Haiti: Dominican Republic : a hardening of the procedures to obtain a Dominican visa for Haitians
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic imposed new conditions on Haitians in order to obtain a tourist's visa, in spite of the Dominican government’s goal to increase the number of visitors to the country by reaching 10 million tourists, reported Listin Diario.
From now on, to obtain a Dominican visa, a Haitian candidate must supply a letter from persons living legally in the Dominican Republic who will guarantee that the applicant will not stay in the territory longer than the time granted by the visa, which is valid for 60 days and authorizes one or several entries.
The new measure also requires that an application from the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs be completed.
The interested party has to include a letter requesting a visa, along with personal data such as nationality, place of residence, financial means, and the purpose of the trip. As for the financial means, the foreigner has to prove his or her financial solvency by sending a bank certificate of savings account, a check register, a checking account or a bank certificates and a letter from an employer with the date of hire, the job held, and the salary received.
These requirements are limited to the citizens of ten countries, including Haiti. Cuba, Beijing, Hong-Kong, India, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq are the nine others who are the list of countries considered as a migratory risk by the Dominicans.
Chile announces a plan to help Haitians go back home
The Chilean Deputy Minister of the Interior, Rodrigo Ubilla, has just announced that his government is working on a plan to help Haitian immigrants who wish to return to their country. Indeed, the Chilean media announced last week that some Haitian immigrants who were disappointed by the reality in Chile asked the Chilean government for help to get back to their native country because they could not pay the travel expenses.
"In September, we are going to define the conditions of this social program with conditions which will provide governmental help for the air transport towards Haiti", indicated Ubilla to the press recently. The person in charge took care of specifying that the government will make sure that the trip takes place in decent conditions and that these immigrants will have to conform to the formalities which will be established.
"The Haitian community, which arrived en masse in 2017 in Chile, had expectations which were not satisfied because the reality for which they hoped does not correspond to that of our country because of the differences of language and climate, etc.", specified the deputy minister.
This desire to return to Haiti is, partially, the fault of the Haitian authorities who are delaying supplying certificates and other documents to these immigrants who cannot regulate their status. They cannot, by any means, find employment without legal status, according to the Chilean laws.
The Diaspora mobilizes
Rezo Nouvèl
Montreal: Haitians take to the street on September 1, 2018
Return the Petrocaribe money!
A protest was planned for Saturday morning, September 1st, at the Toussaint Louverture Park in Montreal. The group then planned to walk towards the Haitian consulate in Montreal at 300 Leo-Parizeau.
The purpose of the protest was to demand that the Haitian government return the Petrocaribe money that it has received over the years. “We of the Diaspora have a responsibility and a duty to show solidarity with those in Haiti who had the courage to hold the government accountable for the waste of $3.8 billion.”
PetroCaribe is an Energy Cooperation Agreement initiated by the Government of Venezuela to provide a preferential payment arrangement for petroleum and petroleum products to some Caribbean and Latin American countries. It was established on June 29, 2005 under the sponsorship of former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Michel "Sweet Micky" Martelly belongs in Jail, Not on Parkway for Labor Day
Kote Kòb PetroKaribe a?
July 7th 2018 Collective,
KOMOKODA,
"Just as our ancestors had risen up in legitimate fury against slavery on the night of August 21st, 1791, the Haitian people rose up in righteous rage against the "shithole" reality of their lives on July 6th & 7th, 2018: political, social, and economic subjugation by foreign powers; rampant corruption by government officials; and a tiny minority living in unbelievable wealth while 90% of the population lives in abject poverty.
The July 7th 2018 Collective has joined forces with KOMOKODA to denounce and to shut down Michel "Sweet Micky" Martelly's presence in the New York City Caribbean community Labor Day festivities. He acts out the role of a vulgar carnival king whose popularity mde him President but in reality he was imposed as President of our country by Bill and Hillary Clinton to cover up the billions of dollars of Haiti earthquake relief money they stole. The US gave Martelly free rein to loot billions from the Petrocaribe loans and from his $1.50/money transfer and 5C/min phone call illegal tax on the Haitian Diaspora. His lewd performances are merely a cover for him to launder illicit drug money and funds stolen from the Haitian treasury.
While we salute the movement calling for accountability of the Petrocaribe billions, we want to point out that a sham Parliament cannot investigate the thieves in the Executive branch of Government, and corrupt judges with a history of selling their rulings cannot try the Pretrocaribe thieves. We join the people of Haiti in calling for a total uprooting of the system of governance which exists today in our country. Only out of the ashes of our "shithole" system will we build a new country which will benefit and give hope to all of Haiti's children.
July 7th 2018 Collective,
KOMOKODA,
Haiti: a Haitian-American is murdered upon his arrival in Port-au-Prince
PORT-AU-PRINCE - A Haitian-American, Christian Daniel, 65, traveling from Austin, Texas, to Haiti to visit his mother, was killed by strangers shortly after his arrival on August 13th, according Daniel’s niece, Vanessa Bissereth.
Christian Daniel left Haiti to come to the United States in the 90’s. He then became an American citizen. He was appreciated in his community of Runberg Lane in Austin for his talent as a handyman.
Bissereth said that before his trip in mid-August, Daniel had told his family that he planned to bring food to his mother’s village and to do odd jobs for the inhabitants, just as he did in in Austin. She declared that after Daniel landed in Haiti, three men attacked him while he left the airport and murdered him.
Bissereth said that Daniel's family in the United States learned of his death from close friends in Haiti. A state employee from the U.S. State Department confirmed that the authorities had had knowledge of the death of this American citizen in Haiti "We supply all the appropriate help to the family and offer them our most sincere condolences for this loss " declared spokespersons.
Christian Daniel leaves behind Vespa his wife; Don, his 20-year-old son who is studying at the University of Texas; and Kristine, his 14-year-old daughter.
The family also faces enormous financial difficulties to return the body to the United States and pay for burial. Bissereth launched a "GoFundMe" page at https://www.gofundme.com/eutbk9-please-help-christian-come-home
The family is asking for donations to cover the costs to transport Daniel's body back to Austin and to pay for the additional funeral expenses. As of September 3rd, $11,305 had already been received out of a $25,000 goal.
THE MAX BLANCHET BLOG
Berkeley, CA
December 2017
HAITI – 63 Years of Hurricanes (1954-2017)
Some facts and comments:
- During the last 63 years, Haiti was hit by 28 hurricanes, or approximately one hurricane every 2.3 years. In the last 15 years, the frequency has increased to nearly one hurricane every year.
- 2008 has been exceptional to date in that 3 hurricanes and one tropical storm – Gustav, Hanna, Ike and Fay -- have hit the country over a period of 4 weeks from mid August until mid September. Three hurricanes have also hit Haiti in 2007. This could very well be the result of global warming, which is projected by some researchers to increase both the frequency and strength of hurricanes in that part of the world.
- Most of the hurricanes have been of Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson scale. A Category 3 hurricane produces maximum winds of 111-130 miles per hour and storm surges of 9-12 feet above normal sea level. See the chart below for a complete definition of the 5 categories of the Saffir-Simpson Scale. The category given for each hurricane listed on the chart below reflects its strength at its peak, which did not necessarily occur while the hurricane crossed Haiti.
- Most hurricanes (15 out of 28) have hit the Southern Peninsula or parts of it; eleven (12) have hit the northern parts of the country and the other its center. That part of the country is protected by its mountains.
- The loss of human life has amounted to 18,286 fatalities, mostly in the Caribbean and the US, with 12,697 (69%) occurring in Haiti alone. The statistics for Haiti probably understate the magnitude of the problem there.
- The impact on Haiti has been particularly dramatic over the years for three reasons:
- i) Rapid demographic growth resulting in the doubling of the population during that time frame, from 4.7 million to 10.7 million today. Haiti’s demographic density is 385 inhabitants per square kilometer. Corresponding figures for Cuba and the Dominican Republic are 97 and 192 respectively, 5).
- ii) A massive migration from the countryside to the cities where 50% of the population (5.2 million) reside today. In Port-au-Prince alone the population has grown from 200,000 to 3.0 million today. This has led to the chaotic growth of urban areas with flimsy construction taking place wherever land is available -- on steep slopes, dangerously close to ravines and gullies, and on flood plains.
iii) Massive deforestation: forest coverage has decreased from approximately 50% in the 1950’s to less than 2% today.
- All in all, these hurricanes have caused economic damages amounting to probably more than 165 (?) billion dollars mostly in the Caribbean and the United States. The figures for Haiti are not available although it is worth noting that Ike had caused damages estimated at 180 million dollars in the agricultural sector alone, according to Mr. Gué, the Minister of Agriculture. Matthey has caused 2 billion $ in losses across the South and the Center, according to a formal evaluation of the Haitian government in 2017.
- It is interesting to contrast the situation in Haiti with that in Cuba where a strong central government, seconded by equally strong local governments, has managed to control the grave problems confronting Haiti: rapid demographic growth, unbridled migration to the cities and deforestation. In addition, the Cuban government has been able to move large number of people to safe locations where their basic needs (shelter, security, food and health care) were met ahead of approaching hurricanes and during their passage. For example, shortly before Ike’s landfall one fifth of Cuba’s population (2.3 million) was moved to safe areas and shelters. Even large farm animals were moved to safe areas. As a result the human fatality rate in Cuba has been only a small fraction of what it has been in Haiti.
- Unless comprehensive, effective, muscular, and sustained measures are taken to deal with these problems and the related issue of the general inadequacy of governance in the country, we can look forward to similar calamities in the future.
- To conclude I will tell two anecdotes regarding hurricanes in Haiti. In 1954, following the passage of Hazel in the Southwest, then President Paul Magloire sent a relief czar to Jérémie to manage the reconstruction and cleanup of the area. A great deal of assistance was delivered by the US Navy to help the fallout from Hazel. So enraged were the Jérémiens over his insensitivity, incompetence, and corruption that they sent a telegram to President Magloire asking that he be recalled. Closer to us, in 2004, Jeanne devastated Gonaïves where at the very least 3000 people died and hundreds of thousands displaced. Unfortunately, as it happened so often in Haiti, the reconstruction and cleanup work was contracted out to private firms on the basis of family ties (zanmitaj) and friendship (fanmitaj) with little regard for the competence of these outfits and with the predictable result that the work was poorly or not at all executed. The supplies were typically ripped off.
Will the new governments learn from these lessons in the future and do what is right in terms of initiating the monumental task of restoring Haiti’s environmental degradation in a systematic and honest manner?