Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 19 octobre 2022

 
The U.S. and Canada sent armored vehicles and supplies to Haiti to help fight a gang

By The Associated Press

Sunday, October 16, 2022 • 1:23 AM EDT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The U.S. and Canada sent armored vehicles and other supplies to Haiti on Saturday to help police fight a powerful gang amid a pending request from the Haitian government for the immediate deployment of foreign troops.

A U.S. State Department statement said the equipment was bought by Haiti's government, but it did not provide further details on the supplies flown on military aircraft to the capital of Port-au-Prince.

A spokesman for the U.S. military's Southern Command said he could not provide further details on the supplies sent, though he added it was a joint operation involving the U.S. Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force.

"This equipment will assist (Haiti's National Police) in their fight against criminal actors who are fomenting violence and disrupting the flow of critically-needed humanitarian assistance, hindering efforts to halt the spread of cholera," the State Department said.

The equipment arrived more than a month after one of Haiti's most powerful gangs surrounded a fuel terminal and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Demonstrators also have blocked roads in major cities to protest a sharp rise in fuel prices after Henry announced in early September that his administration could no longer afford to subsidize fuel.

Since then, gas stations have closed, hospitals have cut back on services and banks and grocery stores open on a limited basis as fuel, water and other supplies dwindle across Haiti.

The owners of the fuel terminal announced Saturday that armed men had attacked their installations for a second time and fled with more than 28,000 gallons of petroleum products after overpowering surveillance and emergency personnel at the facility.

It was the second time this week that armed men broke into the terminal, which stores more than 10 million gallons of gasoline and diesel and more than 800,000 gallons of kerosene.

Related Story: The history of U.S. intervention in Haiti is stopping U.S. officials from intervening

The Pan American Health Organization said there are more than 560 suspected cases of cholera …

some 300 hospitalizations and at least 35 deaths, with experts warning the numbers are likely much higher than what i's being reported.

Coast Guard cutter patrols near Port-au-Prince, Haiti

MIAMI — The Coast Guard diverted one of its major cutters to patrol near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, at the request of the government of Haiti and in close coordination with the U.S. okay Department of State.

USCGC Northland (WMEC 904) was diverted to Haiti as a clear sign of U.S. resolve in support of the Government of Haiti and its people, and to rendezvous with the Haitian Coast Guard for training in the area.

Northland was previously patrolling within the Windward Pass under the direction of the Coast Guard’s Seventh District, headquartered in Miami, in support of Operation Vigilant Sentry, a standing maritime law enforcement operation.

“The U.S. Government has a vested interest in regional security throughout the Caribbean Sea and is aware of the ongoing situation of civil unrest and gang violence within Haiti,” said Rear Adm. Brendan C. McPherson, commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District. “The Coast Guard is one part of a whole-of-government approach to assist the Haitian government with security and stability throughout Haiti, especially as it relates to the deterrence and prevention of dangerous, irregular maritime migration.”

The Coast Guard has a longstanding relationship with the Haitian Coast Guard. In January 2010, USCGC Forward (WMEC 911), a 270-foot Famous-class medium endurance cutter, was the first U.S. asset to respond and render humanitarian aid and assistance following a 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Haiti. In August 2021, the Coast Guard was among the first U.S. agencies to respond with humanitarian aid following a 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Haiti.

In August 2022, USCGC Robert Yered (WPC 1104), a 154-foot Sentinel-class fast response cutter, delivered firefighting equipment sourced as a donation from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to better equip the Haitian firefighting department at Port-au-Prince-Toussaint Louverture International Airport. In September 2022, the Coast Guard’s international training team visited Haiti to facilitate the second of two iterations of small boat operations training with the Haitian Coast Guard to ensure uniform and repeatable training standards for the maintenance and safe operation of the Haitian Coast Guard’s surface fleet.

The Coast Guard continues to patrol the Caribbean Sea to deter undocumented migration by sea. In fiscal year 2022, the Coast Guard interdicted 7,173 Haitian migrants attempting to enter the United States illegally by sea.

Northland is a 270-foot Famous-class medium endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth, Virginia. Northland’s missions include law enforcement, search and rescue, drug interdiction, fisheries enforcement, migrant interdiction, homeland security and defense operations, international training, and humanitarian operations. Northland patrols the offshore waters from Maine to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, the Eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

REFLECTIONS ON THE READINGS OF THE 29TH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR (October 16th, 2022)

Exodus 17, 8-13; Psalm 121; 2 Timothy 3, 14-4, 2; Luke 18, 1-8

Msgr. Pierre Andre Pierre

The message today stresses the overwhelming power of persistent prayer. Jesus teaches us perseverance in prayers.

The story in the first reading beautifully illustrates the point. Moses sent Joshua, his helper, to defend Israel against the hostile army of the Amalekites. During the fighting, Moses went to a mountain and raised his hands in prayer. As long as his hands were raised in prayer, Joshua’s army gained ground. But when a tired Moses dropped his arms and sought rest, the Amalekites prevailed.

Joshua finally won the battle when Aaron and Hur held up ceaselessly the arms of Moses in prayer. Thus, the victory is won not through Joshua’s sword but through Moses’ prayers.

Likewise, in the Gospel Jesus used a short story to show how persistence or perseverance in prayer brings good results. A poor widow pressed in vain an unjust and careless judge to listen to her plea for justice. The judge at first ignored the complaining widow but in the end became so annoyed by her stubborn persistence that he granted justice to her.

From that story Jesus drew the conclusion. “If an unjust judge finally yields to the request of a poor widow, how much faster will a merciful God respond to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night?”

Jesus’ teaching invites us to trust in God, our guardian. “He slumbers not, he who guards you; he sleeps not the guardian of Israel. He will not suffer your feet to slip. He is beside you at your right hand” (Psalm 121.) He will bring you speedy help.

                                   Let us learn to pray ceaselessly without ever stopping!

CARICOM Statement on Haiti

https://caricom.org/caricom-statement-on-haiti-2/

Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) received a letter from the Prime Minister of Haiti, Dr Ariel Henry, calling for solidarity and requesting assistance to alleviate the deepening humanitarian, security, political, and economic crises in Haiti.

The actions of criminal gangs have resulted in the complete cessation of fuel distribution in several parts of the country forcing the closure of hospitals and schools and the shutting down of water pumps prohibiting the provision of clean water. The water shortage also has exacerbated the resurgence of a cholera epidemic particularly in poor neighbourhoods.

Heads of Government condemn the callous and inhumane actions of the armed gangs responsible for the roadblocks limiting movement of the Haitian people and of goods, the destruction of life and livelihoods and the deprivation of the basic needs of the people.

Heads of Government call upon all stakeholders in Haiti to come together with urgency at this critical juncture in the country’s history to bring an end to the protracted political stalemate in the interest of the people of the country and choose nation above self-interest.

Heads of Government reiterate their willingness to facilitate meaningful dialogue and consensus building among Haitian stakeholders to support efforts at resolving the political stalemate. The proposed assistance includes institution building, implementation of free and fair elections when the required enabling conditions are met, and the establishment of a framework for long-term social and economic development.

However, they recognise that these initiatives could not be effectively realised until the security situation is addressed. In that regard Heads of Government take note of the appeal by Prime Minister Henry for the urgent assistance of Haiti’s international partners for short term assistance to address the security and humanitarian crises.

Opinion Yes, intervene in Haiti — and push for democracy

Editorial Board / Wahington Post

After 15 months of Haiti’s convulsive descent into pandemonium following the assassination of its president, there is at last serious discussion of international intervention to prevent a humanitarian disaster in the tormented island nation. U.N. Secretary General António Guterres on Sunday, the Associated Press reported, proposed that one or more countries deploy a rapid action force immediately in response to Haiti’s own plea for help to break the paralyzing grip of violence and the accelerating breakdown of infrastructure and public order.

That’s a step in the right direction, but it comes with a critical asterisk: Any move to put international boots on the ground to restore a semblance of stability in Haiti risks additional bloodshed, at least in the short term — and will fail if it props up the current government, which is widely despised.

Largely owing to Washington’s puppeteering, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry was sworn in in July 2021 after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. His unelected, illegitimate government has been a predictable disaster. It has either enabled or promoted the country’s dissolution into criminal gang fiefdoms allied with the country’s elite. It has made no serious attempt to prepare the country for elections, nor undertaken good-faith negotiations with Haitian political parties and civil society. It has demonstrated its impotence by ceding control of the capital, Port-au-Prince, to mounting violence.

The result is dire. Water and fuel supplies have been blocked, schools are closed, grocery stores are mostly shuttered, and a resurgence of cholera is taking its toll.

In a letter to President Biden last week, a group of Democratic lawmakers provided additional detail about the Henry government’s failures. The letter also noted that even as Haiti’s turmoil has deepened, the Biden administration has failed to replace its special envoy to the country; the previous one resigned a year ago.

The Biden administration’s heedlessness has been compounded by its ongoing campaign of deportations; to date, it has flown more than 26,000 Haitian border crossers back to their native country, in most cases without allowing them to apply for asylum. It is unconscionable for the Western Hemisphere’s richest country to saddle the poorest with a stream of migrants amid an economic, humanitarian and security meltdown.

No one should take lightly the prospect of an international intervention in Haiti. Such efforts in recent decades, by the Clinton administration and the United Nations, have provided few long-term improvements. A U.N. peacekeeping force that was deployed for 13 years, until 2017, provided a modicum of stability but was responsible for introducing what became one of the world’s worst recent outbreaks of cholera. Some of its troops sexually abused Haitian girls and women.

That’s a cautionary tale. Yet weighed against the cratering prospects of a failed state whose main export is asylum seekers, many Haitians would support — if with misgivings — the chance at restoring some semblance of normal life. For an intervention to succeed, however, it’s not enough to suppress the chaos. New hope for Haiti must involve a path toward democracy — and a transition toward a legitimate government with popular support.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 10 octobre 2022

 Haiti at breaking point as economy tanks and violence soars

PORT-AU-PRINCE – Daily life in Haiti began to spin out of control last month just hours after Prime Minister Ariel Henry said fuel subsidies would be eliminated, causing prices to double.

Gunshots rang out as protesters blocked roads with iron gates and mango trees. Then Haiti’s most powerful gang took it a step further: It dug trenches to block access to the Caribbean country’s largest fuel terminal, vowing not to budge until Henry resigns and prices for fuel and basic goods go down.

The poorest country in the Western hemisphere is in the grips of an inflationary vise that is squeezing its citizenry and exacerbating protests that have brought society to the breaking point. Violence is raging and making parents afraid to send their kids to school; fuel and clean water are scarce; and hospitals, banks and grocery stores are struggling to remain open.

The president of neighboring Dominican Republic described the situation as a “low-intensity civil war.”

Life in Haiti is always extremely difficult, if not downright dysfunctional. But the magnitude of the current paralysis and despair is unprecedented. Political instability has simmered ever since last year’s still-unsolved assassination of Haiti’s president; inflation soaring around 30% has only aggravated the situation. 

“If they don’t understand us, we’re going to make them understand,” said Pierre Killick Cemelus, who sweated as he struggled to keep pace with thousands of other protesters marching during a recent demonstration.

The fuel depot blocked by gangs has been inoperable since Sept. 12, cutting off about 10 million gallons of diesel and gasoline and more than 800,000 gallons of kerosene stored on site. Many gas stations are closed, and others are quickly running out of supplies.

The lack of fuel recently forced hospitals to cut back critical services and prompted water delivery companies to shut down. Banks and grocery stores also are struggling to stay open because of dwindling fuel supplies — and exorbitant prices — that make it nearly impossible for many workers to commute.

A gallon of gasoline costs $30 on the black market in Port-au-Prince and more than $40 in rural areas, Desperate people are walking for miles to get food and water because public transportation is extremely limited. 

“Haiti is now in complete chaos,” said Alex Dupuy, a Haiti-born sociologist at Wesleyan University. “You have gangs basically doing whatever they want, wherever they want, whenever they want with complete impunity because the police force is not capable of bringing them under control.”

Henry’s de-facto government “doesn’t seem to be fazed at all by the chaos and is probably benefiting from it because it allows him to hold on to power and prolong as long as possible the organization of new elections,” Dupuy said.

Gangs have long wielded considerable power in Haiti, and their influence has only grown since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.

Gangs control more than 40% of Port-au-Prince, the U.N. has estimated. They are fighting to control even more territory, killings hundreds of Haitians in recent months — including women and children — and driving away some 20,000 people from their homes. Kidnappings have spiked.

Henry has pledged to hold elections as soon as it’s safe to do so, writing in a speech read at the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 24 that he has “no desire to stay in power longer than necessary.”

“My country is going through a multidimensional crisis whose consequences threaten democracy and the very foundations of the rule of law,” he said. He condemned widespread looting and violence, and said those responsible "will have to answer for their crimes before history and before the courts.” 

U.S. President Joe Biden, also speaking at the U.N., said Haiti faces “political-fueled gang violence and an enormous human crisis.”

From 2004 until 2017, U.N. peacekeepers bolstered the country's security and helped rebuild political institutions after a violent rebellion ousted former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. But for now, any foreign intervention in Haiti is off the table. Local political leaders have repudiated the suggestion of outside help, noting that U.N. peacekeepers in Haiti sexually abused children and sparked a cholera epidemic more than a decade ago that killed nearly 10,000 people.

The first round of protests in mid-September prompted France and Spain to close their embassies and banks to shut down in the capital of Port-au-Prince. Protesters attacked businesses, the homes of well-known politicians and even warehouses of the United Nations’ World Food Program, stealing millions of dollars’ worth of food and water.

Protests have since grown bigger. Tens of thousands of people recently marched in Port-au-Prince and beyond, including the cities of Gonaives and Cap-Haitien in the north. They waved leafy green branches and chanted, “Ariel has to go!”

Primary school teacher Jean-Wilson Fabre joined a recent protest as he ducked into a side street to avoid a cloud of tear gas thrown by police trying to control the crowd.

“He’s not doing anything,” he said of the prime minister. 

The 40-year-old father of two sons lamented the lack of food and water, the rise of kidnappings and the growing power of gangs: “No one is crazy enough to send their kids to school in this situation. They will not be safe.”

Fabre is one of millions of parents who refused to send their children to school even though the government announced an Oct. 3 return to class as scheduled in an attempt to restore some normalcy amid an increasingly unstable situation.

Haiti’s courts also were slated to reopen on Oct. 3, but the country’s Bar Federation rejected an invitation from the prime minister to talk about the issue days before, noting that gangs still occupy a main courthouse in Port-au-Prince, among other problems.

“Under Ariel, things have gotten worse and worse,” said Merlay Saint-Pierre, a 28-year-old unemployed mother of two boys who joined a recent protest wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with a middle finger.

Hundreds of people have spent hours in line each day just to buy buckets of water. Delivery trucks cannot go into neighborhoods because of roadblocks.

“I’m scared of this water,” said 22-year-old Lionel Simon, noting he would use it to wash clothes and add chlorine before drinking it.

At least eight people have died of cholera in recent days and dozens more have been treated, according to local health officials who urged protesters and gang leaders to allow fuel and water to flow into neighborhoods.

But Simon was not worried about cholera. His biggest concerns are gangs and an increase in young children carrying guns.

“We don’t know if life will go back to normal," he said. "If you die today, you don’t even know if you’re going to make it to a morgue. You could be left in the street for dogs and animals to eat you. This is how crazy the city has become.”

Dupuy, the Haitian expert, said it’s unlikely Henry would step down since there is no international pressure for him to do so. He worried there is no clear solution as the situation spirals: “How much more boiling point can there be?”

Secretary Antony J. Blinken at OAS General Assembly First Plenary Session

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thank you.  Buenos dias, bom dia, bonjour, good afternoon to everyone.  It’s wonderful to be with all of our colleagues here today.

And I’m especially grateful that we’ve been able to hold the OAS General Assembly in person for the first time since 2019, and I want to start by again thanking our hosts here in Peru for the wonderful hospitality, the wonderful organization.

Since the last time we met in person, I think it’s fair to say that our hemisphere has faced no shortage of challenges.  No region in the world has been harder hit by the pandemic or its economic consequences.

And then just as we were beginning to recover, we ran into new headwinds – rising food and energy costs, which have been worsened by President Putin’s unprovoked and unjustified war on Ukraine.

What we’ve also experienced is that the consequences have fallen disproportionately on communities that have historically been marginalized or underserved.  People of African descent, and other racial and ethnic minorities.  Indigenous communities.  Women and girls.  People with disabilities.  LGBTQI+ people.

The recent headwinds have been compounded by longstanding, pre-existing challenges across the region: a chronic lack of economic opportunity; an accelerating climate crisis; endemic corruption, all of which are driving people to leave their homes in unprecedented numbers, despite knowing the serious risks of the journey.

Citizens across our hemisphere are looking to their governments – to us – to help address these problems, to create the conditions, and give them the tools they need, to actually improve their lives.  So it’s one of the greatest tests that our nations face – indeed have faced since we came together in Lima to adopt the Inter-American Democratic Charter on that indelible September 11 day in 2001.

We believe strongly that we can meet this test if – if we come together to close two gaps between what our democracies promise and what they deliver.

First, we can address enduring inequities in access to opportunity, which have for too long prevented communities from reaching their full potential.

This social compact has been at the heart of the OAS since its conception.  Under President Biden’s leadership, we are committed to partnering with countries across the region to deliver solutions to challenges affecting all of our people – challenges that no country can solve alone.

In the Caribbean, where today, two-thirds of the people are experiencing food insecurity, we’re partnering with CARICOM to combat hunger and malnutrition, but also giving farmers the tools they need to boost productivity and adapt to the growing effects of climate change, so that communities can actually feed their own people as well as others.

Together with partners, we’re working to meet the commitment we made at the Summit of Americas in June to train and equip half a million local health care workers across the hemisphere, so that more people can get the quality care that they need in their own communities.  This initiative in and of itself can help revolutionize access to health care and the quality of health care.

Through the efforts of Vice President Harris, we have raised $3.2 billion in investment commitments from more than 40 companies to promote broad-based economic opportunity in El Salvador and Guatemala and Honduras – from expanding access to rural broadband to helping create good-paying jobs in manufacturing to providing small, minority and women-owned businesses with access to credit.

Across these efforts and others, we focused on empowering communities that have experienced systematic marginalization over the years because it’s the right thing to do.  Because when all communities have equal access to development, all of society benefits.  And because more equal democracies tend to be more stable and secure partners.  That’s the spirit of the Lima Declaration – “Together Against Inequality and Discrimination” – that we will collectively adopt tomorrow.

A few days ago in Colombia, I had the honor of formally committing the United States to be the first international accompanier of the Ethnic Chapter of the country’s 2016 peace agreement.

This is a visionary document because it recognizes that a lasting peace cannot be achieved without making strides toward greater equity, justice, and inclusion for the country’s Afro‑Colombian and Indigenous communities who suffered disproportionately during the country’s conflict.

Advancing equity is also crucial to building durable democracy – not just in Colombia, but across our hemisphere.  Including the United States, where we have our own deep history of discrimination, which is still felt in our society.  That’s why President Biden has made the fight for equity and racial justice a priority for our administration – at home as well as around the world.

I have to tell you it’s been one of my highest priorities at the State Department, because we know that the incredible diversity of our country is one of our greatest strengths, including in our foreign policy.  It makes us stronger.  It makes us smarter.  It makes us more creative.  It gives us the plurality of voices and views and visions that are vital to our own democratic experiment and to being a better partner to fellow democracies across the hemisphere.  I appointed the Department’s first chief diversity and inclusion officer to help drive progress toward a more diverse institution that actually looks like the country it represents and, as well, our first Special Representative for Racial Equity and Justice, Desiree Cormier Smith, who is part of our delegation to the General Assembly to help us promote these efforts around the world.

So that’s one big piece.  The second is this:  We believe that we have to recommit to delivering on the core principles of our OAS and Inter‑American Democratic Charters.  There are so many ways member states can help make real the commitments embodied in those charters.

We can unequivocally condemn the authoritarian regimes in our region and take collective steps to hold them accountable.

In Nicaragua, the Ortega-Murillo regime is shamelessly flouting virtually every principle of the OAS and Democratic Charters – arbitrarily locking up its political opponents, brutally cracking down on protestors, committing flagrant election fraud, attacking and imprisoning journalists and human rights defenders.

The Cuban regime continues to imprison hundreds of people unjustly detained in the July 11th, 2021 protests for the supposed crime of coming out into the streets to peacefully call on their government to meet their basic needs, and for demanding human rights.  Some of those incarcerated are minors; others were sentenced to decades in prison just for speaking their minds.

Meanwhile, in Venezuela, the Maduro regime has repeatedly denied the Venezuelan people’s right to pick their own leaders, caused a humanitarian catastrophe that’s displaced more than 6 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants toward whom Venezuela’s neighbors have shown extraordinary generosity.  All OAS member states should be able to come together to support a negotiated solution that leads to free and fair elections in Venezuela in 2024.

We can further reaffirm our commitment to the OAS and Democratic Charters by defending their principles around the world, as our member states did when the OAS became one of the first multilateral bodies to condemn President Putin’s brutal war on Ukraine and then subsequently suspended Russia’s membership as a Permanent OAS Observer.

It’s crucial that we stay united by condemning Russia’s sham referenda as a violation of international law, and unequivocally rejecting any attempts to illegally annex Ukrainian territory.  And I think the statement that member states signed on to today led by Guatemala demonstrates that.  And we hope that countries will similarly support the UN General Assembly resolution that is expected to come up in the next week or so.

We can help our fellow democracies that are struggling most to meet their citizens’ basic needs.  That’s why we co-sponsored the resolution before this General Assembly on Haiti, which supports solutions driven by Haiti’s government, political parties, civil society, diaspora, and private sector to address the country’s deteriorating security situation, to restore its democratic institutions, to foster conditions so the Haitian people can finally realize their full potential.

Finally, we can speak up when democratically‑elected leaders in our region borrow from the playbook of autocrats to try to stay in power and erode checks and balances, like passing legislation that grants the government overly broad powers to crack down on the media and civil society, extending term limits; harassing, persecuting, or firing independent government officials like prosecutors and judges for doing their job.  We’re seeing more leaders taking these anti‑democratic steps – often under the false justification that they enjoy popular support.

We will work to bring more partners into this effort: civil society organizations, the private sector, youth groups, and other parts of our governments, which is why the United States is pleased new text – is pleased to present, excuse me, new text, for this assembly calling for more robust inter‑parliamentary engagement on issues of common concern.

But I want to be very clear that this is not about picking sides between left and right or between liberal and conservative.  It’s about putting our shared commitment to democracy above loyalty to ideology or to party.  It’s about defending the rights and aspirations of people across our hemisphere.  It’s about standing up and giving meaning to the words that we all signed on to in the charters and indeed in the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Ultimately, I’m confident that we will be able to meet this moment because while citizens may not be satisfied with the way their democracies are working, most still think it’s the best way to tackle the everyday problems they face and actually improve their lives in tangible ways.

Citizens still believe.  And if they believe and are willing to engage to be our partners across this hemisphere in improving democracies from within, then there is no challenge that we cannot overcome if we do it together.  That’s the spirit that the United States brings to our common enterprise and to this hemisphere that we share.

Thank you.

National Center of Haitian Apostolate 

REFLECTIONS ON THE READINGS OF THE 28^TH SUNDAY OF THE CHURCH YEAR C (October 9, 2022)

2 Kings 5, 14-17; Psalm 98; 2 Timothy 2, 8-13; Luke 17, 11-19                  

Ten lepers implore Jesus for their healing. Jesus sends them away to see the Priests and on the way, they realize that they are healed. One of them, a Samaritan, joyfully returns to Jesus to thank him. Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has saved you.”

The other nine did not think of returning, because basically, all they were looking for was the healing of their flesh. The Samaritan obtains for him in addition the salvation of his soul. Great was his reward!

It is quite legitimate to worry about the body. But we humans enjoy a richness that our cousins in the animal kingdom do not have. We are endowed with an immortal soul. All the bodily blessings we enjoy are meant to turn to Him who bestows them from His heavenly throne. Spiritual blessings are far more precious. This is what the Samaritan understood.

Let's not make the error of the nine short-sighted lepers. They did not understand that the physical benefits, which quickly vanish, are only the signs of more precious riches, the spiritual riches of grace. This world is passing. Jesus opens up to us a perspective of eternity.

The story of the ten cured lepers resounds like the sound of the alarm. Jesus gives more than bodily favors. Eternal salvation is first of all what he offers us. Happy, those who understand it!

Let us be inspired by the example of Naaman, in the first reading. This pagan general, once cured of his leprosy at the prayer of Elisha, the prophet, suddenly embraced faith in the God of Israel.

Let's not be like the snake that crawls in the mud without vision and without hope. In all circumstances let us remember that God has destined us for Salvation in Christ Jesus!

LET'S NOT MISS OUR HUMAN VOCATION, THE ETERNAL DESTINY!

@StateDeptSpox

The United States remains concerned about the worsening health and security situation in Haiti, and actions by criminal actors that impede access to life-saving resources for the Haitian population. We will work with international partners to determine how best to assist.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 20 septembre 2022

 USA-HAITI

Statement from the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince on the Recent Civil Unrest in Haiti

U.S. Mission Haiti

The right to gather and protest is fundamental in any democracy. However, the United States strongly condemns the acts of violence, looting, and destruction that have recently occurred in Haiti and those who instigated these events for their own ends. We call on Haitians to express their views in a peaceful manner that respects humanitarian actors and law enforcement and allows unfettered access to Haitians in need in order to provide food, water, and medical care.

Since December, international partners and organizations have mobilized more than $294 million in new commitments for Haiti; however, additional support is urgently needed, including contributions to the UN Security Basket Fund recently established by Canada.

We continue to encourage Haitian interlocutors to reach agreement on an inclusive political accord that will allow elections to take place as soon as conditions permit. Haitians throughout the country and across the social spectrum need to create the conditions that will allow a democratically elected government to take office as soon as possible.

The United States remains a steadfast partner to Haiti and we remain committed to supporting the Haitian people during this challenging time.

By | 18 September, 2022 | Topics: Press Releases

New York Public Official Dreams of Being President of Haiti: Jude Elie Wants to Rebuild His Long-Suffering Country

September 17, 2022July 6, 2022 by americanpost

After years on the executive desks of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and the MTA, civil engineer Jude Elie The 51-year-old, dreams of being president of Haiti, his native country, the most troubled in the Western Hemisphere.

He is not scared by the immense challenges on the Caribbean island plagued by extreme poverty, poor health, illiteracy, weak institutions, fragile communication and road infrastructure, natural disasters, corruption, and the assassination of Jovenel Moïse exactly one year ago. Weeks later, Elie was in Port-au-Prince and felt firsthand the devastating earthquake of August 14, another constant in Haiti.

In that political and humanitarian crisis of the summer of 2021, Elie said he felt more inspired to join the presidential race. However, even today, there is no clear date for new elections. “The fact that no election date has been set for almost a year shows how sick, disorganized and corrupt my country is. The sooner, the better to finally give power to the people.”

According to his biography, one of his goals is to bring the diaspora from all areas of the world back” to rebuild Haiti together, enjoy freedom and prosperity.”

Like many, he emigrated due to economic pressures, but Elie is from the outset a Haitian well above the average of his compatriots: his family background allowed him to graduate from the second oldest engineering school in the US (New York University Tandon School of Engineering), with a Master of Science, after studying at Université GOC Haiti.

“The corruption of the so-called political elite generates violence, extreme poverty, murders. I could not say that Haiti is a “Banana Republic” because I do not want to insult the banana growers…”

Jude Elie, candidate for the presidency of Haitinone

He has also specialized as an engineer at Florida Atlantic University, State University of New York (SUNY), and Political Science at the famed Sorbonne University in Paris. In the labor market, he has years as a public executive in New York, between NYCHA, NY Department of Transportation, NYC Transit, and Long Island Railroad/MTA.

-How could that experience be useful in Haiti, being so different from New York? -The people and my country are suffering. The corruption of the so-called political elite generates violence, extreme poverty, and murders. I couldn’t say Haiti is a “Banana Republic” because I don’t want to insult the banana growers. Only honesty, real democracy, transparency, and international support can save my beloved country. I can do it through my studies, work experience, and international relations. I am truly pleased with my varied experiences at NYCHA and New York’s transportation systems. Thanks to these experiences, I will be able to completely modernize Haiti’s transportation so that people can travel safely and comfortably. From NYCHA, I will bring New York’s knowledge and care for its people to build back a better Haiti and provide adequate housing for all.

-Haiti has a long history of instability and tragedy. What would a different president make of you? Do you have specific solutions for the main problems of the country? -Restore law and order. End of corruption, more security, a strong royal state, and a decent economy. No more gangs, a strong and non-corrupt police and army.

-He has lived abroad for many years. How would he respond to those who say he is not connected to the difficult daily life in Haiti? -Haiti is my mother. I am a son of Haiti. My heart was always in Haiti. Now I live there and feel the incredible pain of the people. I will help Haiti to be radiant again. My experience and relative success will help people. I currently live between Haiti, New York, Florida, Los Angeles, and Canada, looking for opportunities for my country. My base is Haiti.

-How to reverse the high rate of emigration from Haiti? -The answer is obvious: making a more prosperous country where people finally have a good life. They deserve it. It is also to generate massive employment and create a body of young people to be involved in their country’s development. We must take full advantage of all new and advanced technologies and implement them in Haiti.

-You have lived in New York, where Dominicans are a large community. But the Dominican Republic has had a dramatic history against Haiti, its only border neighbor. How to improve that? -Haiti imports $2.4 billion in goods yearly from the Dominican Republic. There is a close symbiosis between the two countries. We are meant to live and grow together. The sooner we put aside past differences and negotiate a win-win modus vivendi, the better for everyone involved. We share the same island. We will be brothers again if Haiti is finally a democracy without corruption.

– Do you think the US and the former colonizer France would support you as president of Haiti? -I’m a Haitian. I am inspired by the independence gained by Toussaint Louverture, a great Haitian whom I venerate. I am free from any foreign country, and my motto is “Haiti first!” However, the United States can help us economically due to its power and proximity. France has long-standing cultural relations with Haiti. Let’s develop it for the good of Haitian society. Let’s make Haiti strong.

As Haiti descends into chaos, Dominican president brings concerns to Washington

Odelyn Joseph
September 14, 2022 8:50 AM

Haitians make their way around burning tires during a protest to demand that Prime Minister Ariel Henry step down. It happened in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022. AP

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader is in Washington this week and he has one issue that is top of mind — Haiti.

The two countries share the island of Hispaniola and ever since last July’s

assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, Abinader has been on a mission to get  the United States and others in the international community to do more to address Haiti’s ongoing multidimensional crisis. This includes taking concrete measures to curb migration and supporting a multinational strike force to go in and tackle Haiti’s kidnapping gangs.

Sources familiar with the president’s visit to the Organization of American States on Thursday won’t say much other than he plans to discuss the need for more regional involvement before the hemispheric body. His visit comes ahead of an appearance on Sept. 22 before the United Nations General Assembly, where he is expected to go on the offensive and demand a regional solution to Haiti’s potentially explosive social, economic and political crises.

Haiti’s deepening political instability and gang orchestrated violence, Abinader and his representatives have argued before the OAS and UN, present “an unusual and extraordinary threat to the Dominican Republic’s national security, foreign policy and its economy.”

Despite this, the Dominican Republic has struggled to win support on the international stage for an outside force to go into Haiti and help stabilize the country. In June, the country’s representative to the United Nations called on the UN Security Council to support another U.N.

Instead, members voted unanimously on to extend the mandate of the U.N. Integrated Office in Haiti. The resolution was drafted by the United States and Mexico, and included a compromise proposed by China to address the illegal sale of arms and munitions to Haitian gangs.

But the agreement doesn’t’ go far enough for the Dominican Republic, which wants a more robust security security plan to address the gang violence and instability.

Last week, Abinader listed the names of a dozen prominent Haitian gang leaders who are not allowed to enter his territory. He also added to the list Haiti’s former foreign minister and interim prime minister, Claude Joseph. The communique warning Dominican immigration officials not to allow Joseph into the country did not explain the reasons for the ban. Dominican officials contacted by the Miami Herald have declined to elaborate.

Joseph, who was prime minister at the time of Moise’s shocking assassination, did not respond to a Herald inquiry about the listing.

The appearance by Abinader at the OAS on Thursday comes as Haiti descends further into chaos An increasing scarcity of fuel, devaluation of the local currency, the gourdes, coupled with higher food prices, a lack of U.S. dollars and an announced price hike on gas, propane and diesel have all helped intensify anti-government tensions this week.

On Tuesday the French Embassy announced it was closing its doors until further notice. Later that evening, Spain’s embassy also announced that given the demonstrations in Port-au-Prince its embassy will remain closed on Wednesday.

In June, the Dominican’s representative to the United Nations, Ambassador José Blanco Conde, told the United Nations Council meeting a new peacekeeping mission was needed for Haiti. Then, last month as Haiti’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Victor Généus, laid out the challenges being faced by interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry during a special session of the OAS, the Dominican Republic responded that what the world was watching a “terrible spiral of violent chaos.”

“Kidnappings, massacres, murders, and the control imposed by armed gangs on some territories,” Josué Fiallo, the Dominican Republic’s representative to the OAS, said, adding “the progressive deterioration and instability afflicting Haiti undermine the dignity of all its people, regional security and the shared values of solidarity and cooperation.”

He acknowledged the historical tensions between the two countries, including a 1937 massacre of thousands of Haitians and dark-skinned Dominicans, ongoing deportations and the retroactive stripping of citizenship from anyone born after 1929 who doesn’t have one parent of Dominican blood. Nonetheless, Fiallo said, “we want to be optimistic and see this crisis as an opportunity to move forward.”

“It is urgent to collaborate with your government to restore security, stabilize Haiti, address the humanitarian crisis, promote democracy, and demonstrate commitment to all the values of this organization.” he said. “If no action is taken, the multidimensional crisis will deepen.”

The intervention at the OAS comes after Secretary General Luis Almagro accused the international community of abandoning Haiti and being responsible for its ongoing crises due to decisions taken over the past 20 years.

In a follow-up meeting requested by Haiti, representatives of several countries in the hemisphere disagreed with the assessment and defended their support over decades. Canada’s representative, Hugh Adsett, specifically took issue with Almagro’s criticism and told him he should be more of a mediator than a critic where Haiti is concerned.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 5 septembre 2022

 Haitian prosecutor’s office investigates officials accused of corruption

Port-au-Prince, Aug 30 (Prensa Latina) The capital’s government commissioner, Jacques Lafontaine, announced today that the files of former officials suspected of corruption indicated in a government report are being investigated.

These are the cases of Magreth Fortune and Serge Merger, former directors of the State Lotteries, as well as the former head of the Industrial Development Fund, Edgard Judy.

These officials were mentioned in a report submitted last week by the Unit for the Fight Against Corruption (ULCC), according to which the state was charged 500 million gourds (just over $4 million) for acts of embezzlement, illegal acquisitions, mismanagement of public property. ) was damaged. Abuse of authority and other offenses in cases such as the police, local councils, educational centers and even judicial institutions.

In Fortune’s case, ULCC indicated that a concession contract under his management generated losses equivalent to 269 million gourds (about $2 million), in addition to the embezzlement of 40 million 940 thousand gourds allegedly in association with his brother. (about $350,000) did. ,

The agency also found irregularities in the administration of Leon Charles, the former Director General of Police, who left 18 million gourds (over 153 thousand dollars) short of payments to soldiers who had already retired or laid off in three months.

However, Lafontaine indicated that the file in Charles’ case is on hold “because there is not enough material to process it,” he assured at a press conference on Tuesday.

The prosecutor also said that the prosecution of former deputies who did not declare their assets would be done before the reform court.

According to the ULCC investigation, 50 of 44 deputies of the legislature “deliberately” chose not to declare their assets, which according to the entity is a serious offense.

jcm/ane

The World’s 50 Most Beautiful Countries (You Won’t Believe Where The U.S. Ranked)

Laura Begley Bloom06:00am EST

Who doesn’t look at travel photos on Instagram and fantasize about visiting the most beautiful country in the world? But what defines beauty? A new study from the website money.co.uk aims to rank the 50 most beautiful countries in the world by analyzing the amount of natural wonders in each location, from coral reefs and tropical rainforests to volcanoes, glaciers and more. 

“While beauty is ultimately subjective, it’s clear that these countries have a lot to offer visitors, whether you prefer adventuring in the mountains or relaxing by the coast,” says Sal Haqqi, personal finance editor at money.co.uk. 

Coming in at the top of the list as the most beautiful place on earth is Indonesia, which has a natural beauty score of 7.77 out of 10. Indonesia is home to more than 17,000 islands. “And just off the shores of these islands, you’ll find over 31,000 square miles of coral reef, teeming with life, much of which can be explored from the popular province of Bali,” says Haqqi. 

A view of Raja Ampat island in Indonesia, which was named the world's most beautiful place.

getty

Some of the other natural attractions that helped propel Indonesia to the top of the list include Komodo National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Sumatra (which is covered with tropical forests) and Kalimantan (home to an orangutan reserve).

Second on the list of the world’s most beautiful places: New Zealand, which has a natural beauty score of 7.27 out of 10 and is known for its mountain peaks, rolling hills and a number of glaciers and active volcanoes. It’s no surprise that so many movies—including The Lord of the Rings—have been filmed here.

Next up is Colombia, which scores 7.16 out of 10 on the natural beauty scale. Like Indonesia and New Zealand, Colombia has a long coastline. It also has varied landscapes, from the Amazon to the Andes. 

Despite its long Pacific and Atlantic coastlines, as well as its myriad natural attractions and national parks ranging from the Grand Canyon to Yellowstone, the United States didn’t make it into the top 10. With a score of 6.04 out of 10, the country ranks number 12. Countries besting the U.S. range from Mexico (at number 5) to France (at number 8). 

Read on for the list of the 50 most beautiful countries in the world. How many have you visited?

National Center of Haitian Apostolate

TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (Sept 4, 2022)

Wisdom 9, 13-18b; Ps 90; Phil 9-10, 12-17; Luke 14, 25-33

https://youtu.be/kDRu12cpJZU

Msgr. Pierre André Pierre

We are being reminded today that if we want to be Jesus’ disciples, we will need to be radically detached from all our possessions. He must have the First Place in our lives. The disciple of Jesus needs to know from the start that he is called to a great mission. He cannot be half-hearted, a joker or a liar. He is called to carry a Cross. Yet, no need to be frightened!

For, fullness of life and joy are Jesus’ promise to his followers. Nothing can be preferable to his offer. Two short stories or parables provide brighter colors to the teaching:

a)     A man who builds a tower should not start his work unless he possesses all the money needed to complete the job. Hence, when receiving communion, we commit ourselves to follow Jesus all the Way. Communion is a lie when we hypocritically persist walking in our sinful ways.

b)    A king cannot go to war against an enemy who possesses an army twice as large as his own. From the first day we must possess God’s Grace, the needed power to defeat the enemy.

Likewise, we should not accept baptism or communion when we are not determined to give up sin in all its forms. Too many Christians are half-way Christians. Our Church history is replete with martyrs who preferred to die rather than deny their faith. We are challenged to imitate them.

Jesus calls us to be born again, to reject sin even when it requires costly sacrifices. We are called to be heroes, to participate in the birth of a new mankind. That task is not easy. Our Church history shines with model men and women who have consented to great sacrifices for the sake of the Kingdom. Peace of mind on earth and Heavenly glory are the rewards reserved for the faithful disciple. You too, strive to be, right now, a genuine, courageous yet joyful witness of Jesus!