THE HAITIAN FLAG FLIES IN RIO
August 5th in the Olympic village marks the official participation of the Haitian delegation in the 2016 Olympics. The Haitian, Abdias Dolcé, carried the Olympic flame to Manaus.
With the national anthem playing, the blue and red flag rose slowly. A large opening ceremony and a welcome reception took place at the flag square of the Olympic Village of Rio.
The mayor of this village, the former Brazilian basketball player Janeth Arcain, who holds two Olympic medal a silver from the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and a bronze in Sydney 2000, welcomed the Haitian delegation.
It should be reminded that the Haitian delegation consists of ten athletes. Three in track and field (Darrell Wesh, 100 and 200 meters, Jeffrey Jilmus, 100 m / hurdles and Murlern Jean, 400 m / hurdles), two in swimming (Naomy Hope Grand Pierre, 50 and 100 meters freestyle and Mike Dorsainvil in 50 meters freestyle) one in judo (Josué Deprez 73kg), one in tae kwon do (Aniya Necol Louissaint 67 kg), one in wrestling (Asnage Castelly 75 kg, who carried the flag), one in boxing (Richardson Hitchins 64 kg) and one weightlifting (Édouard Joseph 52 kg).
Haitian Politician Admits Receiving Dominican Bribes
Port au Prince, Aug 4 (Prensa Latina) The confirmation that a Haitian politician has received bribes has turned around the investigation being carried out by the anti-corruption senate committee, headed by Youri Latortue.
The general secretary of the Association of Progressive National Democrats, Mirlande Manigat, has confessed to having received 550,000 dollars from the construction companies owned by Dominican Senator, Felix Bautista.
According to Manigat, these funds were used in the election campaign, to buy posters and to hold events in the provinces. Campaign contributions from locals and foreigners are not prohibited in Haiti.
However, the amount the presidential candidate obtained was higher than permitted by law, which caps each donation at two million gourdes (US $31,300).
In addition, Manigat also violated Haitian law, because she did not declare, to the Permanent Electoral Council, the donation, which was higher than the 100,000 gourdes (1,565 dollars), established by law, according to the newspaper La Nouvelliste.
The politician's confession comes as former President Michel Martelly was also summoned by the Senate to testify on funds received from these same companies.
The investigation, opened by Latortue, is trying to discover what the last two Haitian governments did with the funds from the PetroCaribe agreement, which disappeared without being used for social projects or the improvement of living standards, as established by the agreement.
HAITI PETROCARIBE: MICHEL MARTELLY RESPONSE: “I STRONGLY PROTEST THE INSINUATIONS CONTAINED IN YOUR LETTER”
Following the correspondence from Ronald Lareche, President of the Senate to former President Michel Martelly, as part of the legislative investigation into the management of the PetroCaribe funds, the Secretariat of Martelly said it was dismayed in its response letter, by the insinuations made against the 56th President of the Republic.
Response letter from the Secretariat of Martelly:
"Port-au-Prince, on 1 August 2016
Mr. Ronald Larèche,
Senator President of the Senate of the Republic
In its offices
Mr. President of the Senate,
The Secretariat of the 56th President of the Republic received with surprise and dismay your correspondence dated 28 July 2016 relating to a Senate investigation on the management of the PetroCaribe funds. It reiterates that the rules dictated by the Constitution does give the President of the Republic any State funds management assignment.
The Secretariat of the 56th President of the Republic strongly protest against the insinuations contained in your letter to the effect that the latter could have received any amount of natural and legal persons to which you refer. It contests such allegations detrimental to the personality and reputation of President Martelly and emits all its legal reservations.
The Secretariat believes that the noble and necessary approach, initiated by the Upper House, through the Commission of Inquiry will be conducted with objectivity and in compliance with standards and procedures. The public interest requires that the work of the Senate Commission of Inquiry hovering over partisans mobiles.
The 56th President of the Secretariat of the Republic of Haiti ask you to accept, Mr. President of the Senate, the expression of its sincere and patriotic greetings."
THE TRUMPETER JONATHAN LAURINCE WINS THREE AWARDS IN LOS ANGELES
The singer, trumpeter Jonathan Laurince who lives in Florida, won three awards at the Akademia Music Award 2016 which took place at Rose Bowl in Los Angeles, California on Thursday, April 21st, 2016.
The talented Jonathan Larince who is thriving in the gospel music world, collected three awards: Best Gospel Music Video for “Will Bless the Lord"; Best Contemporary Christian song; and Best Christian Music Video for "Now the time has come." He said he is thrilled to get recognized and to receive honors that will help his musical career. "This is very satisfying to me, after so many years in this industry,” he said. These awards represent a big step towards success and make me realize that all my years of hard work were not in vain,” Laurince added. This shows me that I am on the right track, and it allows me to see that my music is appreciated and recognized by international and American music executives," said the artist.
Disruptive protests. Crippling strikes. Chronic labor unrest.
Businesses in France are more likely to be disrupted by civil unrest than in any other developed economy, according to a new report from Verisk Maplecroft.
The risk consultancy cited frequent disruptions to France's transportation infrastructure, resistance to labor law reforms and frequent protests as reasons for the high risk rating.
"While France has an active civil society and trade unions, these actors tend to encourage demonstrations, as protest and industrial action are key facets of the country's political culture," the report says.
Power
France is ranked 17th on "The Civil Unrest Index," meaning it is considered riskier than Haiti, The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia. Most of the ranking's top 10 slots are occupied by countries that are politically unstable, or mired in conflict.
The index takes inflation, marginalized groups, the frequency of unrest, and the damage to businesses into account. Mitigating factors, such as a history of stable labor relations, are also considered.
Related: Floods, strikes, security worries slam tourism in France
Already this year, the French government was forced to scramble in order to keep gas stations from running dry and cities powered after workers at oil refineries and nuclear plants walked off the job.
Transport workers also protested against labor law reforms in the run up to the Euro 2016 football tournament, launching a strike against railroads and airlines.
Verisk Maplecroft said that France has experienced "significant protests" on a weekly basis in 2016. Similar events occur in Germany and the U.K. only twice a year, it said.
Related: Millions of tourists too scared to visit these countries
The most colorful episode of French labor unrest in recent memory took place in 2015, when a group of Air France workers reacted to job cuts by ripping the shirts off a pair of airline executives. Some managers were forced to escape the protest by scaling a fence
HUNDREDS OF HAITIAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS BLOCKED IN COLOMBIA
Several hundred migrants with irregular immigration status, most of whom are Haitian and Cuban, are blocked in Turbo, a border town between Colombia and Panama. According to local estimations 3% of them are children, 23% are women and 74% are men.
These migrants, whose numbers vary every day, face great difficulties to survive. They are in temporary housing; some are sick and most are hungry.
The Haitian nationals have fled from the political situation and the high unemployment in Brazil to try to reach the United States to find better living conditions. But they found themselves blocked on their journey due to the recent decision by Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela to close the border between his country and Colombia.
Disturbing reports, indicate that migrants are crossing the borders of Ecuador, Venezuela and Brazil, via more complex and dangerous roads such as the Columbian territories at war in the departments of Shock ó and of Antioquia. Others are using more precarious means to reach their destination, heading on the coast or in the forest of Darien to continue towards Central America and eventually towards the United States.
40 ILLEGAL HAITIAN ARRESTED IN ECUADOR
Within the framework of the fight against migrant trafficking by "Valle del Cauca," the Ecuadorian military authorities stopped during several operations, 40 people of Haitian origin, among them three minors, who illegally entered the border between Colombia and Ecuador.
Colonel William Lopez, specified that 6 illegal Haitian migrants had been arrested in the section of road Cali-Andalucía, sector of the toll of Cerrito, having no immigration documents, providing an account of their time on the Colombian territory. Twenty-five other Haitian were arrested at two hotels while 9 others were intercepted during an immigration control, while they were aboard a vehicle on the road of Pasto-Medellín.
These illegal migrants, will be expelled from Ecuador and put back in the hands of the Colombian migratory authorities.
THE JURIST WILLHELMS EDOUARD WAS BURIED LAST SATURDAY IN CORAL SPRINGS, FL.
Willems Édouard, one of the most brilliant attorneys regarding copyright laws in Haiti, was murdered on July 8th in Pétionville. His funeral took place at the First United Méthodiste Church in Coral Springs according to AlterPresse.
Édouard, was shot dead, at the age of 51.
After earning his degree from the State University of Law and Economics of Haiti, he specialized in the field of copyright.
He also earned a graduate diploma in cultural management (Paris-III Sorbonne Nouvelle/Fic Nouvelle/Fic). He was managing director of the National Press of Haiti from 2004 to 2011 and a consultant to the Haitian Copyright Office.
During his time at the national Press, he helped strengthen the documents that are part of our national heritage. He also helped the publication of diverse documents about the history of Haiti.
Édouard is the author of a collection of poems entitled "temporary Wounds," published in 2005 by Mémoire d’Encrier
One of his last public interventions took place on Wednesday, June 15th, 2016, in Port-au-Prince, during a workshop on the "role of the broadcasting in the socioeconomic development" in Haiti, organized by the National Council of Telecommunications (Conatel).