And we can thank the US, France, Canada and especially the Haitian Armed Forces for making it happen.
Alan Pogue, a documentary photographer, has returned from a delegation to Haiti and his impressions are circulating on some Haiti listservs. Here are some snippets:
“I met with one hundred armed rebels in Cap Haitien who were running
a kidnapping and extortion racket. I met the French forces that denied that the rebels existed. I gave the French the street address of the rebels but they were not interested in doing anything about the problem. Not that I was surprised but it was fun catching them in a lie and showing their complicity with the armed murderers. The U.S. forces in Port-au-Prince have taken over the prison and are holding Haitians there but they won’t give out the names because they officially aren’t supposed to be arresting Haitians without the Haitian police being involved in the arrest. One Haitian police officer, who objected to the arrest of five men who hadn’t done anything, was killed by the Marines. Lavalas officials and supporters are in hiding. Haitian military officers who were in the Cedras government are back in the interim government. The “human rights ” groups CARLI and NCHR are acting as McCarthy-style black listing agencies. They are not interesting in anything other than smearing Lavalas. The idea that they might call for the arrest of Chamblain, Guy Philippe or Jean-Pierre Baptiste brought only laughter. Most Haitians would vote Aristide back in tomorrow if they could.”
“The main thing is that the Cedras and Duvalier people are back and that if they block the Lavalas party from participation in the political process then 90% of the Haitian people, those not part of “civil society” (as they self proclaim themselves), will be shut out of the electoral process. The interim government has two years to hold an election which means two years of harassment for the Lavalas party members. There will be a large meeting of Haitian progressive organizations in Port-au-Price from April 28th through May 1st and it will be important to see if they are allowed to meet and present there program to the interim government. “
“The NLG will continue to send delegations so that they can monitor the ability of true civil society to function, not just the rich and their organizations. The interim government cannot have any legitimacy if it appoints Cedras/junta people.”
