rise.
by The Haitian Times Sep. 29, 2025
Overview:
Miami Hurricanes defensive star Akheem Mesidor, a Haitian Canadian, is dominating college football.
By TIM REYNOLDS | The Associated Press – Additional editing by The Haitian Times
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Akheem Mesidor once was on the brink of quitting football while growing up in Canada, largely because he wasn’t getting any attention.
Funny how things change.
Mesidor, a Haitian Canadian defensive end for the University of Miami’s football team, has tallied 25.5 career sacks — the second-most among players in the NCAA’s top-level Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Despite the accolades, he’s staying focused. Mesidor is a key force behind the No. 3–ranked Miami Hurricanes’ undefeated 4-0 start this season. The team faces a major test Saturday as they begin Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play against longtime rival, No. 18 Florida State University (3-1).
“Once you start taking too much credit for everything you do, you will get humbled really fast,” Mesidor said. “So, I try just to stay humble, appreciate everything I have, never be satisfied and just keep working.”
It wasn’t always that way.
Trying to get noticed by colleges was an exhausting process for Mesidor, who grew up in Ottawa and bounced around about a half-dozen high schools, the last of which was in Clearwater, Florida. It made sense that the final chapter of Mesidor’s college career comes in a melting pot area like South Florida.
He’d cross the border into the U.S. to go to camps and seek scholarship offers, only to often be told some form of “come back next year.” Mesidor eventually got attention from recruiters, signed with West Virginia as a three-star player, and stayed with the Mountaineers for two years before coming to Miami in 2022.
Besides being raised in Canada, Mesidor also has Haitian heritage — there is a large Haitian population in the Miami area — and speaks French. Add it all up and Mesidor has a unique perspective for a college-aged athlete.
“I have a lot of friends back home who I grew up playing football with who would do anything to be in this position, and they weren’t able to have this chance,” Mesidor said.
“I know that I’m super blessed and I’m fortunate to be in this position.”
These days, he gets all the attention he wants. He and fellow Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. — mentioned by some as an early season Heisman Trophy candidate — have become a devastating 1-2 punch for the Hurricanes, setting the tone for a defense that’s vastly improved over a year ago.
“They need each other in every way,” said Miami defensive line coach Jason Taylor, a Pro Football Hall of Famer.
“I have a lot of friends back home who I grew up playing football with who would do anything to be in this position, and they weren’t able to have this chance”
Akheem Mesidornormal
“I’ve been through it as a player. If you’re the only good pass rusher in your team, they’re going to wear your (butt) out.”
“My best years, I had Trace Armstrong when he and I led the league in sacks combined,” he added.
“Had Adewale Ogunleye beside me, had Kenny Mixon, had Joey Porter, had Cam Wake. How many great players? … Bain understands what Mez brings to the table, and Mez understands what Bain brings to the table. They’re separate entities, obviously, but they work so well together. They compete with each other. They try to outwork each other, and it makes them both great.”
As Taylor was saying those words last week, Bain and Mesidor were the last two players working on the Miami practice field an hour after practice had ended. They were still going, with a couple of younger players — presumably guys who’ll vie to take their spots in 2026 — watching and learning.
“Mesidor has done everything we’ve asked,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said.
“He’s become something special.”
Cristobal then reeled off a list of about a half-dozen plays that Mesidor made at big times in the Hurricanes’ season-opening win over Notre Dame and their Sept. 20 win over rival Florida. He then added that Mesidor probably wouldn’t want to hear any praise.
Indeed, Mesidor said when he goes to sleep these days, he’s not thinking about his highlights.
“I’ve been told by a lot of people about how well I’ve played, but all that’s been in the back of my head since last Saturday at 11 o’clock is how much money I left on the field, not how much I gained,” Mesidor said.
“I’m trying to get that out of my mind. It kind of keeps me up at night. Going to sleep is difficult, because I just can’t stop thinking about it. You can’t be satisfied with where you are.”
Sometimes, that also includes the position you play.
Mesidor played defensive tackle last year and, put simply, didn’t care for it. He believes he’s a defensive end, thinks he’s best suited to play on the end and asked Taylor and Cristobal what he had to do in order to move back to that position for 2025.
He got a list. He checked every box. The move was made and he’s off to a flying start.
“The best thing for him, and the best thing for the University of Miami, was for him to play defensive end and go back to his natural position,” Taylor said.
“And there’s nobody who has worked harder than Akheem Mesidor.”

Détails

Catégorie : En Bref

Création : 7 octobre 2025

MIAMI, (Floride), dimanche 5 octobre 2025 (RHINEWS)— Les funérailles des victimes de l’accident mortel survenu à Fort Pierce ont été chantées samedi à l’église baptiste Nazareth, à Princeton, dans le sud du comté de Miami-Dade, a constaté RHINEWS.
C’est dans la désolation et l’amertume que les familles de Faniola Joseph, 37 ans, et Herby Dufresne, 30 ans, ont ‘célébré la vie’ de ces migrants haïtiens tragiquement disparus dans l’accident.
Selon les proches, les victimes se rendaient en Indiana après avoir effectué des achats à Miami pour leur maison de commerce. Le drame s’est produit lorsqu’un conducteur de poids lourd a effectué une manœuvre illégale — un U-turn interdit — sur l’autoroute Florida Turnpike.
Au centre de l’église, deux cercueils étaient disposés pour la cérémonie funèbre : ceux d’Herby Dufresne et de Faniola Joseph. La famille d’Herby a pu lui dire adieu une dernière fois — à un père, un cousin et un ami. En revanche, le cercueil de Faniola est resté fermé.
« Le cadavre est méconnaissable », a confié, bouleversé, un membre de la famille.
Les funérailles de la troisième victime, Rodrigue Dor, ont eu lieu le 20 septembre dernier à la Haitian Evangelical Baptist Church.
Parents, amis et proches ont rappelé que les trois victimes avaient des rêves et que leur disparition laisse un vide immense au sein de leurs familles respectives.
« Ils avaient des projets, ils travaillaient dur pour bâtir une vie meilleure. Leur mort est une tragédie qui nous brise le cœur », a déclaré un proche.
Ils réclament aujourd’hui justice et réparations.
Herby, Faniola et Rodrigue vivaient depuis trois ans dans l’État d’Indiana, au Midwest des États-Unis. Tous trois bénéficiaient du statut TPS (Temporary Protected Status) et avaient un dossier d’asile politique en cours.
L’organisation Sikhs for Justice, basée à Washington, a financé à hauteur de 150 000 dollars les funérailles et les frais d’avocats.
« C’est un geste de solidarité et de justice », ont souligné les organisateurs.
Le Consulat général d’Haïti à Miami a assuré la coordination des cérémonies.
Par ailleurs, le gouverneur de Floride, Ron DeSantis, a vivement critiqué la Californie pour avoir délivré un permis de conduire commercial au chauffeur du véhicule impliqué dans l’accident.
« Cet incident tragique met en évidence les failles du système de délivrance de permis entre États », a déclaré le gouverneur dans un communiqué.