- Détails
- Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti
The Core Group welcomes the installation of a new Prime Minister
and his Cabinet and calls on all actors to redouble their efforts to ensure the implementation of the 5 February Agreement
Port-au-Prince, 26 March 2016- The Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the other members of the "Core Group" (the Ambassadors of Brazil, Canada, France, Spain, United States of America, the European Union and the Special Representative of the Organization of American States) welcome the confirmation, by Parliament, of the government programme of Prime Minister Enex J. Jean-Charles and his imminent installation along with the Cabinet.
The members of the “Core Group”, underscoring the vital role of institutional stability to overcome the challenges facing the country, hope that a spirit of national unity will continue to guide the implementation of the 5 February Agreement. They call on all actors to take resolute action in this regard and to proceed with the re-establishment of the Provisional Electoral Council and the completion of the 2015 electoral process to facilitate the return to full Constitutional order.
Haiti: the statement of general policy of Enex Jean-Charles was ratified by both chambers
PORT-AU-PRINCE - The senators of the Republic ratified the statement of general policy of the appointed Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles unanimously, with twenty 20 votes for, and 0 votes against. There were no abstention.
On the other hand, in the Lower House, the number of members of parliament present was insufficient, for a quorum. Only 52 members were present, whereas, a minimum of 60 was necessary to have a quorum. As a result, the members were dismissed.
Surprisingly later that evening, a quorum took place and 78 members of parliament (House) voted for, while one voted against, two 2 abstained from voting.
Mister Enex Jean-Charles is now the new Prime Minister of the country.
Sandra Honoré "Return the country to its constitutional order as quickly as possible"
Evoking a "political uncertainty following the interruption of the electoral process" in Haiti, the members of UN Security Council consider that the "return of the country to its constitutional order as quickly as possible" is critical, Sandra Honoré, chief of the UN peace mission in Haiti, shared with the media.
Before popular demonstrations in January 22nd, 2016 forced the electoral institution to postpone the elections, the international community was united as a Core Group for the pursuit of the election process.
The United Nations Security Council seems to see no other alternative to the Haitian crisis than "to complete without further delay" the controversial elections of 2015.
"There is no alternative to return to constitutional order than through the holding of free, transparent and inclusive elections," maintain the members of the Security Council and their partners.
The Haitian parties involved have to "double their efforts for a fast exit from the political crisis and a return on the path of the institutional stability through the holding of democratic, inclusive and fair elections," preached the UN.
The member countries of the Security Council believe that the political actors are aware of their big responsibility and they are going to act "in all sincerity in the best interests of the nation and its citizens.”
"The economic decline marked by the fall of public and private investments, a very low economic growth, an inflation aggravated by the drought and its effects on agricultural production” combined with a growing insecurity, and 1.5 million Haitians facing food insecurity has made life almost intolerable for the citizens of Haiti.
Although it has been present Haiti with the aim of stabilization, the UN Security Council finds itself pleading for "the return for constitutional order" as fast as possible.
The conclusion of the process remains on the shoulder of the Haitian people, stressed Honore, who believes that the Minustah did not fail Haiti.
Deepens, International Organizations Are Reducing Aid Just as the Country Needs It Most
Economic growth is stagnant, and millions of Haitians are facing food shortages after a series of droughts in the countryside.
By Jake Johnston / AlterNet
March 25, 2016
More than a month after his selection as Haiti’s provisional president, Jocelerme Privert finally has a government. His nomination for prime minister, and a 16 member cabinet, was approved by parliament in a marathon session that ended early this morning. It was a necessary first step in getting the delayed electoral process moving again, though no official date has been set. But as the political crisis drags on, international actors are increasing the pressure on the provisional government, reducing aid just as the country needs it most.
Economic growth is stagnant, and millions of Haitians are facing food shortages after a series of droughts in the countryside. With inflation well in the double digits and a local currency that has lost 20 percent of its value in the last six months, many Haitians are scrambling to survive. But, an International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement, which could provide funds necessary to stabilize the economy and exchange rate, has stalled. Furthermore, support from the European Union and other donors is contingent upon the IMF agreement, leaving Haiti even worse off.
Newly installed Provisional President Jocelerme Privert has warned of an “alarming and catastrophic” economic situation, adding that the state has few resources to respond to the many humanitarian crises still plaguing the country. In a radio interview earlier this month, Privert stated that because of the IMF delays, “all non-humanitarian funding is blocked.”
In an e-mailed statement, the IMF said that disbursements had been delayed because “the political transition in Haiti has taken longer than expected.” The Fund said it hoped the “conditions [for reengaging] can be put into place as soon as possible.” The IMF did not respond when asked if the elections were one of these “conditions.”
A World Bank spokesperson said that existing projects would continue, but that the bank would have to “discuss with our management” before any new programs were approved or new agreements signed. The Inter-American Development Bank rejected Privert’s comments, stating: “neither IMF program evolution nor the current political situation have any impact to date on our support to the country.” However, the IDB added that there would need to be a review of the economic situation in the coming months before 2016 budget support could be released. The IMF program had anticipated $27 million in IDB budget support being released this month. The European Union significantly reduced its budget support last month.
Despite the impacts on the Haitian people, some suggest the reduction is being used as leverage to influence the ongoing political crisis. According to Robert Fatton, a professor at the University of Virginia, this type of financial squeezing is another form of political coercion in order to force the Haitian government and its citizens “into accepting certain political choices that they might otherwise reject.”
Elections were postponed in January after months of protests and calls for an investigation into electoral fraud. Privert was elected by parliament as provisional president for a term of 120 days after former President Michel Martelly’s term ended on February 7. A political accord, signed on Martelly’s way out of office, tentatively set the date for the postponed election for April 24.
International actors have tried to combat the allegations of fraud and calls for a further verification of the results before moving forward. At a U.N. Security Council meeting last week, representatives from the United States and European Union insisted that elections be held within the accord’s timeframe, based on previous results.
But at a recent event in Washington, D.C., Pierre Esperance, the director of a prominent Haitian human rights organization, said there “is not even a 1 percent chance” that the election can be held as scheduled. He warned that a verification “commission must happen, otherwise there will be no election.” Privert has indicated that he would be open to such a commission.
After having pushed for the previously scheduled elections to be held despite mounting opposition, the international community is now ratcheting up the pressure on the provisional government to stick to the tentative electoral calendar and forego a verification of the vote.
Asked by the Miami Herald editorial board if the U.S. would support a verification commission for the election, the U.S. State Department Special Coordinator for Haiti, Kenneth Merten, said that it was not up to the U.S., but added: “people in Haiti will need to make that decision knowing what other things are at stake in Haiti right now … There is an opportunity cost for political machinations.”
The reduction of aid “is a sign that the international community wants neither a prolongation of the electoral process, nor the creation of an independent commission of verification,” Fatton added.
Donors say they are hesitant to work with an unelected provisional government. Kent Brokenshire, the Deputy Special Coordinator for Haiti at the State Department, told a crowded room in Congress earlier this month that the U.S. wanted elections quickly so that there would be a “democratically elected head of state with whom we would be able to deal country to country.” Yet in the past donors have shown no reluctance to working with Haiti’s transitional governments.
In the early 2000s, development assistance to Haiti was curtailed under then-president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, but, after the February 2004 coup and installation of a transitional government, the IMF actually signed a new agreement with the country to help “stabilize the economy and cope with the immediate impact of the [political] conflict.” International actors then held a donor conference a few months later to raise funds for Haiti. The U.S. committed to tripling its aid disbursements.
Many in Haiti also hold the international community at least partially responsible for the current political crisis. After intervening in the 2010 elections that brought Martelly to office, international actors showed unwavering support throughout the Haitian government’s six years in office, despite multiple elections never being held. Then, after deeply marred legislative and first-round elections in 2015, the international community backed the results, urging the process to continue despite local election observers denouncing a “massive
- Détails
- Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti
Haiti Protest Demands Justice for 3 Slain Deaf Women
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
APRIL 1, 2016, 7:43 P.M. E.D.T.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Hundreds of protesters marched in Haiti's capital on Friday to demand justice following the brutal killings of three deaf women who were tortured, stoned and left in a gully by attackers.
Mickelson Jean, leader of a Haitian association for the deaf, was one of roughly 300 people who marched in Port-au-Prince to call attention to the recent slayings. The women lived in the coastal village of Leveque where scores of homes are reserved for deaf people and their families.
"These murders are an act of absolute barbarism and we must have justice," Jean said.
The three women were killed as they were trying to return home by foot late at night because a bridge had collapsed, preventing public transport from Haiti's capital. They all worked as street vendors and went into Port-au-Prince that day to stock up on supplies.
Jentullon Joel, the police commissioner in Cabaret near where the killings took place two weeks ago, said arrest warrants have since been issued for two men, and three women are being held for questioning.
Joel said that one of the female suspects told investigators that her husband killed the deaf women because he feared they were "lougawou," a Haitian Creole word for vicious supernatural creatures who fly at night.
But Nicole Phillips, a lawyer representing the victims' families, believes that story is "a false defense to try and justify a heinous crime." Mob violence is common in Haiti and experts say there is a widespread acceptance of the killing of perceived evil-doers.
Phillips alleged that one of the victims was known by members of the family who attacked the deaf women. "They only came to this house late at night and asked for shelter because one of the victims knew them," she said.
PORT-AU-PRINCE'S PARQUET HAS A NEW LEAEDER
Jean Danton Leger is new State Prosecutor of Port-au-Prince. He replaces Clamé Ocnam Daméus. The head of the Prosecutor’s Office was scheduled to take office on Friday April 1st, 2016.
Haiti Provisional Electoral Council Re-Established
Press Statement
John Kirby
Assistant Secretary and Department Spokesperson, Bureau of Public Affairs
Washington, DC
March 29, 2016
The United States welcomes Parliament’s confirmation of Haitian Prime Minister Enex J. Jean-Charles and his Cabinet. We are encouraged by the re-establishment of the new nine-member Provisional Electoral Council (CEP). The CEP is responsible for organizing the second round of presidential elections, remaining parliamentary elections, and local elections in Haiti to complete the electoral process begun in 2015.
As called for in the February 5 accord, we encourage the CEP to quickly implement the technical recommendations of the Independent Electoral Evaluation Commission, designed to improve the transparency and fairness of the final round. Such action will enhance public confidence in the election process.
The United States looks forward to all provisions of the Accord being implemented -- and a new democratically-elected president seated -- as quickly as possible, so that the government can work together with Haiti’s partners to rapidly address the challenges facing the country.
14 HAITIAN WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS HONORED BY THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF THE REPUBLIC OF HAITI IN MIAMI
For the fourth year in a row, the Beacon of Hope and Achievement Award ceremony, in celebration of Women's Month 2016, went off without a hitch, last evening at the Moca Café in North Miami. It was our pleasure to recognize these amazing business leaders in our community including Caroline Prato Zenny, Béatrice Cazeau, Jessie Alkhal, Marie Louissaint, Jeannifer M. Bonnet, Nathalie Vertus, Sandra Pierre, Guerline Dossous, Carline Phanor, Murielle LeConte, Wanda Gilles, Kara Vaval Ferrier and Dorice Vaval.
The well-deserving honorees received their award in the presence of their supporting families and friends, past honorees, the Consulate General in Miami staff, members of the press and important leaders in the community at large. The women inspired all as they accepted the honor, which reiterated once more the influence as well as the important role they play in keeping business alive in well in the Diaspora community. We look forward to continuing this wonderful tradition for years to come.
THE CEP (Provisional Electoral Council) settles down and invests
A second step for President Jocelerme Privert, writes the newspaper Le Nouvellise - a functioning Provisional Electoral Council. Nine new members of the CEP took their oath before judges recently, it was Justice Minister Camille Edouart Jr. who installed the nine members of the CEP at the institution’s offices in Pétion-Ville.
One promises made was that they would not follow the members of the former CEP. “We are going to make a difference,” they said.
Carlos Hercule, Frinel Joseph, Kenson Polynice, Marie Herolle Michel, Josette Jean Dorcelé, Léopold Berlanger, Lucien jeans Bernard, Marie Frantz Joachim and Jean Simon Saint-Hubert are the 9 new members of CEP appointed by the President and officially installed in office.
DOMINICANS INAUGURATE THE BIGGEST PARK OF SOLAR ENERGY OF THE CARIBBEAN
Last week, Dominican President Danilo Medina inaugurated his country’s first solar energy park.
Known as Monte Plate Solar, the project occupies approximately 300,000 square meters in the province of Monte Plata. It was built by the Taiwanese Company General Enerby Solutions for about 110 milions dollars.
As the biggest solar energy park of the Caribbean, it also represents the largest investment by Taiwanese entrepreneurs in the Dominican Republic, but also in the Caribbean and in Central America.
The first phase of the park which has 132,000 solar panels, will bring to approximately 30 megawatts of clean energy and avoid the emission of 35,700 tons of carbon dioxide in the environment.
ELECTION CANNOT TAKE PLACE BEFORE SIX MONTHS, SAID PIERRE L’ESPERANCE
Pierre l'Espérance, Executive director of the National Network of Defense of the Human rights (RNDDH), estimates that elections cannot be held before October, 2016 according to his report. The CEP will also have to organize partial senatorial elections for 10 senators elected in 2009, and whose terms end on January, 2017.
Joe Biden speaks about Haitian elections
The American Vice-president Joe Biden met with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet at the Naval Observatory last week. Both leaders discussed the state of the Mission of stabilization of United Nations in Haiti (Minustah). They also addressed the necessity for the international community to support a free and fair electoral process in Haiti, in order to make progress with the political stability and the economic recovery of the country.
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Two friends of Haitian origin find themselves mayors in Quebec A long path was crossed since the university campus of Haiti, when Ulrick Chérubin and Michel Adrien dreamed about a life abroad, while their country was under the influence of the dictator François Duvalier, nicknamed Papa Doc. Both men, who today are mayors of the cities of Amos and Mount-laurel, would have never imagined where fate would lead them. It’s been about forty years since they fled the Duvalier regime respectively to settle down in Quebec. There, they were eventually elected in their respective cities, each of which has a population of about 13,000 inhabitants. Both enjoy high popularity ratings. Although there are few minority residents in either the municipality of Amos or Mount-laurel, the voters of those cities have repeatedly granted the mayors new mandates. Cherub, 69-year-old, has been the mayor of Amos since 2002. He asserts having felt at home there as soon as he set foot in this mining city, where he moved to obtain a two-year teaching contract. It was in 1973, and he had just completed his teaching degree in Trois-Rivières. Cherub said, during a recent interview with La Presse Canadienne that he had planned to stay just two years in Amos - a city situated in 600 kilometers northwest of Montreal. It has now been 40 years since he set down his suitcases there. Adrien also talks about receiving a warm welcome after moving to Mount-laurel, in 1969. Like Cherub, he moved there to land a teaching contract. The former high school science teacher emigrated from Haiti and had settled in Montreal the previous year. Adrien, who is 66-year-old, said that his first memories of his life in Mount-Laurel was "the extreme kindness" of its residents. Both men met at the University of Port-au-Prince in the 1960’s. At the time, Adrien had been tutoring Cherub to prepare for some math exams. "If we had be told that we would have found ourselves mayors of cities in Quebec, we would have said that it was impossible," said Adrien. They had lost touch in Haiti and had not seen each other again since then, until they crossed paths in Quebec in the 1990’s, while they both worked for their respective cities. In many respects, the lives of Cherubin and Adrien followed similar paths. Both men were born in the city of Jacmel, and they married, nurses after they established themselves in Quebec. Both also worked for their respective cities for eight years before successfully launching their races for city hall. Agriculture : Survey results on national agricultural production |
The Ministry of Agriculture, in partnership with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the European Union, presented the past week, the results of the National estimation of agricultural production survey in Haiti for the three crop seasons of 2014 and that of spring 2015.
The study reveals that production volumes nationally remain rather low compared to the large quantity of farms involved in the production in Haiti. Although dissatisfied in terms of production volume and productivity, the authorities are satisfied to have made available authentic data, which they believe will enable decision makers to better target their interventions in addition to attracting investment in Haiti's agricultural sector.
This study takes into account among other sectors: cereal, fruit, food, legume, cattle shows that in several areas, Haiti is moving towards the self-sufficiency especially in the sectors: cattle, goats and mangos.
Some key figures in this report :
Cereal sector :
The country produced almost sufficient quantities of sorghum (millet) and maize. However, rice production for the three campaigns is estimated at just over 136,000 metric tons (Tm) or 34% of annual consumption (nearly 400,000 Tm).
Fruit sector :
More than 155,000 tons of mango Francisque, a major export foods were produced in Haiti (2014), but also more than one million tonnes of other varieties were also produced.
Besides mango, Haiti in 2014 also picked up: 81,000 tons of oranges, 458,000 tons of real tree, 97,000 tons of coconut 457,000 tons of avocado.
"Vivrière" sector :
For the period studied more than 32,000 tonnes of bananas, about 150,000 tonnes of sweet potatoes and more than 118,000 tons of yams were produced on the whole territory with a predominance in the departments of Artibonite and the West (like in almost all sectors)
Legumin sector :
In 2014, the country produced more than 83,000 Tm bean, over 54,000 Tm of pigeon peas and more than 15,000 Tm strain of peas.
The statistical experts of this survey point out that the survey data can be used among other of elements for constitute indicators for assessing the performance of the agricultural sector that will particularly enhance production and productivity.
TB/ HaitiLibre
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- Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti
ROBERT ANGLADE'S MURDER
Last Thursday evening in Zanglais (St-Louis du Sud) Robert Anglade, the owner of the Hotel "Jardins sur Mer" (Aquin), celebrated his 74th birthday. While at home, he was attacked, and was shot dead by one or several unidentified individuals. An investigation about this heinous crime was open; however, the motive remains unknown.
The Departmental Management of the South for the Ministry of Tourism learned with regret about Robert Anglade's death. The Ministry of Tourism and the Southern community wish to offer their most sincere condolences to the Anglade family and friends affected by this death. The Tourism sector is very deeply affected by this loss. May his soul rests in peace!
Taiwan and the fight against food insecurity
The Ambassador of Taiwan Tsai-Wang Chiu and Ogé Beauvoir, Executive Director of the NGO Food For The Poor signed a grant agreement last Friday at offices of Food. The objective of the agreement is to fight against food insecurity and poverty in Haiti. As a result 2,400 ton of husked rice from Taiwan (Republic of China), will be donated to Food For The Poor to contribute to its food assistance programs in Haiti. Delivery will be made in 3 shipments respectively in July, August and September 2016.
It should also be noted that the Taiwan government has provided 600 tons of husked rice to a Taiwanese NGOs to deploy its humanitarian operations in Haiti. The arrival in Port-au-Prince of its first rice shipment is scheduled for the month of May.
Travel Ban for Olivier Martelly, Wilson Laleau and others
Published in “Le Nouvelliste”
"Yes, I am confirming that Olivier Martelly, Wilson Laleau (…), Alix Célestin, and Marc Antoine Acra, among others, are banned from leaving the country," confirmed a government representative by telephone last Friday. According to Danton Léger, he is in possession of documents which would lead to believe that the former president’s eldest son may have mismanaged the construction of sports parks throughout the country.
There is no request for Olivier Martelly to appear before the Port-au-Prince prosecutor, but, according to Danton Léger, he can come to provide an explanation regarding his case by making an appointment as did Alix Célestin, managing director of APN. After the hearing, Leger said, if it is proven that he is not involved in a mismanagement of these funds, the travel ban will be lifted.
When contacted by “Le Nouvelliste,” the Martelly family attorney - Gregory Mayard-Paul - indicated that he was not aware of the travel ban on Olivier Martelly. He added that there was no legal basis for it.
In an interview given to “Le Nouvelliste” on August 31st, 2012, Olivier Martelly made the following statement regarding this matter: "We have no funds at our disposal. When it comes to financing, the Ministry of the Planning manages the building of the land, and the Ministry of Youths and Sports takes care of summer camp activities. I only make proposals."
Wilson Laleau, former Minister of Finance under the Martelly administration, Alix Celestin, current managing director of the APN, and businessman Marc Antoine Acra, among others, are also banned from traveling.
Alix Célestin appeared last Friday before the prosecutor. According to the government commissioner, the managing director of the APN presented documents proving that the contract which he is accused of having mismanaged had been signed by the previous director of the APN Jean Evans Charles. "Thus, there is a possibility that I will lift his travel ban," announced Léger.
On his side, Marc Antoine Acra made a formal request last Friday that his file be reviewed, since new information was available, explained Léger.
As for former Minister Wilson Laleau, his case is still under investigation. However, the head of the prosecutor's office mentioned that there was a lot of confusion and that some documents had disappeared.
Former head of OAS Haiti special mission favors vote verification
BY JACQUELINE CHARLES
The Antiguan diplomat, who led an Organization of American States’ special mission to Haiti after the country’s delayed presidential runoff set off a constitutional crisis earlier this yea,r says verifying the disputed elections is vital to avoiding a deepening political crisis.
“It is a necessary evil in order to have long-term peace,” Ronald Sanders told the Miami Herald in an exclusive interview. “The verification process must take place. There is an awful lot of suspicions that there was fraud in that election process, and it would not suit any government that is elected without a verification process because there would always be that suspicion.”
But verification, Sanders said, should be swift in order for Haiti to quickly get back to political stability by transferring power from its current caretaker government to an elected one. Sanders’ support of a Haitian-owned investigation into the country’s disputed Oct. 25 presidential first round differs from the position of many other foreign diplomats engaged in the crisis.
The European Union, the United States and others in the international community have publicly dismissed calls for verification and have been stepping up pressure for provisional President Jocelerme Privert to quickly resume Haiti’s interrupted electoral process. On Thursday, 60 Haitian-American leaders and organizations wrote U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, asking for the Obama administration to end its opposition of verification.
“If we go ahead and force Privert to hold elections without it, an election that is not ultimately acceptable to the majority of Haitians, we are courting trouble,” Sanders said. “We are going to let a possibly fraudulent process deliver a government? In which country would we accept that? Can you tell us the U.S. would allow that? The English-speaking Caribbean?”
The chairman of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States until last week, Sanders said he wasn’t speaking on behalf of the hemispheric organization, which has shied away from making any public statements on the matter. Its electoral observation mission has said that despite voting irregularities, “the information gathered by EOM/OAS on the ground did not show inconsistencies with the final results presented by the CEP in terms of which two candidates go to the run-off.”
Sanders said he was speaking as the diplomat who led a February mission to Port-au-Prince at the request of then-president Michel Martelly. The mission was tasked with helping Martelly and the opposition broker a political accord on how the country would be governed after Martelly’s Feb. 7 departure from office.
That agreement, known as the Feb. 5 accord, outlined the steps for a 120-day transitional period led by a caretaker administration. It also set April 24 as the runoff elections date after the balloting was twice postponed because of the fraud allegations. This week, the head of the country’s newly revamped Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) indicated that the elections cannot be held that day.
A FUND RAISING TO HELP the MOST VULNERABLE
LastThursday, the Government of Haiti and a humanitarian team of the United Nations launched a 193.8 million dollar fund-raising campaign to answer the critical humanitarian needs of 1.3 million people. This strategic planning document aims to ensure and protect access to basic services to the most vulnerable people, but also to reinforce the strength of the Haitian population and its institutions.
"We appreciate this effort of pooling the priorities and the coordination between the national authorities and the members of the humanitarian community. The critical situation of thousands of families affected by these multiple problems and particularly by the food insecurity require a fast and effective answer to avoid a worsening of the humanitarian situation as we are laying the foundations for a sustainable development of the country," said Aviol Fleurant, the new Minister of Planning and Extreme Cooperation. The ultimate objective of this plan is to reduce the vulnerability of the 1.3 million targeted people. Although the top priority is to address the most essential humanitarian needs, this plan also intends to implement structural actions to avoid a worsening of the vulnerability of needy populations, and move forward with the Objectives of Sustainable Development (ODD) on the horizon of 2030.
"Structural problems associated with multiple crises continue to increase the vulnerability of millions of Haitians. We have to act together to allow these people to get back up on their feet”, declared Mourad Wahba, Coordinator of the humanitarian aid and special representative of the United Nations Secretary General in Haiti.
Delta Airlines Employee Arrested Carrying More Than A Quarter-Million Dollars
Taken Into Custody At Palm Beach (FL) International Airport
An employee of Delta Airlines was arrested Saturday carrying a backpack containing $282,000, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Southern Florida last Monday.
Airline ramp agent Jean Yves Selius was stopped after bypassing security checkpoints and using him employee ID to enter a secure area at the airport, according to a report from ABC News. He was wearing civilian clothes at the time of his arrest.
In the affidavit, a special agent with the Department of Homeland Security stated that Selius was asked to show the contents of the backpack, which he did willingly. It contained "large packets of cash wrapped in clear, vacuum-sealed bundles," according to the document.
A drug-detection dog indicated that the backpack had been in contact with drugs.
Selius said he had been paid $1,000 to carry the backpack to an "unknown person in a bathroom inside the airport's sterile area." He said he had done similar drops over the past year, for which he had been paid $4,000.
He said that he knew that the backpack contained money that "did not come from a good cause."
Selius said that he knew the men who had paid him only as "Ricky" and "John".
Delta said his employment has been terminated, and the airline said it is fully cooperating with law enforcement agencies in the matter.
- Détails
- Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti
Haiti signed the Agreement of Paris (COP21)
On Friday, provisional President Jocelerme Privert signed the Paris Agreement (COP21) on behalf of the Republic of Haiti. The President was back in the country on Sunday. It should be noted that 175 countries signed this agreement. These countries represent 55 % of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Haiti - Diaspora
Within the theme “Ann rekonstwi Ayiti ansanm- Se la pou la” the ministry of Haitians Living abroad (MHAVE) chose to commemorate the National Day of the Diaspora. For this occasion, an evening celebration brought together former officials of the ministry, members of the diaspora, representatives of the MAHVE and other government officials.
To respond to the complaints of the diaspora regarding the lack of information available, the MAHVE has put at their disposal an office within the customs bureau of Port-au-Prince, which will only address questions related to the diaspora. Also, from now on at the airport, there will be a Diaspora Lounge where administrative files and complaints can be addressed.
Mrs. Jessie C. Petit Frere, current ministry of Haitians Living Abroad, did not hesitate to mention the situation Haiti is presently experiencing and the necessity for Haitians to unite for the sake of the country. "The contribution of the diaspora allows us to avoid irreparable tragedy," said Petit Frere, who encourages the diaspora to invest in all the areas.
For his part, Minister of Tourism Guy Didier Philippe called on the members of the diaspora to be ambassadors of positive images of the country because, according to him, the country suffers from a negative image.
Mr. Smith Joseph, the mayor of North Miami, spoke on behalf of the diaspora, to request the integration of this sector into the internal affairs of the country.
"We of the Diaspora, we are the most authentic ambassadors of Haiti, we are not only senders of money, we are brains, visionaries, investors and tourists" said the mayor.
THE CUSTOMS OFFICE OF BELLADERE WAS PLUNDERED
Vandals plundered the customs office of Belladère on Monday, April 18th, 2016, according to the on-line AlterPresse agency.
The criminals knocked over furniture, broke windows and welded the front door before leaving.
No police officer was able to prevent this break-in, according to a source.
In December, 2015, the customs office of the border city of Thomassique (18 km from Hinche) was burned by angry suspects, following the shooting death of two truck drivers.
In October, 2015, unidentified individuals also set fire to the customs office of Anse-à-Pitres (Southeast of Haiti), not far from the border point with Pedernales (Dominican Republic), following to the interception of a flour truck by Haitian customs.
Ten Caribbean Nations More Dangerous Than The U.S.
By NAN Staff Writer
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. April 22, 2016: When it comes to murders worldwide, there is no denying that the Caribbean has been blighted by a rise in homicides in recent years. NAN compared murder rates from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for every 100,000 people in top Caribbean nations to the U.S. and found that in several nations, a U.S. national’s chance of being murdered is higher than in the U.S.
Here are the top 10:
1: Belize
You are 11.9 times more likely to be murdered in Belize than in the U.S. Forty-five in every 100,000 people are murdered annually in Belize compared to about 4 in The United States according to the UN data.
2: Jamaica
You are 11.3 times more likely to be murdered if living in Jamaica than in the U.S. Forty-three in every 100,000 people are murdered annually in Jamaica compared to about 4 in The United States.
3: St. Kitts/Nevis
You are 8.8 times more likely to be murdered in St. Kitts and Nevis. Thirty-three in every 100,000 people are murdered annually in St. Kitts and Nevis compared to about 4 in The United States.
4: Trinidad & Tobago
You are 7.9 times more likely to be murdered in the oil rich nation of T&T. some 30 people in every 100,000 people are murdered annually in Trinidad and Tobago compared to about 4 in The United States.
5: The Bahamas
You are7.8 times morelikely to be murdered in the Bahamas than in the U.S. Twenty-nine in every 100,000 people are murdered annually in Bahamas compared to about 4 in The United States.
6: Puerto Rico
You are 7 times more likely to be murdered in Puerto Rico. Twenty-six in every 100,000 people are murdered annually in Puerto Rico compared to about 4 in The United States.
7: St. Vincent & The Grenadines
You are 6.7 times more likely to be murdered in St. Vincent & The Grenadines than in the U.S. Twenty-five in every 100,000 people are murdered annually in St. Vincent and the Grenadines compared to about four in The United States.
8: The Dominican Republic
You are 5.8 times more likely to be murdered in the DR. 22 in every 100,000 people are murdered annually in Dominican Republic compared to about 4 in The United States.
9: St. Lucia
You are 5.7 times more likely to be murdered. Twenty-one in every 100,000 people are murdered annually in St. Lucia compared to about four in The United States.
10: Guyana
You are 5.1 times more likely to be murdered in Guyana than in the U.S. 19 in every 100,000 people are murdered annually in Guyana compared to about four in The United States.
Haiti is not included.
US Government Scales Up Response to Drought in Haiti
Nearly $22 Million in Emergency Relief
Port-au-Prince. April 15, 2016
The US Embassy announced more funding for the ongoing needs of Haitian households suffering from the effects of the El Nino-induced drought, bringing US contributions to $21.9 million USD over the last six months.
US Ambassador Peter Mulrean reiterated that: “The US stands steadfast with Haitian families to provide for their emergency food, nutrition, and water needs. We also continue to work to strengthen Haiti’s future capacity to prepare for and withstand shocks, including by boosting agricultural production and closing food gaps for those most vulnerable to weather, political and price shocks.”
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) began working to mitigate the risks of drought-induced hunger and malnutrition in October 2015. To date the U.S Government has provided $21.9 Million USD to address emergency needs for food, nutrition, and water in all the drought-affected departments of the country: North-East, Artibonite, Centre, West, and South-East. This includes
$7.4 million to the World Food Program (WFP) for cash and food transfers to 100,000, and $1.2 million to UNICEF to treat 37,800 children who could be diagnosed with Severe Acute Malnutrition.
Emergency food aid funding of $11.8 million to partners CARE, Accion Contre la Faim, and World Vision aims support at over 135,000 people, additional to the 102,000 already served by the USAID and Government Kore Lavi social safety net program, through which participants receive cash for assets, cash for work, and food vouchers to purchase locally sourced, nutritious food.
For water, sanitation, and hygiene, $1.3 million is increasing clean water supply and sanitation in the South-East department, one of the hardest hit by drought, migration from the DR, and recent cholera outbreaks. This sum includes: $900,000 to Solidarités International, $250,000 to UNICEF, and $160,000 to International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Finally, the US contributed $200,000 to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) for drought, migration, and cholera response coordination across and among all organizations and the government.
Food Security Situation
Haiti is experiencing one of the worst droughts in 35 years, made worse by the El Niño event. According to the Famine Early Systems Network (FEWS NET), supported by USAID globally, severe dryness due to the 2015 El Niño resulted in national crop production that was less than 50 percent of the five-year average, while local food prices remain above average. From now through June-July 2016, communes in Sud-Est, Ouest, Nord-Ouest, upper Artibonite, Centre, Nord-Est Departments and on the Southern Peninsula will remain in Crisis (IPC level 3) food insecurity,(signifying that households may suffer high or above usual acute malnutrition or deplete their livelihood assets to meet minimum food needs).
Haiti imports approximately 50 percent of its food and, with half of population living on less than $1.25 per day and three quarters of the population living on less than $2 per day, it is extremely vulnerable to the cost of food and price spikes in the global food market. In addition, the current drought and election crisis have negatively impacted the Haitian economy; the Haitian gourde has been steadily depreciating since June 2015.
Driven by crop losses and reduced farm labor opportunities, FEWS NET reports that many poor households are becoming increasingly reliant on non-agricultural income sources including petty-trade, labor migration, remittances and other more severe coping measures, such as charcoal production.
“GARR” DENOUNCES THE POOR TREATMENT INFLICTED ON HAITIAN REPATRIATES
The support group for repatriates and refugees (GARR) denounced the ill-treatment imposed on Haitian repatriates at the border of Belladère, in a release transmitted to AlterPresse.
A dozen Haitian nationals, who arrived at the border of Belladère on April 19th, 2016, were victims of ill-treatment.
Arrested in Santo Domingo in the morning of Monday, April 18th, 2016, these migrants were kept, for the most part, in a detention center for Elias Piña where they spent one night without eating anything, before being driven to Haiti the next day.
One of the repatriates reports to have spent several hours on the bus before arriving at Elias Piña without any food.
The repatriate “Johnny” said he was abused by the Dominican military officers at the time of his arrest.
"The Dominican soldiers tore up all the documents which I had in my possession. I wanted to protest [but] they threatened to hit me," he exclaimed.
Johnny who worked in the farming sector in the Dominican Republic, was very upset about his wife and children whom he left on nearby territory, according to GARR.
Disappointed to have been returned to Haiti, Johnny intends to use all available means to find his family.
The migrants were repatriated without any due process and in violation of human rights. This is contrary to the draft agreement on the mechanisms of repatriation signed by the two nations on the island, denounced GARR.
Anthonal Mortimé
- Détails
- Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti
BCEN ready for the municipal appeals, while Canada deplores cancellation of polls
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, May 2, CMC – The National Office of Electoral Disputes (BCEN) says it will begin hearing later this week appeals made by candidates in the municipal elections on October 25 last year.
BCEN vice president, Carlos Hercules, said the three sections of the body will be constituted this week and that it will sit for about two weeks rendering its judgments on appeals made by candidates in the municipal elections in order to complete the publication of the results of those elections.
Each section of the BCEN will be composed of two electoral advisers, two lawyers and a judge of the Court of Appeal who will be selected by a draw on the day of the hearing to prevent attempt at corrupting the officials.
Opposition politicians have claimed that the October 25 polls were rigged and have been calling for fresh elections. They have also filed several appeals rejecting the results in some areas.
Meanwhile, Canada has become the latest country to deplore the cancellation of the April 24 second round of presidential elections to choose a successor to Michel Martelly who left office on February 7 without a successor being elected.
Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion and Minister of International Development and Francophony, Marie-Claude Bibeau, in a joint statement said “Canada deplores the fact that the elections, scheduled to take place on April 24, have been cancelled for the third time, as well as indications that they may not take place until October.
“It is essential that Haitian political actors take the necessary and responsible actions to re-establish constitutional order quickly so that they can devote themselves entirely to resolving the difficulties the Haitian people are facing.
“We are very concerned that commitments made in the February 5, 2016, agreement, when Haiti’s leaders promised their fellow citizens the election process would be completed in 90 days or less, are not being met,” the two ministers said.
They said as a “partner of Haiti and of all Haitians…Canada once again calls on Haitian political actors to do everything they can to ensure that the partial legislative elections and the second round of the presidential election take place quickly and peacefully.
“Canada will continue its dialogue with Haitian leaders in support of Haitians’ democratic aspirations. In accordance with Canada and Haiti’s joint commitments in the International Organisation of La Francophonie, Haiti, more than ever, needs to strengthen its democratic institutions, as an essential step to ensure inclusive governance, peaceful pluralism and inclusive economic growth.”
Canada said it has invested CAD$1.6 billion (One Canadian dollar =US$0.79 cents) in humanitarian and development aid in Haiti since 2006.
European Union announces additional €38 million in aid for Haiti
The European Union (EU) said it was giving an additional €38 million in cash aid to Haiti, which is combating drought and a migration crisis with neighbouring Dominican Republic.
The funding included €12.2 million for food and drinking water to more than 400,000 Haitians, an EU news release said. The El Nino weather phenomenon has devastated crops, with losses of up to 70% in some areas. About 3.6 million Haitians are facing food insecurity, with 1.3 million among them severely food insecure, according to the World Food Program (WFP).
The EU was also allocating €400,000 to assist people in Haiti who had been deported from the Dominican Republic. The neighbouring country began enforcing an immigration policy in summer 2015 primarily targeting people of Haitian origin. Since then, some 87,000 people have been forced across the border into Haiti, where some have never lived. Among them are more than 1,200 unaccompanied minors, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
Some were deported so suddenly that they arrive with only the clothes on their backs. Thousands are living near the border in makeshift dwellings with poor sanitation. In addition to the emergency aid, the EU was also providing €17 million for medium and long-term projects aimed at helping Haiti build its capacity to respond to climate threats. Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas, crippled by long-term political instability and a devastating quake in 2010.
Cuban baseball players paid smugglers $15M for voyages to Mexico, Haiti
Published April 27, 2016
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Cuban baseball players paid a South Florida-based smuggling ring more than $15 million to leave the communist island in secretive ventures that included phony documents, false identities and surreptitious boat voyages to Mexico, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, federal prosecutors say.
A recently unsealed grand jury indictment against three men provides fresh details about the smuggling of 17 Cuban players, among them Jose Abreu of the Chicago White Sox and Leonys Martin of the Seattle Mariners. The smugglers usually took a percentage of any Major League Baseball contract a player signed.
The indictment names Bartolo Hernandez, a Weston, Florida-based sports agent whose clients included Abreu; Hernandez associate Julio Estrada, who runs Total Baseball Representation and Training in Miami; and Haitian citizen Amin Latouff of Port-au-Prince, who is not in U.S. custody and remains in Haiti. They are charged with conspiracy and illegally bringing immigrants to the U.S.
Estrada, who was arrested last week, has pleaded not guilty and is free on $225,000 bail. Hernandez pleaded not guilty when originally charged in February and is also free on bond.
Estrada's lawyer, Sabrina Puglisi, said in an email Tuesday that he has never been involved in illegal human smuggling.
"He has always taken care of his players, training them so that they could achieve their dream of playing MLB in the United States," she said.
The case is an outgrowth of the previous prosecution in Miami of four people for the smuggling of Martin out of Cuba, one of whom is serving a 14-year prison sentence. Martin is among the players named in the new indictment as well. None of the players have been charged.
Prosecutors have said the investigation is focused on the smuggling organizations and not on the players. As Cubans, under U.S. policy they are generally allowed to remain in this country once reaching U.S. soil.
As part of the thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations, MLB is in talks with both nations' governments on a potential deal that could make it easier for Cuban ballplayers to play in the U.S. without having to sneak away at international tournaments or risk high-seas defections with smugglers.
But beginning in April 2009, prosecutors say, the South Florida-based smugglers ran a flourishing and lucrative illegal pipeline for Cuban players who must establish third-country residency in order to sign as MLB free agents.
The indictment says that Hernandez, Estrada and Latouff "recruited and paid" boat captains to smuggle players from Cuba to Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The plot included use of fake jobs for the players, such as welder, mechanic, body shop worker — even one who was called an "area supervisor for Wet Set Ski."
The conspirators also used fake foreign and U.S. documents, including falsified passports and visa applications, to get the players to the U.S., according to the indictment.
The case of Abreu, who set a White Sox rookie record with 36 home runs in 2014 and was named American League rookie of the year, is fairly typical although the money involved is higher than most.
According to the indictment, Latouff paid $160,000 in August 2013 to a boat captain to smuggle Abreu from Cuba to Haiti. There a fraudulent visa and false name were provided so that Abreu could fly from Port-au-Prince to Miami.
A short time later, Chicago announced Abreu had signed a five-year, $68 million MLB contract. But the court documents show he still owed the smugglers millions and sent them several wire transfers in 2014 totaling at least $5.8 million.
Prosecutors are seeking forfeiture of more than $15.5 million in total payments from ballplayers to the smugglers, as well as forfeiture of four pieces of property in South Florida, four Mercedes-Benz vehicles and a Honda motorcycle.
Haiti Customs: the Managing director of the APN in Miami to present the project of renovation of the Port of Cap-Haïtien
The Managing director of the National Harbour Authority (APN), Alix Célestin, accompanied with the coordinator of the agency’s administration, Valery Adrien, participated in an investors’ conference in Miami following the initiative of the APN, the USAID and the IFC. For Célestin, who is an engineer, it was an opportunity the renovation for the port of Cap-Haïtien.
This event was within the framework of promoting Haiti’s maritime sites. The National Harbour Authority hopes to stimulate investors to contribute in the development of this expanding sector in order to spearhead of the state economy’s.
The international port of Cap-Haïtien will be reconstructed thanks to 65 million in financing from the USAID. The works which will begin in July with the demolition of sheds and other dilapidated buildings, will last two years and six months.
Kenneth Merten's recent visit to Haiti
In a press release signed by the American State Department and forwarded to the newspaper office of HPN, the Special Coordinator for Haiti, Kenneth Merten was scheduled to visit the country last week.
This visit was "to estimate the progress towards the completion of the electoral process begun in 2015 and the installation of a democratically elected government in Haiti."
Merten was to mainly meet with Haitian government officials involved in the implementation of the agreement of February 5th and with Haiti’s partners from the international community.
On January 6th Kenneth Merten and Assistant-Secrétaire Adjoint of ambassador Thomas Shannon was accompanied with the latter within the framework of a visit to Haiti to complete the electoral process. That visit failed given that the Temporary Electoral Council at that time had to postpone the elections which were scheduled for January 24th due to numerous street protests.
Haiti Security: Plans were diverted towards the Dominican Republic
On Wednesday, April 27th in the evening, the air traffic of the Toussanit Louverture International Airport was severely disrupted. Due to a power failure on the landing runway of the airport, plans heading for Haiti had to be diverted towards the Dominican Republic to land safely.
According to the head office of the National Airport Authority (AAN), the electric problem was caused by construction work to rehabilitate part of the airport reserved for moving and parking planes on the tarmac.
Haiti-justice: social organizations perform a sit-in to demand an audit on the management of the administration Martelly
Several social organizations had a sit-in last Friday in front of the ruins of the national palace, to require the implementation of an Audit Committee to shed light on the management of Michel Martelly's former administration.
The initiative was taken by the Circle of studies in literature gramscienne (Circle Gramsci), the Think Tank on the social problems (Greps), the National Union of Normaliens (Unnoh), the Popular democratic Movement (Modep) and the Movement of freedom and equality of the Haitians for the brotherhood (Moleghaf).
The sit-in also aimed at supporting the commission to evaluate the electoral process of 2015. It condemned the interference of the international community in particular Core Group in the internal affairs of the country.
Following the appeal of these organizations, a sit-in was already organized already, on Friday, April 15th, 2016, in front of the offices of the Superior Court, to denounce the corruption in public administration.
This mobilization gathered dozens of activists, provide with signs on which were posted messages hostile to Martelly, accusing him of having been involved in corruption.
The administration of the former president was the object of deep criticisms for its implication in corruption scandals of corruption and waste of public money.
As a result, the Government’s Commissioner, Jean Danton Léger, has already put in place a travel ban on several citizens, including the former head of the Ministry of the Economy and the finances, Wilson Laleau.
HAITI HAD ZIKA MONTH BEFORE 2015 BRASIL’S OUTBREAK
BY JACQUELINE CHARLES
Two months after Haiti confirmed it was having an outbreak of the painful mosquito-borne virus chikungunya in 2014, Haitians began complaining about a new fever epidemic and wondered whether it was Zik or Zika, the other virus carried by the same mosquito.
Haiti health officials and experts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quickly dismissed the Zika rumors, regarding the fever symptoms as another bout of fast-spreading chikungunya.
Now, infectious-disease specialists at the University of Florida believe that diagnosis was wrong. Zika, according to new research, was not only present in the Western Hemisphere before it was confirmed in Brazil in March 2015 — it was in Haiti.
“What seems to have happened is that the chikungunya outbreak was followed by [dengue] and Zika,” Dr. J. Glenn Morris, Jr., a professor of medicine and the director of the University of Florida’s Emerging Pathogens Institute, which runs a lab in Haiti, said about the June 2014 rumors sweeping Haiti.
Moris said the UF study, while focused on samples taken in December 2014, suggest that it’s not “an unreasonable possibility that” the dengue-like symptoms that Haitians were reporting in June of 2014 were Zika cases.
Following Haiti’s April 2014 chikungunya outbreak, UF’s laboratory began monitoring the virus and collecting blood samples from schoolchildren in the Gressier/Leogane region, southwest of Port-au-Prince, where the laboratory is located.
Soon, the center’s nurses began noticing that some of the children started coming down with a fever.
“The nurses said, ‘Everybody is getting it again,’” Morris said, recalling how almost everyone dismissed the illness as a second wave of chikungunya.
Everyone except for one curious virologist: John Lednicky, who would become the lead author of UF’s study on the findings. The study was published Monday in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
The scientists from UF’s environmental and global health department and the Emerging Pathogens Institute specialists began doing additional lab studies. Sick schoolchildren had blood sampled and were screened for dengue, chikungunya and malaria. After the samples came back negative for all three, they were classified as “mystery” viruses.
Using a more sophisticated testing method, researchers subsequently sequenced and identified the Zika virus. The plasma samples that yielded Zika virus were taken in December 2015, three months beforeBrazilian scientists confirmed that Zika was present in the South American country.
The Haitian strain, while genetically similar to the Brazilian, is more similar to the strain from the French Polynesian islands, said Dr. Jacques Boncy, director of Haiti’s National Public Health Laboratory.
In June 2014, Boncy was asked about whether Zika was present in Haiti. He told the Miami Herald that Zika had been confirmed in Yap Island and in French Polynesia, islands in the Pacific, but it was “not in the Caribbean region.”
Now, after speaking with Morris, Boncy says he may have been wrong.
“They did sequencing, and that is where they saw three children who came back positive for Zika,” he said.
Boncy said that before Zika was confirmed in Brazil, it was reported on Easter Island, a Chilean territory, where an annual festival is believed to be the source of transmission. On March 3, 2014, Chile notified the Pan-American Health Organization/World Health Organization of Zika’s existence on the island.
Haiti has United Nations troops from Chile stationed in the country, and a number of Haitians are employed in Brazil’s construction industry — factors that could have led to Zika’s transmission in the country.
“We will never know where the current Zika outbreak in the Americas started,” said Daniel Impoinvil, CDC research epidemiologist involved in helping Haiti monitor the spread of the virus. “Most likely it was imported into Haiti and once it is imported, you can expect additional cases.”
Impoinvil noted that during the time period of the UF study, Haiti was 20 weeks into a major chikungunya outbreak.
“The symptoms of chikungunya, dengue and Zika are remarkably similar,” he said. “Given the similar symptoms and the lack of history of Zika in the Americas and around the world at that time, Zika would not necessarily have been considered as a source of infection.”
As of April 2, there have been 2,024 suspected reported cases of Zika in Haiti since the virus’ Jan. 15 confirmation, the CDC said. A dozen of the cases involve pregnant women.
CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden recently confirmed that a study looking at brain scans of babies born with suspected Zika-related microcephaly in Brazil confirms that the virus causes the birth defect. Babies with the birth defect have been born with smaller than usual heads to mothers infected with Zika in Brazil and several other countries, according to the WHO.
“We haven’t yet found any cases of microcephaly, but we have found about three cases of Guillain-Barré Syndrome,” Boncy said. Guillain-Barré Syndrome, also linked to Zika, is a neurological syndrome in adults that leads to difficulty in walking.