Past, Prologue — colonized Haiti

Edited by Carolyn Bennett

The editor of Haiti Liberté spoke today with Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman. This is some of what came out of the interview with Kim Ives on Haiti.

Unrelenting poverty, misery, unrelenting occupation

Haiti is the only militarily occupied nation in the Western hemisphere.

Haiti (occupied, its vast areas ill-equipped, lacking necessary infrastructure) suffers doubly the results of a devastating earthquake

More than a million (1.3 million) Haitians still live under tents and tarps.

Cholera has killed close to 4,000 Haitians

Haiti’s horizon sees no end to misery, poverty

In the face of horrendous, historical, preventable misery and poverty, the United States of America concerns itself with “how to put a façade” [cover up, camouflage, pig lipstick] on U.S. and international subjugation of the poorest, most heavily occupied place on the planet.

Past, present, prologue

International community threatens another Haitian head of state with exile — President René Préval

“[Apparently] there was even a meeting … a meeting where they [foreigners] were actually discussing how to get a plane to ship [President] Préval out. After bowing to U.S. and French and Canadian dictates over the past decade, Préval is now finding out that once he begins to resist a little bit or try to do something his way — he’s going to be quickly dispensed with.” Taken out. Deposed. Dispatched. Or worse.

The Organization of American States is ordering Préval to change the results of the November 28 election.

Haitians are demanding annulment of the recent forced, earthquake-conditions, “completely bogus election.”

Nevertheless, two neo-Duvalierist candidates are positioned to take power, and a despot comes home to ‘help’ his country. Twenty-five years after fleeing Haiti for having committed high crimes against the people of Haiti, former dictator (and son of a dictator), Jean-Claude (Baby Doc) Duvalier returns. Duvalier left Haiti amidst protests in 1986 after a 15-year regime marked by corruption and torture and killing of his political opponents.

Haiti Liberté editor Kim Ives said on Democracy Now, “We think Duvalier’s arrival” — this symbol of the old guard that left power 25 years ago — intends to reinforce international “pressure on Préval and … rally the [old-line] Duvalierist base.”

Sources and notes
“Did Baby Doc Duvalier Return to Haiti to Pressure Préval in the Election?” January 19, 2010, http://www.democracynow.org/2011/1/19/did_baby_doc_duvalier_return_to
Journalist Kim Ives is editor of Haiti Liberté, http://www.haiti-liberte.com/default.asp
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