Aristide's statement.

international | politics / elections | news report

Sunday March 07, 2004 14:48

by jean baptiste Aristide. - former democratically elected liberation theologist presidents of a small republic

Africa.

Being lesson 2 of the Haiti intermediate Guide.

Published for world consumption March 6th 2004.
Aristide Details Last Moments In Haiti, Calls For Stop To Bloodshed In First Address To Haitian People From Exile

"In overthrowing me, they have uprooted the trunk of the liberty. It will grow back because its roots are many and deep." In the shadow of Toussaint L'Ouverture, the genius of the race. I declare in overthrowing me they have uprooted the trunk of the tree of peace, but it will grow back because the roots are L'Ouverturian.

Dear compatriots, it is with these first words that I am saluting our brothers and sisters from Africa, while I am standing on the soil of the Central African Republic. Allow me to salute you by repeating that same declaration that is, "In overthrowing me, they have uprooted the trunk of the tree of peace." During the night of the 28th of February 2004, there was a coup d'etat. One could say that it was a geo-political kidnapping. I can clearly say that it was terrorism disguised as diplomacy. To conclude, this coup d'etat and this kidnapping are like two quarters and 50 cents side by side.

I have always denounced the coming of this coup d'etat, but until the 27th of February, the day before, I didn't see that the crime was going to be accompanied by kidnapping as well. The 28th of February, at night, suddenly, American military personnel who were already all over Port-au-Prince descended on my house in Tabarre to tell me first that all the American security agents who have contracts with the Haitian government only have two options. Either they leave immediately to go to the United States, or they fight to die. Secondly, they told me the remaining 25 of the American security agents hired by the Haitian government who were to come in on the 29th of February as reinforcements were under interdiction, prevented from coming. Thirdly, they told me the foreigners and Haitian terrorists alike, loaded with heavy weapons, were already in position to open fire on Port-au-Prince. And right then, the Americans precisely stated that they will kill thousands of people and it will be a bloodbath. That the attack is ready to start, and when the first bullet is fired nothing will stop them and nothing will make them wait until they take over, therefore the mission is to take me dead or alive.

At that time I told the Americans that my first preoccupation was to save the lives of those thousands of people tonight. As far as my own life is concerned, whether I am alive or whether I am dead, that is not what's important. As much as I was trying to use diplomacy, the more the pressure was being intensified for the Americans to start the attack. In spite of that, I took the risk of slowing down the death machine to verify the degree of danger, the degree of bluff or the degree of intimidation.

It was more serious than a bluff. The National Palace was surrounded by white men armed up to their teeth. The Tabarre area -- the residence -- was surrounded by foreigners armed to their teeth. The airport of Port-au-Prince was already under the control of these men. After a last evaluation I made during a meeting with the person in charge of Haitian security in Port-au-Prince, and the person in charge of American security, the truth was clear. There was going to be a bloodbath because we were already under an illegal foreign occupation which was ready to drop bodies on the ground, to spill blood, and then kidnap me dead or alive.

That meeting took place at 3 a.m. Faced with this tragedy, I decided to ask, "What guarantee do I have that there will not be a bloodbath if I decided to leave?"

In reality, all this diplomatic gymnastics did not mean anything because these military men responsible for the kidnapping operation had already assumed the success of their mission. What was said was done. This diplomacy, plus the forced signing of the letter of resignation, was not able to cover the face of the kidnapping.

From my house to the airport, everywhere there were American military men armed with heavy weapons of death. The military plane that came to get me landed while the convoy of vehicles that had come to get me was near the tarmac at the airport. When we were airborne, nobody knew where we were going. When we landed at one place nobody knew where we were. Among us on the plane was a baby of one of my American security agents who has a Haitian wife. They could not get out. We spent four hours without knowing where we were. When we got back in the air again, nobody knew where we were going.

It was not until 20 minutes before we landed in the Central African Republic that I was given the official word that this is where we would be landing. We landed at a French Air Force base but fortunately there were 5 ministers from the government who came to welcome us on behalf of the President there.

We know there are people back home who are suffering, who are being killed, who are in hiding. But we also know that back home there are people who understand the game, but will not give up because if they give up, instead of finding peace, we will find death.

Therefore, I ask that everyone who loves life to come together to protect the lives of others. I ask everyone who does not want to see bloodshed to come together so that it is life that flourishes instead of blood that has been spilled, or bodies falling. I know it's possible that all Haitians who live in the tenth department [Haitians living abroad] understand what tragedy lies hidden under the cover of this coup d'etat, under the cover of this kidnapping. I know and they know if we stand in solidarity we will stop the spread of death and we will help life flourish. The same thing that happened to a President who was democratically elected can happen at any time, in any other country too. That's why the solidarity is indispensable to protect a democracy that works together with life.

The constitution is the source of this life. It's the guarantee of the life. Let's stand together under the constitution in solidarity so that it is life that unfolds, and that it is peace that flourishes and not death as we are seeing it. Courage, courage, courage! From where I am with the First Lady, we have not forgotten what Toussaint L'Ouverture has said, and that's why we saluted all of Africa with his words, and we are saluting all Haitians everywhere with the conviction that the roots of the tree of peace, with the spirit of Toussaint L'Ouverture inside, are alive. They can cut the tree as they have done with the machete of the coup d'etat, but they cannot cut the roots of peace. It will sprout again because it has the spirit of Toussaint L'Ouverture inside.

**********************************************
Vive Toussaint L'Ouverture!

You as readers have been subject to lie, manipulation and distortion in the last week which has had disinformative deep resonance effect. We will not allow this to happen again as much as we may possibly resist this distortion of our global network.
***********************************************
background on indymedia ireland:-
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=63354&search_text=haiti

save preference

Comments (16 of 16)

New world order

by Vernon Hegarty - splinters

Mon Mar 08, 2004 15:57

Get used to it - for anyone who may have doubted it, the US is crassly, openly flouting its policies of 'regime change' in our world. Haiti is just the latest. The cost in lives is horrendous, but US citizens either dont know or dont care. They need to wake up.

oh yes. new world order.

by iosaf

Mon Mar 08, 2004 17:56

been around for a while, most minds are still playing it on version 1, and to be honest the upgrades and patches don't really offer the gamer a better experience, though the graphics and soundtrack improvements are worthy of comment and praise. Our focus group of gamers, found the response rate sluggish and the cheat codes, well the cheat codes seem to have been tampered with.

President JP. Aristide has continued in his new found rôle, to address the viewers, listeners and readers of the former Apartheid state of South Africa this last weekend and today. He has issued a statement through the state TV network that he shall continue in his role as _legitimate president of Haiti_.

http://iafrica.com/news/sa/

These latest statements have naturally been well reported in the mainstream media. The Spanish national news agency "EFE", have counterpointed Aristide's statements with news that a journalist working for that organisation who yesterday was victim of a vicious attack is recieving full legal and other support. Of course, this is an issue in Spain, as in the recent war on Iraq, several Spanish Journalists were killed.

The South African State TV network has of course been subject of criticism in the past,
"Once-demonized politicians like African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela appear regularly on the air, and talk shows include representatives of South Africa's broad political spectrum, from communists to neo-Nazis. "We believe we're reporting in a fair and equitable manner," says SABC board chairman Christo Viljoen.

This story though will be covreed on indymedia and allied networks as well.
C/f
http://southafrica.indymedia.org
or background & trace:
http://southafrica.indymedia.org/news/2004/03/5478.php

You will notice that South Africa imc need financial help to keep their centre from being evicted, and indeed a previous issue of Printlfare will have brought that to your attention. Irish links with South Africa are well known, and we have no need to list the long association of groups at both micro and macro level between our countries.

death squads

by Dunn

Mon Mar 08, 2004 18:20

so does this mean that Aristide's death squads are to be replaced by someone else's? nector vo

well, often legitimate presidents in exile in sensitive african states don't do that type of thing.

by O-)

Mon Mar 08, 2004 18:40

Though pre-deposing they get up to all types of terribly things, which sometimes de-legitimises them for a short while, and people go running around saying "oh so and so must go!", but then they get all maleable and you know _say the right things_.
It is very important to remind the politician that he/she is expected to lose as well as win.
That's why they invented us. That's a joke, they didn't invent us @ all.

joke?

Mon Mar 08, 2004 18:50

they didnt invent us? how disappointing - it was so comforting to think that they had

by eeekkk

Mon Mar 08, 2004 22:42

by eeekk

Mon Mar 08, 2004 22:54

Above collage courtesy of JMCK on another thread.

Reflections from the ground & Article: Haiti's brutal history largely of our (US) making

by Damien Moran

Mon Mar 08, 2004 23:14

I spent 3 months in Haiti around this time three years ago. When Arisitide's inauguration was expected widescale violence from the Democratic Convergence (Opposition), but it did not transpire. Recent contact from a US missionary priest working in Port-au-Prince's most deprived area, Cite Soleil, gives one a succint though general insight into Haiti's status over the last few weeks.
Fr. Rick Frachette commented that 'Haiti is always in chaos. On top of this chaos we recently witnessed a critical situation. We are now sinking back towards the chaos'. Fr. Rick works in a in/outpatient clinic in this heavily armed and dangerous slum region with the Brothers of Charity who also run a primary school adjoining the 'hospital' (in quotation marks as they rarely have sufficient medicine or personnel to deem the title).
By the few accounts i have heard from the ground Aristide still enjoys much support, in particular from the most deprived.

The economic elite, who have traditionally being defended by the army, since it was set up by the US during their 1915-1934 occupation, combined with the rebel leaders - Guy Phillipe (alleged drug trafficker and known for police brutality after army was disbanded in '95), Louis Jodel Chamblain (who is causing much concern amongst all sides due to his second-in -command leadership role in the '91-'94 FRAPH Deathsquads), and Jean Tatoune,FRAPH veteran and convicted of Gonaives massacre in '94 - are expected to effectively become puppets for corporate cheap labour exploitation, controlled drug trafficking, rapid silencing of dissent from 'les pauvres' (unfortunately already not graced by Aristides electoral promise, 'Lape nan tete, Lape nan vant[Peace in the mind, Peace in the stomach], due to economic strangulation from Western powers aid veto of $400million).

Western media of Phillipe exalted on shoulders are not a fair reflection of the Haitians support for Aristide. Sure, they are annoyed he has not delivered the goods, but they are wise enough to realise the opposition and rebel leaders have opened a can of worms for Haiti to play host once again to Baby Doc and his brigade.
He has announced his return already.

It is important for us to send forward reports we deem more trustworthy and connected to the ordinary suffering Haitians needs. The Haiti Support Group are a good resource for such information as is Indymedia. Iosaf has done excellent work thusfar. Well done.

I pray and hope Haiti will very soon, once and for all, begin the journey towards peace and justice: in the mind, and in the stomach.

The following is well worth a speed read.
Sorry couldn't find link on Haiti Support Network website:

Haiti's brutal history largely of our making

Nick Coleman
Star Tribune, 7 March 2004

In 1992, Antoine Izmery sent me grisly autopsy photographs of the
bullet-riddled corpse of his dead brother and begged me - an acquaintance - to
tell
Americans the truth about Haiti. By the time I did, he had been murdered, too.

The Izmerys were descendants of Palestinian Christians who immigrated to
Haiti in the early 1900s. Wealthy merchants, they were early supporters of
Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the Catholic priest and champion of the poor who had
been the
victor in Haiti's first democratic election, upsetting a U.S.-backed favorite.

But their ties to Aristide, who was denounced in Washington, D.C., as a
leftist, made the Izmerys marked men. Within two years after Aristide was
overthrown in a military coup, both Antoine and Georges Izmery were martyred.

Today, democracy in Haiti is dead with them, strangled by an American
government that can send 200,000 troops to the other side of the world to
overthrow a
dictator but didn't lift a finger to save a democratic leader next door.

There is much ignorance and misinformation about Haiti, and the U.S. news
media have done a lazy job of explaining events there. It may be a waste of time
to write anything about the cruelly impoverished country that lives in
America¹s shadow and suffers greatly from our indifference (not to mention from
the
effects of a brutal American takeover from 1915 to 1934).

But I can¹t stop remembering Antoine Izmery.

I met him in Port-au-Prince in 1991, shortly after Aristide had become
president. Back then, hope was alive in Haiti - hope for a new start after 34
years
of the despotism of the Duvaliers, father and son, who remained close allies
of the United States, even as they murdered 50,000 of their citizens.

Despite that long, cozy relationship with the United States, Izmery told me,
Haiti was "worse off than any Communist country."

It still is: Average annual income for Haiti¹s population of 8 million? $480
a year. Average life span? Men 49, women 50. In one of the poorest and most
malnourished places on Earth, Haiti's misery is a scandal that should trouble
our conscience. But we have no conscience. If we did, we would have done
everything we could to save democracy in Haiti. Instead, the United States has
stood
idly by and watched democracy die. And that's the best-case interpretation.
Some believe we held the gun that killed it.

It was CIA-supported thugs who overthrew Aristide after only seven months in
office in September 1991. The Clinton administration - in that brief interlude
of American support for democratic-elected governments - helped restore
Aristide three years later. But not before 4,000 people had died.

Including the Izmerys.

Georges was gunned down by a hit man who disappeared into a police station
after shotgunning him outside Antoine¹s office on May 26, 1992. On the day of
the funeral, the cops - and in Haiti, that word isn't much different than
criminals - beat up the mourners. Sixteen months later, on Sept. 11, 1993,
Antoine
was at a memorial service for the anniversary of a 1988 massacre in which thugs
had burst into a church where Aristide was saying mass and hacked and shot 11
worshipers to death.

This time, they came for Antoine Izmery. They came into the church where he
was praying, dragged him out onto the street, and blew out his brains. A
picture of it was in your newspaper.

He was 46.

The media don't tell us much about the truth of Haiti because we aren't
interested and, besides, it is unpatriotic to question our government these
days.
We are busy waving the flag and building freedom around the world. Except next
door, in Haiti, where the guys carrying guns and smashing furniture are the
same guys who were convicted, in absentia, for killing Antoine Izmery.

Keep in touch with developments in Haiti by signing up to the Hait Support Group Newsletter.
www.haitisupport.gn.apc.org

______________________________________________

Whose making?

by =#_-

Mon Mar 08, 2004 23:37

"our (US) making" ??
We are not part of the US (yet), despite the wishful thinking of ignorant Fianna Fail backwoodsmen.
The above is what happens when you cut-&-paste some of your material from a US site.

Dear !*-%€€€€$$$$$$

Tue Mar 09, 2004 00:17

Chill out cynic. Just the title of the article. Should be clear enough. Reply with something productive. Don't forget to add !*-%€€€€$$$$$$ to ur anonymity the next time you post.

Clarification & Proposal

Tue Mar 09, 2004 00:44

Article adjoined to the above posting by myself was included for reasons of keeping those interested updated . I deliberately and specifically determined 'our' as 'US' to clarify the author's background (and felt it best not to tamper with the original title )and distinguish from 'our' as being the correctly presumed 'Irish'. Link would have been more appropriate but felt the article is well worth a read.

Website's newsletter can be accessed from going to the below link.
See the Haiti Support Group web site:
www.haitisupport.gn.apc.org
Haiti Support Group have worked in
Solidarity with the Haitian people's struggle for justice, participatory
democracy and equitable development, since 1992
If one wishes to issue concern to Brian Cowen at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Ireland, his desk can be reached at:
[email protected]

2015 1315181514

Tue Mar 09, 2004 02:36

What is it with you cw people? Anyone who raises a minor quibble is automatically denounced as being in the pay of the establishment (on either side of the Atlantic). You are a tad oversensitive. Save your barbs for those who support the war.
And do try to get the name right!

Aristide's lawyers have confirmed

by wednesday yes it's

Wed Mar 10, 2004 12:58

to EFE, ASP, and Reuters, the BBC and now *you* that they will sue France for not doing the right things in the immediate lead up to the end of the begining of this latest chapter in the long line of chapters of Haitian history.

If 2003 was the year of Saddam Hussein,
then it seems surprise surprise 2004 may become the year of Aristide.
:-)

Aristide Year continued:-

by making sure I remember all the stitches.

Wed May 12, 2004 20:00

"Despite making the transition to democracy, Haiti still needs help from the world"

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Monday 3 May 2004.

Don't you hate them?
Aren't they really the most galling, stupid, blatently dishonest shower of thieving, warmongering, lying, manipulating, bastards to ever cobble together a cabal of dixie, nazis, oil billionaires and drug peddlers ever?
Or do you want these "transitions to democracy to go on" ???

Come on now please.
be you Lefty or Conservative,
Rich or Poor, be you a believer or not,
be you mad or sane.
Come on Now.

More than a year ago we used to pepper our indignation and horror and disgust with Latin Quotations.

Then a year ago we started thinking we'll play the same silly games of lies and lies and lies and everyone will cop on.

And now?
Come On Now Please.
For a regime as illegitimate, as incapable as dangerous to the security and sanity of our little planet has never existed before.

Come On Now Please.
Mr Darling Bertie Ahern Taoiseach of Ireland,

if you got the right people to say the right things, if you got the right people to do the right things, in these horrible days we live in, you'd get a bullet in the head or a heart attack or one of those dodgy airplanes.
So I sort of understand why the right people aren't saying the right things. But COME ON NOW PLEASE! if you get the right people to say the right things, you'll be a crossborder, cross community, international martyr.
We'll have ballads written, statues erected, and you'll be canonised quicker than you can say Mammy Theresa of Calcutta.
& your immortal soul as well as billions of lives would be safe.

http://www.haiti-info.com/
http://www.haitipressnetwork.com/

and France (god I know they're as bad the rest but man after two years @ this, who the fuck is left? china???) on the previsioned return to democracy "the transition" which fingers crossed we all hope oh yeah will happen in 2005. mr. PoWell.

http://www.haiti-info.com/article.php3?id_article=1889

as Haiti polls tomorrow

Mon Feb 06, 2006 15:24

Aristide is in silence in South Africa.

"If there are grounds to think that he's being constrained, it makes sense because he's here at the indulgence of the South African government," said John Stremlau, head of Witwatersrand university's international relations department. - "The normal rule of thumb is that you don't allow any political activity (by an asylum-seeker),"

background on indymedia ireland:-
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=63354&sea...haiti

I'll explain it in the Sunday papers "house arrest" edition.
which is very late. probably haven't noticed that. Blame denmark.

& why should the international conference suggested by Sarkozy not wish to see Aristide return???

Sat Jan 16, 2010 21:43

I'm pinging this article because it contains the final declarations by JP Aristide whose regime (or better or worse) was overthrown (most plausibly and quite deniably) by the USA, CIA, US SOUTHCOM & Dixie in 2004. The words above quoted Toussaint L'Ouverture a hero of the age when republics were born & their throats cut in the crib, in the last days on social networks (facebook) I've noticed people discover not only Toussaint L'Ouverture but also that same quotation.

it's fighting stuff.

Yesterday, JP Aristide announced he would like to return to Haiti to play a part in the reconstruction (?)[sic] of his country...................He's been in South Africa as an exile and political asylum bod for over half a decade now................ Before he got there he did short stops in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic enjoying Carribean culture with an English and Spanish language twist of imperialistic heritiage.

The process which led to the shite hitting the fan of Haiti's infrastructure and social cohesion not to mention ability to build earthquake resistant houses or employ emergency services capable of dealing with anything between 4.5 and 7.8 on the richter scale at least at first aid level was explained by me just one month short of 6 years ago at this article :-
haiti "a beginners guide" http://www.indymedia.ie/article/63354?search_text=haiti

_____________________________________________________________________________

That process did not stop.

& if you live
*on or near a tectonic fault line,
*or near the shore of hurricanes,
*or between or even on a dormant but active volcano (like many Mexicans)
* or in the path of locusts

you should know somethings are unalterable :

The natural disaster will come. It is not a random wild card or ghost in the algorhythm of geopolitical analysis or longterm imperialistic machination - it is rather a given constant.

So as cry for help for Haiti and her people because now it's mother nature rather than the capitalist system which has sent them to an early grave - shouldn't we think how best the place could be reconstructed & argue well that a continuation of the securo/narco/state fudge is not the way?

As Fidel Castro wrote in his reflection published in Thursday's edition of Granma - "we have an opportunity now to right all the wrongs of Haiti."

Does that mean the US being given the ports and airports?
Does that mean the Spanish state bailing out the IT infrastructure of a state which really doesn' work?
Does that mean the French state underwriting the bank balances?

Does it mean Aristide can't go back even if he wants to?

Make no mistake, almost all Europeans in the disaster zone have been found now.
They are extracted - safe - on planes home - will have bad dreams - appear on telly - maybe write books.

But not one European citizen ended up a body in pile manipulatively termed a barricade in the centre of streets which didn't have sanitation before the quake.

what would touissant l'ouverture say?

Number of comments per page

Upcoming Events

New Events

Other Press

User Preferences

Feeds

Blog Feeds

Anti-Empire

The Saker

Public Inquiry

Human Rights in Ireland

Aristide's statement.

Comments (16 of 16)