Jean Dominique and the Aristide Era

Jean Dominique spent his early career first educating farmers on how to be self-sufficient under the thumb of wealthy land-owners. He then went on to making two notable firsts in the broadcasting world, opening the first film club in Haiti as well as Radio Haiti, the first station to broadcast in Creole. He went on to have multiple run-ins with the Duvalier regiments and was exiled in New York until his return in the mid 80's when he became a member of the Lavalas party which won the 1990 election.

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A military coup upset the party's win just one year later and caused Dominique to flee the country in a self-imposed exile that lasted for the three years it took for Jean-Bertrand Aristide to return to power. After this time, Dominique's focus shifted towards corruption outside of the government, and his fight was now against companies like Pharval Laboratories, a pharmaceutical firm which caused the death of 60 children through contaminated cough syrup, and a former police chief turned senator, Dany Toussaint. His accusations against Toussaint, that he'd had a competitor for the seat of Secretary of State for Public Security killed, were met with attacks at Radio Haiti by Toussaint's supporters and numerous death threats allegedly sent through his lawyer.

In April 2000, while in the Radio Haiti courtyard, having just arrived, Dominique was shot in the chest 4 times by unknown assailants. The attack, which also left a guard dead, is widely believed to have inspired continued open violence against Haitian journalists, like the killing of Brignol Lindor.

Presidents René Préval and Jean-Bertrand Aristide gave public speeches against this type of violence and were vocal in condemning the murder of Jean Dominique. Recently, mandates of convocation have been sent to their homes summoning them to court

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Read more: jean dominique, Jean Bertrand Aristide, corruption, Coup D'Etat, death, child, Farming, Farmer, Lavalas, Dany Toussaint, Exile, Haitian Creole, Land, Pharval Laboratories, Contamination, Attack, People

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