International

High-level talks are set to resume between Haiti and the Dominican Republic (DR) in January 2014. The DR had been reluctant to continue a second round of talks last year, due to criticism the DR has received from the international community on its High Court ruling back in September 2013 that would displace nearly a quarter of a million Dominican-Haitians.

CARICOM and President Martelly set an agenda, which would require the DR to develop a plan for regularization of Dominican-Haitian citizens to receive their identity documents as quickly as possible. Martelly and CARICOM wanted to see a plan in 90 days time. CARICOM suspended the DR's membership to send a message they needed to address the citizenship issue without delay.

Read more →  

The U.S. has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to Haiti's recovery, and is continuing its commitment ". . . to help all Haitians . . . chart a path toward greater peace, security, and prosperity." These were words spoken by former senator, John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State in Obama's administration, on Haiti's 210th anniversary as the first black-led republic in the world.

Kerry has a particular interest in Haiti, having worked with the Haitian Diaspora in his home state of Massachusetts. He considers the Diaspora an outstanding and dedicated community, who has risen to high positions in government, besides sending remittances to Haitians back home, accounting for millions of dollars supporting Haiti's economy.

Read more →  

Raul Castro, Cuba's current president, gave a speech on TV New Years' Day, also the 55th anniversary of Cuba's successful revolution. He declared Cuba would always remain committed to Haiti and its sovereignty from foreign rule. He referred to Haiti's establishment as a republic on January 4, 1804, and the beneficial effect it had on the Caribbean region, noting many Cubans are of Haitian descent.

Castro's speech drew a rousing response from the audience, who viewed his remarks as a veiled warning to the Dominican Republic (DR) Cuba sees the DR's High Court ruling of the disenfranchisement of Haitian descendents of illegal aliens living in the DR a threat to Haiti's stability.

Read more →  

The Haitian Consul General in Chicago, Lesly Condé, was quick to send out his Season's Greetings to those within the Haitian Diaspora in his area of Chicago. With well wishes for a Merry 2013 Christmas season and a message for a Happy 2014 New Year, the consul also toasted to the festivities of those friends of Haiti throughout the American Midwest.

Through his address to his audience, Condé also took the time to remind all that, while January 1st is easily recognized and celebrated as the start of the new year, Haitians at home and in the wider Diaspora were not to forget that it, and the following day, January 2nd, serve as prominent Haitian holidays in their own right, The 210th anniversary of the Haitian National Independence and Ancestors' Day respectively.

Read more →  

The Haitian President arrived in Washington yesterday (February 4th, 2014) to finally meet with the American President Barack Obama. He will spend 4 days there and is expected to meet some high level members of the American Government.

On Wednesday, he will meet Secretary of State John Kerry at the State Department, the "Congressional Black Caucus and in the evening will attend a dinner hosted by Senator Bill Nelson of Florida at the Hilton Hotel.

On Thursday, Martelly will meet the American President Barack Obama as well as the U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden.

Read more →  

Finish with the rumors that our President will never be at the White house in Washington D.C. President Michel Martelly will conduct his first official visit in Washington D.C. and officially meet President Barack Obama on Thursday, February 6, 2014.

No information on the upcoming meeting has been released by the White House.

After being in office for almost three year without meeting Barack Obama officially, many people have been wondering whether there was a message on this. The two leaders finally shook hands recently in South Africa, at Nelson Mandela Funeral.

Read more →  

The government of Haiti (GOH) is maintaining a stance to avoid applying sanctions against the Dominican Republic (DR) for its High Court ruling to displace up to 250,000 Haitians of illegal immigrants. The DR is willfully withholding identity documents for Haitians born in the DR, retroactive to 1929.

The GOH delayed its response to the ruling, but has finally come forward to say it wishes to maintain close ties with the DR. However, CARICOM has suspended the DR's membership in the regional Caribbean body. CARICOM will consider reabsorbing the DR if a bi-lateral commission can resolve the issue of the deportation of Haitians. In response, the DR has refused to continue discussions with Haiti since their suspensation from CARICOM.

Read more →  

Allegations the government of Haiti (GOH) has been misappropriating PetroCaribe funds has been hotly refuted by Pedro Antonio Canino Gonzales, Venezuela's Ambassador to Haiti. The charges come from the World Bank Envoy to Haiti, Mary Barton-Dock. She alleges the GOH has not made sufficient disclosures as to where and what projects the PetroCaribe funds go to.

The Venezuelan government established the Petro Caribe cabal to give member countries discounted rates and flexible repayment schedules, when buying oil from Venezuela. This arrangement permits users of PetroCaribe to amass funds for social improvement projects to create employment opportunities and steady economic growth.

Read more →  

I have it up to my mouth with the Dominican Republic. Here is the latest. According to the economist and Dominican ambassador Hugo Guilliani Cury, "Haiti is a failed State and as such creates serious problems for the Dominican Republic"' that "Democracy does not work in failed States like Haiti"

Do you want to hear where it becomes more interesting?

He proposed that the donor States create a "partnership for development" and I assume that he sees the Dominican republic as on of such partners.

Mwen ginyin ra dyol ak Dominikin sa yo ki panse ke peyiyo tres byen et ke tout problem yo se paske you patage ti zile sa avek Ayiti.