Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 16 octobre 2024

Haiti Demands OAS help to stop Dominican Republic’s ‘discriminatory’ deportations, sets up migrant working group

THE HAITIAN TIMES

After the Dominican Republic revealed it sent 11,000 Haitians back in one week, Haitian authorities seek help from the Organization of American States (OAS)

by Juhakenson Blaise Oct. 10, 2024

Overview:

The Dominican Republic’s most recent mass deportation of Haitian migrants prompted a special meeting at the OAS, where member states urged Santo Domingo to respect the rights of migrants. Haiti has set up a working group to help the migrants this week.

PORT-AU-PRINCE — At the request of the Haitian authorities, the Organization of American States (OAS) held an urgent meeting on Tuesday regarding the most recent mass deportation of Haitian immigrants by the Dominican Republic. The Haitian government wants the international community to act, saying Santo Domingo’s later campaign is a violation of the rights of Haitians living next door.

Gandy Thomas, Haiti’s Permanent Representative to the OAS, told the Permanent Council at the meeting that the neighboring country must find a solution that respects fundamental human rights. At the moment, Thomas said, the deportations amount to widespread discrimination.

“The international community, including the Organization of American States, must recognize the Dominican Republic’s deportation policy for what it is: A discriminatory campaign targeting Haitians because of their nationality and skin color,” Thomas told the assembly. 

Returning Haitians is far from being new for the Dominican Republic. But the practice escalated last week after President Luis Abinader said on Oct. 2 that he would deport 10,000 undocumented Haitians per week. Since then and up to Oct. 7, the Dominican Republic deported nearly 11,000 Haitians in what many returned describe as a rounding up of them by surprise. 

Immigration vehicles continue to drop off Haitians, many of them children without their parents, at the border crossings daily. To handle the influx, Haiti has set up a group to support the migrants.

Calls to respect Haitian migrants’ rights

The deportation campaign is in line with Abinader’s stance on immigration since taking office in 2020. He has increased expulsions of undocumented migrants and strengthened police presence at the border and, in 2023 alone, sent back more than 250,000 undocumented Haitians. 

Tuesday, Secretary General of the OAS Luis Almagro said while each country may manage its migration policies, it should ensure that all protections and legal rights are respected in the deportation process— to avoid unjustified deportations.

“In the case of Haiti, it is obviously concerning what the representatives here have pointed out,” said Almagro. “We must not forget that those who arrive in Haiti come from a country deeply affected by violence and a profound economic, social and human rights crisis.”

“[This is a] discriminatory campaign targeting Haitians because of their nationality and skin color.”

Gandy Thomas, Haiti’s Permanent Representative to the OAS
normal

Ambassador Francisco O. Mora, the U.S. Permanent Representative to the OAS, condemned the human rights violations and discrimination during the forced repatriation of Haitian migrants at the borders. He too was concerned about the treatment of Haitians still in the Dominican Republic.”

“We urge the Dominican government to check for potential indicators of human trafficking before any expulsion,” Mora said. “It is absolutely essential to manage immigration properly, prioritizing the protection and dignity of individuals, particularly women and children.”

Government aims to welcome deported

In response, the Haitian government is establishing a Multisectoral Working Group to provide adequate treatment upon the arrival of all migrants in Haiti. During its first working session, the Group discussed creating a registry of migrants, updating identity documents, reintegrating and resettling people and coordinating communication and advocacy.

Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille, currently traveling in the United Arab Emirates, condemned the deportations, saying it constitutes a violation of the fundamental principles of human dignity. Similarly, Haiti’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dominique Dupuy, said they are “ an affront to human dignity.”  

Government and non-government groups also decry the fact that many of the deported migrants can no longer return to the homes they once knew. In the Artibonite, for example, residents of Pont-Sondé killed at least 70 people and set fire to 45 homes and 34 vehicles last week. In June, heavily armed men on 10 motorcycles burst through the other rural communities in the region, killing 10 people, including a pregnant woman.

Overdue with interest: New trial and reparations demanded for Parsley Massacre

Some survivors, family members and activists say monetary compensation would help care for the aging and acknowledge assets stolen in 1937

by Onz Chéry Oct. 08, 2024

Overview:

Some survivors of the 1937 Parsley Massacre, family members and activists support efforts for a genocide trial and new reparations agreement for their losses and resulting impoverishment.

DOSMONT, Haiti — In the last year of Marcellus Jean’s life, his wife Elcilie Jean found herself having to take up a collection from family and friends to pay for medical care. The costs for the Parsley Massacre survivor totaled about 15,000 gourdes, about $113 USD, every three months. When he died last month, the family had to borrow more money and sell parcels of land to pay for his funeral.

To Uraymond Jean, a grandnephew of Marcellus, the lack of funds was one more injustice the family had to endure. Speaking from the relative’s home, a tin-roof adobe-style structure, on the day before the funeral Uraymond said reparations may have been life-saving.

“He was old for sure, but if he had received money, he probably would’ve still been here,” Uraymond said, holding a mini bottle of Rhum Barbancourt. “There are some costs he would’ve been able to manage.”

Another mourner, 100-year-old Michaelle Matthieu, would also like to receive reparations. When she was 13, former Dominican President Rafael Trujillo’s goons killed members of her family and stole their goods, including a coffee plantation. After her parents fled to Haiti, they didn’t have the funds to send her to school. She ended up working long, painful hours as a farmer all her life. 

Sitting in the courtyard of her home in Cité Planto, a neighborhood in Ouanaminthe, Matthieu said she too would like to hear an apology from the panyòl, Creole for Hispanic. But, she’s also realistic.

“I’m close to dying,” said Matthieu, a great-grandmother who says she has lost count of her progeny. “But if money comes, I will take it with me to my death bed.” 

Such lament over reparations is not uncommon among some Parsley Massacre survivors and their families. Over the years, it has risen and now fuels a demand for not only a new reparations agreement that people will actually receive, but also a trial to seek justice. Together, these entities are petitioning the United Nations to demand that the Dominican Republic be prosecuted for genocide. They hope a new, more transparent process will lead to justice and appropriate reparations.

Jesula Blanc, founder and manager of the North-East Gender Platform (PGNE), said she gave the petition to a United Nations agent who visited Ouanaminthe in October 2023. Blanc also plans to send a formal complaint to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and is collecting acts of consent from survivors to do so.

“If this case was handled properly, things would not have gone this bad,” Blanc said.

First reparations agreement was “disrespectful”

Voices like these from northeast Haiti join a global movement seeking reparations for historical wrongs perpetrated against people across the globe, particularly Black and brown people. The most well-known may be the efforts of African Americans seeking reparations from the U.S. government for racism and slavery. Less known, but more similar, to Haiti’s plight is Namibia, where German troops killed tens of thousands of people resisting colonialism from 1904 to 1908. Guatemalans are demanding reparations for 669 massacres that killed or disappeared 200,000 people during a 36-year civil war in the 1960s.

In the corner of Hispaniola where many of the families and advocacy groups reside, the 1938 reparations agreement is simply “disrespectful.”

Richard Turits, an associate professor of history at the College of William & Mary, studies the Hispanic Caribbean and Haiti. According to his research, Dominican Republic President Trujillo agreed to compensate victims of the massacre in an agreement signed by then-Haitian President Sténio Vincent. According to Turits, the United States brokered the agreement, which the pair signed in Washington D.C. on January 31, 1938.

Trujillo signed the agreement to avoid international arbitration, stating his country would send $750,000 USD to Haiti. At the time of the negotiation, the recognized death toll stood at 12,000 — meaning it would have equated to about $62 per victim. In 2024 dollars, the amount is equivalent to $16.7 million, roughly $1,380 per victim, according to the U.S. Inflation Calculator.

The Dominican government claimed “no responsibility whatsoever” for the killings in the indemnity agreement, Turits said. In an article analyzing the aftermath, Turits wrote that Trujillo’s government only ever sent $525,000 of the money due to Haiti.

Trujillo may have also handed out bundles worth $25,000 in cash to politicians in Port-au-Prince, according to an account of “Red Heat: conspiracy, murder, and the Cold War in the Caribbean” by Alex von Tunzelman. According to von Tunzelman, none of the money ever reached victims or the bereaved.

In Dosmont, survivors Dumel Saintilnord and Kirsil Joseph told The Haitian Times that the government built three plantations and some houses for the victims. Made of a mud-and-cement mixture and covered with sheet metal, the structures resemble the home Marcellus died in recently.

No one there received cash directly, they said.

“We don’t know anything about this,” said Elcilie, the widow of Marcellus, who died Sept. 7.

New trial and process required 

Supporters of the new effort seeking justice reject the premise that the massacre was a “border conflict,” as some official Dominican accounts have called it. They are crying out for two reasons. First, monies from an initial reparations agreement between the Dominican and Haitian governments, brokered by the United States, are long overdue. Second, they say, the initial agreement was insufficient as it allocated only $750,000 for the genocide. Therefore, they require a more equitable amount that accounts for the loss of life and property as well as the generational burdens of the losses. 

On a more practical and urgent note, families and advocates say as the survivors have aged, their care has fallen on the shoulders of relatives and villages with little means to support their health needs. In an humanitarian sense, some advocates and families also say, reparations would help ease the toxic tensionsbetween the two nations. Perhaps, they might even serve as a deterrent to current mistreatment Haitian migrants face in the Dominican Republic.

The groups handed a petition to the UN in October 2023 and are waiting for a response to proceed with a trial. If the Dominican Republic is found culpable, then it should be ordered to pay reparations to survivors, Blanc said. 

Another issue is later estimates put the number dead at nearly double, if not triple, since 1938. Advocates also looked at the losses in terms of how it set families back financially. 

“They must reevaluate because they did not evaluate how many assets the Haitians had,” Blanc said. “Haitians spent a lot of time working in the Dominican Republic. Twenty-thousand people, so about $35 to each Haitian who died. This is disrespectful.” 

As of this writing Blanc had not heard back from the UN about her petition, a modest 2-page request in French. Yet, the act of sending the request itself signals the existence of the many flaws, factors and conflicting tales that have dominated official accounts on the world stage.

Formal apology might bring some relief  

One reason is that the impact of the massacre reverberated in ways beyond a simple cash payment. 

For Joseph Mistidor, a 73-year-old planter, the lack of compensation means he only made it to the sixth grade. Mistidor, who lives in Paredes, another small village near Ouanaminthe, explained that although he was not born in the Dominican Republic, his parents were left impoverished after losing their land, crops and animals in the Dominican massacre. 

Even now, decades later, he considers himself as a malere, Creole for an impoverished person. One who cannot afford medical treatment feet so swollen, they poked through his sandals last month. 

“My life would’ve been easier,” Mistidor quickly answered when asked about his outcome if his family had received reparations. 

“After the rain comes the rainbow,” he added. “They have to give us a little something as compensation. That would’ve been good. That’s exactly what I need.”

Money aside, some also view an apology as a necessity in resurfacing this massacre.

“We never heard them say ‘padon,’” said Elcillie Jean, the Creole word for apology. 

“It would be normal [a standard step] for them to do so,” the widow said. “That would ease the pain. A lot of Haitians fled to Haiti and live in poverty so I would be happy if they were to do that.”

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 27 septembre 2024

Kenya's Ruto open to converting Haiti mission to U.N. peacekeeping operation

September 21, 20246:55 PM EDTUpdated 14 hours ago

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Kenyan President William Ruto, on a visit to Haiti, said on Saturday that he was open to Kenya's anti-gang mission in the country being converted to a full U.N. peacekeeping operation.

Ruto visited Haiti to assess the progress of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, where Kenya is playing a leading role to curb rampant gang violence that has ushered years or political chaos and mass displacement.

The mandate of the MSS mission - first approved by the United Nations Security Council for 12 months - is set to expire at the start of October.

Earlier this month Reuters reported that the Council has began considering a draft resolution to extend the MSS mandate and ask the U.N. to plan for it to become a formal peacekeeping mission.

"On the suggestion to transit this into a fully U.N. Peacekeeping mission, we have absolutely no problem with it, if that is the direction the U.N. security council wants to take," Ruto said on Saturday in Port-au-Prince.

The United States and Ecuador circulated a draft text that would renew the MSS mandate for another 12 months and ask the U.N. to begin planning to transition the MSS mission to a U.N. peacekeeping operation.

The 15-member council is due to vote on Sept. 30 on the mandate renewal.

After the Security Council approved the MSS mission, Kenya sent about 400 police officers to Port-au-Prince in June and July from an expected total of 1,000. A handful of other countries have together pledged at least 1,900 more troops.

However, the efficacy of the MSS mission has been criticized amid delays in deployments of manpower and vital equipment needed to fight powerful gangs.

On Friday, he United Nations' expert on human rights in Haiti said that the situation has worsened, with now about 700,000 people internally displaced.

UN human rights expert William O'Neill concludes mission in Haiti ...

Port-au-Prince (20 September 2024) – Approximately one year ago, I stood before you and painted a bleak picture of the human rights situation in Haiti. Today, I am sad to say, that all indicators remain extremely worrying. The first, and most concerning of them, insecurity.

Despite an international embargo, arms and ammunition continue to be smuggled into the country, enabling gangs to carry out large-scale attacks and extend their control and influence over new territories.

During my visits to the south of the country, in Les Cayes and Jérémie, I saw that areas previously not impacted by gang violence are now directly impacted, with galloping inflation, lack of basic goods, and flows of internally displaced people further increasing the vulnerability of the population, particularly children and women. The human rights and humanitarian consequences are dramatic.

The police lack the logistical and technical capacity to counter the gangs. “The situation borders on the impossible. We have to learn to walk on water,” said a policeman at the Jérémie police station.

The Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), authorized by the UN Security Council in October 2023, has so far deployed less than a quarter of its planned contingent. The equipment it has received is inadequate, and its resources are insufficient.

Meanwhile, the population continues to suffer from its human rights being violated. Sexual violence, used as a weapon by gangs to control the population, has drastically increased in recent months. Gangs have increasingly trafficked children, forcibly recruited them into gangs, and often used them to carry out attacks against public institutions and police operations. Youth are losing hope of a better future.

During my visit, I met young Haitians, former gang members, who told me they felt they were being held hostage. One said that “When hunger takes hold of you, you can't think of anything else, not even fear.”

When asked them what they aspired to, they referred to a normal life, a job, for children to go to school, and enough to support themselves and their family. Thanks to the support of a civil society organization, they managed to leave the gang and now have a job.

Civil society organizations often take on the State’s role in providing basic needs to the population, which lacks everything. This is particularly the case in gang-controlled neighborhoods, but also in displaced persons' camps, and in prisons, precisely where the State should be making every effort to protect the most vulnerable. To date, only 28% of health services are functioning normally in Haiti, and almost five million people are suffering from acute food insecurity.

At the camp for displaced persons, Mission Église de Dieu la Conquête, we spoke to an anaemic little girl who had not eaten in two days. She spent her days sitting on the ground in the stifling heat, waiting to go home. She had not been to school in over a year. Like hers, the testimonies of the internally displaced indicate that their only wish is to return to their homes, “at least to live as they did before.” There are currently at least 700,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in Haiti. More than half are children.

What can I tell you about the prisons? Outside Port au Prince, the situation is even worse than it was a year ago. In the south of the country, at the prison in Les Cayes, there are 853 detainees for a total capacity of 200; at the prison in Jérémie, there are 470 detainees for a capacity of 50. They sleep on floors flooded with rainwater and littered with filth. Sometimes they go without eating for several days. Several dozen inmates have died in these conditions this year. At least 84% are in prolonged pre-trial detention.

I welcome the Prime Minister's efforts to make the fight against corruption a priority. Corruption corrodes the system at every level of the hierarchical chain, and in every sector, first and foremost the justice system. The means exist, but they are often misused, a practice encouraged by almost complete impunity. Out of 94 investigations carried out by the Anti-Corruption Unit over the last 20 years, only one has led so far to a conviction. The authorities' commitment to set up “pôles judiciaires spécialisés” or judicial units, to combat corruption and mass crimes, including sexual violence, will be crucial to effectively remedy this situation.

The solutions are there, and they already exist. But efforts must be redoubled immediately. On the one hand, we need to make the State accountable to fight corruption and bad governance, which continues to plunge the country into an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. On the other hand, it is crucial to stifle the gangs by giving the MSS Mission the means to be effective in supporting the operations of the Haitian National Police, as well as to implement the other measures provided for by the United Nations Security Council, including the sanctions regime and the targeted arms embargo.

This enduring agony must stop. It is a race against time.

“You are not alone,” leaders from across U.S. tell Haitians in Springfield | VIDEO

Leaders pledge support, education about anti-Haitian racism during Haitian Times community conversation in Ohio town under right-wing attack

by The Haitian Times Sep. 16, 2024

Overview:

Leaders pledged support and education resources to combat anti-Haitian racism during a Haitian Times community conversation in Springfield, Ohio, the town under attack by white extremists.

Springfield, Ohio — Leaders with the NAACP, representatives of Haitian American groups from across the U.S. and local Ohio activists vowed during a community Saturday to organize and support Haitians in rejecting baskets and racist claims about Haitians harming animals.

“We stand together, not divided,” Denise Williams, president of the NAACP said.

“There is work that is in place right now,” she said, listing several actions around housing, language and health needs underway to help the city resolve the strain of accommodating new immigrants. “You are not alone. You are our people, and we protect each other. This is a community of love.”

The pledges and words of solidarity came during a community conversation held in the days after former President Donald Trump made racist comments about Haitians, then pledged mass deportations if re-elected. Originally planned as an in-person community town hall, the meeting, part of an ongoing series organized by The Haitian Times, was moved to Zoom after the city received bomb threats tied to white extremists.

Some Haitian residents in the meeting shared their experiences in recent weeks and months as the fake news went viral. Participants also shared their fears, concerns and hope for the growing community. Even as they spoke, a ruckus broke out outside the community center from which a few participants logged into the Zoom when a strange truck appeared in the parking lot carrying white occupants acting cagey.  

Such ongoing tensions and fear are the reason to take the matter seriously and force Trump and Vance to retract their viral statements, just as the woman who first posted about the animals did over the weekend. The gravity of the claims led one political scientist to compare the attack on Haitians in the Midwest town with the precursor to Nazi-era Jewish pogroms, where both people are associated with animals.

“What Trump is doing now is preparing the terrain,” said Dr. François Pierre-Louis, a political science professor at CUNY- Queens College who studied transnationalism and migration. “It’s not about just picking people up for deportation and sending them back to Haiti. It’s about mass killing that about to happen, it’s about genocide.”

“People don’t understand the danger,” Pierre-Louis continued. “These days with social media, people can post something [and] make things funny. But when they come for you, it’s not going to be funny.”

Watch the full video of the conversation here.

https://fb.watch/uDTaJaguwY

This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.

U.S. Attorney Handling Would-Be Trump Assassin’s Case Is a Haitian Immigrant

CHANDAN KHANNA 

Days after Donald Trump spewed conspiracies targeting Haitian migrants on the presidential debate stage, a Haitian-American immigrant has taken charge of the prosecution of an alleged assassin whose plot against the former president was foiled by Secret Service agents at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. Markenzy Lapointe, the Justice Department’s top prosecutor for South Florida, was born in Port-au-Prince and immigrated to the U.S. with his mother at age 16, the Miami Herald reported. His family settled in the Miami neighborhood of Liberty City, and Lapointe worked his way through school as a cab driver and server alongside his mother at an upscale restaurant in Key Biscayne. Lapointe was also a U.S. Marine reservist and was called up to serve during the Gulf War. “It mattered to me as an immigrant who came here and could contribute to this country in a special way,” he told the Herald. Lapointe was nominated for the post by President Biden in September 2022 and confirmed by the Senate in December of that year with bipartisan support, including vocal support from Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. Lapointe has since led the case against the alleged assassins of Haitian President President Jovenel Moïse, which led to a grand jury indictment against 11 people and the arrest of four Florida residents allegedly involved in the scheme last year. 

Read it at Miami Herald 

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Healthcare Crisis in Fort Liberté: specialist’s death exposes once again critical equipment shortage at hospital

Fort-Liberté residents reiterate call for modern equipment after one of the two obstetric gynecologists died

by Edxon Francisque Sep. 16, 2024

THE HAITIAN TIMES

Overview:

Despite ongoing pleas for better resources, Fort-Liberté Hospital remains critically under-equipped, endangering both patients and doctors. On August 30, 2024, an obstetrician-gynecologist who had served the hospital for over 20 years died due to the facility's lack of proper equipment to address his respiratory illness.

FORT-LIBERTÉ — Once again, the people of Fort-Liberté are raising alarming concerns about the dire state of their hospitals, demanding better equipment to prevent further loss of life. This new call follows the death of Dr. Paul Roussel Casséus, one of the two obstetrician-gynecologists at the Fort-Liberté Hospital.

“We can’t continue to lose our loved ones like this,” said Roudeline Adrien, who joined a march organized after the death of her brother-in-law, Dr. Casséus.

On Sept. 11, the community gathered to lay Dr. Casséus to rest, mourning not just a physician but the failures of a healthcare system in crisis. In response to his death, residents organized a peaceful march, a reiteration of previous pleas last July for improvement that have long gone unanswered.

Citizens marched through the town, demanding justice for the deceased and calling on the authorities to take immediate action to address the ongoing crisis at Fort-Liberté Hospital.

“Several people have died at the hospital due to oxygen problems, like my brother-in-law just died,” said Adrien, at the peaceful march in the town.

Protests erupted before, on Sept. 2, with residents accusing the hospital’s director, Dr. Isnelle Decome, of neglecting her duties for nearly two decades.

“Dr. Isnelle Decome has been running the Fort-Liberté hospital for 17 years without improvements,” claimed one protester, voicing the community’s anger and frustration.

Doctor’s death exposes deepening crisis at Fort-Liberté Hospital

Dr. Casséus died from respiratory problems that some attribute to the hospital’s lack of functional equipment. On the day of his death, he arrived at the hospital struggling to breathe. Despite his wife and a young man trying to care for him, little could be done.

“Doctor Casséus arrived at the hospital at 8:40 a.m. and was being cared for by his wife and a young man. He was tachypneic (rapid breathing), sweating profusely, and could not even speak,” the management of the Fort-Liberté Hospital indicated in a statement to clarify the circumstances around his death.

The death of the doctor has pressured government authorities to respond to the family and residents’ urgent calls for answers about the events leading up to his passing. The Departmental Health Directorate issued a press release, insisting they have an oxygen manufacturing system to supply all regional hospitals. However, these assurances fall flat for many residents, as experiences like Dr. Casseus’s suggest otherwise.

Dr. Casséus had been battling health issues for weeks. According to medical reports, he was previously saved “in the nick of time” when he spent a night on oxygen. His family rushed him back to the hospital as his condition deteriorated, but the facility lacked the modern equipment necessary for his care.

“Eight days ago, the doctor spent the night on oxygen and he was saved in the nick of time, his doctor even advised him to consult an internist because his case was serious,” reported Isnel Decom.

Although the Departmental Directorate of Health claims the hospital’s oxygen production system was operational, locals believe systemic incompetence and lack of proper equipment led to Dr. Casseus’s death. Legal action is now underway. The government commissioner at the Fort-Liberté court summoned the medical staff on duty the night of Dr. Casseus’s death to clarify the circumstances.

“You are asked to be accompanied by your doctors and nurses on duty who were on duty that night,” read the official summons issued on September 6.

This is not the first time the Fort-Liberté hospital has faced scandal. With a history of patients dying due to a lack of staff and equipment, the hospital’s woes are well-known in the region. The main regional medical center, Saint Joseph Hospital, struggles with similar issues, operating only four out of thirteen essential departments due to resource shortages.

Residents alarmed by lack of action After repeated calls for change

Residents have long voiced their frustrations, seeing little to no change despite repeated calls for action. In a recent interview, Pierre Ange-Marie, a 72-year-old diabetic from Vallières, shared her experience of waiting more than five hours for care.

“I was abandoned because I am poor,” she said.

“I lost my uncle because they didn’t have the necessary equipment,” said Viviane Bélizaire, a resident of Fort-Liberté.

The hospital’s difficulties are exacerbated by an exodus of health specialists to neighboring countries like the Dominican Republic, where they receive better treatment and resources.

“Many specialists left because the salaries could not meet their needs,” acknowledged Dr. Jean Denis Pierre, the departmental director of the Ministry of Public Health and Population.

For the Fort-Liberté hospital to meet the needs of its population effectively, it requires a complete overhaul, from infrastructure to staffing and equipment.

“We need qualified staff, adequate infrastructure, and the availability of medicines and supplies,” emphasized Lyneda Joseph, Secretary General of the Union of Young Leaders for Social Action in the North-East.

The population’s determination to obtain justice for Dr. Casseus and others like him has led to multiple peaceful marches. During the doctor’s vigil, citizens expressed their gratitude for a man who was always ready to serve despite the hospital’s limitations.

“He was a good person concerning the services he provided,” said Father Leonex Almonor.

Dr. Casséus, who passed away on August 30 at the age of 58, was laid to rest on September 11, leaving behind a community grappling with grief and demanding change.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 12 septembre 2024

Le gouvernement Biden condamne une propagande “dangereuse” à propos des immigrants haïtiens…

10 septembre 2024 

RHInews - WASHINGTON, (DC), mardi 10 septembre 2024– L’administration Biden a dénoncé ce qu’elle qualifie de “conspiration dangereuse” propagée par plusieurs responsables républicains, y compris le sénateur JD Vance, candidat au poste de vice -président aux côtés du candidat Donald Trump. Ces rumeurs prétendent que des immigrants haïtiens tuent et mangent des animaux domestiques; comme par exemple dans la ville de Springfield, Ohio.

John Kirby, porte-parole du Conseil de sécurité nationale de la Maison-Blanche, a vigoureusement condamné ces affirmations, les qualifiant de mensongères et d’incitations à la division fondées sur le racisme. Il a mis en garde contre les risques de diffusion de telles fausses informations, soulignant que des personnes pourraient y croire et agir de manière violente en conséquence.

Les allégations se sont rapidement répandues sur les réseaux sociaux, alimentées par des critiques adressées à la vice-présidente Kamala Harris concernant sa gestion de la frontière. Toutefois, les autorités locales de Springfield ont affirmé qu’elles n’avaient reçu aucun rapport crédible pour étayer ces accusations. Un porte-parole de la police de Springfield a déclaré à Axios que le département n’avait enregistré aucune plainte spécifique concernant des animaux de compagnie blessés ou maltraités par des membres de la communauté immigrée. Il a également ajouté qu’il n’y avait eu aucun rapport d’immigrants causant des perturbations dans la circulation ou s’adonnant à des actes d’incivilité devant les maisons des résidents.

Ce qui a particulièrement alarmé les responsables de l’administration Biden c’est l’implication de personnalités publiques influentes, comme Elon Musk et le sénateur Ted Cruz, qui ont amplifié ces rumeurs sur les réseaux sociaux. Musk, suivi par près de 197 millions de personnes sur la plateforme X (anciennement Twitter), a partagé plusieurs publications faisant allusion à ces fausses informations, y compris une image générée par intelligence artificielle montrant un chaton et un caneton, accompagnée de l’appel “Sauvez-les !”. De son côté, Ted Cruz a partagé une photo montrant deux chats avec le texte : “S’il vous plaît, votez pour Trump pour que les immigrants haïtiens ne vous mangent pas.”

Les autorités locales ont tenté de calmer la situation. Le journal Springfield News-Sun a rapporté que les rumeurs pourraient être liées à une publication dans un groupe Facebook local, où un utilisateur affirmait que l’ami de la fille de son voisin avait retrouvé son chat pendu à un arbre chez un voisin haïtien, prêt à être mangé. Cette affirmation, tout comme d’autres concernant des vols d’oiseaux, n’a jamais été confirmée par les autorités.

Malgré l’absence de preuves, JD Vance a affirmé sur X que des résidents de Springfield avaient contacté son bureau pour signaler que leurs animaux de compagnie et de la faune locale avaient été enlevés par des migrants haïtiens. Il a reconnu la possibilité que ces rumeurs soient fausses, mais a néanmoins encouragé ses partisans à continuer à les partager. Ces déclarations, combinées à des commentaires incendiaires de la campagne Trump, ont exacerbé la tension, notamment lorsque fut publié un communiqué intitulé “Les migrants de Kamala ravagent une ville de l’Ohio – Et cela arrive bientôt dans votre ville”. Ce communiqué alléguait que 20 000 migrants haïtiens avaient été envoyés à Springfield.

La ville de Springfield, avec une population de 58 662 habitants selon le recensement de 2020, a vu une augmentation notable de sa population immigrée ces dernières années. La page FAQ du site de la ville indique qu’entre 12 000 et 15 000 immigrés vivent désormais dans le comté de Clark, dont de nombreux Haïtiens arrivés légalement dans le cadre du Programme de Libération Conditionnelle pour raisons humanitaires. Une fois sur place, ces immigrants sont éligibles au Statut de Protection Temporaire (TPS).

Toutefois, des pressions se multiplient sur le gouvernement fédéral pour limiter l’arrivée de migrants dans l’État. Il a même déclaré que Springfield avait gonflé de plus d’un tiers à cause de l’afflux d’immigrants. En retour cette situation fait écho à des appels plus larges pour que le gouvernement Biden élargisse les protections pour les migrants haïtiens.

L’administration Biden a réitéré son appel à la vigilance face à la désinformation, exhortant les élus à ne pas exploiter ces rumeurs pour diviser les communautés et qui aussi attisent des tensions raciales.

Cet article de Avery Lotz a été publié initialement en Anglais sur : https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/biden-admin-condemns-dangerous-conspiracy-about-haitian-immigrants/ar-AA1ql7Bv?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=618ef0b4abf7470dba612724f4cbe830&ei=11

Fausse rumeur sur les migrants haïtiens : des propos racistes dénoncés par la Maison Blanche

septembre 10, 2024 Société VBI

Une théorie du complot répandue par des figures politiques républicaines aux États-Unis, notamment JD Vance, candidat à la vice-présidence, prétend que des migrants haïtiens voleraient et mangeraient des chats en Ohio. Cette fausse accusation a été fermement démentie par les autorités locales.

La polémique a pris de l’ampleur jusqu’à atteindre la Maison Blanche. John Kirby, porte-parole du Conseil national de sécurité, a dénoncé ces propos pour leur « contenu raciste » et leur potentiel à inciter à la violence. « Ce langage et cette désinformation sont dangereux car des gens pourraient y croire et agir en conséquence », a averti Kirby lors d’une conférence de presse.

Démenti des autorités locales

Malgré l’ampleur de la diffusion sur les réseaux sociaux, les autorités locales de Springfield, Ohio, ont rapidement réagi. Une porte-parole a déclaré qu’il n’y avait « aucun rapport crédible ou affirmation spécifique » concernant de telles attaques d’animaux domestiques par des migrants.

JD Vance, également sénateur de l’Ohio, avait relayé cette théorie sans fondement, affirmant que « des voisins avaient vu leurs animaux kidnappés et mangés » par des migrants. Des personnalités comme Ted Cruz et Elon Musk ont aussi alimenté cette désinformation, contribuant à l’escalade des tensions sur l’immigration.

Yves Manuel
Avant Bèf Info
Avec Associated Press

Tragédie au Kenya : sympathies de la Chancelière Dominique Dupuy au nom du CPT et du Gouvernement

septembre 6, 2024 brèves VBI

Suite à la tragédie ayant coûté la vie à plus d’une quinzaine d’écoliers dans l’incendie de leur établissement au Kenya, le Conseil Présidentiel et le Gouvernement par le biais de la Chancelière Dominique Dupuy a présenté leurs sincères condoléances au peuple kényan.

Port-au-Prince, le 6 septembre 2024- Dans un message publié sur son compte X officiel, la ministre des Affaires étrangères, Dominique Dupuy, dit s’associer à la peine des soeurs et frères au Kenya suite à la mort tragique de 17 élèves dans l’incendie à l’école Hillside Endarasha, à une centaine de kilomètres de la capitale, Nairobi.

 » Alors que des policiers kényans sont à nos côtés et nous assistent dans notre combat contre la violence et l’insécurité, le Kenya est frappé par la tragédie. Le peuple haïtien s’associe à cette peine «, lit-on dans le message de la ministre Dominique Dupuy au nom du gouvernement haitien.

Le président kényan William Ruto a décrété trois jours de deuil national, à partir du lundi 9 septembre, après la mort d’au moins 17 enfants dans la nuit du jeudi 5 au vendredi 6 septembre dans l’incendie de leur pensionnat, dans le centre du pays.

Seize écoliers sont encore à l’hôpital, grièvement blessés dans ce sinister

e.

Mederson Alcindor

Vant Bèf Info (VBI)

Intervention policière pour débloquer la route nationale #8 à Croix-des-Bouquets

septembre 6, 2024 brèves VBI

Sur instruction du commandant en chef de la Police nationale d’Haïti, Rameau Normil, les forces de l’ordre, accompagnées des agents de l’UDMO/Ouest 2, ont débloqué vendredi, à l’aide d’un engin lourd, la route nationale #8 à Croix-des-Bouquets.

Croix-des-Bouquets, le 6 septembre 2024. Des individus armés appartenant au gang des « 400 Mawozo » avaient tenté de bloquer la route en érigeant un mur pour empêcher la progression des forces de l’ordre lors de leurs opérations.

Des tirs nourris ont été entendus lors de cette intervention. Les malfrats avaient aussi lancé des cocktails Molotov pour tenter, sans succès, d’incendier l’engin lourd utilisé par les forces de l’ordre.

La police a réussi à libérer la voie publique. Elle affirme avoir intensifié ses opérations depuis plusieurs jours afin de déloger les gangs qui sévissent dans la région métropolitaine de Port-au-Prince.

Likenton Joseph 

Vant Bèf Info (VBI)

Écarté puis réhabilité : Lionel Lazarre retrouve sa place à la PNH

Redaction

Le Directeur Général de la Police Nationale d’Haïti (PNH), Rameau Normil, a annoncé le retour de Lionel Lazarre au sein du Service de Presse et des Relations Publiques de la Police, où il occupera à nouveau le poste de Porte-parole adjoint. Cette décision, officialisée dans une lettre datée du 7 septembre 2024, est une bonne nouvelle pour Lazarre, qui avait été écarté de ses fonctions en juillet dernier.

Évincé après seulement quelques heures de nomination à la suite d’accusations de corruption, Lionel Lazarre a fait l’objet d’une enquête approfondie menée par l’Inspection Générale de la PNH. Cette investigation, qui a duré plusieurs semaines, a abouti à la levée des accusations qui pesaient sur lui, ouvrant la voie à son retour dans les rangs de l’institution.

Suite à cette réintégration, Lionel Lazarre a exprimé sa gratitude envers le Directeur Général Rameau Normil dans un message publié sur son compte Twitter. En réaffirmant son engagement à renforcer la communication au sein de la PNH, à promouvoir la transparence et à servir le pays avec intégrité, soulignant ainsi sa détermination à tourner la page de cet épisode tumultueux.

Rédaction Kominotek News

Lynchage brutal d’un chef de gang après son arrestation à Belladère

septembre 6, 2024 brèves VBI

Un puissant chef de gang a été arrêté le jeudi 5 septembre 2024 à la frontière de Belladère par la Police frontalière terrestre (POLIFRONT), puis lynché par la population de Mirebalais quelques heures après son arrestation.

La Police nationale d’Haïti (PNH) a annoncé, le vendredi 6 septembre 2024, l’arrestation du présumé chef de gang Guillod Ora, âgé de 38 ans. Présenté comme le deuxième chef du gang de Marc Arthur, opérant à Rivière Froide, une localité de la commune de Carrefour, il a été abattu par la population à Mirebalais le même jour.

Alors que la PNH intensifie ses opérations pour neutraliser les individus tentant de fuir la région métropolitaine de Port-au-Prince, la population réactive de son côté le mouvement « Bwa Kale ».

Le présumé bandit, placé en garde à vue en attente de suites judiciaires, a été arraché de force par la population de Mirebalais, puis exécuté sur la Route nationale #3 vendredi après-midi, avant le coucher du soleil.

Likenton Joseph 

Vant Bèf Info (VBI)

Haïti : l’administration Biden souhaiterait transformer la MMSS en mission des Nations Unies

septembre 6, 2024 brèves VBI

L’administration Biden envisage de transformer la Mission Multinationale de Soutien à la Sécurité (MMSS) en une mission des Nations Unies. Selon le Miami Herald, une source proche du dossier a confirmé cette intention, alors que la force multinationale, plus de deux mois après son déploiement, peine à obtenir les résultats escomptés.

Miami, le 4 septembre 2024. Le journal rapporte que le Département d’État américain, face à des problèmes de financement et d’équipement, explore la possibilité de convertir le soutien dirigé par le Kenya en une opération de maintien de la paix traditionnelle des Nations Unies. Un responsable du Conseil de sécurité nationale de la Maison Blanche a confirmé au Miami Herald que des plans sont à l’étude pour modifier la nature de la force.

« En coordination avec leurs partenaires, les États-Unis explorent des options pour renforcer la mission multinationale de soutien à la sécurité et s’assurer que le soutien apporté aux Haïtiens soit durable à long terme, tout en ouvrant la voie à des conditions de sécurité favorables à des élections libres et équitables », a déclaré cette source.

L’administration Biden estime que la Force multinationale coûte environ 200 millions de dollars pour un semestre d’opération.

De plus, la chaîne CNN avait rapporté la semaine dernière que les premiers policiers kényans arrivés en Haïti n’ont toujours pas reçu leurs salaires, ce qui a suscité une frustration, notamment à l’approche de la réouverture des classes pour leurs enfants.

Aristilde Deslande 

Vant Bèf Info (VBI)

Haïti-RD-USA : Abinader et Blinken discutent des crises en Haïti et au Venezuela

Les deux dirigeants ont exprimé leurs préoccupations concernant la situation au Venezuela et ont promis de travailler ensemble pour la paix en Haïti. Les États-Unis et la République dominicaine ont réaffirmé leur engagement à collaborer pour faire face aux défis et saisir les opportunités dans la région.

Lors d'une conférence de presse conjointe entre le président Luis Abinader et le secrétaire d'État américain, Antony Blinken, le chef d'État dominicain a souligné le moment historique favorable que vivent les pays de la région, grâce à une coopération respectueuse, solide et continue sur des questions fondamentales telles que la sécurité régionale, la prospérité économique, les droits de l'homme et la stabilité démocratique.

Le secrétaire d'État Blinken est arrivé en République dominicaine jeudi dernier, pour une visite officielle, après avoir rencontré les autorités haïtiennes. Au cours de la rencontre, Abinader a exprimé son inquiétude face à la crise humanitaire en Haïti, en particulier concernant les défis auxquels le gouvernement de transition est confronté, tels que l'insuffisance de la coopération en matière de sécurité et l'évasion de milliers de détenus.

Abinader a souligné que les États-Unis ont contribué à la force de paix en Haïti, ce qui a permis des progrès en matière de sécurité intérieure. Cela a également conduit à des discussions sur la normalisation des relations, y compris la réouverture des voyages. Le président dominicain a demandé des informations détaillées sur la distribution de contingents supplémentaires de la Mission de soutien à la sécurité multinationale (MSS) et sur les ressources nécessaires pour renforcer le Fonds d'affectation spéciale des Nations Unies. Abinader a rappelé qu'il est essentiel de renouveler le mandat de la MMSS en octobre prochain

Comcernant la situation en Haïti, le secrétaire d’Etat Antony Blinken a déclaré qu'il partageait entièrement les préoccupations exprimées par le président Abinader. « Bien sûr, la situation en Haïti est un sujet très complexe et difficile en raison de ses problèmes de longue date, comme l'a mentionné mon collègue, avec des problèmes profondément enracinés », a-t-il indiqué.

Il a souligné que les destins d'Haïti, des États-Unis et d'autres nations de notre hémisphère sont « inexorablement » liés, et que, par conséquent, ce qui se passe en Haïti est avant tout une question d'intérêt humain et de besoin humanitaire.

"LETTRE DE PAUL KAGAME AUX HAÏTIENS
Le business de la haine
Je me suis toujours demandé, en lisant les rapports de guerre communautaires sous d'autres cieux, comment des gens qui vivaient en bonne intelligence, en étaient arrivés à se massacrer comme des animaux. Comment les Bété et les Dioula en Côte d'ivoire ou les Tutsi et les Hutu chez moi au Rwanda avaient pu aller aussi loin. Comment des gens en arrivaient à tuer suite à un mot d'ordre de personnes qu'ils n'avaient jamais vues, avec qui ils n'avaient eu aucune relation, et dont l'unique chose qu'ils avaient en commun était la tribu...
En regardant la scène haïtienne, je crois que je commence à comprendre avant qu’elle ne prenne le chemin emprunté hier par mon peuple. Alors je t'écris aujourd'hui, jeune haïtien, pour te dire ce que tu sais peut-être déjà.
La haine est un business, et aussi un formidable ascenseur pour les politiciens professionnels pour accéder aux privilèges qu'ils convoitent. Ce business repose sur un postulat simple : "Tu n'es pas ce que tu devrais être ou là où tu devrais être parce qu'un autre s'est mis entre toi et ton destin. Il faut donc l'éliminer." C'est ainsi que les entrepreneurs de la haine réussissent à embarquer les gens dans leur entreprise.
Alors toi qui me lis ce matin, et qui as déjà limé ta machette, prêt à en découdre, toi qui attends impatiemment le Jour J pour en finir avec ceux qui sont responsables de ta situation, je vais te dire dès maintenant ce qui t'attend au pas de la porte :
Tu vas rencontrer en face, d'autres jeunes, braves comme toi et encore plus vicieux, eux aussi nourris à la mamelle de la haine comme toi et ne reculant devant rien. Tu en tueras un grand nombre, mais tu perdras aussi un grand nombre de frères, de soeurs, de parents, d'amis, de connaissances, de relations... Ton avenir t'attendra sagement au coin d'une rue en terre, dans une tombe, quand tu tomberas dans une embuscade, ou, si tu es chanceux, dans un hôpital de fortune, où tu seras pris en charge par un médecin de la croix rouge. Tu auras le visage défiguré, les marques de la guerre bien visibles sur ton corps déchiqueté.
Tous les jours RFi se chargera de faire le décompte des morts, en attendant qu'il atteigne le seuil qui déclenchera l'indignation de la "communauté internationale". Certaines mauvaises langues disent qu'il commence à 3000 morts.
Un matin, du fond de ton lit d'infortune, tu l'entendras dans le journal officiel : Création de la commission de réconciliation. Et qui sera nommé à la tête de cette commission ? Le même type qui t'avait dit que c'est l'autre qui est responsable de ton malheur. Tu le verras, tout sourire, promettre au JT de 20h, œuvrer pour la réconciliation et t'appeler à pardonner. La commission sera créée avec un budget de 25 milliards qu'ils vont se répartir entre eux au travers des arnaques appelées consultations. Tu seras là, au fond de ton lit de fortune, le regard noir, la jambe amputée, perdu dans tes pensées, avec une longue liste de comptes à regler. Mais là dehors la donne a changé. Tu ne peux plus massacrer impunément. Et même si tu le voulais encore, tu n'en as plus les moyens ni la force.
C'est là que tu te rappelleras que, comme par magie, aucun de ceux qui t'ont mené là où tu es n'as été tué, ni eux, ni leurs familles.
Mon frère, sache que dans ce business, tu ne seras qu'un pion. Demande aux dioula et bété de côté d'ivoire, aux Hutu et Tutsi de chez moi qui sont obligés aujourd'hui de se tolérer, de vivre ensemble par les mêmes qui leur avaient dit que ce n'était plus possible. Pense à ces gens qui sont obligés de vivre aujourd'hui avec les séquelles d'une guerre qui n'aurait jamais dû vivre, et qui sont obligés de garder leur frustration en sourdine, la rancœur plein le cœur, et l'avenir en pointillés...
C'est ça que tu veux pour toi et ton pays ? C'est ce genre d'avenir que tu veux pour toi et tes enfants ?
Sache donc que dans une guerre civile, il n'y a que des perdants. Et que, quelle que soit la force de ton clan, à la fin, on vous imposera la réconciliation.
Voilà, tu ne diras pas que je ne t'avais pas prévenu. En limant ta machette ce matin, relis bien mes paroles, elles sont celles d'un type qui a vu ce qui s'est passé dans son pays."

Baisse du taux de chômage aux États-Unis en août : une amélioration malgré des chiffres en demi-teinte

septembre 6, 2024 International VBI

Le taux de chômage aux États-Unis a légèrement baissé en août, passant de 4,3 % en juillet à 4,2 %, selon les données publiées par le Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Après quatre mois consécutifs de hausse, cette diminution marque un tournant pour le marché de l’emploi américain.

USA, le 6 septembre 2024.-La création nette d’emplois a connu un rebond avec 142 000 postes ajoutés, soit 53 000 de plus qu’en juillet. Ce dernier mois avait vu une révision à la baisse, avec seulement 89 000 emplois créés. Cependant, ce chiffre reste en deçà de la moyenne annuelle, qui s’établissait à 202 000 créations par mois l’année dernière, selon le BLS.

Malgré ces signes positifs, la pression reste forte sur la Réserve fédérale (Fed) pour qu’elle réduise les taux d’intérêt. Jerome Powell, président de la Fed, a récemment évoqué cette possibilité, soulignant que le marché du travail reste robuste, mais refroidi par rapport aux niveaux de surchauffe observés précédemment.

En août, plusieurs secteurs ont connu des hausses d’emploi notables, notamment la construction avec 34 000 postes supplémentaires, et la santé, qui a ajouté 31 000 emplois. Cependant, le nombre total de chômeurs reste élevé, à 7,1 millions, contre 6,3 millions il y a un an, bien que les économistes estiment que ce chiffre soit encore proche du plein emploi.

La baisse du taux de chômage intervient après un mois de juillet marqué par des inquiétudes économiques. La publication des données sur l’emploi avait provoqué un « Black Friday » sur les marchés boursiers mondiaux, alimentant les craintes d’une récession. Néanmoins, comme l’a rappelé Powell lors du forum économique de Jackson Hole, le marché de l’emploi, bien qu’affaibli, n’a pas subi de hausse significative des licenciements, contrairement à ce qui se produit habituellement en période de récession.

Mots-clés pour le SEO : taux de chômage, créations d’emplois, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Réserve fédérale, Jerome Powell, marché du travail, économie américaine.

Yves Manuel

Avec Fox News

Insécurité sanitaire en Haïti : Un médecin meurt à l’hôpital de Fort-Liberté faute d’oxygène…

8 septembre 2024,

Dr. Paul Roussel Casseus...

RHInews - PORT-AU-PRINCE, dimanche 8 septembre 2024– Le décès du docteur Paul Roussel Casséus à l’hôpital départemental de Fort-Liberté illustre tragiquement l’insécurité sanitaire en Haïti. Ce médecin, formé à Moscou et revenu en Haïti pour servir sa communauté, a consacré sa vie à sauver celles des autres. Unique gynécologue de l’hôpital de Fort-Liberte, il avait notamment contribué à de nombreux accouchements, sauvant des femmes et des nouveau-nés dans un environnement médical précaire. Cependant, malgré son dévouement, il a perdu la vie la semaine dernière dans l’établissement où il travaillait, faute d’oxygène. Ce manque criant de ressources vitales n’est pas un accident isolé, mais le symptôme d’un système de santé défaillant, où les infrastructures, le matériel et le personnel manquent cruellement.

Fort-Liberté, chef-lieu du département du Nord-Est d’Haïti, est particulièrement touché par cette crise sanitaire. Ce département reçoit une part extrêmement réduite du budget national alloué à la santé. Les établissements de santé locaux, y compris l’hôpital départemental où travaillait le docteur Casséus, sont sous-équipés, et les conditions de travail des médecins et infirmiers y sont extrêmement difficiles. Le personnel médical, mal rémunéré et souvent démotivé, est contraint de faire face à des situations d’urgence sans les outils nécessaires pour intervenir.

Le décès de Paul Roussel Casséus n’est pas un cas isolé. Il s’inscrit dans une série de drames causés par les défaillances du système de santé en Haïti. En 2020, Michaële Amédée Gédéon, ancienne ministre de la Santé publique et présidente de la Croix-Rouge haïtienne, est décédée après un accident de la route dans la région de la Grand-Anse. Comme tant d’autres avant elle, elle n’a pas pu recevoir les soins appropriés à temps, un autre exemple frappant du manque de moyens dans les hôpitaux haïtiens. Ces cas, bien que tragiques, ne sont pas uniques ; ils révèlent l’ampleur d’un problème systémique qui touche aussi bien les professionnels de la santé que les patients.

La mort du docteur Paul Roussel Casséus aurait pu être évitée, tout comme celle de Michaële Amédée Gédéon. Ces décès ne sont pas de simples accidents ; ils sont le reflet d’un système qui n’a pas su ou voulu se moderniser. Le sous-financement, la mauvaise gestion et l’absence de priorités claires en matière de santé publique continuent de condamner des vies dans des circonstances évitables. Si rien n’est fait, ces tragédies continueront de se multiplier.

Le cas du docteur Casséus devrait servir d’alerte pour les autorités haïtiennes. Il est urgent de revoir les priorités budgétaires et de redéployer des ressources vers le secteur de la santé afin de renforcer les infrastructures, équiper correctement les hôpitaux et soutenir le personnel médical. La survie du peuple haïtien en dépend.

Élection présidentielle aux États-Unis : l’ancien vice-président républicain Dick Cheney soutient Kamala Harris

septembre 7, 2024 Société VBI

Kamala Harris, candidate démocrate à la présidence, a reçu, le vendredi 6 septembre, le soutien inattendu de Dick Cheney, ancien vice-président républicain sous George W. Bush.

Connu pour ses positions ultra-conservatrices, Dick Cheney, âgé de 83 ans, a fermement critiqué Donald Trump, qu’il qualifie de « plus grande menace pour la démocratie » dans l’histoire politique américaine. Cette déclaration intervient alors que Kamala Harris, à deux mois de l’élection, cherche à séduire les républicains désabusés par Trump.

Le soutien de Dick Cheney fait suite à celui de sa fille, Liz Cheney, ancienne députée républicaine, qui avait également annoncé qu’elle votera pour Harris. Tous deux voient en Trump un danger pour les institutions démocratiques, notamment après l’assaut du Capitole en janvier 2021.

Du côté de l’équipe de campagne de Kamala Harris, la nouvelle a été accueillie avec enthousiasme. De son côté, Donald Trump a tenté de relativiser cette annonce, qualifiant Cheney de « dinosaure sans intérêt ».

Likenton JOSEPH
Vant Bèf Info (VBI)
avec RFI

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 21 aout 2024

Haitian officials refuse to attend Abinader’s inauguration amid airspace dispute, stoking diplomatic tensions

Haitian officials denounce Dominican airspace restrictions calling for equal treatment for all citizens

by Jose FlécherAug. 15, 2024

THE HAITIAN TIMES

Haitian authorities will not attend Dominican President Luís Abinader's inauguration due to ongoing airspace restrictions imposed by the Dominican Republic on Haiti. This decision comes amid long-standing diplomatic tensions between the neighboring countries that have once again come to the forefront.

PORT-AU-PRINCE — The Haitian government has announced it will not attend the inauguration of Dominican President Luís Abinader on Aug. 16 in response to the Dominican Republic’s recent measures to unilaterally close the airspace between the two nations. This move is the latest in a series of actions that add to the ongoing strain in the historically troubled relationship between the two neighboring countries, contributing to a complex diplomatic situation.

“The prime minister and the president of the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) will not participate in the inauguration ceremony of the Dominican president,” Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominique Dupuy confirmed to The Haïtian Times in a telephone conversation. She did not make any further comment about the government’s decision.

Dupuy’s chief of staff, Winnie Hugo Gabriel, said Thursday that the Haitian consul in the Dominican Republic, Christine Lamothe, will attend the ceremony instead.

The latest measures by the Dominican Republic have resurfaced, directly impacting the participation of Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille and members of the CPT at the inauguration of Abinader, who was elected for a second term. Closed for security reasons since late February, the Dominican authorities have refused to lift restrictions on flights from Haiti. This stance has significantly influenced the Haitian government’s decision to decline the DR government’s invitation. The resulting backlash exacerbated an already strained relationship and fueled further the long-standing diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

Dominican Chancellor Roberto Alvarez has refuted claims of the airspace closure between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, asserting in a recent tweet that Haitian airspace remains open for officials and humanitarian flights but that it remains closed to commercial flights for security reasons.

 “ I added that for security reasons, the airspace between #RepDom and #Haiti remains closed for commercial flights but not for official, humanitarian, or similar flights. In addition, I asked our ambassador to Haiti to visit the Haitian Foreign Ministry and reiterate this,” Alvarez said on his  X account. “There is no overflight obstacle whatsoever that impedes the Haitian authorities from attending President Abinader’s inauguration. It would have been a unique opportunity to start the dialogue with the transitional government.”

A source close to the CPT President Edgard Leblanc, who requested anonymity, also confirmed to The Haitian Times that the refusal to attend Abinader’s inauguration is linked with the ongoing closure of the airspace between the two countries.

“The prime minister and the president of the presidential transitional council will not participate in the inauguration ceremony of the Dominican president.” Dominique Dupuy, Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs. 

The decision has caused discontent on the other side of the island. Dominican officials, including Foreign Minister Alvarez, have made several attempts to clarify the situation by referencing a conversation he had with Minister Dupuy, suggesting that the issue might be more complex than it appears on the surface. 

“On August 1, during a phone conversation with the Haitian Chancellor, she inquired whether it was necessary to lift the airspace closure so they could attend President Abinader’s inauguration. I assured her that any flight request from Haitian authorities would be immediately authorized, just like those of other invited dignitaries,” the Dominican Chancellor shared on his X account.

However, the Dominican authorities are holding firm on their decision to keep the airspace closed, offering instead to open a specific air corridor for official flights. This would allow Haitian dignitaries to attend President Abinader’s inauguration, a move seen as a diplomatic snub in Haiti. 

The position has sparked significant backlash, with Foreign Minister Dupuy emphasizing that any request for reopening must apply to all citizens without exception. She asserted that Haitian authorities should not benefit from privileges that are not extended to the Haitian people.

This diplomatic impasse follows heightened tensions triggered by the construction of a canal on the Haïtian side of the Massacre River, which led to Dominican President Abinader taking different measures to force Haïtians to suspend work, including the closure of the Dominican borders in September last year. Air travel to and from Haiti was forced to be suspended due to the escalation of gang violence in Port-au-Prince on February 29. While other countries resumed services, the Dominican Republic maintained the airspace restriction. 

Haitians on social media reacted positively to Minister Dupuy’s stance applauding her for finally showing that the Haitian government is taking a firm position against the Dominican authorities. Legal experts have also weighed on the issue analyzing the broader implications of the Haïtian government’s response to the Dominican Republic action.

“The government’s decision is an exemplary demonstration of the sovereignty of the Haitian State under international law because, by refusing to subordinate the reopening of the airspace, it relies on Article 2 of the United Nations Charter, which recognizes the principle of equal sovereignty of states,” said a former Croix-des-Bouquets substitute for the government commissioner who requested anonymity.

Reacting to Dupuy’s comment that authorities should not benefit from privileges not extended to the Haitian people, the former government substitute said that by taking this stance, Haitian authorities are rejecting a privilege denied to the broader population. He referenced Article 1.2 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which, he emphasized, prohibits discrimination in the enjoyment of rights and freedoms.

Teachers familiar with the history of both countries have pointed out that this moment could set a precedent for how Haiti navigates its relationship with its neighbor moving forward.

“The refusal to go is a step. But I expect much more from the country’s authorities,” says Gérard Duclos, a history teacher at several schools in the Haitian capital. He further criticizes the situation, noting that while the airspace is closed, Dominican army helicopters continue to fly between the Dominican Republic and the Dominican embassy in Port-au-Prince without any control.

“The authorities at the highest level of the State must address this anomaly with urgency,” he concludes.

Twenty-four hours before the inaugural ceremony, the Haitian government has not officially confirmed whether the Charge d’Affaires in the Dominican Republic will attend the event.

THE HAITIAN TIMES

Carl Fombrun left us

Carl Fombrun left us, at the ripe age of 92, today 8/13/2024.

A great soul, a generous heart, a consumate relationist and conversationalist who has stories after stories to share with friends, his public and the world. Haitian politics, the Kennedys, MLK, life in Cuba, Brazil or the USA…

It was a privilege to have known him both as a guest (Kendall, FL) and as a host (Norwood, MA). What a memorable trip with him in Woonsocket, Rhode Island to visit his former Catholic High School, Mount St. Charles, 60 years later in 2011.

As we process the loss, he sure would insist that we remember him in a celebratory mode, with joy, fine wine, and good memories. We will try Carl, we will try. With respect and affection...

Evangéline and Charlot Lucien

Haiti’s Future Depends on Our Unity: A Call to Action for the Haitian Diaspora

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In the face of ongoing challenges, one truth becomes increasingly clear: Haiti’s path to renewal lies in the hands of its people, both at home and abroad. As members of the Haitian diaspora, we carry within us the resilience, creativity, and passion that have defined our nation since its revolutionary birth. Today, more than ever, it is imperative that we overcome our divisions and unite in purpose to foster a brighter future for Haiti.

Haiti’s history is a testament to the extraordinary things we can achieve when united. On August 14th, 1791, our ancestors overcame the barriers of language, tribalism, and religion to create a path for unity towards a common cause. They shattered the chains of slavery and colonialism, creating the world’s first black republic. This legacy of strength and determination flows in our veins, waiting to be channeled towards Haiti’s renaissance.

However, division has too often held us back. Political disagreements, regional, social and class differences, and conflicting visions have fragmented our efforts, diluting our potential impact. Many inside and abroad have used our internal fights for their selfish interests against our nation. It is time for all of us who have been standing on the sidelines to get involved. Haiti will not change without the involvement of all of us. But we need to be smart.

Only Haitians Can Truly Solve Haiti’s Challenges

While international aid and support have their place, the lasting solutions to Haiti’s challenges must come from Haitians themselves. We understand the nuances of our culture, the complexities of our society, and the depth of our potential in ways no outside entity ever could.

Our diaspora, spread across the globe, represents an incredible reservoir of talent, expertise, and resources. We have doctors, engineers, educators, entrepreneurs, and artists who have achieved success in various fields. Imagine the transformation we could foster if we pooled this collective knowledge and experience towards Haiti’s development.

The Urgent Need for an International Diaspora Network

The time has come for us to build a robust, international network of Haitian professionals, faith-based leaders, educators, and social activists. This network would serve as a platform for:

1. Defining a vision for Haiti as a land of freedom for all in the world
2. Knowledge sharing and collaboration
3. Coordinated investment in Haiti’s infrastructure and economy
4. Mentorship programs connecting diaspora experts with Haitian youth
5. Advocacy for policies that support Haiti’s development
6. Preservation and promotion of Haitian culture globally

Let’s acknowledge that many networks already exist. We can create an overall umbrella for all those networks on a common platform that we will need to define around peace, security, and education for all.

Finding Common Ground

To build this network, we must find common ground. Despite our differences, we all share a love for Haiti and a desire to see it thrive. Let this be the foundation upon which we build our unity.

We must engage in open, respectful dialogue on the deeper reasons for our division: respect for all Haitians, from the city and the countryside, respect for all skin colors, respect for all social classes. We need to learn how to see other Haitians, removing the sequels of colonial history that make us judge all other Haitians. Our fundamental problem is how we see each other. We are the only ones who can understand and overcome our differences.

One of the first common goals is the restoration of Haitian History as the beacon for liberty and equity in this modern world. We must elevate what Haitians have done for the new world and understand that all ideas of human rights, liberty, and equity pass through Haiti. Haiti is the first inequity outcome in the world. Many major nations of today have taken advantage of Haiti: France, Spain, England, Germany, USA, to cite the obvious ones.

We can also find common ground on education: connect Haiti with the most advanced education systems in the world through access to technology, curriculum development, and practical learning for all, from the countryside to the cities, from the mountains to the valleys. Finding a common platform for education transcends our differences. We have proven to the world how smart Haitians can be. Let’s find common ground to have a revolution of education in Haiti for all.

We can find common ground for community engagement, peace for all, and the like. No country can overcome its differences without a common vision. Rwanda is our most pressing example.

A Call to Action

To my fellow Haitian professionals, faith leaders, educators, and activists: the time for action is now. Haiti needs our unity, our expertise, and our unwavering commitment. We salute all who have been in this fight for their entire lives. The time has come today to self-examine and re-engage, following the wisdom of many countries that have surmounted numerous obstacles. Let’s agree on a vision: “An nou tounen lakay 2050” (Let’s return home by 2050).

The evidence is clear: “The neighbor never comes to clean home for you”. We must be the ones doing this work. We must learn to see Haitians with a new look, a look of pride, a look of love, a look of togetherness. We must understand that we are not individually responsible for our internal fights and our differences. Our social fabric of distrust and survival instinct from slavery have conditioned us for individualism and not for collective action. We must reinvent a social fabric of trust, without which no progress is possible.

The challenges facing Haiti are significant, but they are not insurmountable. By uniting the strengths of our diaspora, we can create a powerful force for positive change. Our diversity, when harmonized, becomes our greatest asset.

Let us honor the legacy of our ancestors by coming together, transcending our differences, and working tirelessly for Haiti’s renaissance. The future of our beloved nation depends on our unity. Together, we can restore Haiti as a beacon of freedom, creativity, and prosperity in the world.

The time is now. Let us unite for Haiti. Please join us on August 24th for a special dialogue on organizing the Haitian Diaspora. Follow this link: Rekonekte pou Haiti