- Détails
- Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti
Jovenel Moïse travels to submit his priorities to Taiwan
The president of the Republic flew to Taiwan last Saturday. The national palace has communicated too much or too little about what is taking Jovenel Moïse to Taiwan. However, a close advisor to the Head of State confided to the Nouvelliste that Jovenel Moïse is going to discuss the government’s seven priorities with the Taiwanese authorities.
Building infrastructures for energy, road and ports; increasing agricultural production and improving the environment; strengthening the hydraulic and sanitation infrastructures; reforming the state and maintaining political and social stability; transforming Haiti into a destination for investments; improving the infrastructure and quality of the education and promoting stability through social projects. These are the 7 priority axes of the government, which the Head of State was to address with the Taiwanese authorities.
The municipal order forbidding the casting of garbage on public roads or in public spaces takes effect
The municipal order forbidding people or businesses from piling waste on public roads or public places took effect last Thursday. The mayor of Port-au-Prince, Ralph Youri Chevry, accompanied with a representative of the government commissioner and Berson Soljour de la DDO, made the announcement.
To address the lack of sanitation problem in the Haitian capital, Youri Chevry informed that his municipality has the capacity to collect garbage which sprinkle in the various streets of the capital. The mayor informed that he has a fleet of 18 garbage trucks ready to clean up the capital and improve its image.
Agricultural plantations of the Artibonite, invaded by a colony of rats
Agricultural plantations in the Artibonite have been invaded by a colony of rats, indicated the president of the national Network of the agronomists (Réna), Pierre Michel Clercidor, to the media.
Réna, which is very concerned, pressed the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR) to undertake a pest control campaign in the Artibonite Valley.
The organization is asking authorities to carry out an investigation on this case.
When reached by telephone by AlterPresse, the Mayor of the municipality of Desdunes, Ernst Saint Phard, criticized government authorities for not having done anything yet to help the growers and the farmers facing this situation.
The population is also awaiting an intervention by the Organization of Development of the Valley of Artibonite (ODVA), informed the Mayor. He added that there is already a deficiency of rice in the zone where several rice fields of rice are under water.
Brazil rescues African and Guyanese migrants drifting at sea
SUNDAY MAY 20 2018
AFP - Brazilian fishermen rescued two dozen migrants from Africa and Guyana found drifting near the northeast coast of Brazil after 35 days at sea, officials and local media said Sunday.
The migrants came from the small South American country of Guyana and from Nigeria and Senegal on the other side of the Atlantic, the human rights department for Brazil's state of Maranhao said in a statement.
There were 25 migrants — all men — on the boat and two Brazilians, the navy said in a statement.
The Brazilian pair were suspected of being people traffickers, O Imparcial and G1 news sites reported. They had reportedly spent 35 days afloat but there was no immediate indication of what route they had taken.
A Haitian flag
The boat, a catamaran, was carrying a Haitian flag, the navy said.
On Saturday, local fishermen found the vessel drifting off the Brazilian coastal town of Sao Jose de Ribamar, south of the Amazon river, the navy said.
An attempt by the authorities to locate the migrant boat from the air failed, so the fishermen towed it to port, while also feeding the stranded voyagers, the navy said.
By the time they got in, the fishing captain reported he had "no more food and water to give, because provisions were ending," the navy said.
Legal situation
Once ashore, they were "given medical attention and food," before being taken for processing by the Brazilian federal police, the Maranhao human rights department said.
"The group will be put into temporary housing provided by the state," it said.
"The federal police will investigate the possible committing of crimes against the foreigners in relation to their arrival in Brazil and evaluate their legal situation in Brazil."
A Haitian Student Wins an Inter-Scholar Chess Championship in San Antonio, Chile
His name is Evenson Olitus and he is 13-year-old. He was the winner in the Basic Education category within the framework of the inter-scholar chess championship organized by the Puerto Institute of San Antonio, Chile, where five schools participated.
Evenson Olitus who attends eighth grade in the municipal school of Villa Las Dunas, brought pride to his school by taking it to the top. “It is a big success, because he demonstrates our work of integration. We also see how he has huge potential,” declared of his teachers.
Haiti-politics: organizations demand the departure of the Head of State, during a sit-in against the rise in prices of the fuel
Popular and labor-union organizations held a sit-in, on Friday, May 25th, 2018, in front of several of the country’s public institution to protest against the increase in prices of the fuel the pump, announced, by the government, for the next month, observes the on-line agency AlterPresse.
Gathered in front of Ministries of the Economy and Finance, Social Affairs and Labor as well as Justice and Law and Order, protesters asked for the departure of President Jovenel Moïse, who refuses to back down.
This battle consists not only in putting obstacle against the price increase of petroleum products, but also to force the Head of State to step down underlined the General Secretary of the Movement of Freedom, Equality of Haitians for the brotherhood (Moleghaf), Oxygenate David.
The demonstrators were very critical of the president and of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
This rise in fuel prices follows upon the approval, in February, 2018, by the Haitian government of the new program ("Staff-monitored Program") of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
This new program plans the elimination of the subsidy of petroleum products and electricity.
During the sit-in, messages on signs demanded a 1,000-gourd minimum wage (Editor's note: US 1.00 = 68.00 gourds, 1 euro = 85.00 gourds; 1 Dominican Republic peso = 1.60 gourd today), the non-privatization of the public institutions and the arrest of those who squandered the PetroCaribe funds.
Inoccupation of the country, the justice and the reparation for the victims of cholera, the social support and social housing for the most disadvantaged, are also among social demands of the protesters.
The Queen of Spain is going to build a hospital in DR for Haitians
The Queen of Spain, Laeticia Ortiz, who was on visit to the island at the beginning of last week promised to build a dermatological hospital in Jimani to receive mainly Haitian patients.
It is the Director of the Dermatological Institute of Barahona, Huberto Bogaert and that of skin surgery of the skin, Polybio Batista Matos who communicated the news in a radio program.
The queen made the decision to build this hospital during a meeting with nine organizations financed by the Spanish Agency of international cooperation for the development ( AECID) to discuss diverse projects.
After her visit, the queen praised the virtues of the Spanish cooperation in Haiti and in Dominican Republic.
According to her, her fellow countrymen can be "proud of their professionalism ".
Laetizia Ortiz was on visit on the island with the aim of getting acquainted with the projects developed in both countries by the Spanish cooperation in domains such as the gender equality, democratic governance and rural development.
Commentary: The queen should be informed, that the hospital will be for the Dominican Republic and the Dominicans.
In Miami's Little Haiti, one of the largest waves of evictions is currently underway
PRI's The World
May 23, 2018 · 3:30 PM EDT
By Nadege Green
Rollin Virgile walks through his store amid dozens of weddings dresses, white floral crowns, men’s tuxedo vests and baptism gowns. He greets customers in Creole: "Bonswa, koman nou ye?" (Good afternoon, how are you all?) Virgile has been in the same location, at Northeast 82nd street and Second Avenue — the heart of Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood — for 32 years. His store, Virgile's Tuxedo & Formal Wear, is a go-to for Miami's Haitian community, where customers can rent a tuxedo, robe bridesmaids or find first communion accoutrements.
But now the store must move. The commercial building and another across the street were recently sold to developer Thomas Conway, who also owns a nearby food hall and a co-working space. Conway has asked most of the businesses, nearly a dozen, to move so that he can transform the two strip malls. The business owners said Conway has given them about 30 days to leave.
On a recent afternoon, Virgile shared the news with customer Daniella Eugene, who drove up from Key West to show here.
“There’s a new owner,” he said. “And they want us out. It’s a shock to us all.”
Little Haiti, a once predominantly Haitian enclave, has seen a burst of new development and interest from real estate investors and developers because of its central location in Miami. New projects are underway in the neighborhood, rent prices are soaring and Haitian business owners, such as those in the two buildings Conway plans to rehab, said that they are being pushed out. Some residents also believe that the threat of climate change is a factor as well.
Conway did not respond to several requests for comment.
Many of the businesses were operating with month-to-month leases and, in Florida, a landlord is allowed to give a 15-day notice to terminate a lease.
Pierre-Richard Maximilien, who runs a travel agency in one of the complexes, said he wrote Conway a rent check, only to have it returned a few days later with no explanation. Then he got court papers saying he was facing eviction for not paying rent. “He’s just killing the Haitian businesses and what we’re doing for the community because we’re serving the community,” said Maximilien, who has been renting his space for nine years.
Maximilien said he asked Conway about returning after the mall rehab is complete and was told his rent would increase significantly. "I said, 'How much higher?' He couldn't tell me exactly."
Jorge Isaac, an attorney representing Conway, said his client denies claims that he did not accept rent payments from the tenants.
Several other business owners at the complex raised the same issue at a press conference in April, where they denounced one of the largest evictions of Haitian-owned businesses in Little Haiti.
One of the signs in Creole read: "We want to pay. Thomas Conway doesn't want to collect."
“To me, this is gentrification at its worst right now,” said Cartine Vilson, a community organizer with Family Action Network Movement, a nonprofit that works with Haitian businesses and homeowners in the area.
Vilson said Miami must decide how to save small businesses from commercial gentrification to preserve neighborhood identity and the financial livelihood of business owners who invested in communities before they became trendy. “Do we count or do we not count?” she asked at the press conference. “We count and we need to be heard. We matter.”
Some of the business owners said that they are struggling to find new commercial space to relocate.
Marie-Janine Desir owns a variety store that sells clothes, lotion, pots and produce. "I can't find anything in this area," said Desir, who lives in Little Haiti and doesn't have a car. She said that she walks to work; at lunch she leaves to check on her disabled daughter, who is in the care of an in-home nurse. She said if she doesn't find a place to rent she'll have to put her inventory in storage. "That will kill my business," she said. "I won't be making any money. How am I supposed to live?"
Virgile, the tuxedo and formal wear store owner, said it is heartbreaking to leave Little Haiti, the only place he has worked for 32 years. The most affordable space he could find was in North Miami, about 15 minutes away. He expects to lose some of his customer base in the move, he said.
“It’s a lot to deal with as a business owner, but I have to pack up and go,” said Virgile. “I won’t be in Little Haiti anymore.”
This piece originally appeared on WLRN.
FANM AYISYEN NAN MIAMI
As we commemorate the second year of the official recognition of Little Haiti, we invite local governments to work with community based organizations and concerned citizens to empower Little Haiti to become a sustainable and thriving community. Thus, @FANMORG recommends the following:
- • Award no new SAPs (Special Area Plan) until there is a comprehensive plan against displacement in Little Haiti.
- • Identify and secure commercial spaces for Little Haiti businesses that are being displaced.
- • Craft an Economic Development Plan for Little Haiti.
- • Develop a robust program to help low income and elderly home owners to get their homes up to code and reduce the risk of foreclosures.
- • Allocate resources from the Miami $100 million fund to develop and built affordable housing.
- • Insure that Little Haiti is designated as a Qualified Opportunity Zone and be included in any empowerment and enterprise initiatives.
- • Support FANM’s efforts to make Little Haiti 100 percent resilient.
#LittleHaitiisnotforsale #LittleHaiti
- Détails
- Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti
President of Haiti back from Taiwan
Haiti-Libre: On Saturday afternoon (June 2nd), President Jovenel Moïse, returning to Haiti, gave at the Diplomatic Salon of Toussaint Louverture International Airport, a press briefing on the main points of his stay at Taiwan (Republic of China)
On Monday, May 28, Moses met with Haitian students in Taiwan who are pursuing studies in engineering, agronomy, science and finance, among others. Believing that they can help their country's development, these students, some of whom are already engaged in business in Taiwan, took advantage of the visit of the Head of State to express their desire to return to Haiti in order to participate in its economic expansion.
In the evening the Head of State was invited to a dinner with the Haitian delegation offered in his honor, organized around the theme of the promotion of Taiwanese investments in Haiti.
On Tuesday, the Head of State participated in the signing of a joint statement with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, which aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation in many areas. The statement mentions the establishment of a high-level working group that will draft within 60 days new terms of cooperation for economic and infrastructural development in Haiti as well as potential ways to attract more Taiwanese investors.
In the evening, he spoke with the Taiwanese private sector, which has expressed interest in coming to invest in Haiti on at least two conditions: political stability and electricity.
On Wednesday, May 30, Moses traveled to Taichung (West Central Island), the second largest industrial city in the country, where he visited one of Taiwan's three largest science and technology parks. These parks that are oriented in the fields of biotechnology, robotics and artificial intelligence have already attracted several billion US dollars of investments.
In the electrical infrastructure sector, the President visited two major power plants: the first has a hydroelectric dam with a capacity of 2,600 Megawatts; the second has a large infrastructure producing wind and solar energy.
The Head of State took the opportunity to reiterate his promise of June 2017 to supply the entire country with electricity 24 hours a day (this time without delay), with prepaid meters, without a word about his meeting with the Taiwan Power Company and his project to electrify 800 MW in Haiti...
Finally, Moïse also reported on his meeting with officials of the Taiwan Ministry of Defense, the management of natural disasters and the strengthening of the army and the National Police.
World Bank Supports Road Connectivity and Transparency in Haiti
The FINANCIAL -- WASHINGTON, May 31, 2018 – More than 350,000 people in rural Haiti will benefit from improved access to all weather roads, local markets and health centers in the South, South East and Nippes departments as a result of a new US$ 75 million grant from the International Development Association approved today by the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank.
About 61 percent of the population was living further than 2km from an all-weather road in 2015 and most rural roads remain in very poor condition and barely passable. To develop the road network and achieve intercity connectivity by 2021, the government has set an ambitious target to build 4000 km of roads.
The Haiti Rural Accessibility and Resilience project will rehabilitate critical segments of the rural road network, improving road conditions and road safety in these areas. This will particularly benefit vulnerable communities, including women traders who travel extensively for the livelihoods of their families, according to The World Bank.
The second project Improving Haiti’s Public Financial Management and Statistical Information focuses on strengthening Haiti’s capacity to produce, disseminate, and use more accurate and timely budgetary and financial data. Financed by an IDA grant of US$15 million, it will help improve budget management and oversight by putting in place an Integrated Financial Information Management System, strengthening public financial management institutions such as the Court of Accounts, the Procurement Board, and the Anti-Corruption Agency, and will support citizen engagement in the use of public resources.
“The two grants approved today will make a difference for people in Haiti. Roads are windows of opportunity that transform people’s lives as well as the economy. Better budget and accounting systems are key to improve service delivery for all citizens and strengthen transparency and accountability,” said Anabela Abreu, World Bank Country Director for Haiti. “These are two important priorities for the government”.
The Haiti Rural Accessibility and Resilience project will be implemented by the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Communications while the Improving Haiti’s Public Financial Management and Statistical Information project will be implemented by the Ministry of Economy and Finance over a period of 5 years.
Family awarded 4 cents for man’s death by cop
(New York Post)
A Florida family was awarded just four cents after a jury found a local sheriff partially liable for the death of a 30-year-old man who was shot by a police officer while inside his garage.
The family sued officer Christopher Newman and Sheriff Ken Mascara alleging wrongful death for the 2014 shooting of Gregory Hill, according to CNN.
Hill, a father of three, was shot by Newman three times after partially opening the garage and then closing it.
Police were investigating a complaint of loud noise when they arrived at the residence.
Newman claimed Hill was brandishing a firearm at the time. The officer was not charged with a crime.
The jury decided that Newman was not liable and that Mascara was 1 percent responsible for the death. Hill, the jury decided, was 99 percent responsible for his own death.
Hill was found with a gun in his back pocket.
The jury awarded damages of $1 for funeral expenses and $1 for each off Hill’s children — ages 7, 10 and 13.
Because the jury found the chief only 1 percent responsible, the family received only 4 cents.
Cops claimed Hill was drunk at the time he was killed.
The chief released a statement that said, “Newman was placed in a very difficult situation and like so many fellow law enforcement officers must do every day, he made the best decision he could for the safety of his partner, himself and the public given the circumstances he faced.”
The family’s attorney, John Philips, decried the verdict.
“That a black child’s pain is only worth a dollar is exactly the problem with the plight of the African-American right now. This says, black lives don’t
Rafael Trujillo's grandson Ramfis wants build a wall between Haiti and the Dominican Republic
The grandson of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, the dictator of the Dominican Republic who carried out the Haitian Parsley Massacre, says he will build a wall from north to south of the Haiti-Dominican border to separate the Dominican Republic from Haiti if he is elected president in 2020...
Obsessed, like his grandfather, by the presence of Haitians on the Dominican territory, Luis Ramfis Trujillo Dominguez never misses an opportunity to express his dislike for the Haitian nationals he accuses of wanting to invade his country.
This diplomat calls upon Haitian students in the Dominican Republic to return to Haiti
A diplomat at the embassy of Haiti in the Dominican Republic, Miousemine Celestin, was invited to intervene within the framework of a series of conferences for the students of Santiago and Santo Domingo. During her intervention, she called upon the latter to return to Haiti at the end of their academic cycle to participate in the reconstruction of their country.
These conferences took place under the theme "The young people and the entrepreneurial spirit" and were realized by the organization " N ap Sove Ayiti (NAPSA) ". Other speakers including investor Johnson Napoleon, spoke about this as well.
Napoleon underlined that Haitians in Dominican Republic do not need that to ask for charity or to work in agricultural fields. He said it to draw the attention of his listeners – the numerous fellow countrymen studying in Dominican universities, reported the Dominican newspaper “Diario Libre.”
He used himself as example and spoke about the numerous difficulties which he had to overcome when he migrated to the United States.
The students had a word to say at the end of this address. "She (Miousemine Celestin) really encouraged us to study and to return to Haiti to help to rebuild the country at the end of our study," said Eugène Marc Henry.
The Dominican Government Lowers the Price of Gas
The Ministry of Industry and the Trade in Dominican Republic announced a reduction of the price of fuel between 1 to 4 pesos.
The Dominican newspaper Diario Libre shared the information by posting showing the various prices which are being applied starting this June.
"The gallon of high quality gasoline will see a reduction in DR $4.00 and will be sold at DR $245.30. Regular gasoline will go down DR $3.00 and will cost DR $231.20 per gallon," indicated the Dominican website.
Ordinary diesel fuel will be sold to DR $189.50 per gallon a DR $2.00. Whereas the optimum diesel will sell for DR $203.60 RD which will be a DR $3.00 reduction.
In Haiti, under pressure of the IMF (International Monetary Fund), the government announced that gas prices could increase very soon. The announcement was not received neither by the political circle nor by the general population.
Several sectors threatened to protest if these fuel rate increases are actually implemented.
- Détails
- Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti
World Cup 2018 Schedule: Day-by-Day Matchups and T.V.
CreditMaxim Shemetov/Reuters
By The New York Times
June 14, 2018
The 2018 World Cup has begun in Russia. Here is a schedule of all the early games through the quarterfinals (all times are Eastern):
Group Stage
Thursday, June 14
11 a.m. – Russia vs. Saudia Arabia, Fox (R5/SA0)
Friday, June 15
8 a.m. – Egypt vs. Uruguay, Fox Sports 1
11 a.m. – Morocco vs. Iran, Fox
2 p.m. – Portugal vs. Spain, Fox
Saturday, June 16
6 a.m. – France vs. Australia, Fox Sports 1
10 a.m. – Argentina vs. Iceland, Fox
12 p.m. – Peru vs. Denmark, Fox Sports 1
3 p.m. – Croatia vs. Nigeria, Fox Sports 1
Sunday, June 17
8 a.m. – CostaRica vs. Serbia, Fox
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11 a.m. – Germany vs. Mexico, Fox Sports 1
2 p.m. – Brazil vs. Switzerland, Fox Sports 1
Monday, June 18
8 a.m. – Sweden vs. South Korea, Fox Sports 1
11 a.m. – Belgium vs. Panama, Fox Sports 1
2 p.m. – Tunisia vs. England, Fox Sports 1
Tuesday, June 19
8 a.m. – Poland vs. Senegal, Fox
11 a.m. – Colombia vs. Japan, Fox Sports 1
2 p.m. – Russia vs. Egypt, Fox
Wednesday, June 20
8 a.m. – Portugal vs. Morocco, Fox Sports 1
11 a.m. – Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia, Fox
2 p.m. – Iran vs. Spain, Fox
Thursday, June 21
8 a.m. – France vs. Peru, Fox
11 a.m. – Denmark vs. Australia, Fox Sports 1
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2 p.m. – Argentina vs. Croatia, Fox
Friday, June 22
8 a.m. – Brazil vs. Costa Rica, Fox Sports 1
11 a.m. – Nigeria vs. Iceland, Fox
2 p.m. – Serbia vs. Switzerland, Fox
Saturday, June 23
8 a.m. – Belgium vs. Tunisia, Fox
11 a.m. – Germany vs. Sweden, Fox
2 p.m. – South Korea vs. Mexico, Fox
Sunday, June 24
8 a.m. – England vs. Panama, Fox Sports 1
11 a.m. – Japan vs. Senegal, Fox
2 p.m. – Poland vs. Colombia, Fox
Monday, June 25
10 a.m. – Uruguay vs. Russia, Fox
10 a.m. — Saudi Arabia vs. Egypt, Fox Sports 1
2 p.m. – Iran vs. Portugal, Fox
2 p.m. – Spain vs. Morocco, Fox Sports 1
Tuesday, June 26
10 a.m. – Australia vs. Peru, Fox
10 a.m. – Denmark vs. France, Fox Sports 1
2 p.m. – Iceland vs. Croatia, Fox
2 p.m. – Nigeria vs. Argentina, Fox Sports 1
Wednesday, June 27
10 a.m. – South Korea vs. Germany, Fox Sports 1
10 a.m. – Mexico vs. Sweden, Fox
2 p.m. – Switzerland vs Costa Rica, Fox Sports 1
ADVERTISEMENT
2 p.m. – Serbia vs. Brazil, Fox
Thursday, June 28
10 a.m. – Japan vs. Poland, Fox Sports 1
10 a.m. – Senegal vs. Colombia, Fox
2 p.m. – England vs. Belgium, Fox
2 p.m. – Panama vs. Tunisia, Fox Sports 1
Round of 16 Schedule
Saturday, June 30
10 a.m. – Group C winner vs. Group D runner-up
2 p.m. – Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up
Sunday, July 1
10 a.m. – Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up
2 p.m. – Group D winner vs. Group C runner-up
Monday, July 2
10 a.m. – Group E winner vs. Group F runner-up
2 p.m. – Group G winner vs. Group H runner-up
Tuesday, July 3
10 a.m. – Group F winner vs. Group E runner-up
2 p.m. – Group H winner vs. Group G runner-up
MAX BLANCHET
Dominican senator accused of ripping off Haiti sanctioned by Trump administration
June 12, 2018
A Dominican Republic senator accused of making millions of dollars from post-earthquake Haiti reconstruction projects that he never completed has been sanctioned by the Trump administration for engaging in corrupt acts related to the rebuilding of Haiti following the country's devastating 2010 earthquake.
Sen. Félix Ramon Bautista Rosario and five companies owned or controlled by him have been sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Treasury under the Global Magnitsky Act. The law allows the executive branch to administer visa bans and targeted financial sanctions against foreign individuals and entities responsible for committing human rights violations or engaging in corrupt activity. As a result, any assets that Bautista owns within U.S. jurisdiction will be blocked, and U.S. citizens are banned from doing business with him.
The administration’s move comes as Bautista remains under scrutiny in Haiti, where several of his companies are accused of corruption and failing to fulfill commitments. In March 2015, the Dominican Supreme Court dismissed charges against Bautista for "lack of evidence" after he had been publicly accused of money laundering and embezzlement.
Bautista has denied any wrongdoing in the Haiti corruption allegations. In earlier interviews with Dominican newspapers, he said the contracts were awarded legally.
“These actions are part of our continuing campaign to hold accountable government officials and other actors involved in human rights abuse and corrupt activities," said Sigal Mandelker, under secretary of the treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence. "Senator Bautista used his position to engage in corruption, including profiting off of humanitarian efforts related to rebuilding Haiti."
Following the 2010 Haitian earthquake, Bautista received more than $200 million in controversial no-bid contracts from the Haitian government for his firms to rebuild destroyed government ministries and construct housing. Few of the projects were delivered — projects fell behind schedule, workers delivered shoddy construction and the firms stopped work. In some cases, the government changed the scope of the projects, leading to finger-pointing among current and government leaders.
In one example, Bautista's construction firm Hadom was awarded a $14.7 million contract and was paid $10 million up front to construct the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, one of 40 government buildings that crumbled during the earthquake. The building was never built.
That lucrative contract is among several that are part of an ongoing probe by Haitian investigative judges into allegations that former Haitian government officials and heads of private firms embezzled $2 billion in Venezuelan oil loans.
In a press release on the sanctions, the Treasury department describes Bautista as having engaged "in significant acts of corruption in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti."
"Bautista has reportedly engaged in bribery in relation to his position as a senator, and is alleged to have engaged in corruption in Haiti, where he used his connections to win public works contracts to help rebuild Haiti following several natural disasters, including one case where his company was paid over $10 million for work it had not completed," the release said.
Beauplan's commission recently released a 656-page report on the management of $2 billion in loans that Haiti received as part of Venezuela's PetroCaribe discounted oil program. The investigation accuses 15 former government officials, including t José A. Iglesias; edited by Justin AzpiazuMiami Herald
As a result of these actions, any property, or interest in property, of those designated today within U.S. jurisdiction is blocked. Additionally, U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with blocked persons, including entities 50 percent or more owned by designated persons.
Haiti Cotton Presentation at Oxford
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Dear Marc,
How often is Haiti a topic of discussion at the University of Oxford? The answer is at least once in the last month when Atlanta McIlwraith, representing Timberland, and I, representing the Smallholder Farmers Alliance (SFA), made a joint presentation about the reintroduction of cotton to Haiti at the Responsible Business Forum 2018. Our talk is available on YouTube and the accompanying Timberland/SFA case study can be downloaded here.
Atlanta and I outlined the business model being put in place in connection with Haitian cotton, including the new blockchain-ready data management system we are developing in order to inform consumers about the measurable impact of cotton and other crops on farmer income, food security, climate change and women's empowerment. Our talk was very much in line with the Forum's focus on "transforming business into a profitable and scalable force for the common good in the 21st century." Much of the discussion over two days centered on practical examples of how to generate financial, social, and environmental value at scale.
Now in its second year, the Responsible Business Forum brings together global companies at Oxford's Saïd Business School to share their experience of creating new models of responsible capitalism. The Forum is under the leadership of a Mars, Incorporated led think tank that is researching what Forrest Mars, Sr., in 1947, termed the "economics of mutuality" when companies take on this broader responsibility.
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It was a good idea in 1947 and it remains a good idea now, as evidenced by yesterday'sannouncement by Goldman Sachs of a new exchange-traded fund that incorporates social impact metrics developed by Paul Tudor Jones through his Just Capital initiative. This is part of a larger move by Goldman to make environmental, social and governance issues more central to the bank.
Atlanta and I titled our talk "Changing the World Through Supply Chains" because we agree with Jones when he said recently on CNBC that, "If you're going to have true social change... it has to start with business."
Regards,
Hugh Locke
President, Smallholder Farmers Alliance + Impact Farming
U.S. Congress to U.N.: What are you doing to compensate Haiti's cholera victims?
BY JACQUELINE CHARLES
Updated June 15, 2018 08:11 PM
More than 100 members of Congress are sounding the alarm over Haiti's deadly cholera epidemic and the victims of the waterborne disease who are still awaiting compensation from the United Nations.
Cholera, which was non-existent in Haiti for at least a century until it was introduced to the country eight years ago by U.N. peacekeepers, has killed 10,000 Haitians and sickened about 800,000 since the initial outbreak after Haiti's 2010 earthquake.
And while the number of cholera deaths and illnesses have continued to decline, according to the latest statistics from Haiti's Ministry of Health, victims are still dealing with the ripple effects, members of Congress said in a bipartisan June 14 letter to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres.
"We are concerned that the UN's 2016 plan ...to eliminate cholera and provide redress for victims is not meeting victims' rights and needs," the letter stated.
In 2016, after finally accepting responsibility for its role in bringing the epidemic to Haiti, the U.N. announced a new approach to ease the plight of Haitians. It pledged to raise $400 million to treat cholera victims and improve sanitation and water infrastructure in Haiti, while also providing "material assistance and support" to those most severely affected. Victims, the global body promised, would be consulted on any compensation decisions.
In the letter, congressional lawmakers say they want to know what steps the U.N. has taken to make direct compensation payments to victims because it appears that it is "unwilling to provide compensatory payments to cholera victims or engage directly with those affected about their needs."
But Josette Sheeran, Guterres' U.N. envoy for Haiti who oversees the cholera plan, said the U..N. has already launched a process "to provide meaningful consultations with those most affected by cholera."
The current budget, she said, allows for $150,000 to be spent per community, and "the communities are empowered to democratically choose how they want funds invested, either through community or individual investment."
So far, three sections of Mirebalais, where the first outbreak occurred after cholera-contaminated sewage entered the nearby Artibonite River from a U.N. camp, have decided to use their share of the money to bring clean water to their area, the U.N. said. A fourth community has decided to construct a new marketplace.
"The biggest obstacle to expanding remains the lack of funds," Sheeran said. "As funding becomes available, we will continue to expand these consultations and the projects that affected community platforms prioritize."
Her office noted that communities can still choose individual compensation for specific victims — but only after more discussions with the U.N.
Brian Concannon Jr., executive director of the Boston-based Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH), said if discussions with the communities about how to spend their compensation have started, he welcomes them. But he said the victim organizations his group has contacted in Haiti have not heard from the U.N. He also questioned whether $150,000 was sufficient given the seriousness of the disease.
The 101 members of Congress who signed the cholera letter said they have concerns about the community projects.
"We question whether community projects alone will redress the harms to affected families and allow them to recover," the letter stated.
The letter is the latest effort by Haiti's cholera victims and the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti to urge the U.N. to keep its promise to include victims in the decision-making as well as compensate them for losses as a result of the disease.
The letter, circulated by Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., was signed by Miami-Dade and Broward County members of Congress, including Democratic Reps. Frederica Wilson, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Alcee Hastings and Ted Deutch, and Republican Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Carlos Curbelo and Mario Diaz-Balart.
The U.N. had for years refused to acknowledge its involvement in Haiti's initial cholera outbreak, even after scientists matched the strain in Haiti to the one in Nepal. Nepal had an outbreak on Oct. 8, 2010, days before Nepalese soldiers arrived in Haiti and before a young Haitian lab technician confirmed cholera's existence in the quake-ravaged country.
In December 2016, former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon finally offered a long-sought-after apology for the U.N.’s role while announcing a new approach after a previous $2.2 billion, 10-year cholera elimination plan failed to gain traction.
During a visit by the U.N. Security Council to Port-au-Prince last year, victims vented their frustrations by hanging banners in the streets and staging protests near the council meetings. Haitian lawmakers also requested compensation in a private meeting with security council members.
Trump didn’t want to give Haiti $11 million for cholera. So Congress found another way
At the time, the U.N. said no decision had been made about individual compensation versus community projects. But now that the U.N. is moving forward on community projects such as one in the town of Mirebalais, concerns are rising over whether victims will ever be adequately compensated.
The United Nations, U.S. lawmakers said, "seems determined to assist victims through charity-based community development projects only, despite pledging in the New Approach to consult victims about their needs and consider the possibility of providing direct payments to the most affected households."
And that, members of Congress say, is "particularly concerning given the economic devastation that cholera has wrought on Haitian households."
Last year, during a meeting of cholera victims in the Cité Soleil slum in Port-au-Prince on the heels of the U.N. Security Council visit, victims spoke of their ongoing struggle years after contracting cholera.
Some had to use their meager finances to pay for funerals after losing family members, while others said they were still paying for medical care for the disease's debilitating effects. All were frustrated by what they described as the U.N.'s unwillingness to directly compensate them.
"We want individual compensation," Berthony Clermont, the head of a cholera victims' association, said on Friday when informed about the letter and the U.N.'s efforts.
Clermont said he has registered 2,400 cholera victims across Haiti, and he hasn't been contacted by U.N. officials. "What is $150,000 going to do? That is too little."
Lawmakers in the letter commend Guterres for his dedication to the cholera plan. But while he has made eradicating cholera from Haiti a priority, the U.N. chief has struggled to attract funds from foreign donors including the Trump administration. Last year the White House nixed turning over $11 million in unspent peacekeeping dollars to help Haiti fight cholera.
In response, Congress stuck $10 million in the $1.3 trillion spending package that was approved and signed by the president earlier this year. The appropriation, which will go to the U.N., is for small, locally based projects in communities severely impacted by cholera.
Haiti U.N. protest continues as government cancels participation in cholera meeting
Another attempt by Guterres and Sheeran to raise funds also hit a snag in late February when the Haitian government canceled its participation in a high-level cholera retreat in New York because Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was offended by a comment from one of Guterres' representatives about corruption and allegations of human rights abuses by a unit of the Haitian National Police.
Only 8% of those who Crossed the U.S. / Canadian Border Illegally Are Eligible to Apply for Political Asylum
Out of about 10,000 Haitian who crossed the U.S. / Canadian border illegally in 2017 (partial figure) only 8 % were eligible to apply for political asylum. This means that more than 90 % were or will be sent back to Haiti.
Until now, there has been no global statistics on the number of people who entered illegally in Canada in 2017, but the authorities recognize that this number could be up to 20,000 and higher still in 2018.
In spite of the Canadian authorities’ repeated warnings that crossing the Canadian border on foot, through unofficial entrances, doesn’t provide a guarantee to being able to stay in the country, a lot of people keep arriving. This is mostly due the fact that there is a lot of misinformation on the subject. Between January and April of this year already about 8,000 people (mainly Haitian) were intercepted in Quebec.
Three reasons influence the choice of thousands of people to enter irregularly in Canada through an unofficial entry point:
First, the information on the existence of an existing TPS system in Canada is false.
Second, the information which leads immigrants to believe that crossing the border illegally will give them protected status in Canada, is false.
Third, the information which assert that there is a strong probability that their application for political asylum will be approved is false
The only way to get to Canada is to complete a legal form and all of the information is available on the following website: www.cic.gc.ca
It should be highlighted that Haitians who cross the border illegally, alone or with their families, run the risk of having their application for asylum rejected (as they are in more than 90 % of cases). They may then to be sent back to their country of origin (Haiti) and not the United States. Because they did not officially cross the border, Canada cannot turn them in the USA).
Furthermore, these people take the risk of losing the possibility of coming to Canada legally in the future, as residents and as they also won’t be able to return to live in the United States.
Haiti - Technology: 190 Gigabytes of Internet Connection for the incubator Alpha Haiti
Jean-David Rodney, Managing director of the National Council of Telecommunications (CONATEL) announced that the Triumphs Movie Complex received a high-speed Internet access connection, mobilizing three operators on the market allowing the incubator Alpha Haiti to have all the necessary Internet capacities.
CONATEL confirmed that a Wi-Fi dome will be installed on the Champ de Mars to honor the promise of the Head of State, to endow the Champ de Mars with free Wi-Fi access.
In addition to these installations, other public squares in the country will also be equipped with Wi-Fi access. Some technological facilities will also be built in municipalities throughout the country. They will be part of "Borders of Inclusion in the Digital Economy " (BIEN).
These measures are designed to provide access to information technology to all layers of the population in Haiti, especially the youth. It will enable the country’s full integration in the information age with an eye on the future.
- Détails
- Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti
Turks-et-Caicos Islands: 102 Haitian migrants intercepted
Last week, the marine branch of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force intercepted a boat of 102 people Haitian (74 men, 27 women and a child) off Providenciales. They were headed for the Turks and Caicos islands.
The migrants, who were undocumented, landed in the Port of South Dock, before being led to an administrative detention center, while waiting to be repatriated to Haiti a few days later.
Seized with more than 9,000 books(pounds) of smuggled garlic from Haiti
Members of the Agency Specialized in Ground Border Security (CESFRONT) and the Dominican Republic’s Intelligence Service intercepted a home-made boat from Haiti, which was transporting more than 9,000 pounds of smuggled garlic.
The garlic was found in 414 bags aboard a home-made boat, which was intercepted in Playa Grande in the maritime zone of the Province of Montecristi (northwest).
The boat was seized and the goods transported to the inter agency of the CESFRONT in Dajabón.
Let us recall that from January, 2017 till February, 2018, the CESFRONT seized more than 205 thousand pounds of smuggled garlic from Haiti.
Migratory control on agricultural farms, 312 Haitians deported back to Haiti
Last week, the Head office of Migrations (DGM) simultaneously launched operations of migratory control on the border in the province of Dajabón.
The teams composed of agents, inspectors and supervisors of the DGM, supported by members of the Dominican Army from the 10th Infantry Battalion and the Agency Specialized in Ground Border Security (CESFRONT), checked 576 Haitian, men, women and children near the border, in agricultural farms, on roads and in bus terminals.
After the inspection, 312 Haitian without the proper documentation, were transported to CESFRONT reception centers to be registered, before being deported to Haiti.
Dominican senator accused of ripping off Haiti sanctioned by Trump administration
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June 12, 2018 07:41 PM
A Dominican Republic senator accused of making millions of dollars from post-earthquake Haiti reconstruction projects that he never completed has been sanctioned by the Trump administration for engaging in corrupt acts related to the rebuilding of Haiti following the country's devastating 2010 earthquake.
Sen. Félix Ramon Bautista Rosario and five companies owned or controlled by him have been sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Treasury under the Global Magnitsky Act. The law allows the executive branch to administer visa bans and targeted financial sanctions against foreign individuals and entities responsible for committing human rights violations or engaging in corrupt activity. As a result, any assets that Bautista owns within U.S. jurisdiction will be blocked, and U.S. citizens are banned from doing business with him.
The administration’s move comes as Bautista remains under scrutiny in Haiti, where several of his companies are accused of corruption and failing to fulfill commitments. In March 2015, the Dominican Supreme Court dismissed charges against Bautista for "lack of evidence" after he had been publicly accused of money laundering and embezzlement.
Bautista has denied any wrongdoing in the Haiti corruption allegations. In earlier interviews with Dominican newspapers, he said the contracts were awarded legally.
“These actions are part of our continuing campaign to hold accountable government officials and other actors involved in human rights abuse and corrupt activities," said Sigal Mandelker, under secretary of the treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence. "Senator Bautista used his position to engage in corruption, including profiting off of humanitarian efforts related to rebuilding Haiti."
Following the 2010 Haitian earthquake, Bautista received more than $200 million in controversial no-bid contracts from the Haitian government for his firms to rebuild destroyed government ministries and construct housing. Few of the projects were delivered — projects fell behind schedule, workers delivered shoddy construction and the firms stopped work. In some cases, the government changed the scope of the projects, leading to finger-pointing among current and government leaders.
In one example, Bautista's construction firm Hadom was awarded a $14.7 million contract and was paid $10 million up front to construct the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, one of 40 government buildings that crumbled during the earthquake. The building was never built.
That lucrative contract is among several that are part of an ongoing probe by Haitian investigative judges into allegations that former Haitian government officials and heads of private firms embezzled $2 billion in Venezuelan oil loans.
In a press release on the sanctions, the Treasury department describes Bautista as having engaged "in significant acts of corruption in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti."
"Bautista has reportedly engaged in bribery in relation to his position as a senator, and is alleged to have engaged in corruption in Haiti, where he used his connections to win public works contracts to help rebuild Haiti following several natural disasters, including one case where his company was paid over $10 million for work it had not completed," the release said.
Beauplan's commission recently released a 656-page report on the management of $2 billion in loans that Haiti received as part of Venezuela's PetroCaribe discounted oil program. As a result of these actions, any property, or interest in property, of those designated today within U.S. jurisdiction is blocked. Additionally, U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with blocked persons, including entities 50 percent or more owned by designated persons.
t José A. Iglesias; edited by Justin Azpiazu Miami Herald
Principales milmillonarios latinoamericanos 2018
PRNEWSWIRE NUEVA YORK, 25 de junio de 2018 - /PRNewswire/ -- La revolución tecnológica está mostrando sus efectos en la lista de Principales Milmillonarios Latinoamericanos de Latin Trade. Carlos Slim y el cofundador de Facebook Eduardo Saverín encabezaron esta tendencia hace algún tiempo. Posteriormente, se les unió Marcos Galperín, fundador de Mercado Libre, el gigante argentino de e-commerce. Este año, el brasileño Luis Frias, presidente de PagSeguro Digital se sumó al grupo. Esta tendencia con seguridad va a continuar, y cambiará los nombres y modificará la composición industrial de la lista de las personas más ricas de Latinoamérica.
Otra forma en la que está cambiando la lista de milmillonarios es la participación de mujeres. Actualmente, 12 de las 90 personas más ricas son mujeres. Son accionistas de compañías en sectores tan diversos como la salud y la minería.
Finalmente, y en contra de la creencia popular, la mayoría de los más ricos de la región se han hecho a sí mismo. Su fortuna no fue herencia familiar, sino que se generó con empresas que iniciaron o adquirieron.
Los 90 milmillonarios latinoamericanos de la lista tienen una fortuna combinada de US$ 411.200 millones en 2018, equivalente a casi cinco años de ventas de Petrobras, la compañía más grande de la región.
Vea la lista completa, que incluye los siete nombres nuevos de este año, en Latin Trade.
Acerca de Latin Trade
Latin Trade es un proveedor líder de información y servicios empresarios para compañías que operan en Latinoamérica. Publica contenidos galardonados en español y en inglés para su distribución en toda Latinoamérica, el Caribe y los Estados Unidos, a través de medios impresos y online. Latin Trade edita la revista Latin Trade y Latintrade.com.
Contacto con los medios:
David Buchanan
FUENTE Latin Trade
- Détails
- Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti
Haiti suspends fuel price hike after protesters riot
By The Associated Press
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Jul 7, 2018,
The Haitian government suspended a fuel price hike Saturday after widespread violence broke out across the capital and in the northern city of Cap-Haitien.
Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant had originally said the country needed to raise prices to balance the budget and gave no indication he would back down.
But his administration bowed to pressure after demonstrators took to the streets in protest.
A journalist from The Associated Press reported seeing several hundred people on Saturday attack a Best Western Premiere hotel in Petion-Ville, one of the capital's wealthiest neighborhoods. Guests were forced to remain inside as rocks were hurled through windows around 10 a.m. local time.
Security manned the building, but rioters shattered the main entrance before moving to another hotel.
No injuries or deaths were reported during the day's incidents, but at least three people were killed Friday as protesters used burning tires and barricades to block major streets. At one point they attempted to set a gas station on fire but were held off by police.
The demonstrations began after the Commerce Ministry and Economic Ministry issued a joint statement announcing an increase of 38 percent to 51 percent for gasoline, diesel and kerosene.
Government officials agreed to reduce subsidies for fuel in February as part of an assistance package with the International Monetary Fund. The agreement also included increased spending on social services and infrastructure and improved tax collection in an effort to modernize the economy of one of the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere.
After the Bullet
The injury follows its course,
first the shock, then a slow,
tranquil pause during which
one feels almost nothing,
but afterwards, in a lover's
arms, or alone, any
ordinary Independence Day,
death comes along.
Indran Amirthanayagam, c) July 4th, 2018
As violent protests continue over gas prices, U.S. airlines cancel all flights to Haiti
BY JACQUELINE CHARLES
July 07, 2018 02:01 PM
Updated 21 minutes ago
U.S. airlines canceled all of their flights to Haiti Saturday as the country’s embattled prime minister called for Haitians to stop blocking roads and burning tires amid a civil unrest being triggered by the announcement of a sharp hike in fuel prices.
At least three people have died as a result of the violence that erupted Friday afternoon, including a police officer and security guard for a former legislative candidate and opposition leader. Also, two police stations — one in the city of Gonaives and the other in Carrefour on the outskirts of metropolitan Port-au-Prince — were set ablaze.
Spirit Airlines and JetBlue, which diverted its 1709 flight to Santo Domingo and then returned to Fort Lauderdale Friday night "due to the civil unrest," all announced flight cancellations Saturday to Port-au-Prince.
"Due to concerns over safety from unrest in the area, Spirit Airlines felt it necessary to temporarily suspend service to Port-au-Prince, Haiti," said spokesman Derek Dombrowski. "We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused, but the safety of our Guests and Crew is paramount. "
American Airlines canceled all of its flights including the one to Cap-Haitien in northern Haiti, spokeswoman Martha Pantin said.
“Anybody’s going to Haiti? All flights are canceled,” a Broward County Sheriff deputy at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport yelled as he walked near the Transportation Security Administration check-in line.
The attacks, which appear to have overwhelmed a poorly-resourced Haiti National Police force that for the first time does not have the backing of a U.N. peacekeeping force, continued with fury Saturday with helpless residents and tourists watching as angry crowds attacked luxury hotels and the businesses owned by high-profile Haitians while demanding that President Jovenel Moïse pull back the gas hikes or resign.
The call for a rollback was echoed by Lower Chamber President Gary Bodeau, who tweeted that he was giving "Guy Lafontant and the government a second chance to turn back" its decision.
Near the Toussaint Louverture International Airport a fiery barricade blocked parts of the road while an angry mob broke the front door of the Best Western hotel in Petionville with rocks. Outside, seven cars were set on fire. As black smoke billowed in the air, firefighters were no where to be found and the crowd of more than 300 men, holding machetes and batons, threatened more chaos. Elsewhere around the capital, businesses were pelted with rocks. Some were vandalized and looted.
"Every time you do it, the country becomes poorer," Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant said in a televised address early Saturday morning as he appealed for calm and patience from the population. "Every time you destroy a store, it's jobs that a Haitian will lose.
"Every time you do it, the country becomes poorer," Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant said in a televised address early Saturday morning as he appealed for calm and patience from the population. "Every time you destroy a store, it's jobs that a Haitian will lose.
"I'm asking you for patience because the administration's vision is clear," he said referring to him and President Jovenel Moïse who has been in office 17 months. "It has a clear program that it has continued to execute."
Describing the government's plans to bring 2,485 miles of roads and 24-hour electricity to the country, Lafontant sounded more like a politician still on the campaign trail than one with a grip on
the deepening crisis.
But as the crisis deepened Saturday, many wondered how long Lafontant had left in office. A vote of no-confidence on his government had been put on hold late last month amid questions about the legality of four of ministers who were appointed in a recent cabinet shake up.
Haitians trapped in the unrest describe it as spontaneous and symptomatic of a much deeper anger in the population with the increase in fuel prices being the last straw.
"Gas prices going up is not good for us and it's not good for you," one young man told a Haitian-American couple as they tried to negotiate their way through one of many road blocks in southern Haiti, trying to get to the outskirts of the town of Cavaillon.
On Friday, the Haitian government announced that fuel prices would be rising as of midnight. The increases were set at 38 percent for gasoline, 47 percent for diesel and 51 percent for kerosene, the country’s Commerce and Economic Ministry said in a joint statement.
The Ministry of Social Affairs also announced new fares for public transportation, with some routes now going up as much as 50 percent.
While the price hikes affects everyone from the struggling construction company owner whose weekly diesel costs will now up go from $1,310 to $2,034 for 500 gallons, to the school teacher who will see her grocery bill increase, the poor is especially affected.
Since 2010, Haiti has lost nearly $770,750,000 in revenues by keeping gas prices low, government officials say.
"Only 25 percent of the population has benefited from the subsidization," Haiti's Finance Minister Jude Alix Patrick Solomon said Friday at a press conference about the fuel hikes. "It's difficult for you to be asking your international partners to give you budgetary assistance or support and at the same time you have revenue that you are not capturing."
The fuel hikes are part of an agreement that Haiti entered into with the International Monetary Fund. It has called on Haiti to make sweeping reforms in its public administration and raise gas prices in accordance with its 1995 law that calls for prices to be adjusted with every shipment. Failing to do the reforms can cost Haiti up to $9 million in budgetary support from international donors.
A graphic of the hikes went viral shortly after 2 p.m. Friday as Haitians were watching Brazil lose to Belgium during the World Cup. Right after the game ended, the violence erupted with crowds in several major cities setting up fiery barricades with tires cutting off major roads. A lot of people got trapped in offices, in restaurants, hotel lobbies and on the streets. They either had to abandoned their car and walk home or take refuge at a hotel or friend's house.
In Petionville, roads leading to wealthier hillside communities were targeted. Cars were pelted with rocks as residents attempted to make their way home. Protesters even cut off a detour to Montagne Noire that had become popular in recent days after upset residents in the Pelerin 5 community started protesting the demolition of several houses in the vicinity of the president's private residence days earlier.
The government claims the houses were the private property of the state, and they had to be demolished for security purposes. But residents objected saying they have had no due process.
In response to the violence, the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince warned U.S. citizens to avoid certain area and at the height of the violence on Friday issued a shelter in place order to embassy employees.
The true Haiti is safe and rich in culture
Our crime rate last year was significantly lower than those of the most popular tourist destinations in the region, writes Bocchit Edmond, Haitian ambassador to the UK
In a curious article by the comedian Romesh Ranganathan about a trip to Haiti to promote his BBC television show, he recounts unclothed babies, street gamblers, and dogs emerging from bushes to bark at unsuspecting tourists (Our man in Port-au-Prince: Wild dogs, voodoo potions, guns on the street and the threat of kidnap…, G2, 28 June).
And danger, apparently, lurks around every corner (despite the author never becoming victim to it – unless you count his incident with an ill-mannered dog).
Had Mr Ranganathan done his research, he would have known that Haiti is one of the safest countries in the Caribbean. Our crime rate last year was significantly lower than those of the most popular tourist destinations in the region, and we rank higher on the Global Peace Index.
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If a travel writer touring, say, London intentionally chose to stay in and tour only high-crime neighbourhoods, readers would be left with a very different and very lopsided impression of London. Naturally, travel articles about London don’t do that, but this is precisely what Mr Ranganathan chose to do in Port-au-Prince.
His inaccurate depiction of our country and his narrow-minded caricature of the “bizarre natives” in their (by his account) dangerous and dirty land is a process of “othering” that goes beyond simple ignorance and traces back centuries.
It’s a shame that his viewers will learn about our country via cultural stereotype. But when the BBC is ready, we invite it to send a proper journalist to Haiti to show the country as it truly is: complex, dynamic, flawed and rich in culture and history.
That way, we can both understand one another better.
Bocchit Edmond
Haitian ambassador to the UK
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Beryl bound for Caribbean islands, possibly as a 90-mph hurricane
BY JENNY STALETOVICH
- July 06, 2018 07:51 AM
Updated July 06, 2018 11:07 PM
Beryl, a tiny, fast-moving storm, will likely be a hurricane when it reaches Caribbean islands over the weekend hit hard by Hurricane Maria last year.
In an 11 p.m. advisory, National Hurricane Center forecasters said the storm continued to intensify Friday with sustained winds reaching 80 mph. Earlier, they had expected strong wind shear to weaken the storm before it neared the Lesser Antilles. But it now looks like Beryl will maintain hurricane strength as it crosses the islands late Sunday or early Monday, they said.
Because the storm is so small — hurricane force winds extend just 10 miles from the storm's center — forecasters said it's too soon to tell what islands may get hit. By late afternoon, however, several islands were already bracing for potential strikes. Dominica was under a hurricane watch and several surrounding islands issued tropical storm watches, with the strong winds possible by Sunday evening.
A potential impact on Puerto Rico, still recovering after Maria's devastation, remained unclear. With the storm tracking a bit more to the south than expected, the NHC slightly shifted the cone away from the island, but that could change over the next few days. The projected wind speeds also came down a tad to an expected peak at 90 mph in two days, but forecasters stressed there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding Beryl.
At 11 p.m. Friday, Beryl was located about 890 miles east, southeast of the Lesser Antilles, moving west at 14 mph. Over the weekend, it's expected to speed up.
The storm should begin to weaken once it reaches the eastern Caribbean on Monday. However, forecasters warned that may not occur in time to spare the Dominican Republic and Haiti, where storms often trigger dangerous mudslides and flash flooding.
Because the storm is so small, forecasters say they've been less certain about their projections. Small storms can morph quickly — Beryl flared up from a depression Thursday morning to a hurricane in less than 24 hours. The storms can just as quickly lose steam.
For the next day or so, forecasters say low wind shear will likely allow Beryl to continue strengthening, at least until it nears Hispaniola.
Beryl is the easternmost hurricane to form from an African wave in July on record, according to University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy. Storms forming in the southern Caribbean, where waters are warmer, are far more common.