Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 29 décembre 2020

Former Florida lawmaker arrested in Haiti on weapons charge, police official says

BY HANNAH PHILLIPS  FRESH TAKE FLORIDA

DECEMBER 25, 2020

A Florida lawmaker who was disciplined after using a gay slur against a political rival and who lost re-election earlier this year was taken into custody in Haiti on a weapons charge, police said Thursday. Circumstances of his arrest were a mystery.

A police official in the coastal community of Miragoâne, who declined to be identified, said former Rep. Al Jacquet, 40, D-Palm Beach, was charged with illegal possession of a weapon.

The police official said an investigation was underway, and the case has moved from the attention of local police to that of the national government. He could not say whether or when Jacquet might be released from custody.

A photo circulating on social media showed Jacquet’s expired driver’s license, state legislative ID card, a Glock 9mm pistol, magazines and spare ammunition. Information on the driver’s license matches documentation from a recent traffic citation.

Jacquet, a lawyer, did not respond to phone calls from a reporter or worried colleagues who have been trying to reach him. The U.S. embassy in Haiti and the State Department in Washington said it could not discuss Jacquet’s status under privacy laws. Family members were not home Thursday and did not immediately return messages left at their residences.

Jacquet served in Florida’s House since 2016 and represented a mostly low-income district in Palm Beach County until he lost the Democratic primary in August. 

Frantz St. Cloud, an acquaintance of Jacquet who was identified as a paid consultant for Jacquet’s political committee, said he hasn’t had any luck reaching Jacquet. Jaqcuet’s lawyer, Douglas Leifert, who is representing Jacquet in a traffic case, said he hasn’t heard from Jacquet since his latest court appearance.

Richard Ryles, a lawyer and former West Palm Beach city commissioner, said the accusations against Jacquet were out of character. He said he had not heard from Jacquet in Haiti.

“He has an ethical obligation to conduct himself at the highest level,” Ryles said. “I would expect that there are other circumstances fomenting this.”

Prior to his run for office, Jacquet served as a legislative assistant to Mack Bernard, a Haitian-born lawyer who served in the Florida House until 2012.

Jacquet made headlines for attempting to alter the language of Florida’s constitutional Amendment 4 to restore voting rights to ex-felons without requiring the full payment of court fees, though he was unsuccessful.

Jacquet lost a primary election earlier this year to Omari Hardy after invoking an anti-gay slur to describe Hardy on the “Al Jacquet Show,” his online radio program. As a result, Jacquet was stripped of his committee assignments toward the end of this year’s legislative session.

Hardy, a former Lake Worth Beach commissioner, said he hoped reports of Jacquet’s arrest weren’t true.

“I hope that he is able to get himself together because he’s a talented smart guy,” Hardy said. “As a Black man, I don’t think we can spare any talented Black men.”

Since his defeat in the August primary, Jacquet has failed to account for more than $38,000 in funds raised during his 2020 campaign. In August, the Florida Elections Commission fined Jacquet $650 after he failed to file a campaign treasurer’s report originally due Feb. 10. Jacquet has since failed to file a campaign termination report due on Nov. 16.

Coast Guard repatriates 110 Haitians aboard an overloaded boat on the Caribbean coast

Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.

DECEMBER 23, 2020 10:29 AM

• More than 100 Haitians who were attempting to leave the counrty aboard an overloaded 40-foot boat were apprehended at sea and repatriated Tuesday by the U.S. Coast Guard. 
• According to the 7th District Southeast in Miami, the Coast Guard Cutter Resolute crew repatriated 110 Haitian migrants who were crammed aboard a wooden vessel painted blue with the words “Laewa Esperyans” (Laewa experience”) and “Ann Wiv Ansanm” (let’s live together) painted in red and yellow on its side.
• The group, wearing red and yellow life preserver jackets, were stopped about 50 miles north of Cap-Haitien, Haiti, after a Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew spotted them in the water. Resolute’s crew diverted and brought the people aboard “out of abundance of caution for safety of life at sea,” the Coast Guard said.
• According to the Coast Guard, its crews have interdicted about 150 Haitian migrants in fiscal year 2021, which began Oct. 1, 2020. There were 418 Haitian migrants interdicted in fiscal year 2020 via at-sea interdictions, landings and other occurrences in the Florida Straits, Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.
• Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, all of those brought aboard receive food, water, shelter and basic medical attention. Coast Guard crewmembers are equipped with personal protective equipment due to COVID-19.
• LEVIN, MEEK, SIRES STATEMENT ON RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN HAÏTI
• *December 22, 2020 Press Release*
• *WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Congressman Andy Levin (MI-09), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, along with Congressman Gregory Meeks (NY-05), incoming Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Albio Sires (NJ-08), Chair of the Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security and Trade Subcommittee, released the following statement on recent developments in Haiti.*
• *“As members of the House of Representatives, we have spent recent weeks working urgently to rush relief to the American people amidst the COVID-19 public health and economic disasters. We want our friends in Haiti to know, however, that we are still watching what is unfolding there with growing concern. Haitian President Jovenel Moïse is pursuing an increasingly authoritarian course of action, issuing a series of recent decrees that include creating an extra-constitutional domestic “intelligence” force. His latest actions are reminiscent of past anti-democratic abuses the Haitian people have endured, including the run-up to the Duvalier dictatorship. We will not stand idly by while Haiti devolves into chaos.*
• *“When the 117th Congress convenes, supporting democratic actors in Haiti will be a top concern for this committee. We will work urgently with the incoming Biden administration to develop a U.S. policy that prioritizes the rights and aspirations of the Haitian people and supports a credible, Haitian-led transition back to democratic order. We will engage international allies and institutions to coordinate a multilateral strategy to address the ongoing crisis in Haiti and pursue accountability for Haitian officials who commit human rights violations and acts of corruption. As members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, we consider it our responsibility to monitor the events in Haiti and work in close collaboration with Haitian civil society organizations and citizens of goodwill that seek peace and democracy in their country. We assure the Haitian people that, as we tackle the crises we face in our own country, we will not forget our neighbors or our commitment to protecting their human rights.”*

Haiti is a failed state in irreversible decline

Santo Domingo, DR

LOCAL December 7, 2020 | 4:31 pm

The deep crisis that is hitting Haiti has led to the insecurity that diplomatic and consular officials have been forced to take precautionary measures to avoid being victims of kidnapping, a criminal modality in vogue as a reflection of the fact that the authorities do not guarantee the functioning of any of the essential services.

The insecurity that the neighboring country is experiencing has become complicated since the absence of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (Minustah), a situation that has become untenable in the last two months, which has led most diplomatic missions to take shelter and have the fewest personnel in the embassies and consulates.

As Haiti’s elected authorities have lost their monopoly on force, a power vacuum has been created that organized crime is trying to fill, affecting even the banking institutions.

Banks operating in Port-au-Prince and other major cities were forced to prohibit their employees from having their cell phones with them while they are at work. Many people have been kidnapped or assaulted when leaving banking establishments.

The insecurity of banking operations and their clients have moved to other complicity levels because, despite the measures taken by their executives, clients’ ambushes continue, which for many means that criminal networks reach different levels of hierarchy.

The increase in Haiti’s kidnappings was reported by the Spanish news agency EFE, which highlighted the authorities’ powerlessness to confront this phenomenon, “limiting themselves to advising the population to avoid being kidnapped.

“For at least a month, images of kidnapped persons have been circulating daily on social networks; among them, one of the most stupefying cases is that of a girl who disappeared more than a week ago and whose video in a school uniform is constantly circulating on social networks,” reports EFE.

A dangerous situation

Conversations with people living in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas revealed that the situation is perceived as very dangerous because low-income families have to send their children to schools or colleges at the mercy of prayers alone.

Middle-class sectors with economic power decided to move to the Dominican Republic by renting houses and enrolling their children in Dominican schools.

In the last seven days, 14 kidnappings were registered in the Haitian capital, including foreigners. However, the number of people kidnapped cannot be specified because, in that country, no law enforcement institution has this information systematized.

Since December, the criminal gangs were activated in exceptional circumstances when its members go out to “fish,” which is not difficult in a country where the public forces are weak. Its members already have a record of carrying out a protest, which leaves much desired.

Instead of announcing measures to contain the criminal wave, the Prime Minister of Haiti, Joseph Jouthe, after urging the population to be careful and vigilant, issued a decree creating the National Intelligence Agency (ANI), which is interpreted by diplomatic sectors as a desperate measure to reverse the chaos.

Not for a few experts and career diplomats who are familiar with the Haitian situation, creating the National Intelligence Agency is an unfortunate surprise because it was understood that this body for compiling, systematizing information, and monitoring organized crime already existed.

The timid measure is seen with anger not only by diplomats but by the majority of the population who accuse the government of being focused on the organization of the next elections that should be held on a date that the president himself has not yet defined. Since January, the Haitian president has been governing by decree when the legislators’ term ended, and the legislative elections were postponed. His period ends in February 2022.

Promises of elections

Large mass mobilizations preceded the worsening of the climate of insecurity that is being experienced at this time in Haiti in protest against the government of President Jovenel Moise, who, despite these facts, has remained unscathed, promising legislative and presidential elections without specifying when.

The widespread discontent expressed in the streets with the burning of private properties in Port-au-Prince and other cities has left. As a result, half a hundred people dead, to which has been added a peculiar protest in recent months by the Police itself, an institution called upon to preserve public order.

In addition to the kidnappings in Haiti, there have been selective murders of personalities, as occurred last August 28 when unknown persons ambushed the president of the Bar Association, Me Monferrier Dorval, a crime that dismayed the nation since he was one of the voices that advocated a new Constitution.

The Haitian police were unable to contain organized crime and common delinquency since an operation called Terminator 1 was ineffective in stopping the armed gangs’ actions, which operate in the most popular neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince, whose streets, businesses, and restaurants at night look deserted.

“At night, no diplomat or foreigner living in this city has to go out to look for anything, except to be murdered or kidnapped,” commented a source linked to the Haitian parliament.

Road trips from Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince or any other Haitian city to that capital have been reduced because it is now a habit for carjackers to assault.

Failed State Sequel

Although most of the diplomatic corps based in Haiti have been cautious in calling the situation a collapse of the state, opinions are no longer reserved for the pillow or the official confidential reports of ambassadors and consuls.

A failed state is one that is unable to guarantee its functioning, such as the essential services it must provide to the population.

It is an expression, Failed State, that appeared in the political and diplomatic language in the last decades from the convulsions in Somalia, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, Congo, Ethiopia, Iraq, and Zimbabwe, where the authorities lose the monopoly of the force, legitimacy, and disputes between institutions are registered, as it happens for years in the neighboring country whose Constitution establishes two powers: the president and the prime minister.

The deep institutional crisis began to worsen since the United Nations’ stabilization forces decided to eliminate one of the few institutions operating: the Armed Forces.

“The dog died…”

Pushed by the violence and abuses generated by the Armed Forces and the so-called Ton Macoute, the international community applied the saying that “once the dog is dead, the rage is over” by passing the buck to the Haitian Army, Navy, and police.

Despite the remaining 13 years on Haitian soil, the United Nations’ military force only served to consume 7.33 billion dollars in that time, which were taken advantage of by contractors and suppliers, often with powerful sponsors.

The truth is that after their withdrawal from Haiti, the Blue Helmets did not fulfill any mission that has left a legacy in that island territory, except for the children of soldiers who procreated with Haitian women called “little Minustah,” who are abandoned babies, and that some of the countries from which those soldiers came, assumed paternal responsibilities.

This new theater in that failed state does not cease to represent a threat to its closest neighbor, where its president Luis Abinader has said that the Dominican Republic cannot bear that problem.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 22 décembre 2020

 COURTS OF ACCOUNTS ASKS FOR GOVERNMENT’S SPENDING INVENTORIES

HAITIAN TIMES

The Superior Court of Accounts and Administrative Litigation (CSC/CA) has asked Michel Patrick Boisvert, the minister of finance, for a detailed inventory of certain purchases made on behalf of the government.

In its letter on Tuesday asking the spending details, CSC/CA officials invoked Article 88 of a recent decree requiring government agencies to provide the inventories to the Ministry of the Economy and Finance, then the CSC/CA by Oct. 31, the letter reads.

The CSC/CA also sent a copy of the letter to Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe.

Rogavil Boisguéné reminded the Minister that Article 88 of the Decree of September 30, 2020 establishing the general budget of the Republic for the fiscal year 2020-2021 “requires the institutions of the State Administration to send to the Ministry of Economy and Finance for forwarding to the Superior Court of Auditors and Administrative Disputes by 31 October at the latest, inventory at the acquisition cost of their tangible capital assets. Defense is made to financial controllers and public accountants to authorize to pay an expense without the submission of this inventory”.

“In fact, the failure to disclose these inventories to the Court significantly impedes the processing of requests for an audit of the management and decommissioning of public assets submitted to it,” said the President of the Council.

In this , a copy of which was sent tlettero Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe, Rogavil Boisguéné further stated that “the proper execution of the state budget is conditioned by the production and submission of these inventories.”

Byanka Gauthier, a 24-year-old entrepreneur, was kidnapped on Dec. 16, 2020 - Woman kidnapped

A young entrepreneur was kidnapped in Port-au-Prince in broad daylight Wednesday afternoon.

Byanka Gauthier, 24, was driving from a business meeting in Lathan Plaine, a neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, when three vehicles began following her. One vehicle then pulled in front of Gauthier’s Nissan and blocked her. Quickly, two heavily-armed men then stepped out of their car and took control of Gauthier’s car. They threatened to kill her if she moved.

Gauthier’s kidnappers then called the family on Thursday to ask for a ransom, according to Gauthier’s older sister, who asked that her name not be disclosed.

Gauthier’s car was later found in Lilavois, Port-au-Prince.

Dr. Fauci, took the time to spotlight 34-year-old Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, the lead scientist behind one of the vaccines’ development.

 Le Coin de Carl

(CNN) Dr. Anthony Fauci is urging Black Americans hesitant to take the Covid-19 vaccine to trust the process -- in part because one of the scientists at the forefront of the vaccine's development is a Black woman.

The nation's top infectious disease expert, speaking at an event hosted by the National Urban League on Tuesday, said it was important to acknowledge the US history of racism in medical research and understand how that has fostered mistrust among some Black people.

But Fauci stressed that the upcoming Covid-19 vaccines are safe and effective, adding that African American scientists have been involved in their development.

"The very vaccine that's one of the two that has absolutely exquisite levels -- 94 to 95% efficacy against clinical disease and almost 100% efficacy against serious disease that are shown to be clearly safe -- that vaccine was actually developed in my institute's vaccine research center by a team of scientists led by Dr. Barney Graham and his close colleague, Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, or Kizzy Corbett," Fauci said.

USAID  donates hygiene kits for school children

Haitian Times

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) said on Twitter Thursday that it distributed handwashing stations, buckets, soap, chlorine and pamphlets to 300 schools in five different departments to help Haiti fight against the novel coronavirus.

The distribution will help 30,000 students remain healthy during the pandemic. USAID donated the hygiene kits through its partnership with UNOPS and Caris Foundation Haiti.

As of Dec. 14, Haiti had 9, 627 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 234 deaths and 8,310 recoveries, according to the Ministry of Public Health.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 2 décembre 2020

 The Haitian people: Sadly and badly in need of a champion

November 26, 2020

By Sir Ronald Sanders

Human rights and constitutional violations in Haiti have been ignored for too long by the Organization of American States (OAS). The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has also avoided dealing with incendiary political issues in Haiti.

Meanwhile, more suffering is being piled on the poor people of Haiti whose body count from malnutrition and organized violence continues to grow. Against this background, it is not surprising that Haitians are seeking every means of escape from their homeland.

In desperate situations, criminals take advantage of the vulnerable. Thus, a brisk trade has begun in trafficking young Haitians – this time into the Caribbean. Evidence of this is the discovery by police in Guyana on November 7 of 26 Haitians, including 2 boys and 5 girls who were being transported to the Brazilian border by a human trafficking ring.

Both the OAS and CARICOM are obliged under their charters and declarations to call to account member states whose governments act unconstitutionally or take actions that violate the human, civil and political rights of their people.

The two organizations were active and vocal throughout the five-month impasse in the Guyana elections, from March to August this year, and afterwards. During that entire period, the constitutional and electoral situation in Haiti was worse. But not a word of condemnation of the Haitian presidency was uttered by either body.

Haitian president, Jovenel Moïse, has been running the country by decree with no elected parliament since 2019, amid accusations of corruption, protests and the deployment of the military which has been accused of atrocities.

The chair of CARICOM did publicly declare, in January 2020: “CARICOM is deeply concerned at the continuing unsettled political, economic, humanitarian and social situation in its Member State, Haiti. Indeed, we are particularly concerned about the several incidents of violence and the associated and tragic loss of life”. Since then, CARICOM said nothing more.

Yet, four months later, in its April 2020 update on Haiti, the World Food Programme said that almost four million Haitians need urgent food assistance, and that at least one million of those are suffering from severe hunger. President Moïse has been close-mouthed about the gangs that, according to the Miami’s Herald’s Jacqueline Charles (a Haitian expert), “have been on a rampage in poor neighbourhoods — kidnapping, raping and killing at will”.

An editorial in the Trinidad Express Newspaper pointed out on November 25, “The US position is particularly hypocritical in the context of its backing of Haitian president, who has been ruling by decree since dismissing parliament, and who continues to preside over unending human rights abuses and the rise of Tonton Macoute-style death squads.”

It is well known in the OAS that it is the US government that is principally behind no action on Haiti by the organization whose secretary-general, Luis Almagro, has been ardent in calling out other countries, particularly Venezuela and Nicaragua, on human rights. The US and the “Lima Group” of countries in the OAS have been dependent on Haiti’s vote to secure the bare majority needed to secure adoption for controversial resolutions against the Venezuelan and Nicaraguan governments. Hence, the suffering of the poor people of Haiti is ignored.

Whether by coincidence or cooperation, on the same day – October 29 – US Under Secretary of State, David Hale, and secretary-general Almagro urged Moïse to hold “overdue legislative elections as soon as possible”. Moïse has ignored them, continuing to operate with untrammelled power, including by making appointments of personal loyalists to key posts in violation of the Constitution which requires such appointments to be approved by the Senate.

Recently, he has appointed the Commander of the Armed Forces, the head of the Police Force, the Governor of the Central Bank, and the chairman of the National Credit Bank. The holders of these offices were all appointed without the senatorial ratifications required by the constitution. Consequently, they are not vested with the administrative and financial independence necessary to carry out their duties as guaranteed under the Constitution. They are instruments of the president, vulnerable to his sole dictates.

Unrest and violence continue as groups demonstrate against corruption and call for elections. The Police has been active in breaking up protests, reportedly shooting dead one protestor and injuring two more on November 18.

Even within the Police force, protestors exist. A secret group called “Fantom 509” has been actively protesting poor wages and conditions. The recently appointed Police Commissioner, Leon Charles, commanded his officers to confront and lock up colleagues who are “Fantom 509” members.

On Friday, October 30, president Moïse officially put the Constitution of Haiti “on hold”. He formed a committee, to “revise” the draft of a new constitution, which, reportedly, was drafted by persons appointed by him. In any event, the president has no authority to modify, reform or change the Constitution.

This unconstitutional behaviour is yet another dangerous threat to democracy and political stability in Haiti if it continues unchallenged. It violates both the Charter of the OAS and the Inter-American Democratic Charter. It is also inconsistent with the CARICOM Charter of Civil Society. At the very least, they should rebuke Moïse for his violations of the constitution.

It is unlikely that between now and January 20, when US president-elect Joe Biden assumes the presidency, that there will be any movement by the US government – by itself or in the OAS – to address the plight of the Haitian people. Nonetheless the OAS – and CARICOM within it – should act.

The Haitian people are not a political problem; they are human beings sadly and badly in need of a champion.

Haiti has cut malaria cases in half. Its successful efforts must continue | Opinion

By Marie Greta Roy Clement

November 02, 2020 04:53 PM,

COVID-19 has brought the world to a standstill, crippling global health systems and challenging political leaders to strengthen public-health infrastructure. As Haiti’s minister of health, I stand in solidarity with families who have lost loved ones and struggle with the severe damage this disease has inflicted.

Malaria Day in the Americas, observed on Nov. 6, underscores the urgent need to build more sustainable, resilient health systems in countries such as Haiti as we continue tackling one of the world’s most ancient diseases amid this unprecedented pandemic. Alarming recent research shows that pausing malaria prevention efforts in developing nations such as Haiti during COVID-19 will have deadly consequences. 

The fights against COVID-19 and malaria are one and the same.

Before a single case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Haiti, we developed a multi-sector action plan —now under way — to confront this outbreak. The plan reflects the strategic vision of the Haitian government to build on the community-outreach component of our health system to respond to deadly, infectious diseases. Consequently, initiatives to fight tuberculosis and HIV and, particularly to eliminate malaria, remain a priority in tandem with our COVID-19 response.

As a result, we have stepped up additional measures of communication with the public to prevent delays in the tracking, testing and treatment of each malaria case in urban and rural areas.

We have had dynamic technical and financial support from partners, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC Foundation, The Carter Center, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization and other “Malaria Zero” partners, and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund). As a result, we have made immense progress toward Haiti’s goal of eliminating malaria. 

Between 2010 to 2018, we cut cases of malaria in half, gathering viable data, identifying malaria hotspots and extending, through an effective community strategy, malaria diagnostic and treatment to communities that are difficult to access. This has allowed us to implement innovative interventions, such as indoor spraying and mass, targeted drug administration, which have helped prevent and significantly reduce transmission in endemic regions of the country. We have developed a more-robust disease surveillance system that lets us make rapid epidemiological decisions.

These successes in the fight against malaria given Haiti unprecedented opportunity to apply lessons learned to battling COVID-19, thanks to our heroic community health workers on the front lines. They sacrifice to ensure that their communities are safe and understand the dangers of deadly, preventable diseases. It is crucial to sustaining efforts to test, trace and treat those with malaria and COVID-19 while protecting front-line health workers. 

Haiti’s health officials and partners, with the support of The Global Fund, have adapted outreach measures to protect from COVID-19 those delivering and receiving malaria interventions. We must leave no one behind; everyone’s safety depends on it.

Martine Moïse, Haiti’s first lady, has played an influential role as president of The Global Fund’s Country Coordinating Mechanism. There, she works to ensure adequate protective resources reach health workers in their efforts to save lives. 

Economic hardships in Haiti prevent our population from easily exercising lifesaving measures during these challenging times. If health investments and partnerships stall, we’ll see damaging social and econonic effects. We must acknowledge that investments made to address diseases such as malaria in Haiti are matters of life and death.

We must step up the fight so that pregnant women in each community will receive life-saving bed nets to protect themselves and their unborn children from disease-carrying mosquitoes, and young children do not have to miss school because they lack access to malaria medication. These are the vulnerable voices that must be heard. They are the reason we must work to realize the vision of a malaria-free Haiti—and a malaria-free world.

Dr. Marie Greta Roy Clement is the minister of health to the Ministry of Public Health and Population in Haiti.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 25 novembre 2020

 USA-HAITI : HUMAN RIGHTS – PRESS FREEDOM – COMBAT CORRUPTION

Haiti Development, Accountability, and Institutional Transparency Initiative Act

This bill directs the Department of State to undertake specific initiatives to prioritize and assess (1) the protection and preservation of human rights in Haiti, (2) the promotion of press and assembly freedoms and the protection of journalists in Haiti, (3) efforts to combat corruption in Haiti, and (4) a strategy of post-disaster recovery and development efforts in Haiti. 

US BILL H.R. 5586 Regarding Haiti passed the House of Representatives (Nov. 18, 2020)

116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION

H. R. 5586

To measure the progress of recovery and development efforts in Haiti and the strength of democracy and rule of law in the country.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 13, 2020

Mr. JEFFRIES (for himself, Mrs. WAGNER, Mr. HURD of Texas, Mr. SPANO, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. HASTINGS, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. WALTZ, and Ms. LEE of California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

A BILL

To measure the progress of recovery and development efforts in Haiti and the strength of democracy and rule of law in the country.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Haiti Development, Accountability, and Institutional Transparency Initiative Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:

(1) On January 12, 2010, a massive earth-

quake struck near the Haitian capital city of Port- au-Prince, leaving an estimated 220,000 people dead, including 103 United States citizens, 101 United Nations personnel, and nearly 18 percent of the nation’s civil service, as well as 300,000 injured, 115,000 homes destroyed, and 1,500,000 people dis- placed.

(2) The Post Disaster Needs Assessment con- ducted by the Government of Haiti, the United Na- tions, the World Bank, the Inter-American Develop- ment Bank, and others estimated that damage and economic losses from the January 12, 2010, earth- quake totaled $7,804,000,000.

(3) The international community, led by the United States and the United Nations, mounted an unprecedented humanitarian response to the earth- quake in Haiti. Through 2018, more than $8 billion has been disbursed by donors. Since the 2010 earth- quake, the United States Government has disbursed more than $4,000,000,000 in recovery and develop- ment funding.

(4) On October 4, 2016, Hurricane Matthew struck southwestern Haiti on the Tiburon Peninsula, causing widespread damage and flooding and leaving

1.4 million people in need of immediate assistance.

The strongest storm to hit Haiti since Hurricane Cleo in 1964, 2.1 million people were directly af- fected by the hurricane.

(5) Recovery efforts continue almost 3 years after Hurricane Matthew made landfall in 2016. The World Bank estimates storm-caused losses and damages valued at 32 percent of 2015 Gross Domes- tic Product.

(6) Prior to both the earthquake and hurricane, Haiti registered among the lowest socioeconomic in- dicators and the second highest rate of income dis- parity in the world, conditions that have further complicated disaster recovery and resilience efforts.

(7) In June 2019, World Food Program re- ported that Haiti has one of the highest levels of chronic food insecurity in the world with more than half of its total population chronically food insecure and 22 percent of children chronically malnourished.

(8) In October 2010, an unprecedented out- break of cholera in Haiti resulted in over 800,000 reported cases and over 9,000 deaths to date. The Pan American Health Organization reported in 2018 that the cholera incidence rate in Haiti is 25.5 cases per 100,000.

(9) With United States assistance, almost

14,000 jobs have been created, largely in the apparel industry at the Caracol Industrial Park (in partner- ship with the Inter-American Development Bank, the Haitian government, and the private sector) in northern Haiti.

(10) Evidence suggests that people displaced by the 2010 earthquake and hurricanes in following years, especially Hurricane Matthew in 2016, still face displacement-related vulnerabilities today.

(11) On November 13, 2018, at least 59 people were shot and killed in the Port-au-Prince neighbor- hood of La Saline. After months of investigations, no one has been held responsible for the La Saline massacre.

(12) Since 2018, tens of thousands of Haitians have participated in a series of demonstrations de- manding accountability over government spending of Petrocaribe resources. In early 2019, the Haitian su- perior court of auditors released an investigation im- plicating high-level government officials in the mis- appropriation of funds.

(13) From August 2018 through February 2019, local human rights organizations reported that 64 Haitian citizens were killed in protests.

 (14) In 2019, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, five Haitian journalists have been shot while covering protests, including one who was killed. On September 23, 2019, Haitian Senator

Jean Marie Ralph F ́ethiere shot Associated Press photojournalist Chery Dieu-Nalio in the face after he exited his car and fired multiple shots near a crowd

of people surrounding him.

 (15) Economic growth in Haiti is projected to

drop below 1.5 percent this year. Inflation is estimated to be 15 percent and the local currency has depreciated by 30 percent in the past year. The government and parliament have failed to pass a budget for two years, preventing the International Monetary Fund and other multilaterals from disbursing millions in international assistance.

Midterm elections set for October 2019 did not take place and will leave President Moise ruling by decree after two-thirds of the Haitian Senate ex-pires in January 2020.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

It is the policy of the United States to support the sustainable rebuilding and development of Haiti in a manner that—

(1) embraces Haitian independence, self-reliance, sovereignty, democratic governance, and efficiency;

(2) promotes efforts that are led by and support the people and Government of Haiti at all levels so that Haitians lead the course of reconstruction and development of Haiti;

(3) encourages and assists the building of long term capacity for civil society in Haiti;

(4) fosters collaboration between the Haitian diaspora in the United States and the Haitian government;

(5) combats impunity and prioritizes delivering justice to victims of human rights abuses;

(6) ensures the protection and promotion of a free Haitian press;

(7) respects the sovereignty and individual liberty of Haitian citizens to peacefully demonstrate;

(8) demands increased transparency and heightens accountability among all branches of government, including through efforts to reduce corruption and address human rights concerns;

(9) assists and helps build community resilience to environmental and weather-related impacts; and

(10) promotes the holding of free, fair, and timely elections in accordance with democratic principles and the Haitian Constitution.

SEC. 4. ACTIONS TO HOLD LA SALINE SHOOTING PER- PETRATORS AND VIOLATORS OF HUMAN

RIGHTS IN HAITI ACCOUNTABLE.

(a) SECRETARY OF STATE PRIORITIZATION.—The Secretary of State shall prioritize the protection and preservation of human rights in Haiti by carrying out the fol- lowing initiatives:

(1) Fostering strong relationships with independent civil society groups focused on monitoring human rights concerns and promoting democracy in Haiti.

(2) Collaborating with Haitian government officials to ensure that human rights violators in Haiti are held accountable for their actions.

(3) Identifying corrupt public and private sector officials and violators of human rights in Haiti.

(4) Addressing concerns of perceived impunity for hostile orchestrators of the La Saline shooting. (b) STRATEGY.—

(1) ELEMENTS.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a detailed summary of the happenings on November 13, 2018, in the Port-au- Prince neighborhood Saline and a strategy for carrying out the initiatives described in subsection (a). The strategy shall include—

(A) a breakdown of how the massacre in La Saline related to mass protests occurring concurrently in the country;

(B) an analysis of the La Saline shooting reports authored by the United Nations, the European Union, and the Government of Haiti;

(C) a detailed description of all known ac- tors implicated in the shooting;

(D) an overview of efforts taken by the Haitian government to bring the orchestrators of the La Saline shooting to justice; and

(E) an assessment of the ensuing treat- ment and displacement of the La Saline shoot- ing survivors.
(2) CONSULTATION.—In devising the strategy

required under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consult with nongovernmental organizations in Haiti and the United States.

(1) ELEMENTS.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, shall submit to the appropriate congressists in Haiti.
(3) Supporting efforts to information in Haiti.
(4) Ensuring that threats perpetrators are held accountable.

(5) Developing increased against police violence. (b) ASSESSMENT.—

strengthen access to and attacks on jour- investigated and per-

protection measures

 (3) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The strategy required under paragraph (1) shall be made publicly available on the website of the Department of State.

SEC. 5. ACTIONS TO PROMOTE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND ASSEMBLY IN HAITI.

(a) PRIORITIZATION.—The Secretary of State shall prioritize the promotion of press and assembly freedoms as well as the protection of journalists in Haiti by carrying out the following initiatives:

(1) Advocating for increased protection of the press and freedom to peacefully assemble in Haiti. (2) Collaborating with government and non-government officials to increase security for journalists and the right to assembly in Haiti. The assessment shall include :

(A) a detailed description of all known attacks on journalists in the past 12 months;

(B) a description of protests in the past 12 months and an assessment of Haitian government response to each protest;

(C) a summary of the Haitian government’s efforts to increase protection for journalists; and

(D) a description of best practices the United States embassy can employ to promote press freedom and the freedom of expression in Haiti.
(2) CONSULTATION.—In devising the assess-

ment required under subsection (a), the Secretary of State shall consult with nongovernmental organizations in Haiti and the United States.

(3) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The assessment required under paragraph (1) shall be made publicly available on the website of the Department of State.

SEC. 6. ACTIONS TO COMBAT CORRUPTION IN HAITI.

(a) PRIORITIZATION.—The Secretary of State shall prioritize efforts to combat corruption in Haiti by carrying out the following initiatives:

(1) Identifying government and nongovernment officials known or alleged to have partaken in corrupt acts.

(2) Supporting the strengthening of a justice system independent of the executive branch.

(3) Ensuring that both government and non-government officials are held accountable for corrupt actions.

(4) Promoting and protecting nongovernment civil society groups monitoring institutionalized corruption in Haiti.

(5) Supporting demands for clarity and accountability in the Petrocaribe scandal.

(6) Strengthening institutional transparency and ensuring that Haitian government officials are not immune from prosecution.
(b) ASSESSMENT.—

(1) ELEMENTS.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees an assessment for combating institutional corruption in Haiti. The assessment shall include —

(A) an overview and detailed history of the Petrocaribe scandal, including an in-depth de- scription of former and current officials and businesses implicated in such scandal and the Haitian government response;

(B) a description of United States efforts to consult and engage with Haitian government officials to address growing allegations of cor- ruption within the Haitian government;

(C) an assessment of the extent of corruption, including embezzling state funds, an ac- count of steps needed to be taken to impose sanctions pursuant to the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 2656 note), and a list of government and non- government officials known or alleged to have partaken in such corruption; and

(D) a list of United States entities, including financial institutions with financial ties to alleged corrupt actors in Haiti.
(2) CONSULTATION.—In devising the assessment required under subsection (a), the Secretary of State shall consult with nongovernmental organizations in Haiti and the United States.
(3) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The assessment required under paragraph (1) shall be made publicly available on the website of the Department of State.

SEC. 7. ACTIONS TO ASSESS POST-EARTHQUAKE AND POST- HURRICANE RECOVERY AND DEVELOPMENT

EFFORTS IN HAITI.

(a) PRIORITIZATION.—The Secretary of State, in co- ordination with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, shall prioritize a strategy of post-earthquake and post-hurricane recovery and development efforts in Haiti by carrying out the following initiatives:

(1) Collaborating with the Haitian government to promote a detail-oriented and transparent development plan.

(2) Supporting the strengthening of local institutions through a post-earthquake and post-hurricane recovery and development planning.

(3) Assessing both the United States and the international community’s recovery and development efforts in Haiti over the past 10 years.

(4) Supporting disaster resiliency and reconstruction efforts.

,(1) an analysis of the sustainability of United States-financed projects, including the Caracol Industrial Park and supporting infrastructure;

(2) a breakdown of local procurement by year and a description of efforts to increase local procurement, including of food aid;

(3) a strategy to assign fixed quantitative and qualitative indicators to assess progress and bench-marks for United States initiatives focused on.

1  (5) Addressing underlying causes of poverty and inequality by providing health resources, access to clean water, food security, and shelter. Identifying and responding to long-term humanitarian needs caused by natural disasters and extreme poverty.

(b) ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter for two years, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, in coordination with the Secretary of State, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees an assessment on best practices to ensure efficient and transparent earthquake and hurricane recovery and development efforts in Haiti. The assessment shall include a description of United States efforts taken

to assist Haitian pursuits for free and fair democratic elections.

SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act the term ‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ means—

(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and

(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.