Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 12 juillet 2016

 US: No More Financial Help to Conclude Haiti Elections

                                By DAVID MCFADDEN, ASSOCIATED PRESSPORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Jul 7, 2016

The United States has suspended financial assistance to Haiti's electoral authorities as they plan to redo a presidential vote that a special commission found was marred by widespread fraud.

At a Washington press briefing Thursday, U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said the decision to stop funding a Haitian electoral cycle that began in 2015 did not "signal a reduction in U.S. support for the people or development of Haiti."

He framed the decision as a simple budgeting matter by the U.S., which is Haiti's largest donor. He said Washington did not plan to spend additional taxpayer money for two more voting rounds in the hemisphere's poorest country but would "maintain assistance in other key priority areas."

"We believe it's the sound thing to do, the right thing to do for the people of Haiti in the long-term," Kirby said.

Last year, U.S. taxpayers contributed $33 million for a three-round Haitian electoral cycle that was intended to elect a president, parliament members and numerous other offices. But the presidential runoff was repeatedly scrapped amid deep public suspicions of fraud and violent protests.

It wasn't immediately clear what the absence of U.S. funding would mean for Haiti's revamped Provisional Electoral Council, which organizes balloting in a country where elections are never easy.

But new council chief Leopold Berlanger did not sound concerned by the U.S. decision or a possible ripple effect with other foreign donors amid a lingering political impasse.

"I think if you are a real sovereign country you should get the means to fund your own elections," he told The Associated Press.

Under Berlanger, the council annulled the disputed presidential election and called a new vote, as recommended by a special commission that reported finding what appeared to be significant fraud and professional misconduct.

A total of 27 presidential candidates are now expected to run in the redo vote in October. A runoff would take place in January.

Last month, Kenneth Merten, the U.S. State Department's special coordinator for Haiti, said the U.S. was "disappointed" with the decision to redo the vote because impoverished Haiti could have avoided its leadership muddle if it had stuck to agreed-upon timetables earlier.

Caretaker President Jocelerme Privert's 120-day mandate heading an interim administration expired June 14 but the fragmented parliament is blocking a vote on extending his term or paving the way for a new interim leader.

ELECTIONS WITHOUT MONEY FROM THE WHITE MAN: “YES WE CAN !”

For once, members of the international community aren’t stepping over one other to finance Haiti’s elections. The United States and the European Union have already clearly informed that they will not provide a penny for the elections; other donors such as France, Brazil and Japan still haven’t made any promises, even though the election machine is already in motion.

Despite the lack of external financing to organize the elections, the Haitian leaders in power are not panicking. The provisional president is even confident that the elections will take place even without funds from the international community. Since July 1^st , Jocelerme Privert has known that one of the main investors in the elections, the United States, would not be providing any funds this time. "We going to put everything in place so that these elections are financed by domestic resources, and this in spite of our limited means and the volume of debts inherited from the Martelly administration,” Privert told Le Nouveliste last Monday in an exclusive interview.

Of the 55 million dollars that it will cost to organize the elections, the government said that it had already 30 millions, and needs only a little more than 15 millions.

At the level of the Haitian private sector, people think that the country should take advantage of this situation to free itself from its dependence on the international community to organize the elections. Several presidential candidates interviewed by Le Nouvellise, think that the United States, unintentionally, offered the country a possibility of showing that it can organize its own elections. It is an act of national sovereignty.

It should be noted, that according to The Center for Economic and Policy Research, an American watchdog group, out of the $33 million the United States contributed for the electoral process in Haiti in 2015, $30.45 million were used to finance the UNOPS, the UNDP, the OEA, the IFES, and the NDI. The American money was spent in the name of Haiti but not in Haiti, nor for Haiti during the last elections, estimated the group.

In the meantime, the Provisional Electoral Counsel is progressing in the preparations to organize the presidential election as well as senatorial elections. The first round is scheduled for October 9^th.

BROWARD COUNTY

JULY 1, 2016 8:52 PM

South Florida man arrested on charges of impregnating a 10-year-old

MIAMI HERALD

BY ALEX HARRIS

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As soon as his flight from Haiti landed in Miami, a 47-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of impregnating a 10-year-old.

Raymond Vincent was “expelled from Haiti” by the Haitian government, wrote Detective Tracy Figone, spokeswoman for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, in an email. He was arrested Friday on a Fort Lauderdale arrest warrant. He was charged with sexual battery on a child under 12 and lewd lascivious conduct.

Investigators told Miami Herald news partner CBS4 Vincent was a family friend of the young girl, who showed up to a hospital in February complaining of stomach pains. She was pregnant.

Meanwhile, police said, Vincent fled to Haiti. U.S. Marshals flew to Port-au-Prince and brought him back to Fort Lauderdale detectives.

He was found not guilty on four counts of child molestation in 2012, records show. At the time, Local10 reported, he was a youth pastor at a Pompano Beach church. Investigators told the station Vincent lured the young girl inside his home with food, and the girl said he’d molested her twice in 2011 as well.

Alex Harris: 305-376-5005, @harrisalexc

VISIT IN HAITI OF A DELEGATION FROM THE COAHUALA STATE OF MEXICO

On Thursday, July 7^th, a delegation from Coahuila, one of Mexico’s 32 states, arrived in Port-au-Prince, with the aim of promoting economic, cultural relations and tourism between Mexico and Haiti. The delegation met Jessy C. Petit-Frère, Minister of Trade and Industry, Didier Hyppolyte, Minister of Tourism and Creative Industries, Latin-Americans ambassadors, chambers of commerce members and entrepreneurs.

José Antonio Gutiérrez Jardón, Leader of the delegation and Secretary of Economic development, Competitiveness and Tourism of the State of Coahuila, invited the Minister of Trade as well as the Haitian private sector to participate in the "ALADI Expo," a Latin American event to increase and strengthen the trade in the region. It will take place from October 19^th to 21^st, in Coahuila, Mexico.

The sectors which participate in the ALADI Expo are: food and drinks, car parts, leather and, pharmaceutical products, produced by the chemical and plastic industry, textiles, clothes, shoes, iron or steel articles and electrical equipment. The ALADI Expo Mexico 2016 is an opportunity for Haitian entrepreneurs and industrialists to strengthen the diversity of their economic relations.

The Horror of Zika in Haiti

Journal Star - A wonderful friend of ours, Karen Bultje, who is a missionary in Haiti, has been caring for a young man named Claudy in her home for several days. Claudy lives in the Kenscoff mountains above Port-au-Prince. He recently became ill with a high fever, rash, and severe pain. He also began having weakness in his legs which prevented him from walking. His mother and family carried him down the mountains and he went by motorcycle taxi and tap-taps to Karen’s home in Port.

Karen and her nursing staff took Claudy to a local hospital where he was examined but he was sent back to Karen’s home. They said there was nothing they could do for Claudy. The family is not able to pay for care in any local private hospital in Port and the public hospitals are on strike.

The worry tonight is that Claudy has Zika virus (not proven yet) with a neurologic complication of Zika called Guillain-Barré. Guillain-Barré is an autoimmune disease that attacks the nerves exiting the spine which can cause weakness and numbness in the legs. If the paralysis progresses it can paralyze the diaphragm and make breathing impossible. Claudy is still breathing ok but we don’t know for how much longer. (Zika most likely causes microcephaly too which is a neurologic disaster for the newborn.)

Tonight Karen’s staff took Claudy to another hospital in Port-au-Prince. This hospital has two ventilators and both are being used. So Claudy is being observed in triage and if his breathing becomes difficult, his trachea will be intubated and he will be manually bagged to keep him alive.

Karen is searching for a helicopter to transport him to the new hospital in Mirebalais which is about two hours by road from here. However, it is dark now and nothing can happen until morning regarding transport.

Scientists believe Zika has been in Haiti since 2014—long before it was obvious that Zika was spreading fast in Brazil. Officially no cases of Zika were reported in Haiti until January 2016. Since then there have been more than 2,600 cases of Zika reported here. This number underestimates the true cases for many reasons. (Most people infected with Zika are not ill, hospitals in Haiti often don’t test for Zika, and patients have no money to pay for the test in the first place.)

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 19 juillet 2016

 Murder of three deaf women in Haiti must be a starting point for change

On Saturday 11 June government ministers and campaigners attended the funeral of three female street vendors, laid to rest in sturdy white coffins laden with flowers, with more than 2,000 people in attendance. Their brutal murders had shocked a country.

Jesula Gelin, a mother of six, Vanessa Previl and Monique Vincent were all deaf and worked in Haiti’s capital. That is itself was notable – they were economically independent and lived away from their families in a deaf community in Leveque, a village about an hour from the city.

On 18 March they had spent the morning in Port-au-Prince buying business supplies and visiting their families. They set off home in the early afternoon, leaving plenty of time to get back before dark on a normal day. However, a bridge had collapsed on Route Nine, one of the main thoroughfares, bringing traffic to a standstill. “It was on the radio, TV, so everybody knew to avoid those areas,” says Nicole Phillips, a lawyer who is representing the women’s families. “But if you’re deaf, you’re not going to benefit from any of that. They had no idea that the bridge had collapsed.”

The women had been travelling on a tap tap – the privately run Jeeps that are the equivalent of buses in Haiti. But at some point, in the heavily congested traffic, they got off the tap tap to continue their journey on foot. “They got exhausted,” says Phillips. “And then late at night, we don’t know what time, they stopped off in one of the victim’s relative’s house."

The house was owned by a distant relative. “She had been there before, by car it’s just 20 minutes from where she lives,” says Phillips. “She and the two other ladies went there to spend the night.”

Reports of what happened next are from two women who have been arrested in connection with the triple murder. They lived at the house and say that when the three deaf women arrived they were frightened and thought that they were lougawou. In Haitian mythology, lougawou or lougarou are evil spirits who come out at night and cause mischief such as killing your goats or eating your dog. They are something to be feared. Disabled people are sometimes labelled bad spirits. “They think that they are a different creature of god,” says Phillips. “That helps them justify the stigma of disabled people. You can tell yourself this [that they are different] and feel more justified morally.”

Violence against women with disabilities is believed to be two or three times higher than against non-disabled women

The sequence of events is not entirely clear, but at some point between 8pm and midnight the women were tortured and brutally murdered. Phillips has seen photographs of the bodies with burn marks and machete cuts. The two women who were in the house and a male accomplice have been arrested in connection with the murder. But the police have not captured another main suspect, a distant relative of one of the victims. 

“Violence against women with disabilities is believed to be two or three times higher than against non-disabled women,” says Lisa Adams, programme director of the US-based Disability Rights Fund, which works in Haiti. “Disability, gender and sexuality compound to present a lot of cultural myths and stereotypes about women with disabilities – ranging from infantilising them to making them hyper sexual. I think that has a lot to do with the violence experienced by women with disabilities in Haiti – these three women in particular.”

The murders have brought a furious response from disability rights, women’s rights and human rights campaigners. “This has brought Haiti’s disability rights activists together,” says Phillips. “It has galvanised the community.” On 1 April hundreds of people marched in Port-au-Prince to demand justice for the three murdered women, and several other demonstrations around the country followed, including a march on 9 June in Cabaret near where they were killed.

A march on 9 June from the civil court in Cabaret to the place where the bodies of the women were found. Photograph: Wesley Gedeon/Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti

Disabled people in Haiti are discriminated against in multiple ways. For example, only 5% of children with disabilities are in school, according to a report by the Haitian state submitted in the report to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. And people with disabilities complain that the police don’t take them seriously when they report crimes and that they are taunted in public as “cocobe” (useless).

“Haiti is a model for exclusion,” says Michel Pean, who was secretary of state for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in Haiti from 2007-11 and is blind himself. “But it’s also a good example of the fight for inclusion of people with disabilities within society.” Pean says that 1 million out of Haiti’s 10 million people have a disability. Since the earthquake in 2010, there are more people with disabilities and they have become more visible.

We want to transform this very negative event into something positive

Michel Pean

But strong civil society groups have driven successes for disability rights campaigners over the past 15 years, says Pean. “The idea to have a secretary of state dedicated to people with disabilities came from civil society. The same with the idea to have proper legislation came from civil society. Disability rights civil society is very active.”

And those activists are determined to seize this moment of tragedy and force the government to act. “We want to transform this very negative event into something positive,” says Pean. “Something which would ensure that people with disabilities are respected, and their rights are respected. Their right to education, their right to access to health, in other words, their right to live, with dignity.”

In response to the murders, campaigners are calling for the government to include the rights of women with disabilities into a national gender equality plan. The government has not replied to that petition yet, but it did fund the women’s funeral and ministers insist they are doing all they can to ensure that justice is done. 

“For me, as a feminist activist,” says Nadine Anilus, a member of the Ministry of Women’s cabinet, “we condemn this criminal act and call the state authorities to take the necessary steps to make justice and reparation to the family of three women. Every Haitian citizen must play their part to improve the situation of people with disabilities. We are calling for a big national campaign.”

She adds that Haiti needs to ensure national accidents are communicated in a way that is accessible for people with disabilities and that more financial resources are needed for organisations working on these issues.

Pean is clear that it will take a long time before people with disabilities are treated equally in the country. “For things to actually change, mentalities as well, takes a long process,” he says. “One of the things that has to change is the economic situation in Haiti. Also, it’s essential that we have political stability. These are necessary conditions to enable us to reach true inclusion.”

Translation by Carole Villiers.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 29 juillet 2016

 Haitians trek to sacred waterfalls in Voodoo festival

By DAVID McFADDEN

Jul. 16, 2016 7:37 PM EDT

SAUT D'EAU, Haiti (AP) — Some carrying candles or calabash bowls with offerings of goat meat, thousands of Haitians made a Saturday pilgrimage to bathe in sacred waterfalls and pray for everything from a good harvest to an end to Haiti's chronic political dysfunction.

A mix of Voodoo and Christian faithful along with a cohort of young, hard-partying revelers gathered in the rushing waters of Saut d'Eau, where they scrubbed their bodies with aromatic leaves and soap. It was the final day of this year's annual three-day festival.

A number of impoverished Haitians made long treks by foot, motorbike or crammed into the back of pickup trucks to reach the 100-tall foot falls, surrounded by white candles placed in moss and tree stumps.

A group of subsistence farmers from the coastal town of Arcahaie spent their meager savings to travel to the falls clad in their best clothes for Voodoo rituals: purple dresses with a red collar for the women and white shirts and pants for the men.

"I've come to put my sickness in the water and gain fresh luck," said Dieudeaue Beauvil, who says she's been struggling with a mysterious malady.

There were no shortage of younger Haitians who came mostly for a good time, drinking shots of homemade moonshine and flirting in the waters.

But many took their prayers seriously, tossing their soaked clothing into the water in a symbolic shedding of their old self. Some shook spastically when the spirits overtook them.

Haitian-American social worker Andrea Bellevue was lured from Boston to seek help from Erzulie, a spirit god of love in Voodoo, or Vodou.

"Whenever you come to her and ask her for something you shall receive," said the Boston resident as she and many others stripped to their underwear and scrubbed their bodies with leaves.

In the nearby town of Saut d'Eau, pilgrims converged on the local church to pray to the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, closely associated with the Voodoo goddess of Erzulie. Saut d'Eau's mystique owes to a 19th century legend that an image of the virgin appeared in the waterfalls.

Voodoo evolved in the 17th century from African slaves. French colonizers forced them to practice Roman Catholicism, but many remained loyal to their African religions in secret by adopting Catholic saints to coincide with African spirits. The Voodoo religion has long been central to Haitian life.

The Department of State has issued this Travel Warning to inform U.S. citizens traveling to or living in Haiti about the lack of adequate emergency medical facilities, and the security environment in Haiti. 

Haiti Travel Warning

LAST UPDATED: JULY 18, 2016

Haiti’s emergency response network, along with the continued presence of serious crime and civil unrest, should be carefully considered when planning travel.This replaces the Travel Warning dated  August 5, 2015 and provides updated information regarding the changing nature of crime involving United States citizens in Haiti.  

Emergency Response: Medical care infrastructure, including road ambulance and other emergency services, is very limited in Haiti. Some U.S. citizens injured in accidents and others with serious health concerns have been unable to find necessary medical care in Haiti and have had to arrange and pay for medical evacuation to the United States. We strongly encourage travelers to Haiti to obtain medical evacuation insurance prior to arrival in country and to use evacuation organizations that have solid evacuation and medical support options in place. Moreover, those traveling in rural areas of Haiti should verify their evacuation organization provides service to where they are traveling. 

Crime:  Reports of kidnappings of U.S. citizens have fallen off sharply, with few incidents reported to the Embassy in 2016, but kidnapping for ransom can still affect anyone in Haiti, most particularly those maintaining long-term residency in the country. Armed robbery is a very real possibility, especially in the Port-au-Prince area and in particular soon after leaving the airport. Be circumspect in sharing specific travel plans; have your host or organization meet you at the airport upon arrival; and/or have pre-arranged airport transfers and hotels. Exercise caution when visiting banks in Port-au-Prince. Robbery crews have been known to survey banks and rob customers as they exit. Fewer incidents of crime are reported outside of Port-Au-Prince, but Haitian authorities' ability to respond to emergencies is limited and in some areas nonexistent. 

Embassy employees are required to adhere to all  security and safety measures of the Embassy’s Regional Security Office when traveling outside of Port-au-Prince, as well as restrictions on travel in certain areas or times. U.S. Embassy personnel are under an Embassy-imposed curfew from 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. and must remain at home or another safe facility during curfew hours. This may constrain the Embassy’s ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens outside of Port-au-Prince or regular business hours. Additionally, in Port-au-Prince and other cities, U.S. Embassy employees are advised not to walk in any area but rather drive to a destination and park as close as possible, choosing guarded or interior parking lots. This includes Petionville, an area of metropolitan Port-au-Prince of upscale hotels, shopping and restaurants frequented by residents and visitors. For additional details on restrictions on staff travel within Haiti, please see our Country Specific Information for Haiti.

Civil Unrest: Protests, including road and bridge blockages, are frequent and often spontaneous. The Haitian National Police (HNP), with assistance from the United Nations’ Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), is responsible for maintaining order and rendering assistance. However, the HNP’s ability to assist U.S. citizens during disturbances is limited. U.S. government-facilitated evacuations, such as the evacuation that took place from Haiti in 2010, occur only when no safe commercial alternatives exist. Please see our website for additional information on how the Department of State assists U.S. citizens during a crisis.

We urge U.S. citizens who choose to travel to Haiti to review our Country Specific Information page. U.S. private sector organizations with operations in Haiti can obtain additional information on the security situation in the country through the U.S. Department of State’s Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC). OSAC’s mission is to promote security cooperation between U.S. private sector interests worldwide and the U.S. Department of State. OSAC also maintains an active Country Council in Haiti to promote the exchange of security-related information. The Council is comprised of security professionals and is co-chaired by the Regional Security Officer at the U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince and a private sector representative. U.S. private sector entities can obtain additional information on OSAC by visiting the OSAC website.

We strongly urge U.S. citizens to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) in order to receive the most up-to-date security information. While the Embassy's ability to provide emergency consular services is extremely limited, travel enrollment will enable you to receive security messages via email. Current information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States; callers outside the United States and Canada can receive the information by calling a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except U.S. federal holidays.

The U.S. Embassy is located in Port-au-Prince at Boulevard du 15 Octobre, Tabarre 41, Tabarre, Haiti, telephone: (509) 2229-8000, facsimile: (509) 2229-8027, email: //travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings/Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.">Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser. American Citizens Services (ACS) Unit office hours are 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Consular Section is closed on U.S. and local holidays. In an emergency, after hours, on weekends and on holidays, please call (509) 2229-8000 and an automated attendant will connect you with the Embassy duty officer.  U.S. citizens can also stay informed about conditions in Haiti by following the Embassy and ACS on Twitter and Facebook.

The Cholera Epidemic the U.N. Left Behind in Haiti

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD/THE NEW YORK TIMES

JULY 6, 2016

As Haitians were reeling from the devastating Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake, United Nations peacekeepers inadvertently compounded their troubles by bringing cholera to the island. Roughly 10,000 Haitians have died from the disease, which spreads easily in places with poor sanitation.

The United Nations hasn’t acknowledged its responsibility and has vigorously fought legal efforts to secure compensation for victims. This is reminiscent of its slow response to allegations that peacekeepers in Africa had sexually abused scores of minors.

Last week, a bipartisan group of 158 members of Congress urged Secretary of State John Kerry to put pressure on the United Nations to mount an effective response against cholera and to compensate people who have been affected. “Each day that passes without an appropriate U.N. response is a tragedy for Haitian cholera victims and a stain on the U.N.’s reputation,” the lawmakers wrote.

Unless there is a dramatic change in approach, the epidemic will damage the legacy of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who will leave his post at the end of the year. There are basic steps he can take before then.

Haiti Special Coordinator Merten Travel to Haiti

Haiti Special Coordinator Kenneth Merten travels to Haiti, July 21, to further U.S. government support for credible and fair elections in Haiti and to discuss the urgent need for elected representatives at all levels of government.  Haiti Special Coordinator Merten will meet with members of the Provisional Electoral Council and other stakeholders key to a return of constitutional order in Haiti.

The United States is committed to Haiti’s long-term democratic development and to retaining its vital humanitarian and development programs that help the Haitian people improve their lives.

The "Core Group" deeply regrets that the National Assembly was unable to deliberate on the provisional governance arrangements and urges the completion of the electoral process

Port-au-Prince, July 15, 2016 - The Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and other members of the "Core Group" (the Ambassadors of Brazil, Canada, Spain, France, United States of America, the European Union and the Special Representative of the Organization of American States) deeply regret that for the fourth time in as many weeks, the National Assembly was unable to deliberate on the provisional governance arrangements at the helm of the State in accordance with Article 7 of the 5 February 2016 Agreement due to the absence of a number of parliamentarians leading to a lack of a quorum.

Haiti continues to face serious long-term socio-economic and humanitarian challenges. These challenges cannot be fully addressed in an environment of institutional instability. Therefore, the “Core Group” once again calls on Parliamentarians to resume the session of the National Assembly and to take action to end the uncertainty that prevails.

Reiterating the need to return to constitutional order, the “Core Group” urges all actors to ensure the completion of the electoral process.

Haiti - Tourism: the Montana Hotel will be revived out of its rubble

Sisters Nadine Cardozo-Riedl and Garthe Cardozo, respectively 63 and 70 year old, managed the Montana hotel, built by their father in 1946 in Petion-ville. When the earthquake of January 12^th, 2010 occurred, the luxurious hotel with 142 rooms and 42 studios, distributed over 5 floors, collapsed, and became in a few seconds the gravesite of its 200 occupants.

Nadine Cardozo Riedl was in her office at the Hotel when the ground shook. Buried alive, she was rescued from the ruins a hundred hours after the disaster. She had been a victim of kidnapping in November 2004, and was released for a ransom after having been held captive for eight days. The Montana Hotel recovered from a spectacular invasion orchestrated by the supporters of President Preval in January, 2006. The Nobel Peace Prize winner, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who was staying at the hotel, had to call for calm from the window of his room.

The Cardozo sisters seem indestructible.  Moreover, according to the German magazine "Bild", the sisters are tireless and just as determined to rebuild the Montana hotel, or rather to build a new hotel complex to include luxurious chalets within vast green spaces. This would be a vision of a slice of heaven in the middle of a field of ruins.

LIST OF MAJOR HAITIAN POLITICAL PARTIES AND THEIR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

JULY 2016

1) AAA (Ayiti An Aksyon)                                                                                                                               Youri Latortue

2) Bouclier (Réseau Bouclier National)                                                                              Steeve Kahwly

3) KID (Konvansyon Inite Demokratik)                                                                              Evens Paul

5) CANAAN                                                                                                                                                                              Jean-Chavannes Jeune

6) FL (Fanmi Lavalas)                                                                                                                                       Maryse Narcisse

7) FSD (Parti Fusion des Sociax-Démocrates)                                                                 Edmonde Supplice Beauzile

8) LAPEH (Ligue Alternative pour le Progrès et l’Émancipation)      Jude Céléstin

9) MAS  (Mouvement Action Socialiste)                                                                            Eric Jean-Baptiste

10) OPL (Òganizasyon Pèp kap Lite)                                                                                                       Sauveur Pierre Etienne

11) PPD (Platfòm Pitit Desalin)                                                                                                                Jean-Charles Moïse

12) RA   (Renmen Ayiti)                                                                                                                                  Jean Henry Céant

13) UNIR (Union Nationale pour l’Intégrité et la Réconciliation)   Jean Clarens Renois

NB: Except for KID’s Paul, AAA’s Latortue, OPL’s Pierre Etienne and MAS’s Jean-Baptiste, the others are registered (7 candidates, in bold letters) as candidates for the presidential election on October 9, 2016. The top 4 parties listed are affiliated with Martelly’s PHTK. A total of 27 candidates are registered for that election. Jean-Baptiste and Pierre Etienne back Céléstin; Latortue and Paul back J. Moïse.

After 15 years of experience in the musical arena: CARIMI band is no more

NEW YORK, Monday, July 18 2016 - After 15 years of experience in the musical rhythm of Nemours Jean Baptiste, the group CARIMI was dissolved following the decision of their lead singer, Mickael Guirand, who decided to leave the band.

Therefore, other members of the group, in a note on July 18, announced the end of their collaboration.

On July 11, 2016, Mickael Guirand informed the group that he would permanently be unavailable for all future performances. After receiving the news, the group got together and had to make a decision that affects all of us, and of course, all of you, our fans. Our decision is as follows.

Like every great story that must come to an end, after 15 years, the CaRiMi era has ended. On the way, we had the pleasure of meeting some amazing members of the media sponsors, and we have built great friendships. The brand that is CaRiMi could not be created without the blood, sweat and tears of countless people, including, but not limited to, our original members and current members: Steve, Noldy, Stanley, Shedly, Glenny, Richard Carlo, Gregory, John Raymond, Ti Joel, Tania, Jeff, John, Mikaben, Mica, Ti Marco, Alex, Julio, and last but not least Mickael Guirand.

Nobody knows what the future holds for anyone, but I personally want to wish each member of the group the best moving forward. Please know that wherever the road may lead, you will always have my support and full assistance. Developers around the world and fans around the world have helped us become who we are and without them we would have been nothing. For them, I have to tell you, I will personally reach out to all the developers who currently scheduled dates with CaRiMi individually. This is not to anything that was expected or planned, but we have reached the end of the road for our fans. There are no words to express how your love and encouragement kept us in life, and made us work harder and harder for you.

We can only hope that our music will live on in your hearts and CaRiMi managed to bring you as much joy as you have given us the last 15 years.

Feed the Future Haiti Chanje Lavi Plantè

With the aim of introducing organic farming in Haiti, the project Feed the future Haiti Chanje Lavi Plantè, in association with the Foundation Wynne for the Environment, is currently leading a week-long workshop in Kenscoff on the cultural best practice for organic agricultural production.

During this training Lahcen Kenny, an international expert from Morocco, will help 30 participants learn, among other things, about the techniques to prepare the soil, the use of organic fertilization, the economic and commercial aspects of organic farming, and the standards/regulations to have the organic certification at the international level.

With this certification, farmers could sell these products at a higher cost. The participants are mainly from farmers' associations of the Kenscoff region. They can later pass on their knowledge to other members of the community.

Delice, Rice from the Artibonite

Thanks to a modern and hygienic transformation process rice from the Artibonite is now available in supermarkets in Port-au-Prince under the label Delice. Let us consume local goods and encourage national productions.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 3 aout 2016

 THE FINANCING OF THE ELECTIONS IS A DONE DEAL

The temporary Haitian President Jocelerme Privert lifted any doubt about the financing of the elections, and stated that his government has already mobilized the 55 million dollars necessary for the task.

He made this announcement at a conference for the diplomatic project managers in Haiti, which was held last week in Port-au-Prince.

"It is not the money which will prevent the holding of these elections in the country. With the national financing, we were able to identify the necessary resources for that purpose", he declared.

For the Head of State, it is a question of getting back the national sovereignty.

The Head of State wanted to put an end to all the unfriendly remarks of his detractors, which speculated relentlessly on his incapacity to obtain the amount of money necessary to have the elections.

To solve the political crisis, which has been raging in the country for a few years in the country, Privert is pleading that there be credible, honest and democratic elections.

The announcement was welcomed by the temporary electoral Council.

TO CURB THE ACTIONS OF MOTORCYCLE RIDERS WHO MURDER CITIZENS AND FLEE WITHOUT LEAVING A TRACE

The Head of the Haitian National Police decided to set up a set of security measures, on the entire territory in order to better protect the population.

These measures will first come into effect at first in the metropolitan zone, and later spread over the whole country.

Michel-angel Gédéon, the Managing Director of the PNH, asks all motorcycle owners to stop by the Municipalities offices where they live, to declare any recently purchased motorcycles, and to register those already in circulation.

The Municipalities directly affected by these new measures are: Port-au-Prince, Pétion-ville, Delmas, Carrefour, Cité Soleil, Tabarre and Croix-des-Bouquets.

Punishing Strike by Resident Doctors Grinds on in Haiti

                                    ASSOCIATED PRESSPORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Jul 25, 2016

Empty halls buzz with flies. Rats scamper through the wards at night. The emergency room is empty except for four shackled prisoners, watched over by relatives and missionaries rather than medical personnel.

The Hospital of the State University of Haiti, the largest and most important public medical facility in this troubled country, is at the epicenter of the most punishing strike by Haitian medical workers in memory.

"We've been left to rot," said Alme Cesar, one of the shackled prisoners, who was brought to the hospital months ago for treatment that has yet to materialize. "I would have died here without my wife coming to care for me."

Young doctors and interns walked off the job in March to protest chronic shortages of basic medical supplies, dismal pay and working conditions so unsafe that relatives of patients routinely threaten them, even storming into operating rooms with handguns.

Nurses and support staff soon joined the walkout. Then waves of strikes spread to 12 other government-run hospitals across Haiti, crippling a severely under-resourced health system that struggles to cope during the best of times.

Health Ministry authorities say four state hospitals are closed and others hit by strikes are functioning at diminished capacity.

They claim hospitals are gradually reopening.

But Associated Press journalists visited one hospital identified as open in the capital's Delmas district and found it barely scraping along. While a couple of specialists did scheduled consultations, the hospital was nearly empty and support staff sitting at the entrance turned away people seeking treatment.

"I heard this hospital was open. But they just told us to go somewhere else," Macula Josephe said as she and her sister helped her grandfather into a pickup truck in the hospital's parking lot.

The government-run hospitals that cater to Haiti's poorest citizens frequently lack basic supplies like surgical gloves, gauze, antiseptics and sometimes even water. Power outages force night-shift doctors to use light from their cellphones to finish operations.

The director general of the Health Ministry, Dr. Gabriel Thimothe, said public hospitals have been badly underfinanced for many years. The Haitian government devotes 4.7 percent of its budget to health care and has called for increasing the share to nearly 10 percent next year under a proposed budget.

Thimothe said many of the striking resident doctors are "radicals" who trained in Cuba.

"We're open to negotiations. But we can't give everything they demand due to the economic situation of the country," he said.

Since 1996, resident doctors in Haiti have been paid $120 a month, a paltry salary that has been eroded further by the rising cost of living.

After initially demanding $500 a month, striking residents now say they will accept $360. They recently rejected a government offer of roughly $200 monthly to return to work.

Dr. Vanessa Mehu, a third-year anesthesiology resident, said the strike would not stop until all their demands were met. While salaries are a major sticking point, she said doctors need systemic changes to a public health system that has long been unable to give adequate care to many.

"People were dying for nothing. People were dying because they didn't have money to buy gloves. People were dying because they didn't have money to buy some serum, syringes," Mehu said.

Thimothe said at least three deaths, including a pregnant woman who died outside the State University hospital's gates, have been attributed to the strike.

Haiti's longest health walkout comes as a political impasse between feuding factions shows no sign of ending, leaving the poorest citizens suffering most amid Haiti's latest leadership drift.

Interim President Jocelerme Privert, whose term ended last month but remains in office as divided lawmakers delay a vote on his fate, has threatened to strip hospital residents of their medical licenses. The threat has inflamed tensions.

"He's just trying to intimidate the residents," said Dr. Joseph Herold, a third-year resident in obstetrics and gynecology.

Recently, specialist physicians tried to report to work at the State University hospital but they were driven away by striking residents.

A hospital strike is the last thing Haiti needs.

Life expectancy has long been the shortest in the Western Hemisphere. Mosquito-borne diseases, measles, meningitis and other scourges are common. Malnutrition and stunted growth are widespread. Cholera has killed at least 10,000 people since 2010, when it was introduced into the country, likely by U.N. peacekeeping troops.

Few patients can afford prescription medicines, and private care is out of reach for many. Those with means seek treatment in Miami or the neighboring Dominican Republic.

About 50 percent of total health care expenditure in Haiti is provided by NGOs, according to the World Bank. Clinics and hospitals run by foreign NGOs such as Doctors Without Borders have been swamped with patients amid the strike.

On a recent afternoon, dozens of poor people trying to get on waiting lists camped outside the Mirebalais public-private hospital created by Boston-based Partners in Health. The well-equipped hospital opened in 2013.

Asania Sineus was in her sixth day outside the teaching hospital's doors as she waited for her mother to get treated for injuries from a motorbike crash. She first took her mom to a public hospital in Gonaives but it was closed.

"Having to travel here is not good for us. But what else can we do?" the 20-year-old student said from her camp of piled blankets.

At Port-au-Prince's State University hospital, which was supposed to be rebuilt by now with $83 million from international donors, Penina Pierre sat alone in a dermatology ward. Visiting missionaries are keeping her fed since she has no family.

"Maybe someday the doctors will come back," said Pierre, the skin around her bandaged foot discolored and inflamed.

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New Road Being Built Between Furcy and Kenscoff

Last Friday, a delegation of the Dr. Louis G. Lamothe Foundation (FLGL), accompanied with executives from the Haitian firm GS Group, completed a second inspection of the construction of 2.6 km of an agricultural road between Furcy and Kenscoff, which started on July 6^th.

This road which will facilitate the opening up of this community and the development of its infrastructures, is being built by GS Group and financed by the Digicel Foundation at request of the FLGL.

The visit to the construction site confirmed the need to install a water evacuation system to protect the road with the heavy rains which affect the region.

To the approval of the population, motorcyclists have already begun to use the first completed kilometer of the road.

Venezuela first lady’s nephews admitted drug smuggling

Washington (AFP) – Two nephews of Venezuela’s first lady admitted being part of a cocaine smuggling scheme in a US sting operation before their arrest last year, according to recently filed court documents.

Details of the alleged confessions by Efrain Antonio Campo Flores and Francisco Flores de Freita were recounted in documents US prosecutors filed Friday in the US federal court in Manhattan.

The two — sons of brothers of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s wife Cilia Flores — were arrested in Haiti in November 2015 and flown to New York by US Drug Enforcement Administration agents.

The pair are accused of plotting to smuggle at least five kilos (11 pounds) of cocaine into the United States. They were also accused of taking part in meetings to plan a shipment of cocaine to the United States via Honduras.

The newly released court documents show how Campo and Flores and others worked together to try to send hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Venezuela to Honduras so that the drugs could be imported into the United States.

The drugs were purportedly to be bought by Mexican drug traffickers, who were in fact sources acting under instruction from the DEA.

During recorded meetings in Venezuela, Honduras, and Haiti, the defendants discussed transporting multiple loads of cocaine via private aircraft, the papers said.

The defendants understood that the narcotics would end up in the US in transactions “that they hoped would generate millions of dollars in proceeds.”

US officials believe much of the cocaine produced in Colombia passes through Venezuela before being transported to the United States and Europe.

During an October meeting with DEA sources, Campo described connections to the Venezuelan government and later stated, “we’re at war with the United States… with Colombia… with the opposition,” according to the documents.

The defendants, rather than the DEA, initiated the drug trafficking activities at issue in the case, prosecutors said.

The two men were arrested in Haiti at the request of the DEA, and taken into custody by the agency.

During the November 10 flight to the US, Campo and Flores waived their rights to remain silent “and confessed to participating in a conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States,” the papers said.

The Spanish-speaking defendants have argued that their post-arrest statements were involuntary and the result of an impermissible interrogation because they did not fully understand their US rights.

Campo and Flores are scheduled to stand trial on the charges on November 7. If convicted they face up to life in prison. They have pleaded not guilty.

UnitedHealthcare and Jessie Trice Community Health Center Inc.

Promoted Community Health at Miami Family Event

Liberty City event offered access to annual checkups, mammograms, immunizations, dental screenings and other health services

MIAMI – UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Florida and the Jessie Trice Community Health Center, Inc., hosted a local health fair on July 23, 2016, providing medical and dental screenings for residents in the Liberty City community of Miami.  

Florida State Rep. Cynthia A. Stafford, D-Miami, attended the event, joining the UnitedHealthcare Community Plan team members and Jessie Trice Community Health Center medical staff to promote community health.

Annual checkups, mammograms, immunizations, dental screenings and other services were available for people enrolled in UnitedHealthcare plans. UnitedHealthcare also provided the public with free repellent and educational materials to aid in the prevention of a variety of mosquito-borne illnesses, including the Zika virus, West Nile, various encephalitis viruses, and less common viruses including dengue and chikungunya. 

“When people are proactive about getting health exams and tests on a regular basis, they can find out about medical issues early and often boost their chances of successful treatment,” said Michael Lawton, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Florida. “By providing resources and working closely with care providers, we believe we can make an impact on disease prevention and patient care, while helping people live healthier lives.”

The health fair, which took place at the Jesse Trice Community Health Center on Northwest 22nd Ave., provided the public with music, activities for children, a visit by UnitedHealthcare mascot Dr. Health E. Hound and a summer grill-out lunch. 

“We are fortunate to have a partner in UnitedHealthcare and feel it’s important to get the word out to residents about getting the necessary health screenings. We are honored to serve as a partner in this crucial effort,” said Dr. Joycelyn Lawrence, chief medical officer of the Jessie Trice Community Health Center.

UnitedHealthcare serves more 330,000 Floridians though Medicaid plans statewide and employs more than 10,000 people throughout the state serving UnitedHealthcare’s employer-sponsored, individual, Medicare, Medicaid and Military and Veterans plans.