jamaica - Haiti Observer Blog

The former Prime Minister of Jamaica, P J Patterson has cried shame on the United Nations and their recent invocation of their right to legal immunity after the deaths of thousands of Haitians from a cholera outbreak caused by UN aid workers on site in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.

The decision by the UN, announced weeks ago by the Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, has been met with censure by many as the organization, in taking this step after a suit was filed against them, has denied the families of the thousands who have suffered any claim to damages sustained from the epidemic.

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Charles Riviere-Herard seized power as Haiti's 5th president in 1843, after staging a coup. His reason was the amended 1843 Constitution, passed without his knowledge. Hérard ruled for one year, plagued by two civil uprisings, and failure to repossess the Dominican Republic (DR) as part of Haiti's empire.

During the battle to re-establish Haitian rule over the DR, insurgents were gathering in rural Les Cayes. Known as the Army of the South, they fought to capture Port-au-Prince in a coup attempt. But they did not succeed. In the meantime, another uprising was fomenting in northern Haiti, incited by opposition to Charles Riviere-Herard's government. Confronted with the latest effort to unseat him from office, he tried to maintain control by breaking up Parliament and banning the amended 1843 Constitution. After dissolution of his government, he fled from office and exiled himself to Jamaica where his life ended.

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Tourism in the Caribbean has been happening since before Haiti became a republic in 1804. In the beginning, the very rich traveled to the Caribbean to experience the benefits of its health resorts, some of which offered hot springs. Tourists chose which of the islands they favored according to the official language spoken: The English preferred Jamaica; the French, French Martinque; and the Dutch, Curaçao.

As the Caribbean grew to be a tourist destination in the 60s, international airlines began offering non-stop flights. This changed the character of the tourist profile, which had been only the wealthy, but now became middle-class as well. Once the hospitality and tourism industries saw the potential for big profits in the Caribbean, they began investing in the region.

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Faustin-Élie Soulouque was ushered into office as Haiti's 9th President in 1847. He was installed by advocates of the Boyerist movement as a figurehead ruler. But he soon rebelled, staging a coup against his supporters and turning his government into a dictatorship. Faustin ensured his totalitarian rule through devotion of a citizen militia, and finally persuaded Parliament to crown him Emperor of Haiti in 1849.

As emperor Faustin-Élie Soulouque ruled with a centralist government and created a black nobility with dukes, marquis, counts, barons, and nobles of lower rank. He formed military, civil, and religious orders, and created a Royal Academy of Art.

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Minister Stéphanie Villedrouin continues her 2013 push to free Haiti from international aid through tourism. Remembering president Martelly's opening speech at the Caribbean Community's (Caricom) 24th Intersessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of State and Government, in which he called the tourism industry a key sector and stressed its potential and importance in driving the country's economic growth, Villedrouin spoke of the need for a Caribbean airline.

She highlighted that travel would be easier to destinations other than Haiti or Jamaica, citing the Dominican Republic, with whom the government wishes to create a multi-destination package, as one such country to benefit. While this plan may seem counter-productive to driving tourism to Haiti, it would make it easier for visitors to neighbouring islands to take sojourns to the country that may have been too cumbersome before.

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In Haiti, there are a lot of false ideas related to security in comparison to the rest of the Caribbean. It is felt that the rate of homicides is high which alarm everyone.

Effect Of Giving Importance To Homicides
Fed up with this kind of information, the opposition makes claims regarding the instability of the government in ensuring safety to organizations related to human rights as well as citizens of Haiti. The recent warnings being updated by Canada and the United Statese, only create a further bad impression.

A lot of importance has been given to homicides so much so that everyone seems convinced of the same. In such a condition where security is not guaranteed, it is difficult to develop the tourism sector which prevents business development.

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The past few years have been very promising for the island country of Haiti, despite the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that occurred about three years ago. It is actually one of the fastest growing economies in the region, thanks to the recent efforts of the Haitian government and the international community.

In a recent report published by the United Nation's Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Haiti will be the leading and fastest-growing economy in the Caribbean in terms of GDP growth which is projected to increase by 6% by the year 2013. It was also supposed to be at the number one spot for 2012 with an initial estimate of 6% growth earlier in the year, but was decreased to a 2.5% growth by the ECLAC, as well as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), due to the bad effects of the major storms that hit the country this past year. Back in 2011, Haiti's GDP grew by 5.6%.

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GB Group has become the first multinational company in Haiti to have over 360 service stations. This happened when the Haiti-based company's Energy division acquired Chevron's fuels marketing and aviation businesses. The acquisition involves the businesses in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica's St. Maarten.

Under the acquisition deal, the GB Group now has control over some 220 retail service stations that Texaco Brand operates. The deal also involves airport refueling operations and fuel terminals.

GB Group chairman Gilbert Bigio welcomed the deal, calling it an "important milestone." He added that the acquisition is a huge part of the company's plans to develop the local market, as well as grow globally. The transaction really goes well with GB Group's goals and vision, Bigio said. The chairman also shared that the acquisition is a golden opportunity that everyone in the company has been awaiting. It is known that since its establishment in Haiti in 1896, GB Group has been taking measures and initiatives to expand not only in Haiti but also in the international market. And the company's takeover of Chevron's divisions is a testament that GB Group's efforts are not going down the drain.

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Pierre Gage is a great singer of a time that has had a great success in the music industry. He was is of a Jamaican-Haitian ancestry and has been greatly influenced by this in his career as he sings mostly sings soul and reggae songs with which he has been able to easily make it in. He began his career as a singer while still in high school by landing the role of Johny Roquefort after attending an audition for the rock opera Starmania.

Pierre Gage hence began his career in the music industry which was heavily influenced by artists of the time such as Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Lauryn Hill. He then went ahead and met with Corneille and Gardy Martin with whom he started the group R'n'B O.N.E. This group was one of his greatest moments as the songs they did together were some of the greatest in the time and were a stepping stone for the group as a whole.

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Just look for a moment what Haiti has to offer. We have the most historic sites in the Caribbean. We have some of the most beautiful beaches in the area. We are located just a little more that one hour from the US.

What the h.. is going on?

The tourism industry is the most important thing the Caribbean counties have going for them. When you look at whether Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Kitts-and-Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent-and-the-Grenadines, Trinidad-and- Tobago, Turks-and-Caicos Islands or United States Virgin Islands. They all have one thing in common: These Caribbean islands are focusing on the tourist industry.

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