HAITI: DEATH IN DAYLIGHT
ANY ORDINARY EVENT CAN GO TO HELL IN HAITI Last week some might have thought red shirted devils had entered a soccer stadium in Gran Ravin-Martissant, but it was political opponents of Aristide and Lavalas who swung the blades that slaughtered up to fifty people in broad daylight. Haiti is far closer to the United States than Iraq, but the fires of hell burn there far closer to our belly.
THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT SUPPORTED the overthrow of Aristide not too long ago. Now only chaos rules. Gangs run the streets. Who will run the country will be decided in an upcoming election.
[HAITI ACTION] Dredging up fearsome memories of days thought to have gone by forever, eyewitnesses here in Port-Au-Prince have portrayed an unbelievable massacre-by-machete/hatchet rampage by red-shirted killers, backed up by the Haitian National Police (PNH), of up to 50 victims on Aug. 21 at a soccer field in Gran Ravin-Martissant. This summary, extra-legal execution follows similar type massacres in Bel Air and Solino earlier this month. This time the killings were done in plain daylight in front of and involving 5000 soccer fans, an incredibly bold assault by Haitian police and their civilian accomplices in the presence of troops from MINUSTAH. As has been the case this entire past year, the "targets" in Saturday's massacre, were all identified as "bandits", "Lavalas" scum (Rat pa caca). [MORE]
'"BANDITS" IS THE LABEL GIVEN to Aristide supporters so law enforcement officials can take action against them. The pity in Haiti is that Aristide supporters have responded with violence as well. What we are witnessing is not revolution, but devolution.
[FACTESQUE] Haiti Primer [FREIHEIT UND WISSEN]
Hey :) I added you to the list of Haiti blogs. Sorry I didn't do it the first time around. I used the link to the IN OUR SPHERE posts.
Posted by: eRobin | August 27, 2005 at 10:48 AM
I really like your blog.
Its disgusting that the United States has caused the deaths in Haiti along with all the other problems the people there are suffering. Our media never reports about any of this. They are too busy telling us how much we love Iraqi and how we are freeing them and giving them democracy.
Posted by: Scarlett | August 27, 2005 at 11:23 AM
Devolution is right, Heretik. Clearly many people benefit from breeding chaos, our administration included.
What a mess. Do you know if this is getting any coverage in Europe? Or are they as clueless as we are? This is exactly the sort of situation the UN could, and should, intervene in. As if that will happen...
Posted by: Kate | August 27, 2005 at 12:39 PM
Kate, the UN is already in Haiti aiding and abetting the evil. In some instances UN forces act alone, in others they act in partnership with local police and militia.
Posted by: The Heretik | August 27, 2005 at 12:56 PM
I should have guessed, Heretik. They have not been much better in Africa. My friend Rebecca leaves for Nigeria on Tuesday. She's going on a Fulbright to study youth violence and religion. She's worked with MSF for eight years in Sierra Leone, Angola, Congo, Nigeria, and a handful of other countries. She told me that in Nigeria villagers starting calling men with guns "sobels": they could have been soldiers, they could have been rebels. It made no difference. They were all the same.
Posted by: Kate | August 27, 2005 at 03:57 PM
Africa is a really sad case. Take Niger for example. The United States used this poor country just sell a war based on fake documents. So much for uranium...the people of Niger don't even have food survive.
Posted by: Agi T. Prop | August 27, 2005 at 06:11 PM