Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 16 février 2017

 A judge whose parents are Haitian became an obstacle for the President of the United States 

According to New York Times:

A federal judge, of Haitian decent, has dealt another blow to President Trump’s executive order barring some foreigners from coming into the United States, in a ruling that added to the confusion over the legality of the immigration measure.

Birotte was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1966 to Haitian immigrants. Birotte graduated from Tufts University with a degree in psychology and received his J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law.

Birotte was appointed to the United States Attorney's office by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate in February 2010. On April 3, 2014, President Obama nominated Birotte to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California.  On July 22, 2014 the Senate voted 100-0 to confirm Birotte. He received his federal judicial commission on August 8, 2014, and was sworn in the same day. Birotte has a wife and three children.

Using more sweeping language than previous court rulings, Judge André Birotte Jr. of United States District Court here issued a temporary restraining order on Tuesday evening requiring the government to allow in people with valid immigrant visas from the seven majority-Muslim countries Mr. Trump sought to block.

The judge’s order affects only people who are seeking to live in the United States permanently and are taking the first steps to becoming a legal resident. This does not include tourists or students trying to enter the country.

The order came in response to a complaint filed on behalf of 28 people from Yemen — United States citizens and their family members who had remained in Yemen but later received immigrant visas. The visa holders have been stuck in an airport in Djibouti since President Trump issued his executive order last month, according to the complaint.

Like in other rulings in New York and Boston, Judge Birotte wrote that the plaintiffs would likely succeed in court on the merits and that they would also “likely suffer irreparable harm” without an injunction. Yemen is currently embroiled in a civil war with civilians in danger. But unlike some other cases, Judge Birotte’s ruling seemed to apply throughout the country, not just to Los Angeles International Airport. And while other orders had blocked the deportation of travelers, Judge Birotte explicitly wrote that the government could not detain them or block their entry into the country.

The ruling could affect hundreds of people who are in their home countries or stuck in airports in other countries, hoping that they would somehow be permitted to travel to the United States.

After Daring Voyage to U.S., Haitians' Dreams End in Deportation

ByREUTERSFEB. 10, 2017, 5:57 P.M. E.S.T.

PORT-AU-PRINCE — John Stevens Val borrowed $3,000 from friends and family and trekked through 10 countries to make his way to the United States, where he hoped life would be better than in Haiti, his impoverished homeland.

But in the end he landed in a U.S. immigration detention center and was deported back to Haiti, deep in debt and struggling to integrate, like so many other Haitians.

Val, 28, left home after a devastating 2010 earthquake that wrecked the economy of the Caribbean nation, the poorest in the Western hemisphere. He worked in Brazil at a supermarket for about two years until a crash in Latin America's biggest economy led him to pack his bags again.

After gathering the cash, he made his way via, plane, boat, three days of walking through forests, and a dozen buses before reaching Arizona.

For seven years after the quake, U.S. policy protected Haitians from deportation unless they were convicted of a serious crime or posed a national security threat. Encouraged by the policy, between October 2015 and December 2016, more than 13,500 Haitians like Val made the perilous trip, up from just a few hundred in the previous year.

In September, in response to the surge in Haitian immigrants, the United States restarted deportation flights for newly arrived Haitians who do not have a case for seeking asylum.

More Haitians arrived late last year, with more than 7,000 crossing the border between October and December alone, creating a backlog that will take months for the new administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to clear.

For Val, who was still en route through South America when the shift occurred, the new policy came as a huge shock.

"You lose all of your money and now you do not even succeed," said Val, sitting in the library of non-profit organization, the Jesuit Service for Migrants. Back in a country with 40 percent unemployment, Val was worried.

"It's not easy to live in Haiti. It's complicated. There is no aid; there is no organization that can help us in one way or the other. We're here. We live poorly," Val said.

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“They spent a lot of money. It's like a broken dream. They left thinking they would stay 20, 30, 40 years or never return,” said Adelson Lorgeat, the technical and research director for Haiti’s National Office of Migration. “They consider it to be a dishonor, a defeat.”

Lorgeat advises deportees at Port-au-Prince airport but said the office did not have funds to provide additional support.

In November, of some 40,000 people in immigration detention, more than 4,400 were Haitians, according to the then U.S. secretary of homeland security, Jeh Johnson.

Between October 2016 and Jan. 16, 2017, 1,513 Haitians were deported, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official said. As of Jan. 16, 4,060 were in U.S. detention, an indication more are crossing from Mexico, where even more are massed on the border.

Val said he had not ruled out leaving Haiti once more for different shores, if he had the money.

“If I don’t have any opportunities, I’ll leave,” he said.

(

Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Leslie Adler)

U.N. Considering Removing Military Peacekeepers From Haiti: Official

ByREUTERSFEB. 9, 2017, 1:45 P.M. E.S.T.

PORT-AU-PRINCE — The United Nations is considering removing military personnel from its peacekeeping mission in Haiti, a U.N. official said on Thursday, indicating a possible scaling back of one of the body's longest-running and widely-criticized missions.

The U.N. mission in Haiti, often locally called by its French acronym MINUSTAH, has been in the country since 2004, when a rebellion led to the ouster and exile of then-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

It is the only U.N. peacekeeping mission in the Americas.

Haiti suffered a two-year political crisis until the recent election and inauguration of President Jovenel Moise. It has suffered major natural disasters, including an earthquake in 2010 and Hurricane Matthew last year. But the impoverished country has not had an armed conflict in years.

Herve Ladsous, a U.N. deputy secretary-general, said the institution was encouraged by the recent successful completion of the elections, the inauguration of the president, and the development and building up of the police force.

"The security situation throughout the country cannot be compared with that of 10 years ago," Ladsous said.

"But I say to all who would be tempted to take advantage of this temporary period to return to illegality, commit crimes, violations of human rights, I say no, we will not accept that."

He said there would be a U.N. assessment mission to determine a "reconfiguration" of MINUSTAH, although he cautioned that the picture was not unequivocally rosy.

The mission has been criticized for sexual abuse allegations and its role in Haiti's cholera epidemic, which was started by U.N. peacekeepers after the earthquake.

"Re-evaluation is especially appropriate in light of MINUSTAH's slow, expensive and limited progress in its primary mission," said Brian Concannon, the head of the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, a charity that has worked with cholera victims.

Concannon cited the introduction of cholera and sexual exploitation as areas of concern.

Last October, the U.N. Security Council, which approves the mandates of the various peacekeeping missions, renewed MINUSTAH for six months rather than the usual year, a signal to observers of possible changes for the mission.

The secretary-general will weigh in on any change by March 15, and the Security Council is expected to make its decision in April.

(Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Jonathan Oatis)

FEBRUARY 11, 2017 5:05 PM

Jovenel Moïse, Haiti’s new president, must break with nation’s corrupt past

Campaign poster for Jovenel Moïse, who was inaugurated Haiti’s president on Feb. 7.

MIAMI HERALD EDITORIAL BOARD

Haiti has a new president, democratically elected, poised to meet the gargantuan challenges the nation presents.

So why don’t we feel more optimistic?

For one thing, the people of Haiti themselves don’t seem to be a celebratory mood. As reported by Herald writer Jacqueline Charles, President Jovenel Moïse, inaugurated last week, was elected with the support of less than 10 percent of the Haiti’s 6.1 million registered voters, an election with one of the lowest turnouts ever there.

And Moïse’s victory was confirmed 15 months after voting took place. Fraud allegations stood in the way of declaring a new president and moving forward.

Worse, Moïse comes into office with the cloud of a money-laundering probe hovering over his head. That’s three strikes right there.

But there’s more: Moïse was backed, handpicked, really, by former President Michel Martelly, himself elected with great hope and optimism in 2011, only to end his tenure, for all intents and purposes, an autocrat. Whether Moïse will be a clear-eyed independent leader or a puppet of the past remains to be seen.

Haiti desperately needs the former if it is to transcend the plagues that have kept it and its citizens mired in poverty, unable to ably confront natural disasters or political ones.

Moïse ran as an outsider, an entrepreneur, not a politician. (Sound vaguely familiar?) He was a little-known banana farmer and auto-parts dealer before ascending to the presidency.

Now, he has the almost impossible task of making all the right moves to bring about political stability, a measure of economic prosperity and reliable healthcare and schools. These are the basic elements of a decent quality of life that have eluded Haitians time and again, no matter who was in office.

Whether Moïse can drain Haiti’s swamp of political corruption will depend upon the choices he makes. Already, some are worrisome.

Until January, former coup leader and senator-elect Guy Philippe was living comfortably in Haiti, eluding for a decade U.S. authorities seeking to prosecute him on drug-trafficking charges. During the past year, Moïse campaigned openly with Philippe, a disturbing relationship that the candidate didn’t hesitate to flaunt.

Haitian authorities arrested Philippe in Petionville last month, and he was brought to Miami, where he pleaded not guilty to drug-trafficking and money-laundering charges in federal court.

This is not the way to drain Haiti’s swamp.

The bottom line is, Moïse has to deliver. The new president has to ensure that his talk of “law and order” means safety and security for Haitians, not a politicized police force that shuts down protests and terrorizes political foes. This is an imperative because U.N. peacekeepers are getting ready to leave. In the 1990s, when peacekeepers pulled out of the country, the police force simply ran amok.

Moïse must show that justice will be fair and impartial, that his administration will shun, and even root out, the political corruption that has hobbled progress except for a cunning few. He must push laws that facilitate business development and investment.

Haitians’ expectations are extremely low, and who can blame them for that? Democracy has not worked for them, but the alternative is worse. The new president should assure Haitians that they have every reason to be optimistic, and then prove it.

HAITI-ECONOMY: A NEW SUCCESS STORY IN THE DIASPORA

This week, Justin Viard, the General Consul of Haiti in Montreal, accompanied with representatives of the business and tourism sector as well as with the Communication and Cultural sector welcomed Naud Noël, at the consulate. Noël is a Haitian entrepreneur who works in the food industry (snacks, bakery, deli and pastries). He also owns the restaurant "Andréamise" which serves approximately 500 Haitian dishes a day, at a reasonable price, in the north of Montreal.

It should be reminded that Noël was a part of an economic mission which went to Haiti, in June, 2014. This allowed him to export to Florida and Montreal containers of fruits and vegetables produced in Haiti through partnerships with associations of farmers and local partners.

At the present time, initiatives are underway to open a branch of the restaurant "Andréamise" in the Dpartment of Artibonite. Efforts are also underway for larger-scale export on the international market of fruits and vegetables cultivated in Haiti. Naud Noël is also planning for a conversion factory in Gonaïves.

The Consul general of Haiti in Montreal applauded Noël for his success and encouraged him for his investment projects in Haiti.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 22 février 2017

 Several municipalities had their carnival this past weekend

Besides the City of Jacmel, the municipalities of Pétion-Ville, Carrefour, Croix-des-Bouquets and Gonaïves also had their carnivals last weekend, on February 17^th

 18^th and 19^th.

President Jovenel Moïse opted, for the “City of Independence.” He was scheduled to attend the first edition of the Gonaives Carnival, whose theme was “Ann' fè Gonayiv reviv" or “Let’s bring Gonaive back!”

Well-known bands such as Djakout 1 and Barikad Crew were expected to take part in these festivities.

For the occasion, the Gonaive City Hall announced that schools would be closed last Friday, February 17^th and Monday, February 20^th. The business and public sectors were scheduled to work half a day on the 17th but a regular day on the 20^th.

Preparations for the Carnival of Les Cayes are underway

The preparations about 60 percent completed for the carnival in the southern city. No less than 115 street stands will be built along the parade route. The Coordination Committee assures that everything will be ready in time.  Spaces are being outfitted for floats; the second entrance to Gelée will be asphalted up to about 80 percent, and the second main street will be rehabilitated. Finally, minor repairs will also be done to the airport road.

About ten musical groups are expected to participate, but the list has not been yet finalized. Boukman, Djakout 1, Rockfam and T-Vice have already confirmed their participation in the National Carnival of 2017.

Jean Gabriel Fortuné, the Mayor of the City of Les Cayes, underlined that a positive impact has already been noticed, because 90 percent of all the building materials purchased in preparation for the carnival, have been bought in the Department of the South and not in the Capital.

Staying ahead of the Kompa-tition? - The Haitian dance craze that could take the skiing world by storm

First there was the Time Warp. Then came the Macarena. More recently we boogied to Gangnam Style. But now, a new dance craze could take the world of skiing by storm... the Kompa!

On the face of it, Jean-Pierre Roy - president of the Haitian Ski Federation - is the most unlikely skier since famed Violinist Vanessa-Mae took to the slopes at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

But the 53-year-old grandfather is one of the more interesting characters on the circuit, with Marcel Hirscher and Lindsey Vonn among his plethora of fans.

Roy's dream is to grow Haiti's three-strong ski team, but there is another ambition he is keen to achieve.

Speaking with the Olympic Channel in St Moritz, where he is competing in his third World Championships, Roy showed that his snakelike hips and handy footwork are not just being put to good work on the slopes, as he displayed the Kompa, a dance which has origins in Haiti dating back to the 1950s.

Over to you, Jean-Pierre...

Roy has just 12 months to teach athletes his moves before the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, where the Kompa-tition is sure to be strong.

41 brothels and hotels have been shut down in Port-au-Prince

Government Commissioner Danton Léger Leger who heads Prosecutor's Office of Port-au-Prince, is pursuing his campaign to lock down brothels and hotels which are not up to code and do not respect the conditions and criteria to function, among them are the possession of a business license, and a visible and explicit commercial plate on the establishment, indicating its activity.

Let us recall that since a 48 hour-ultimatum was launched by Senator Jean Renel Sénatus also known as "Zokiki" in association with Police Commissioner Danton, on January 26^th.,  forty-one (41) establishments have been shut down since then, 30 of which were closed between February 1st and 5^th.

http: // www.haitilibre.com/article-20034-haiti-current events-zapping-politique.html

Police Commissioner Danton explained that if and when these establishments become up to code, the Public Prosecutor's Office may revisit its decision and allow them to reopen. On the other hand, he threatened to continue to pursue the owners of all such businesses which are not operating in accordance with the law, or which refuse to conform to it.

Furthermore, he underlined that establishments where minors were engaged in prostitution, are being watched closely, and he warns that severe measures will be taken against the owners and the customers of these establishments.

Finally, he indicated that within the framework of these operations, even upscale hotels will be the target of investigations to ensure that there is no adult nor juvenile prostitution in their establishments, and that the law is applied with the same rigor.

Haiti Wants to Benefit from Morocco’s Electric Production Expertise

By Morocco World News -

February 10, 2017 , 9:39 am

Rabat – Haitian foreign minister Pierrot Delienne voiced the wish of his country to benefit from the Moroccan expertise in relation with electric production, said a statement by the house of representatives.

The Republic of Haiti aims to boost its production capacity by 60 megawatts within 5 years, said Delienne in a meeting with speaker of the house of representatives Habid El Malki following the inauguration ceremony of Haiti’s new president Jovenel Moise, said a statement on Friday.

Delienne highlighted his country’s asset of freedom of religion as it includes 17 imams, 37 mosques and 45 Koranic schools, recalling Morocco’s role in this area through an active spiritual diplomacy which enabled many imams, notably from sub-Saharan Africa, to be trained in Morocco.

During a meeting of El Malki with his Haitian peer, the Moroccan official highlighted the importance of a sustained parliamentary cooperation between the two countries through reviving the Haiti friendship group set up at the house of representatives, and the need for a Morocco Friendship group at the Haitian chamber of deputies.

Haiti has been included as pit stop on the International Big Tour of 2017

Last Wednesday, the office of the International Organization of Francophonie officially launched the "Big Tour 2017: A Journey of Francophonie." This consist of a journey on 5 continents that will take place throughout 2017 on 100 stages, about 20 of which are in France. This journey, gathers hundreds of big cultural events that illustrate the vitality and the modernity of cultural Francophonie worldwide.

The Big Tour will make stopover in Haiti for “Encounters of the World’s Music” from June 16^th till June 25^th, 2017. This will bring together in Port-au-Prince, Haitian musicians, artists from the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, the America and Africa. In addition to promoting current music inspired by traditional heritage, these meetings also try to facilitate access to the international market to music from throughout the world, especially the Caribbean

Also, in the same context, the “Quatre Chemins Festival” will take place in Port-au-Prince from November 21^st till December 3^rd, 2017. For the past 14 years, it has given Haitian artists the opportunity to perform with foreign artists (from France, Benin, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and others ...) in front of an audience of several thousands of people. On the program will be dances, theater, poetry and street performances.

The festival wants to use art to educate, by organizing workshops for children on risk management and natural disasters.

Let us recall that the Big Tour 2017 is placed under the High patronage of the President of France, François Hollande, and is sponsored by Jean-Marie Le Guen, the French Secretary of State in charge of Development and Francophonie. It was initiated by Le Guen’s predecessor, André Vallini, along with Michaëlle Jean, the former Governor of Canada, who is now General Secretary of the Francophonie.

Haiti’s “Certificate of Discharge” is in headlines

Last Thursday, the organization "Mouvman Esclaves Revoltés" (SEA) denounced what it called the political use of privileges by senators to withhold certificates of discharge from former government employees who served the country.

According to the Haitian Constitution, all former government workers, who were responsible for state funds, must obtain a certificate of discharge from the Parliament, if they wish to be considered for government offices once again. Obtaining this certificate from the Haitian Parliament can be a lengthy undertaking, which sometimes involves paying large sums of money to expedite process.

The president of SEA Jean Wilgins Charles considers the procedure of releasing the certificate of discharge to be far too politicized. He believes it allows senators to abuse their privileges, and has the consequence of preventing certain competent individuals from participating in the country’s development again.

Jean Wilgins Charles considers this to be an indecent attempts to keep some on the fringe, while making it more likely that one of their own will be named as Haiti’s next prime minister.

The president of the organization "Mouvman Esclaves Revoltés" stressed that the next head of government should be a defender of the interests of the poorest and not a representative of a sector within public office.”

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 1 mars 2017

 Raquel Pelissier Goodwill Ambassador for Haiti 

Raquel Pelissier Miss Haiti 2016 and the runner-up for Miss Universe 2017 was received by the Haitian government during her first visit back to the country since the Miss Universe pageant that was held in the Philippines. Raquel was received at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince by a delegation of government officials, collaborators, students and other guests at the airport's Diplomatic Room.

After being welcomed by the Minister of Culture and Communication, Marc Aurèle Garcia and the Chancellery of Haiti S.E.M Pierrot Delienne, Raquel Pelissier, was received by the President of the Republic at the National Palace who presented her with the title of Goodwill Ambassador for Haiti. Source: Le Nouvelliste

3 young Haitian children are the winners of an international toy competition

The General Consulate of Haiti in Montreal is proud to announce that within the framework of the 21st Edition of the International Competition of Toys Made from Recycled Materials, organized by OXFAM Quebec in association with the Planetarium Rio Tinto Alcan in Montreal, three young Haitian children from the orphanage "One Way Children Home" of Kenscoff in Haiti, were in this competition and came out as prize-winners.

They are:

Stanley Saintilma (11 years);

Joseph Claudner (12 years)

Jean-Baptiste Marcelin (11 years).

It should be recalled that 7 countries: Benin, Bolivia, France, Jordan, Honduras, Peru, and Haiti, as well as 30 schools from Quebec, participated in this competition titled, "The universe, an infinite playground."

During the Official reception of the Prize-winners, which took place last week at the Planetarium Rio Tinto Alcan, the Consul General of Haiti in Montreal, Justin Viard, was present to receive the certificates for the 3 winners for Toy #25 called "Banm Kous" (The Race is Mine). 

“The Consulate of Haiti in Montreal welcomes warmly these distinctions which value the creativity, the artistic talents and the handiwork of our young people… The Consulate deeply congratulates the talented Prize-winners and invites young people from here and there to follow their tracks.

The toy exhibit, "The universe, an infinite playground!" Which displays hundreds of toys, will take place until May, 2017 at the Planetarium Rio Tinto Alcan, situated in 4801 Avenue Pierre De Coubertin, Montreal, Quebec H1V 3N4.

Haiti Deportations Response Network (HDRN)

Bureau des avocats internationaux

Hundreds of detained Haitian asylum-seekers and migrants, including women and children, are being deported weekly from detention centers across the United States in violation of their rights. They need your help urgently.

The Department of Homeland Security is currently holding about 4,000 detainees in facilities throughout the US. More than 2500 Haitian detainees have already been deported, and around 270 more are being deported each week. Lawyers, community activists and detainees’ relatives have reported a range of prejudicial procedural problems in their asylum processing, including no lawyers, weak or non-existent interpretation and the use of apparently fabricated statements. Most of the detainees are held in remote facilities far from family, community and legal support; and some would have viable asylum claims if they had effective representation. Find moredetails here.

Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti is creating the Haiti Deportations Response Network (HDRN)to address the detainees' legal needs and issues, fill in gaps where possible and coordinate advocacy for better policies and practices.Network membership is open to everyone, but we are particularly interested in hearing right now from:

a) Attorneys, accredited representatives, and law students who are interested in representing Haitians in deportation proceedings, especially but not only those willing to travel to remote facilities;

b) Attorneys, accredited representatives, and service providers near a detention facility who are in need of legal, interpretation, or other help and interpreters so they can assist the detained Haitians;

c) Attorneys and accredited representatives who are already providing representation and can share their experiences and evidence of potential abuses;

d) Interpreters fluent in Haitian Creole and English. Ability to travel to the facilities is preferred but not essential, as telephonic interpretation is often needed;

e) People interested in investigating the possibility of class-action litigation against the abuses;

f) People interested in a coordinating role, for example with interpreters and/or volunteer attorneys.

The HDRN will start as a Google Group list-serve. To join,pleasefill out this form. If any questions, please emailCette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.. And please forward this to others in your network who might be interested!

Thank you,

Steve Forester,Immigration Policy Coordinator

Ira Kurzban,Board Chair

Brian Concannon,Executive Director

P.S.Lawyers seeking information to boost asylum claims should visit ourHaiti Asylum Information Project.

AP Exclusive: Malnutrition killing inmates in Haiti jails

By DAVID MCFADDEN, ASSOCIATED PRESS

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Feb 20, 2017, 11:42 AM ET

Dozens of emaciated men with sunken cheeks and?protruding ribs lie silently in an infirmary at Haiti's largest prison, most too weak to stand. The corpse of an inmate who died miserably of malnutrition is shrouded beneath a plastic tarp.

Elsewhere, prisoners are crammed shoulder-to-shoulder in cellblocks so overcrowded they have to sleep in makeshift hammocks suspended from the ceiling or squeeze four to a bunk. New arrivals at Haiti's National Penitentiary jostle for space on filthy floors where inmates on lockdown 22 hours a day are forced to defecate into plastic bags in the absence of latrines.

"Straight up: This is hell. Getting locked up in Haiti will drive you crazy if it doesn't kill you first," said Vangeliste Bazile, a homicide suspect who is among the about 80 percent of those incarcerated who have not been convicted of a crime but are held in prolonged pretrial detention waiting for their chance to see a judge.

Overcrowding, malnutrition and infectious diseases that flourish in jammed quarters have led to a surge of inmate deaths, including 21 at the Port-au-Prince penitentiary just last month. Those who monitor the country's lockups are sounding an alarm about collapsing conditions.

"This is the worst rate of preventable deaths that I have encountered anywhere in the world," said Dr. John May, a Florida physician who co-founded the nonprofit group Health Through Walls to improve health conditions in the Caribbean and several African nations.

Prisoners at the crumbling Port-au-Prince penitentiary flocked around a team of Associated Press journalists on a recent morning, eager to discuss their cases and complain of being all but forgotten at the foul-smelling furnace. Some 40 percent of the country's 11,000 inmates are housed there in appalling squalor, a block away from government headquarters, and many are tormented by the prospect of indefinite detention.

"I'm really scared I won't get to see a judge until I'm an old man," said Paul Stenlove, a 21-year-old murder suspect who was put in the prison 11 months ago.

Prisons are crowded, dismal places in any number of countries. But Haiti's penal system is by far the globe's most congested, with a staggering 454 percent occupancy level, according to the most recent ranking by the University of London's Institute for Criminal Policy Research. The Philippines comes second with 316 percent occupancy.

Inmates, some waiting up to eight years to see a judge, try to keep their sanity by maintaining a daily routine of push-ups and lifting jugs filled with dirty water. Others play checkers or dominoes. Sentenced convicts and the far greater numbers of untried suspects pool together what little money they can scare up to buy small TVs and radios for their shared cells.

But with widespread malnutrition and rats scampering through cells made for 20 men but now crammed with 80 to 100 it's hard to focus on anything but basic survival.

"Only the strong can make it in here," said Ronel Michel, a prisoner in one of the crumbling cellblocks where exterior walls are stained with dried feces because the men have to drop their excrement out of barred windows.

Not all the inmates are weakened by hunger. Some are provided meals by visiting relatives and others are permitted by guards to meet with contacts to bring in food, cigarettes and other things. AP reporters saw one inmate with a wad of cash standing near the main gate ordering spaghetti and fried plantains from a vendor outside.

But the large majority of prisoners are dependent on authorities to feed them twice a day and get little more than rationed supplies of rice, oats or cornmeal. Even clean drinking water is often in short supply.

Prison authorities say they try their best to meet inmates' needs, but repeatedly receive insufficient funds from the state to buy food and cooking fuel, leading to deadly cases of malnutrition-related ailments such as beriberi and anemia.

"Whenever the money is late it's the prisoners who pay," said National Penitentiary Director Ysarac Synal.

Haiti's penal system is so overcrowded that suspects are held indefinitely in other fetid, cramped pens, including cells at four police stations, where malnutrition is common. Three inmates recently died of malnutrition ailments at a prison in the southern city of Les Cayes.

Life was supposed to be getting a little better for prisoners here. In 2008, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordered Haiti to bring its "inhuman" prisons in line with minimum international standards. After a devastating earthquake in 2010, donor nations and humanitarian organizations launched projects aimed at building new infrastructure and improving deplorable conditions.

One of these improvements was the "Titanic" cellblock at the National Penitentiary, built with $260,000 from the International Committee of the Red Cross. Its cement tower was intended to ease overcrowding. But a few years after opening, it is possibly the most crowded block in the prison.

"It's a permanent struggle just to keep them (Haitian prisoners) alive," said Thomas Ess, chief of delegation for Haiti's Red Cross office.

Severe overcrowding is partly due to rampant corruption, as judges, prosecutors and lawyers join in creating a market for bribes, said Brian Concannon, director of the nonprofit Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti.

"If nine in 10 prisoners is in pretrial detention, and a person has no prospect of getting a fair trial for years, his family will find some way of raising the funds to bribe him out, regardless of guilt," Concannon said.

Some foreign officials who have seen the system up close are exasperated by a lack of political will to solve problems of corruption, sluggish justice and prison conditions.

"It is unconscionable that despite hundreds of millions of dollars in international aid the situation is even worse today, with inmates suffering from severe malnutrition and dying of preventable diseases," U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, who toured the National Penitentiary in 2012, said in an email.

As men continue to die unnecessarily at the National Penitentiary, Port-au-Prince chief prosecutor Danton Leger has been holding mass burials for prisoners, purchasing caskets and floral arrangements. Dead inmates, regardless of whether they were convicted or not, were previously dumped in a potter's field.

"The men in there are forced to live like animals. They can at least be buried like people," Leger told AP.

CHOLERA: There has been no compensation from the UN up until now

The United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, asked the Member states to inform him before March 6th if they intend to contribute financially to the implementation of the new plan by the United Nations against cholera in Haiti.

"Earlier this week, the General Secretary sent a letter to all the Member states" in this respect, said Spokeswoman Stéphane Dujarric to journalists at the daily information session at UN headquarters in New York.

"As you know, within the framework of the new approach, the UN plans to intensify its support for the Haitian government by setting up systems of water supply, purification and health - the best long-term defense against cholera and other diseases of hydric origin. It also plans to develop a set of measures of support to supply material help and assistance to the Haitians most directly affected by the cholera."

In his letter, the General Secretary reminded that the UN has the moral responsibility to watch that the new approach, launched in a report to member states on December 1^st, 2016, is implemented, added Dujarric.

With a cost of about 400 million dollars during the next two years, the United Nations project, within the framework of the new approach, will address two concerns:

The first consists of an effort considerably strengthened and better financed to answer and reduce the incidence of cholera, while attacking the short and long-term problems regarding water, purification and health systems and by improving the access to healthcare and treatment.

On the $400 million programs intended to fight against cholera in Haiti, only "2 % of the promises for financing were kept," indicates the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in his letter. "The voluntary contributions which we received are not still sufficient to cover what is planned," wrote Guterres, underlining that "If the financing does not materialize, another solution must be explored."

Until now, only South Korea, France, Liechtenstein, India, and Chile have contributed to the UN, the funds totaling  approximately 2 million dollars. Canada and Japan have separately pledged 7 million dollars.

The International Jazz Festival of Port-au-Prince has been launched

The 11^th Edition of of the International Jazz Festival of Port-au-Prince "PAPJAZZ on 2017", moved because of the elections, will take place from Saturday March 4^th until Saturday March 11^th.

For its 11^th edition, "PAPJAZZ" will host artists from Germany, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Spain, France, Mexico, Panama, Switzerland, the United States and of course local Haitian artists and from the diaspora, who will present Creole jazz, but also a sample of the music of Haiti in all its diversity.

Jean Camille Bissereth pleads in favor of a real carnival industry in Haiti

P-au-P, February 24^th, 2017 [AlterPresse] - The engineer-agronomist Jean Camille Bissereth, who is the general coordinator of the Foundation for the Development of Alternative Tourism in Haiti (Fondtah) calls for actions to be taken to transform  Haiti’s carnival, the country’s "biggest popular and cultural party," into a real industry, capable of drawing tourism.

Until now, we have not managed to make the carnival an industry, said Bissereth, who was a guest on the broadcast show, “TiChèzBa.”

He encouraged the implementation of infrastructures and accommodation facilities to allow the carnival to make this possible.

A restructuring of this event could favor in particular the tourism industry and job-creation throughout the country, he underlined.

However, he admits that the carnival as it is presently organized, even if relocated, cannot escape the centralization of Port-au-Prince. The capital, with its enormous constraints, hampers the development of local tourism.

In the past, local entrepreneurs always complained because they were neglected in order to benefit companies in the capital, which receive the best contracts.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 8 mars 2017

 THE DEATH OF FORMER PRESIDENT RENE PREVAL

It was a week with a tragic news. A news which left all those who knew him and liked him distraught beyond measure – Former Haitian President René Préval passed away last Friday.

The news arrived as we least expected it. René Préval was out in the public eye quite a bit lately, and everybody found him to be in great shape.

We met him at the farewell party offered by President Jocelerme Privert at the National Palace recently. Later, he was at the palace again. This time for the investiture of newly-elected President Jovenel Moïse.

After learning of the death of Thierry Gardère, the head of Rum Barbancourt, he went to pay his respect to the family on Thursday, March 2^nd. He died the next day on Friday, March 3^rd.

No one remained unaffected by Preval’s death, and some of his favorite sayings came back to mind, especially his “Naje poun-n soti.” This quote had become known as the trademark of this shy, wise, lucid president, always looking for a consensus. He brought pride to his people.

The Haitian people are in mourning with René Préval's death, and even those who did not like him will not to forget his sense of humor which will remain one of his key character traits.

SIGNIFICANT DIPLOMATIC CHANGES

Last Monday, US Ambassador to Haiti, Peter Mulrean left the country, after announcing that he was retiring. Ambassadeur Mulrean was liked by the Haitian people and his departure which arrives without warning will leave a big void. We are now waiting to see who will be called to succeed him.

Still in diplomacy: Chile appoints a new ambassador for Haiti.

The Chilean Government, through Chancellor Heraldo Munoz, informed that Chilean President Michelle Bachelet appointed a new Ambassador to Haiti. Patricio Utreras, who has already received the approval of Haiti, was a geographer at the University of Chile, and a graduate of the diplomatic Academy "André Bello." Before his appointment to Haiti, Patricio Utreras worked as an advisor to the secretary and head of the chancellery at the Chilean embassy in the United States.

OBITUARY

Some sad news was received with great pain by all those who knew him – it is the news of the sudden death of the head of Rum Barbancourt, Thierry Gardère.

This is what The Nouvelliste writes:

Thierry Gardère, age 65, head of the Company of Rum Barbancourt, one of the most widely-known Haitian brands, passed away on the road that should have lead him to the hospital. Early in the afternoon of Wednesday, March 1^st, he reported having trouble breathing. "He drove from of his secondary residence in Cyvadier, Jacmel, to his home in Port-au-Prince at about 11 o'clock in the morning.

Once he arrived, he complained of faintness, difficulty in breathing. He was driven immediately to the hospital, and he died along the way. It happened very fast. It appears to have been a pulmonary embolism. He had had heart problems for about fifteen year," continued the newspaper.

William Eliacin, administrative director of the company, was very shaken by this sudden loss. "It is a big loss for the country, for the company. He was our potomitan," continued William Eliacin, who worked by Thierry Gardère's side since 1976. That’s year the heir of the Barbancourt dynasty returned to the country after finishing his studies in industrial engineering.

Thierry Gardère took charge of the company after the death of his father in 1990. He had known how to keep the torch and assure the transition of the company in modernity, explained William Eliacin. "For Thierry, we have to move forward", he explained to the Nouvelliste. "He was a quiet man, a big shy person with a lot of lucidity, vision, wisdom, a big philanthropist as well.”

It is a loss for the country, for the board of directors of the UNIBANK to which he belonged since the creation of the bank", indicated Max E. Chauvet, who is also board member of the five stars bank. "Thierry Gardère had taken succession for his father and made Rum Barbancourt one of the jewels of our industry", underlined Max Chauvet who presented his condolences to the family of the deceased, particularly to his wife and their only daughter.

An American missionary was arrested at his home for sexual abuse on Haitian minors

The US citizen Daniel Pye was arrested by the American federal police last week. He is accused of sexual abuse on minors and sex tourism involving children.

According to the data supplied to the American authorities within the framework of the investigation around Daniel Pye, at least four minor girls were victims of sexual abuses while they were at his orphanage. These children were between 6 and 14 years-old at the time. One of the victims declared to the investigators that the abuses went on over several years.

The American newspaper “The Miami Herald” reported what, one of the victims reported to the investigators that she had sexually been assaulted every day; whether his wife was in the vicinity or not, between 2008, when she was  six years old, until 2011, when Daniel Pye began to have problem with the Haitian justice system.

Indeed, Daniel Pye was imprisoned for almost 5 months in Haiti. At first, the motives for his detention were not clear, but then it was charges of illegal documents which justified his detention.

The 35-year-old man in question managed an orphanage in the South of country from 2008 till 2011. During this period, he made more than 40 trips between the United States and Haiti. The center which Pye managed welcomed and educated orphan children as well as disadvantaged children whose parents were alive. One of the victims’ mother who worked at the orphanage was dismissed from her job after having asked for explanations from the missionary.

Released due to the diligence of elected officials and the efforts from the American Embassy in Port-au-Prince indicated to “The Miami Herald,” that Daniel Pye returned home to the US and stopped all trips to Haiti. He continued his life, and even began working with children again. Pye will soon be judged for its acts in the United States.

COOPERATION: Donation of 600 tons of rice from Taiwan:

The Government of Taiwan (Republic of China) provided a donation of 600 metric tons of rice to the NGO (NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION) "Food for the Poor" in Haiti. Mr. Roger Beauvoir, who is responsible for the NGO, thanked the Taiwanese State via its diplomat for this humanitarian aid and their cooperation which has already lasted seven years.

Haiti - FLASH: 30,000 Haitian migrants on the border of Mexico are targets for swindlers

Ariadna Estevez, a researcher at the Autonomous National University of Mexico (UNAM), which has been visited by refugees in Tijuana, asserts that the majority of the people who try today to enter the United States are of Haitian origin

Estevez reminded that Haitians began to arrive at Tijuana in May, 2016 and less than year later, there are approximately 30,000 of them, blocked on the border zone. Many had run away to Brazil after the earthquake of 2010 which struck Haiti, but with a lack of jobs due to the economic crisis which rages in Brazil today, they are now trying to reach the United States.

The figures of the American Customs and Border Patrol show that the number of "inadmissible" Haitian arriving at the border post of San Diego increased from 333 in 2015 to 6,377 in 2016. During the first weeks of 2017, there were already 7,589 "inadmissible" Haitians who arrived at this American border post.

In the meantime, thousands of Haitian are blocked in overpopulated shelters and rare are the ones who can find a job in Mexico beyond a day’s labor on construction sites or as servants, often for less than $1 an hour.