Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 9 décembre 2014

 Statement Regarding

Ambassador White’s Meeting with the Group of Opposition Parties, Tuesday, December 2

            On December 2, U.S. Ambassador Pamela White met with representatives from major Opposition parties at Fusion headquarters on Christ-Roi in downtown Port-au-Prince.

            The Ambassador wishes to thank the nine opposition representatives who attended the meeting, which lasted for more than an hour.  Ambassador White was extremely impressed with their analysis of the current political situation, dedication to Haiti's future and willingness to truly negotiate for the betterment of their country.  She left the meeting optimistic that a way forward can be found.

            The Ambassador looks forward to further meetings with a broad variety of political organizations and to continue providing strong U.S. support for a Haitian-led solution to the range of current political issues.

Anti-Government Protesters carry Poutine pictures

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSDEC. 5, 2014, 6:21 P.M. E.S.T.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Thousands of people marched through Haiti's capital Friday demanding that long-delayed elections be held and calling for the president and prime minister to resign.

Protesters in Port-au-Prince burned tires and threw rocks at police, who responded with tear gas. No deaths or major injuries were reported.

It was Haiti's third anti-government protest in about a month and the first one in recent years to push through the security perimeter at the National Palace.

Some protesters carried pictures of Russian President Vladimir Putin asking him for help. They accused the U.S. of supporting Haiti's current leaders although Washington has pushed Haiti's government to hold the elections.

President Michel Martelly was supposed to call elections in 2011 for a majority of Senate seats, the entire Chamber of Deputies and local offices. But both he and Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe have accused six legislators of blocking the vote by preventing a quorum to approve an electoral law.

The six senators have said the legislation is unconstitutional and favors the government.

Michel Martelly signs his autobiography

On Friday evening at the Karibe Convention Center, President Martelly caused a surprise by having a book signing of his autobiography "Michel Martelly" whose publication was unknown by everyone until that day. The book itself was also a surprise, because few Haitian politicians in office have written one before him. Generally, we know nothing of their life, of their past or of the path which they traveled before reaching the office which they occupy.

That night, many people came to  buy the publication (2,500 Gdes- $50) and have it autographed- including members of the diplomatic corps, ministers, senators, members of parliament, personalities of the music world and medical world, the business communities and numerous friends.

Once they bought their copy, readers needed to stay in line to arrive at the podium and obtain a dedication from the president, who was seated beside his wife Sophia who wrote the foreword.

During a break, the Head of State used the opportunity to thank his wife his and four children, the numerous personalities present, as well as friends who came for the evening. He particularly thanked  Pierre-Raymond Dumas, who edited the first draft, and Ghislaine Rocourt-Deeb, who edited the final draft of the autobiography.

Everyone expected to discover details about the real life of the President, but there are many who wondered, not having read the book yet, if this autobiography will reveal the dark side of this artist, whose fate led him to the highest elected office in Haiti.

Caution if you go or live in Haiti, recommends the American government to its citizens

The American Government called upon American citizens traveling to or living in Haiti to exercise caution. The warning, which replaces one from March 12th, 2014, especially emphasized the lack of adequate emergency medical installations, the risks of thefts and, the unpredictability of spontaneous public protests.

The American government encouraged travelers to Haiti to use organizations which have  solid evacuation plans and options for medical support in position.

"The infrastructure in place in Haiti to manage emergencies remains in poor condition. The medical establishment, including ambulance services, are particularly inadequate. Some American citizens injured in accidents, and others with grave health problems, were incapable of finding necessary medical care in Haiti and had to get organized and pay for their medical evacuation in the United States. We strongly encourage visitors  Haiti to obtain evacuation insurance, advised the United States.

On the other hand, the American government acknowledged that kidnappings have experienced a significant decline.

The last warning also urged American citizens to remain aware of the possibility of aggravated theft, in particular in the region of Port-au-Prince, especially when leaving the airport. From May till October, 2014, there were 64 cases of American citizens having been victims of theft after leaving the airport.

"The Mission of stabilization of the United Nations in Haiti (Minustah) stays in Haiti to support the activities of the National police force of Haiti ( PNH). The PNH, with the Minustah’s assistance, is responsible for maintaining law and order and providing assistance. However, given the possibility and the unpredictability of the spontaneous public protests, their ability to help the American citizens during disorders is very limited. The evacuations facilitated by the American government, such as the evacuation that took place in Haiti in 2010, occur only when no safe commercial alternative exists," concluded the note.

Luc Mervil, accused of sexual offenses, didn’t appear before a judge

The Canadian singer of Haitian origin, Luck Mervil, whose real name is Lucknerson, was called to appear in court on Wednesday, December 3rd, to answer to charges of sexual assault and sexual misconduct on a teenager.

The case was opened in October, but the act was committed in 1996 over a period of 6 months. At the time of the attacks the victim was a minor and Mervil was 29 years old.

The singer Luck Mervil is also a comedian. He had a part in the successful play “Notre-Dame-de-Paris” and has worked actively to rebuild the country. Mervil is president of the foundation "Vilaj Vilaj" whose objective is to build a village in Payen to benefit the victims of the earthquake of January 12, 2010.

Two big Haitian writers in Miami Book Fair

Two major writers of Haitian literature were present at the Miami Book Fair on Saturday, November 22nd, 2014. Frank Etienne and Edwige Danticat represented Haiti at the biggest book fair in the United States, which took place from November 16^th to the 23^rd.

Miami Book Fair International has been organized at Miami-Dade College since 1984. It attracts thousands of people from around the world. Haiti was well and truly represented in this year’s edition of the Fair through two internationally renowned authors - one representing the explosive literature of the inside of the Island (Frank Etienne), the other one representing the vibrating literature of the Diaspora (Edwige Danticat).

Bill Clinton invites the Dominican Republic and Haiti to settle their conflict peacefully

Former American president Bill Clinton urged the Dominican Republic and Haiti to overcome the tensions generated by the 168-13 ruling of the Dominican Constitutional court, which made stateless thousands of Dominicans of Haitian origin.

In an interview granted to CNN in Spanish, Clinton declared that if the current tensions continue, they will affect the development of both countries. The former American president recalled that the Dominican Republic offered its assistance when Haiti was struck by the earthquake of 2010, which caused more than 300.000 deaths. Clinton stated that after the earthquake, both countries worked as a family to overcome problems. The judgment of the Dominican Constitutional Court has created many problems between the two countries, underlined the former president. "I think that both governments now have to solve these problems, and I encourage them to do so," said Clinton. According to Clinton, Haitians admire the development the Dominican Republic has attained during the last few years, and they are even trying to follow in their footsteps, in particular in the tourism sector.”

12 American Congressmen writes to the Dominican President

12 congressmen Americans warned in a letter to the Dominican president, Danilo Medina, against the application of the decision of the Dominican Constitutional court.

The decision susceptible to make stateless Dominicans of Haitian ancestries is "arbitrary" and "discriminatory", wrote the American members of the House of Representatives.

The right for nationality is the foundation of the other human rights. Without nationality, we have no access to healthcare, education, employment nor the possibility to exercise of certain political rights, stated these congressmen who recognize the right of a sovereign country to have its laws on naturalization. These domestic laws have to be shape to meet international conventions against discrimination, they call reminded.

Congressmen Joseph p. Kennedy, Frederica Wilson, Karen Bass, Friend Bera, Michael Capuano, Steve Cohen, John Conyers Jr, Danny K. Davis, Theodore E. Deutch, Marcia L.Fudge, Joe Garcia, Alcee L.Hastings all signed the letter.

The Survivors of the wreck will be repatriated on Tuesday, December 3rd

The Haitian survivors of the sailboat wreck that occurred two weeks ago were scheduled to return to Haiti, on Tuesday. During this short journey, around thirty Haitians died and 110 others were helped in time by the U.S. Coastguards.

These migrants were scheduled to return to the country aboard a plane which also transported other Haitian migrants who had followed the same path to reach the Bahamas. The sailboat which transported these Haitians had a wreck off Staniel Cay on Monday, November 25th in the evening.

Art Basel Miami

The contemporary art fair Art Basel was going full swing last weekend at the heart of Miami. 304 galleries coming from more than thirty countries including Haiti, exhibited high quality modern and contemporary works including paintings, sculptures, installations, photos, printed matters, videos and multimedia.

A significant number of Haitian artists attend this year’s show including, Philippe Dodard, Jean-Claude Legagneur, Albert Desmangles, Alexandra Barbot, Dominique Ambroise, Elizabeth Guérin, Alpi, Ernst Sylla, Fred Thomas, Fritz Millevoix, Jacques Garcon, Kristo, Raphaelle Castera, Robert Sylvain, Sophia Lacroix, Asser Saint Val, Harold Claudio and Jason Fleurant. Art galleries said sales were exceptionally strong this year at every level. The visitors to the exhibitions indicated to HPN that the quality of the Haitian works was exceptional.

 François Guillaume II, the consul general of Haiti in Miami deeply encouraged the members of the Haitian Diaspora, in particular in Florida to take part in this big cultural event to celebrate the diversity through the art, music and culture. Art Basel, draws about 70,000 visitors, 4,000 artists, 70 museums representatives from all over the world, 2 billion potential transactions and 304 hand-picked galleries from all over the world, that show on two floors thousands works of modern and contemporary art, from the beginning of the 20^th century till today.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 16 décembre 2014

A new air line will serve the Port-au-Prince airport

Inter Caribbean Airways announced the beginning of its new services without layover to and from Kingston, Jamaica and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to Port-au-Prince.

Inter Caribbean Airways was scheduled to begin its regular services on December 13th, between the Norman Manley International Airport of Kingston and Port-au-Prince, as well as from Port-au-Prince to the international airport of Santo Domingo, in only one hour.

In cooperation with Stéphanie Balmir Villedrouin, Minister of Tourism and Creative Industries, to increase the flights and build Haiti as a pleasure destination, these new services will widen the travel options for visitors from nearby islands interested in traveling to Haiti.

Sale and the reservations of tickets from intercaribbean.com can be made at airports and travel agencies.

Thomas Shannon in Haiti

The State Department Advisor, Ambassador Thomas A. Shannon, took a trip to Haiti from December 10 – 12, 2014 at the request of Secretary of State of the United States, John Kerry.

According to a press release from the U.S. Embassy in Haiti, Shannon met with President Michel Martelly, Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe, representatives of the Parliament, leaders of political parties of the opposition, and members of the international community.

Shannon was impressed by the progress realized since his last visit, and was particularly happy to notice advances in political dialogue managed by Haitians.

Shannon was anxious to thank all those who took time to speak to him, and appreciate their commitment to the future of Haiti, according to the press release.

"The United States continues to support an inter-Haitian solution with the aim of holding fair elections which will put the country on a path to democracy, stability, and sustainable economic growth," the release added.

Secretary of State John Kerry visit Peru and Colombia.

Secretary of State John Kerry did not end up going to Haiti. On a tour to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the Summit of the Americas, he ended up in Peru and in Colombia.

The visit of the Secretary of State to Haiti had never been announced officially. It has been postponed to a later date.

The message of President Martely to the nation

"I agree with the report. I agree with its recommendations."

These words ended the era of Laurent Lamothe - the Prime Minister, whose resignation the advisory committee’s report recommended. "The only thing which seems complicated to me is following the timetable," continued Martelly.

This message from the Head of State to the nation was aired on Friday, December 12^th, on TNH, the country’s National Television.

Two days later, on December 14th, the Prime Minister presented his resignation

It was two o'clock in the morning when the television viewers, who had waited since 8 in the evening, following a scrolling on the TNH screen, finally saw an appearance from Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe.

Bowing to pressure, Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe resigned Saturday, paving the way for a new government to lead the country into long overdue legislative and local elections.

Lamothe announced his resignation in a speech that was recorded shortly after 11 p.m., but did not air until almost 2 a.m. Sunday because of technical difficulties, “Despite all of these accomplishments, if this is what can truly unblock the political crisis, I’ve decided,” he said, “to hand President Martelly my resignation and that of the entire government.”

TheLamothe government resignation came on yet another day of tense anti-government protests, which also spread to the cities of Cap-Haitien and Gonaives. In Port-au-Prince, protesters accused police of killing an unarmed demonstrator who had a visible bullet wound in his chest.

During the demonstration, people strongly condemned former U.S. President and U.N. Haiti Envoy Bill Clinton for his recent defense of Lamothe in a Miami Herald interview.

“Bill Clinton says that this is ‘the most consistent and decisive government’ he has ever worked with, yet you have thousands of Haitians in the streets, who are hungry and protesting because they are not happy with the situation,” Assad said. “Yet he’s clapping, ‘Bravo.’ Economic interests are at play here, not Haitian interests. We are defending Haiti’s interests.”

Negotiations on a new prime minister and government more reflective of the political parties in parliament, per the commission’s recommendations, are expected to begin on Monday. Historically these have been protracted political battles in Haiti, where the departure of a prime minister in the past has sometimes left a months-long political void and created further instability, to the frustration of the international community.

Former U.S. President and Haiti Envoy Bill Clinton defends Prime Minister Lamothe

The push to remove Haitian Prime Minister Lamothe could erase the gains Haiti has made in the last four years, former President Bill Clinton said Thursday in an exclusive interview with the Miami Herald.

“He’s done a really good job,” Clinton said on the margins of his one-day Future of the Americas summit at the University of Miami. “The one thing that Haiti doesn’t want to get out of this process is looking like ‘Ok, we had four great years, we were growing like crazy so you think we’ll throw it all away and go back to the old ways. It won’t be good for the country. ”

Clinton, who served as U.N. Special Envoy to Haiti after the country’s devastating Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake, is the most prominent person yet to weigh in on a series of far-reaching recommendations by a Haitian presidential commission calling for the resignations of Lamothe and other key government appointees, including members of the provisional electoral council, to ease rising political tensions in Haiti.

The commission, made up of 11 respected members of Haitian society and appointed by President Michel Martelly, released their recommendations this week. Martelly is expected to address the nation on Friday about whether he will fire Lamothe, his friend and confidante.

“No experience I’ve ever had in Haiti has been free of political complications; it’s a complicated country,” Clinton said, turning his attention to Lamothe, who became prime minister in May 2012.

“This is the most consistent and decisive government I’ve ever worked with across a broad range of issues. And I think if you look at the sheer volume of investments they’ve attracted, everything from hotels to clean energy to healthcare, you have to ask yourself, ‘Why is this being done?’ ” he added.

Lamothe supporters say he’s the target of special interest groups who don’t take kindly to his going after major drug traffickers.

“He has never been part of the problem and will always be part of the solution,” Lamothe’s spokesman Michel Brunache told the Herald.

Opponents, however, disagree, saying Lamothe has not run a tight financial ship. They say he and Martelly have intentionally delayed elections to allow Martelly to rule by decree starting in January, easing Lamothe’s expected presidential bid.

Clinton said Lamothe’s political fate isn’t up to him. But if he were the one making a decision, Clinton said, he would do it “in a way that would keep the doors to Haiti open and keep people wanting to be part of Haiti’s future.”

“They have to realize that the trust of other people, the support of other people and the involvement of other people is not a limitless commodity that is immune to what happens there,” he said. “We’ve gone through several governments, several incarnations. I’ve seen some changes happen, some I agreed with, some I disagreed with. But after every one, you could still see a path forward to build a country.”

A presidential commission calls for the resignation of Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe and his government

An 11-member Haiti presidential commission charged with helping stave off a deepening political crisis is calling for sweeping changes, including the resignation of Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe and his government, the head of the country’s supreme court and members of the body charged with organizing delayed elections, according to a copy of the report obtained by the Miami Herald.

The commission also is asking for the release of several people who have been arbitrarily arrested and deemed by human rights groups as political prisoners as part of what it is calling, “calming measures” intended to show the will of Haiti’s leaders to reduce the tensions dividing the country.

The opposition also has a role to play, the commission said. The report calls for a truce by the opposition, whose political parties have amplified their street demonstrations in recent weeks with appeals for Lamothe and President Michel Martelly to resign. The truce is necessary to achieve a political agreement for Haiti’s long-delayed local and legislative elections to occur, members agreed.

“The Commission believes that to avoid a worsening of the current situation, ‘the most credible solution to the crisis’ should allow a return in a reasonable time, to constitutional normalcy and well-functioning institutions democratic and republican,” the 10-page report states.

The far-reaching recommendations, signed by all 11 members and handed to Martelly late Monday, comes amid intensified anti-government street protests demonstrating Haitians’ growing discontent, a depreciation of the local currency and concerns by the international community that all of Haiti’s democratic gains in recent years could quickly erode.

Announced by Martelly on Nov. 28 at the end of a day of violent street protests, the commission was charged with looking at five issues that arose during more than two months of talks that Martelly held with political parties and civil society.

“My gosh,” Martelly said during the brief Nov. 28 nationwide address after naming the commission, “the country is divided. The problems are many. The problems are complicated.”

Martelly and the opposition have been at a stalemate over an electoral law with six opposition senators blocking the vote on constitutional grounds and a lack of confidence in the provisional electoral council (CEP), which is charged with staging the vote. The lack of a law has further delayed the local and legislative elections, which should have taken place in 2011.

Both sides have accused the other of not wanting elections to take place. “It has been 254 days since the Senate held a quorum,” Martelly tweeted Monday night, “vote the electoral law.”

One thing the report does not recommend is an extension of the terms of parliament, which means that absent a compromise, Martelly will rule by decree beginning Jan.12 until elections can take place. But the commission is asking Martelly to commit not to rule by decree except for the issuing of the electoral law.

“The President of the Republic,” the report says, should “acknowledge that the country is experiencing a serious situation that requires acts of patriotic grandeur, inviting even his political opponents to join the executive, and formally committing to take no decree except those linked to elections during the parliamentary vacuum period.”

On Monday, commission member and former senator Gabriel Fortune told a morning radio talk show that the commission’s role is to create the political space for negotiations to take place.

Martelly will officially receive the report during a 4 p.m. ceremony Tuesday on the grounds of the National Palace. It remains unclear if he will heed any or all of the commission’s many recommendations, including working with the political parties to form a more representative government.

The commission wrote that in meeting with Lamothe, he said he would resign should Martelly ask him to do so.

A close friend ofMartellywho helped bankroll his 2010 presidential campaign,Lamothebecame prime minister in May 2012. But his jet setting, rising profile and schedule, which reflects a Hillary Clinton-like method of raising a future presidential candidate’s profile without officially announcing for office, has enraged opposition groups.

“The commission offers a way out of the crisis if Michel Martelly accepts all of its recommendations; but then we will deal with new complicated negotiations about the new electoral council, the new prime minister and the new head of the Supreme Court,” said Robert Fatton, a Haiti expert at the University of Virginia who has been following the crisis. “The commission’s work is a first and perhaps major step in defusing the crisis, but there is no guarantee that the conflicting sectors will ultimately reach a compromise.

“There is room for major miscalculations, but the commission gives some hope that things may not fall apart,” he added. “Finally, it remains to be seen what will be the role of the international community, mainly the U.S. and Brazil in helping Haitians find a Haitian solution to their immediate problems. Here, too, miscalculations can have very negative consequences.”

Both the U.S. and Brazil have been increasingly concerned about the deteriorating situation in Haiti, where there is talk about a visit by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday. Martelly has officially asked for a postponement of the visit, which has yet to be confirmed.

During the past eight days, commission members examined all issues that have been feeding the crisis, including the lack of confidence in the country’s Supreme Court after several questionable appointments to the bench, including that of the head judge, and in the Haitian National Police.

“The perception of politicization of the Haitian National Police (HNP) creates distrust and doubts about the possibility of holding the country democratic elections free, fair and inclusive,” the report said.

Haiti, the report said, “is facing an economic and structural crisis.”

That solution, outlined in the report, aims to serve several objectives, members agreed: to establish a permanent dialogue between the three branches of government, particularly between the executive and the legislature; allow for a historic compromise between political forces; the formation of a consensus government with the political parties, particularly those represented in parliament; the creation of a climate for holding inclusive, credible and fair elections and restoring public confidence in the judiciary and the police force.

“The deterioration of the political and social environment requires several calming measures and recovery before Christmas,” the report said. “It is therefore imperative to find a political compromise before Jan. 12.”

The report also calls on the public and opposition parties to do their part, including ending calls for Martelly’s resignation.

“Respect the constitutional legitimacy of the President of the Republic,” the report said, while calling on the opposition to accept Martelly’s invitation to negotiate without preconditions.

The Haitian people, the commission said, must “recognize that the situation is serious and that everyone must make his contribution to building a more just and equitable society.”

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 23 décembre 2014

Haiti gets more IMF money

WASHINGTON (CMC) – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says it has approved US$2.4 million for Haiti after the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country successfully completed its final review of the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme.

The IMF said the new disbursement brings to US$60 million the amount of funds provided to Haiti under the facility that was first approved in July this year.

Haiti: IDB Grants $36 Million for Haitian Tourism Development

Haiti’s burgeoning tourism industry received a significant boost this week via approval of a $36 million grant from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The grant will support initiatives to “foster tourism around Haitian historic, cultural and natural resources” on the country’s southern coast, said IDB officials in a statement.

The grant will also create tourism employment for Haiti’s low-income residents, said officials. “Given its inviting beaches, rich tropical landscape, unique cultural history as the world’s first black republic, and its proximity to the United States, Haiti has much to offer tourists,” said IDB.

“But they’re not likely to flock there until they perceive the environment is clean, excursion leaders are well-trained and equipped with safe equipment and vessels, and security is not a concern.”

The grant will enable Haiti’s government to implement “a well-planned tourism program featuring a combination of infrastructure development, job training and government capacity building,” officials said.

Haiti faces well-documented economic challenges, notes IDB. “More than 80 percent of rural inhabitants scrape by as subsistence farmers and just 60 percent work in the formal job sector,” said officials. Moreover, the country struggles to “combat the effects of climate change and other natural disasters, environmental degradation from deforestation, overfishing, and improper disposal of solid waste,” said IDB.

As a result, environmental cleanup will account for 71 percent of grant expenditures, IDB officials. E grant will also fund rehabilitation of historic sites and construction of artisan markets and other cultural spaces.

In addition, 12 percent of grant funds will fund the training of hospitality, excursion, and entertainment workers and local tourism authority development.

While Haiti’s southern coast features potentially popular area including the beachfront towns of Port Salut and Aquin, these districts offer few hotels for contemporary leisure travelers , while some have beaches that are “heavily eroded,” according to IDB. The group estimates that only 10 percent of Haiti’s southern coast historic sites and protected areas offer adequate tourist facilities.

Meanwhile the ministry of tourism’s effort to rebuild Haiti’s leisure visitor arrivals is reporting some early success. Tourist arrivals Haiti increased 21.1 percent increase in 2014, according to the ministry’s third-quarter data.

The country has hosted 362,890 overnight visitors to date in 2014 versus 299,686 in 2013. The increased 2014 totals follow Haiti’s 20.3 percent arrivals increase in 2013. Haiti has also hosted 477,128 cruise passengers at its Labadee cruise port to date in 2014.

A government study reports most tourists spends an average of three days in Haiti and spend $160 per day. Overnight visitors contributed $174.2 million to Haiti’s economy.

New housing solution for Haiti’s seminarians

Tom Tracy

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti

Jean Moise Zetrenne still remembers that horrible afternoon in January of 2010 when life radically changed for the Catholic seminarians of Haiti, and in many ways is only just starting to improve.

“I was in a prayer moment in a philosophy class when the earth started to shake,” said Zetrenne,” now a third-year theology student studying for the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince.

“I didn't know what it was but we heard a lot of noise outside, and I didn’t have time to run outside so sat down in a chair; four of us were lost because there was a part of the seminary that fell down.”

Several other seminarians in Haiti, he said, were left amputees but have since gone on to priestly ordination.

In the week before Christmas, Zetrenne was among 140 other theology seminarians studying for the church in Haiti who -- along with another 140 minor seminarians at another location -- have for five years been living in ad hoc housing arrangements and in some cases emergency tents provided by U.S. donations.

The tent dormitories are now empty after a new two-story, yellow and lime-green building a forty minutes-drive out of the city of Port-au-Prince became the provisional campus for the Notre Dame Grand Seminary, the major seminary for the 140 seminarians studying for Haiti.

That building, originally constructed with the support of unrestricted parish collections within the Archdiocese of Miami in the months following the magnitude 7 earthquake, had been conceived as a medical clinic or possible guest/mission house for visiting U.S. volunteers.

Msgr. Jean Pierre, pastor of St. James Parish in North Miami, was instrumental in leading the local fundraising and had been frequently shuttled between Miami and Haiti following the earthquake. He envisioned a new mission center complex with a medical clinic in his native Haiti that would be a special outreach project of the Miami community.

Nationally, Catholics contributed some $100 million to the Haiti relief effort, with 70 percent of that designated for immediate humanitarian needs and in concert with Catholic Relief Services, while the rest ($30 million) was designated for church and pastoral needs -- a number which was even then was seen as a shortfall and unrealistic for church rebuilding in Haiti.

While the full and exact extent of the damage is not known, the Haitian government estimates 230,000 people were killed in the 2010 catastrophe, 300,000 were injured and 2 million were displaced.

Archbishop John Favalora, head of the archdiocese at that time, supported the idea that some $1 million of unrestricted funds and Miami parish collections after the quake would best be used for church reconstruction projects such as Msgr. Pierre’s proposed building; some of those funds allowed for smaller grants to each of the dioceses of Haiti.

But more recently the local church in Haiti saw another urgent need: for better seminarian housing which was has been a lingering problem. And so on Nov. 7 the theology students moved in to the new building, allowing younger philosophy students to abandon the dormitory tents and move into other housing structures at the minor seminary, itself a temporary situation.

At the Miami-funded campus, new mattresses, still in their wrappers, lined an upstairs hallway at the center, which features a chapel, dining room, kitchen ample classrooms, student and faculty residential space and a garden.

“We like it, because before we were in a difficult situation and I think now we will be able to study better, to sleep better and to become priests for the people of God,” Zetreene said of the new seminary space. “We thank everybody for this and we will pray for them.”

Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski came here to celebrate Mass in the chapel on Dec. 16, the final week before the Christmas holiday break, and to talk further with faculty and administration about how the new facility was serving the seminarians.

The Miami archbishop, who traveled with Trinitarian Father Juan Molina, director of the U.S. bishops’ Office for the Church in Latin America, said he was happy that a new building, which began as a Miami project but was finished with some $800,000 of local church funds, has found a good purpose.

“The building had not been designed to be a seminary but I think the hand of God was in whoever made that design because it fits the purpose of a seminary very well,” the archbishop said.

As the five-years anniversary of the Haiti earthquake approaches, Archbishop Wenski noted there is wide recognition in the church globally that new energy and focus need to be put back on the church infrastructural rebuilding efforts in Haiti. And that the overall funds have fallen short of the task.

To that ends the Vatican is sponsoring a one-day international conference in Rome Jan. 10 in concert with the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, the Vatican's office for distributing and encouraging Catholic charitable giving, and many of the key reconstruction international partners including key representatives of the U.S. bishops.

Michel Martelly played a role in the release of Alan Gross

The Miami Herald Jacqueline Charles

Haitian President Michel Martelly declined Wednesday to reveal details of his intervention with Cuban leader Raúl Castro on behalf of the United States for the release of USAID subcontractor Alan Gross.

But he said no one knew when he left Haiti with an adviser and his oldest son, Olivier, in early 2013 what he was up to. He had been asked to intervene by Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, who thought his relationship with Cuba and the U.S. could be of use.

On Tuesday, Cuba released Gross and the U.S. and Cuba announced sweeping efforts toward normalizing relations that have been frozen for more than a half-century.

After Martelly discussed the Gross case with Cuban officials, Vice President Joe Biden later called to thank him on behalf of the United States, he said.

“Haiti is proud to have played a role in what happened today,” Martelly told the Miami Herald in an interview, preferring to give all the credit to Nelson. “It’s making it better for people on both sides.”

During his visits to Cuba, Martelly said he ‎saw how “heavy other investments were by other countries, and the United States, which is just 45 minutes away from Cuba, was losing opportunity in business investments.”

Martelly said he always spoke to people, whether it was presidents or ambassadors about bettering relations between Cuba and the U.S.

“I’m happy today that this was a success, and about the little role I was able to play,” he said.

The Cuban people, he said, “have definitely suffered from that embargo. We had an embargo for three years, and up to this day, we have not recovered.

“I wish for the embargo to be over for Cuba, and all I can do is wish success to both countries in having better relations.”

Martelly said in today’s global environment, it’s important for countries to accept differences, and to dialogue.

Health Minister Named as Haiti's New Interim Prime Minister

Haitian Health Minister Florence Duperval Guillaume was named interim prime minister on Sunday to replace Laurent Lamothe, who resigned a week ago following several weeks of protests.

The announcement is part of an effort to resolve a mounting political crisis over long-delayed elections. Under Haiti's constitution, Guillaume can hold the interim position for up to 30 days before a permanent choice is nominated for approval by parliament.

Lamothe was forced to resign after President Michel Martelly accepted the recommendations of a special commission appointed to defuse the crisis, including calling for the prime minister to go.

It also came after international warnings from the United States and the United Nations that the impoverished Caribbean nation was on the brink of political chaos again.

Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, is still recovering from an earthquake five years ago that levelled much of the capital, Port-au-Prince. In recent weeks, demonstrators in several cities have accused the government of corruption.

If elections are not held before Jan. 12, the fifth anniversary of the earthquake, parliament will shut down, leaving the country without a functioning government until presidential elections in late 2015.

A career health worker whose official title is minister of public health and population, she is seen as close to Haiti's First Lady Sophia Martelly, and has overseen efforts to rebuild the country's fragile medical services, including by starting new hospitals and handling a cholera epidemic and long-running HIV-AIDS treatment.

Named health minister in 2011, she is widely respected by international aid agencies. She previously was deputy chief of management science for Health in Haiti, an organization working with government and private groups across a wide range of medical problems.

She told a Harvard Kennedy School forum last year that her biggest challenge is reaching the 40 percent of Haitians not covered by basic health care, according to the official Harvard Gazette.

Martelly still has to find a permanent replacement for prime minister, who must be approved by parliament before it expires. Former Interior Minister Jocelerme Privert, former Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive and current Finance Minister Marie-Carmelle Jean-Marie‎ are mentioned as possible candidates.

New York: a man shoots down two policemen then commits suicide

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A man shot down on Saturday two policemen in New York before committing suicide, announced the head of the city’s police department. A message left by the gunman on the Internet evoked an act of vengeance for the death of an unarmed black man during an incident this summer with the New York law enforcement.

The shooter, Ismaaiyl Brinsley, a 28-year-old black man, fired a semiautomatic pistol at both policemen as they sat in their patrol car in Brooklyn, said William Bratton, accompanied with Mayor Bill de Blasio, during a press conference.

He then rushed into a subway station, where he shot himself in the head.

The two deceased policemen were called Rafael Ramos, age 40, and Wenjian Liu, 32 years old.

Before going to Brooklyn, Ismaaiyl Brinsley had shot and seriously injured his girlfriend, in Baltimore, Maryland, said William Bratton.

American media showed a message broadcasted on Saturday on Instagram and emanating apparently from the suspect, who uttered insults against the police: "I give wings to the pigs today. They take one of ours (...) Let us take two of theirs."

This message is accompanied with hashtags evoking Eric Garner and Michael Brown, the two black men who died this year in incidents involving white policemen, the first one in New York, and the second to Ferguson in the Missouri.

In both cases, Grand Juries decided not to charge the policemen.

These decisions provoked demonstrations in New York and in other cities of the United States to denounce the treatment of Blacks by the police and the apparent impunity enjoyed by law enforcement.

Suspended North Miami Mayor Convicted Of Mortgage Fraud

December 16, 2014

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A jury has convicted suspended North Miami Mayor Lucie Tondreau guilty on all counts of federal mortgage fraud.

Prosecutors say Tondreau and others conspired before she became mayor to defraud lenders using straw buyers, who obtained inflated loans for 20 properties. The scheme allegedly involved recruiting buyers through a radio program catering to Haitian-American listeners.

Tondreau’s business partner, Karl Oreste, previously pleaded guilty in the case.

Tondreau faces up to 30 years in prison during sentencing which is set for March 20th.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 31 décembre 2014

 VOA Voice of America

Haiti’s First Family Under Corruption Probe Cloud

Jeffrey Young

December 22, 2014 8:54 AM

Haiti’s first family is spending this end of year holiday season under a legal cloud.

The streets of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and other cities have been mobbed with protestors demanding Haitian President Michel Martelly’s resignation.

The Haitian Court of Justice on December 16 decreed that a corruption investigation focused on the president’s son Olivier, and the First Lady Sophia, could proceed.  The two are accused of crimes including abuse of authority, money laundering, and squandering public funds. Sophia and Olivier have steadfastly asserted their innocence.

No corruption related charges have been brought against Martelly.

Days before the Court of Justice decision, thousands of Haitians marched in angry protests against Martelly and his government. They did the same in November. In the face of public rage, Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe resigned.

While analysts say much of the anger stems from Martelly’s foot-dragging on his longstanding promise of elections, there is also considerable popular discontent with what is called Haiti’s “culture of corruption”.

The head of the Heritage Foundation for Haiti, Marilyn Allien, is closely watching the Martelly investigation and other corruption developments. Her organization is a branch of the global better-governance group Transparency International.

“The president’s wife and the president’s son should not be managing state funds, regardless of whether they are managing them honestly or dishonestly,” Allien told VOA. “It is not their role to do that. It creates the perception that there is corruption and fraud going on.”

Transparency International ranks Haiti eighth from the bottom out of 175 countries surveyed in its 2014 Corruption Perceptions Index. Haiti shares that low rung on the ladder with Yemen, Guinea-Bissau, Angola, and Venezuela.

The accusations against the first lady and the president’s son notwithstanding, Haiti’s Transparency International chief says Martelly appears to be “clean.”

“We have never received a complaint pertaining to acts committed by the president,” she said.

But Martelly’s political opponents are taking aim at Martelly.

Haitian Senator Moise Jean-Charles told the web publication “Haiti Liberte” that “President Martelly had the governor of the central bank give him five bulletproof cars, which cost the Haitian state $2.5 million.”

Jean-Charles said the bank governor also purchased 60 Toyota SUVs “for [Martelly’s] children, for his wife, and for people living with him. These,” Senator Jean-Charles said, “are the type of costs being incurred by President Martelly, the president of the poorest nation on the continent.”

Haiti has an official anti-corruption unit, known by its French initials, ULCC. Last June, new anti-corruption legislation, championed by the ULCC, was signed into law by Martelly. The measures were also supported and promoted by Allien’s Heritage Foundation.

But Allien said the work of the ULCC is hampered by several factors.

 “The cases stay there, dormant, for months and months – sometimes, for years,” she said. “The prosecutor’s office doesn’t move very rapidly.”

The good governance advocate says another factor hampering the fight against corruption is parliament’s inertia.

“The [anti-corruption] law that was recently voted on in May 2014 was a law that was drafted in 2008,” Allien said. “It is a law that we sorely needed, because it covers a number of practices that were not covered by previous legislation.”

As for why Haiti’s parliament took so long to enact this and other laws, Allien said “Too many of them [Haiti’s lawmakers] are too busy being involved in politics, and perceive their job as simply [one of] controlling the executive [branch, i.e., the president] and not doing the job for which they were elected, which is voting on laws.”

Allien said despite Haiti’s anti-corruption shortcomings and the slow pace of its institutions, at least the country allows watchdog groups such as Transparency International, and a similar group, the RNDDH – headed by Pierre Esperance – to operate freely.

“We are not harassed,” she told VOA. “We have a very good climate in which to work. “We do not feel [that we are] under attack.”

Editorial from “The Washington Post”

The Post's View

Without international help, Haiti faces a political meltdown

FROM TIME to time, Haiti’s chronic political dysfunction erupts in crisis and violence, compelling the international community to re-engage with an impoverished country it might prefer to disregard. Haiti is at just such a juncture right now. Policymakers in Washington and elsewhere should pay prompt attention, before the predictable calamity arrives.

The brewing crisis arises from a three-year-old political impasse between President Michel Martelly and legislators that has blocked parliamentary and municipal elections. An election date came and went, triggering mounting protests and street violence in recent weeks.

Now the clock is ticking toward what looks like a watershed. On Jan. 12 the terms of most members of parliament will expire. In the absence of a duly elected parliament, Mr. Martelly will be empowered to rule by decree, a dangerous scenario in a country with a history of autocracy and instability.

Some lawmakers in the politically fractured parliament think Mr. Martelly, elected in 2011, has been angling all along to establish a de facto dictatorship. In fact, parliament shares the blame. A group of six senators has blocked legislation to establish an electoral council on the grounds that its composition and rules would favor candidates loyal to the president. With no council in place, elections are off the table.

To his credit, Martelly tried to break the impasse this month by forcing the resignation of his prime minister and close political ally, Laurent Lamothe. Lamothe, a wealthy businessman, was widely seen as Martelly’s hand-picked successor for president; the hope was that his departure would clear the way for a compromise between the president and the opposition, leading to elections.

So far that hasn’t happened. If a vacuum develops, Martelly will be the last man standing; he says he’s prepared to lead by decree if no deal is struck leading to elections. Even the president’s moderate opponents say that would trigger a wave of violence.

Recognizing that the standoff has become dire, Secretary of State John F. Kerry has urged a negotiated settlement that would “open the door for elections to be scheduled as soon as possible.” Yet without more aggressive mediation by U.S., United Nations, French, Canadian and other diplomats, the chances of such a settlement are slim.

As it happens, the senators’ terms will expire and parliament will be dissolved on the fifth anniversary of the earthquake in 2010 that killed more than 100,000 Haitians. As Kerry pointed out, too much progress has been made since then toward rebuilding Haiti to risk extinguishing all hope amid renewed political violence.

To dismiss Haiti as a basket case or shrug off its troubles as insoluble is to forget a history that suggests that without outside help, the country can deteriorate into anarchy, at which point ignoring it is no longer an option.

Security in Haiti: A Concern for the International Community

In a letter sent to Deputy Jacques Stevenson Thimoléon, President of the Lower House, Paula Caldwell St-Onge, the Ambassadress of Canada in Haiti denounced the behavior of several members of Parliament last week, in particular Deputy Arnel Bélizaire, as well as the members of their security team, who circulated through town with illegal assault weapons.

In this letter, a copy of which was sent to Dieuseul Simon Desras, President of the Senate, the diplomat underlined "The respect which the Haitian population demonstrates to the National police force of Haiti (PNH) and the police authorities should be stressed by the actions of the Haitian elected officials. The carrying of assault weapons by Haitian elected officials during democratic demonstrations, sends an image which disturbs the international community ".

She also stated that "such provocative actions could also slow down the interest of investors, which would damage the economic development of Haiti. This lack of respect to the rule of law worries us. "

"We exhort you to do everything in your power to call in to order the members of Parliament who do not respect Haitian laws."

In her letter, Caldwell St-Onge insisted that during democratic demonstrations, there should be no security risks for the demonstrators, the authorities and especially the population.

Karine Condé Emeran Person of the Year 2014

A jury comprised of five people, supported by the Executive Committee to Discover Haiti, decided unanimously to award the "Prize to Discover Haiti, Personality of Year 2014 " to Karine Conde Eméran, Departmental Director of the Southern Ministry of Tourism and the Creative Industries (MTIC).

This award is to promote a positive image of Haiti, particularly in the Southern region and [to recognize] efforts in the professionalization of tourism-related businesses through the Institute of Hotel and Tourist Training (IFORHT), explained Jean Max Beauchamp, Coordinator General of Découvrir Haiti, adding that, "The decision to grant this prize to Karine Condé, aims at inspiring Haitians to work sincerely on the development of the country."

Karine Condé Eméran will be invited to Port-au-Prince the last week of January 2015 to receive her award at the official launch of "Tourism and Hospitality Fridays“ at the premises of the Higher Institute of Studies and Research in Social Sciences (ISERSS), formerly IERAH.

Recognizing that the other competitors had made important contributions during year 2014, Jean Max Beauchamp invited them to the award ceremony as well.

Turks and Caicos Islands: 65 Boat-people intercepted

The authorities of the Turks and Caicos Islands advised that they had arrested 65 Haitian migrants aboard a boat near the British territory of the Caribbean last Thursday. The officials declared in a press release last Friday that the migrants would be deported to Haiti. The arrests took place the same day that Bahamian authorities intercepted 112 migrants from Haiti.

The versatile player of the AS Mirebalais, Cliff Cantave took away the individual title of the golden ball G & G 2013 Athlete of the Haitian Association of Sports Press (ASHAPS).

Cantave, who was crowned champion of the 2013 season with the ASM, succeeded Montrévil Franzdy, guard of the Valencia, by winning, on Monday evening, at the annual official reception of ASHAPS, this honorary trophy.

The mid-fielder, Cliff Cantave, scored 5 goals during the 2013 season, including 4 in the play-offs and 1 in the cup against Baltimore. He played an important role in the acquisition of his team’s championship trophy for the 2013 season.

In spite of the absence of certain athletes and sports managers, the General Secretary of the ASHAPS, Légupeterson Alexandre, distributed the awards, now in their fourth year, that included5 trophies and 20 plaques honoring winners in the numerous categories.