Haiti withdraws offer to host OAS XLV General Assembly
The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) took note today of the notification of the withdrawal of its offer to host the XLV (45th) General Assembly of the Organization due to “financial and logistical constraints” currently experienced by the Government of Haiti, as expressed by the country´s Foreign Minister, Duly Brutus, in a letter sent to the Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza.
The Chair of the Permanent Council and Permanent Representative of Suriname to the Organization, Niermala Badrising, informed the representatives of the situation and reported that the discussion on the new site will be on the agenda of the next meeting of the Permanent Council.
Secretary General Insulza explained that the situation raised by the decision of Haiti “is foreseen both in the OAS Charter and the rules of the General Assembly,” which indicate that “if it cannot be held in the location previously chosen, it should be held at the headquarters of the Organization,” unless another member state offers to host the event at least three months ahead of time.
The letter from the Minister of Foreign Relations of Haiti, Duly Brutus, to the Secretary General explains that the withdrawal of the offer to host the event is due to “financial and logistical constraints that could affect organization of the forty-fifth regular session of the General Assembly and Haiti's ability to host a fruitful and outstanding General Assembly, given the electoral process that the Government of the Republic has set in motion.”
During the Council meeting, the Permanent Representative of Haiti to the OAS, Bocchit Edmond, added that “it has been a difficult decision for the Government of Haiti, because we wanted to host the event twenty years after the first time in Haiti. There are reasons beyond our control that have forced us to take this decision.”
The decision to name Haiti host of the XLV General Assembly had been taken by acclamation by the member states during the XLIV General Assembly, held last year in Asuncion, Paraguay.
Attack on consulate stuns Dominican Republic-Haiti ties
Herald staff with Télam
Santo Domingo.- The government of the Dominican Republic last night protested the attack on the Dominican Consulate in Haiti Wednesday which according to local media were thousands of people who marched to protest alleged Dominican racism.
The diplomatic crisis caps two weeks of incidents in the wake of the death of a Haitian national found hanged in a park in Santiago, the country’s second biggest city
In a press conference called in haste, Dominican Foreign minister Andrés Navarro said the country cannot accept the attacks on its consulate. "A group of people not only threw stones at the facilities of our consulate, but also broke into the interior of the property, and dared to take down the Dominican flag from its pole and tried to mutilate and burn it."
He noted that while the Haitian government didn’t sponsor the assault, it should take clear steps to halt to the violence against Dominicans interests in Haiti.
Navarro said the Dominican government has been cautious and patient in its response to such violence.
The official warned Haiti’s authorities however that patience has its limit, "and we have proven to the world that we’ve made the greatest efforts to maintain a healthy, productive, respectful relationship with the Haitian government.”
Navarro said the Dominican government has called its envoy in Port au Prince for consultation and issued a diplomatic note of protest over yesterday’s violence.
He said Dominican Republic has been subjected to an international campaign, accusing it of racism, in contrast to the solidarity shown by the government and the Dominican people toward Haiti.
Navarro called the crimes in the country in recent days including the murder of two Haitian nationals, and the burglary at the residence of Haiti ambassador Fritz Cineas isolated facts, to which Dominican authorities gave a resounding and swift response, and in no way stems from official policy of the Dominican government, for which "it’s unacceptable to accuse the country of racism and xenophobia against the neighboring nation."
The official’s statements respond to a letter of protest to a missive from his Haitian counterpart Pierre Duly Brutus, accusing Dominican Republic of fostering racist policies.
Just hours after Navarro’s statement, Haiti envoy Fritz Cineas was removed from the post and replaced with Daniel Supplice, an announcement that comes one day after a group of Haitians staged a protest in Haiti’s Embassy demanding faster access to documents to qualify for Dominican residency.
THE ROOT March 2nd 2015
Man Celebrates 108th Birthday and 82 Years of Marriage to 104-Year-Old
Duranord Veillard knows a lot about longevity, but Saturday is a milestone for the record books. USA Today reports that not only will Veillard celebrate turning 108, he will also celebrate 82 years of marriage to his wife Jeanne, who is 104.
The husband and wife are believed to be the oldest couple in New York’s Rockland County, the report says, and both will celebrate their birthdays this weekend. Veillard’s wife, Jeanne, will turn 105 in May, but both will celebrate their birthdays at their home this weekend with family, friends and others, notes the report.
Veillard, a native of Haiti, studied law and lived in Port-au-Prince. He married Jeanne in November 1932 and together they have raised five children. He obtained a visa to visit the United States in 1968 after losing his job as a judge and never looked back, the report says. He settled in Spring Valley, N.Y., and worked as lab technician at the Good Samaritan Hospital for 10 years before retiring.
During an early birthday celebration Thursday at the couple’s home, Jeanne recounted to USA Today how they met.
“I found him in the street,” she joked in Haitian creole to a room full of relatives, the news outlet writes.
The Veillards, who leave home only to go to the doctor, have 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren, the report notes.
During the celebration, Veillard revealed his secret to longevity: “That's God,” he said, USA Today writes.
The Veillards also nap early and often, the report notes.
Most peacekeepers in Haiti to return home
Buenos Aires Herald
The majority of Argentine United Nations peacekeepers based in Haiti will return to their country in April, signaling the virtual end to the Argentine commitment to the peace-keeping mission in the Caribbean island after 10 years, the government announced yesterday.
Argentina has been sending peacekeeping forces to Haiti since August 2004, when the UN established a peace mission in a resolution that had been ordered by the Security Council.
Argentine forces are returning after the UN mandated a downsizing of the peacekeeping mission in the island. The decision will not only affect Argentina, but also all the other countries that have contributed personnel.
Defense Minister Agustín Rossi, who was visiting the men and women working on the island, yesterday praised the forces, which are composed of Army, Navy and Air Force personnel. The Kirchnerite official participated in a United Nations award ceremony, where medals were given to several military groups working in Haiti — including Argentine peacekeepers.
“We are more than satisfied with the role played by Argentine armed forces throughout these 10 years,” Rossi said after visiting a hospital managed by Air Force in Haiti’s capital city, Port-au-Prince.The medical centre will continue operating in the country with a team of 70 officers, the majority being doctors and nurses.
CDC Leads Consortium Aimed At Eliminating Malaria From Hispaniola By 2020
CDC Foundation: Consortium Aims to Eliminate Malaria on Hispaniola by 2020 Starting With $29.9 Million Grant to CDC Foundation “The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is leading a consortium of malaria partners aiming to eliminate indigenous cases of malaria on the island of Hispaniola by 2020. Acceleration of malaria elimination efforts will begin with a $29.9 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to the CDC Foundation…” (2/25).
Confident Obama predicts success in immigration appeal
MIAMI (AP) -- President Barack Obama urged immigrants thrown into limbo by legal wrangling to keep planning for eventual relief, professing confidence Wednesday that his deportation directives won't be thrown out in court.
"This is just one federal judge," Obama said of the district judge in Texas who put Obama's order on hold. "We have appealed it very aggressively. We're going to be as aggressive as we can."
Obama said he expected to win when a U.S. circuit court hears his appeal, but added that his administration will "take it up from there" if the appeal fails, in an apparent reference to the Supreme Court. He said at each stage of the process, the White House believes it has the better argument.
The strong-willed defense of Obama's executive actions came as millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally wait to see whether Obama's order shielding them from deportation will be upheld. A 26-state coalition led by Texas is suing Obama, alleging he overstepped his legal authority.
Dismissing those hoping for a presidential about-face, Obama insisted he was "absolutely committed" to the new policy, which he described as focusing deportation efforts on felons.
"People should be gathering up their papers, make sure you can show you are a long standing resident of the United States," Obama said at a town hall meeting hosted by the Spanish-language TV network Telemundo. He said immigrants should make sure that by the time the legal issues are sorted out, "you are ready to go."
As Obama spoke in Miami, another immigration drama was playing out in Congress, where lawmakers were attempting to fund Homeland Security over the insistence by some Republicans that Obama's immigration actions be repealed at the same time. Obama derided Republicans for holding national security funding hostage and said he would veto a stand-alone measure to repeal his actions being contemplated in the Senate.
The immigration dispute has increasingly taken on political overtones as focus shifts to the campaign for Obama's successor, raising questions about whether Republicans can appeal to the fast-growing number of Hispanic voters. Obama said the first question for 2016 presidential candidates should be whether they really intend to deport 11 million people living here illegally. If not, voters should demand to know their alternative plan, Obama said.
Of Jeb Bush, a likely Republican candidate who is one of his party's more moderate voices on immigration, Obama said he appreciated that the former Florida governor was concerned about fixing the immigration system.
"I would suggest he talk to the speaker of the House and the members of his party," Obama said.