People - Haiti Observer Blog

Joute Lachenais known as Joute (Arcahaie, Haiti 1778 - Kingston, Jamaica 22 July 1843) is considered as one of the most influential Haitian women in history and mistress of two presidents in the 1800s. She was the mistress and political advisor of two solid Haitian leaders (Alexandre Sabès Pétion and Jean-Pierre Boyer) over a period of long 36 years and that too at a time well before 1950's when the women of the country didn't have a voting right. She exerted a significant influence over the affairs of state during their presidencies (1807 to 1843).

She was born of a white French colonel de Lachenais and a black woman Marie-Therese Fabre. When she was 20 years old, married Marc Joseph Lefèvre Laraque, the military commander of her hometown and had a daughter named Marie Josephine Laraque. After the death of Marc Laraque, Lachenais at the age of twenty five, started a relationship with Anne-Alexandre Sabès, known as Petion. Petion is known as the founding father of Haiti who was the first Haitian officer to revolt against France. In 1807, Alexandre Petion became president, and she acted as his active adviser.

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Hakeem Valles (born November 23, 1992), the American football tight end for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) will never forget his missionary trip to Haiti. He was held hostage at gunpoint and almost murdered in Haiti in 2015. Hakeem's grandfather, Paul Jean Marie Jizrel Benoni Marcel Valles, is a Haitian who immigrated to the U.S in 1960's. Hakeem grew up on stories from Grandpa about how life was back in the homeland. He always wanted to go. Once, he did earlier before the 2015 trip, on a cruise with Royal Caribbean. But then he felt disappointed. Where he landed was a property of the cruise line that discourages local visitors. There were 12-foot walls to keep them out. His trip to his wonderland was unsuccessful, because the place he visited was fake Haiti, never close to the root of his dream.

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This hopefully will put an end to the rumor. The rumor came from the leader of the Political Party OPL. Sauveur Pierre Etienne who came with the notion that the two Moises, Jovenel Moise and Moise Jean Charles whose real name is Jean Charles Moise would be blood relatives and that the two Candidates for President are Cousins. Moise Jean Charles did not waste time to react by denying any family tie with the Candidate of PHTK. He stated "Jovenel Moise is not my cousin". The candidate of Pitit Dessalines" I came from Milot in the North and Jovenel moise is from Trou-du-nNord in the north east.

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What a difference power can make. Here is a picture of former Haitian President Rene Preval in line to check his baggage as he is leaving the country. There are no securities, no one to carry the luggage, no diplomatic room for him. The guy looks like a regular passenger getting ready to take his flight.

Some people see this as a sign of humility, suggesting that most would get straight to the front of the line without any regard to the others.

However, he is not anybody. Rene Preval has manage to be the only Haitian president to serve two full five year terms as President of Haiti. many would say he is the only president so far who really knows the Haitian people and how to deal with them. He is a master in Haitian politic.

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The son of former President Michel Martelly, Olivier Martelly, is unable to leave the country as he joins the quickly expending list of former officials forbidden from leaving the country until they can account for money they were responsible for spend for various projects during the government of Michel Martelly.

Government Commissioner Jean Danton Leger wants to know how several millions of dollars for the explanation and building of parks and soccer stadiums throughout the country were spent.

The current Minister of Justice, Camille Edward Junior, doesn't seem to have any problem with the decision of Jean Danton Leger to issue these travel restrictions, saying he is an experienced lawyer who knows the limits of his power.

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Senator Andris Riche once again went back to his rich vocabulary to describe the Lavalas movement started by former President Jean Bertrand Aristide. Following the investiture of Prime Minister Fritz Jean, in an interview given to the news media, Senator Andris Riche refers to both President Jocelerme Privert and Prime Minister Fritz Jean as Members of the Political Party Lavalas which already damaged Haitian politic. He also referred to them as pest rats, rabble, delinquents who are dressed

What do you think?

Haitian Kreyol:

Andris rich refere a Lavalas kòm rat ensèk nuizib, delenkan ki abiye

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On Thursday, December 17, 2015, Dieudonne Pierre Bélizaire, better known as Sister Dona, the Director and founder of the orphanage of 'Sisters Redemptive of Nazareth", has been cleared of kidnapping charges in a criminal court in Port-au-Prince, and was released immediately. She was detained in the Civil Prison of Petion-ville since 21 June 2012 without any jury assistance in connection with the disappearance of Raphaël Chenet, a minor child from her orphanage on Sunday, June 5, 2011.

She was held in custody following a complaint filed by Alfred Chenet, the father of the child, accusing she had sold his child although she had consistently claimed her innocence. He acquitted Sister Dona on charges of kidnapping, child trafficking and criminal conspiracy in the criminal court of the Palace of Justice of Port-au-Prince although as per the Registry records of the Kenscoff Peace Court, dated July 18, 2011, the culprit, a former employee of the orphanage Djimmy Mémé, did confess his crime. It further states that no person in the orphanage was involved in the crime. Moreover, it was a noted fact that Sister Dona was not in Haiti during the time of the crime.

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Guy Philippe is back. The former rebel army who contributed to the exile of former president Jean Bertrand Aristide is now making new threats. According to Guy Philippe, if a Transitional Government is put in place to replace following the departure of the Martelly government, he will remove Grand'Anse Department from the rest of the country. He criticized the CEP for the postponement of the January 24th election and concluded that the country can't function without a representative from his Department in the Senate. The only way he would allow a Provisional Government to take over is with proper representation from Grand'Anse.

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Sean Penn might be doing lots of good things in Haiti with his Haitian Relief Organization (HRO). However, he is also doing very well for himself in the process. According to his tax return for 2013, his Haiti relief charity over $126,000 on travel in a single year. Due to his celebrity status, Sean Penn couldn't travel just you or me in economy class. The Haitian Relief Organization (HRO) had to pick-up the tab on the actor's first-class flights for his status and security reasons. At least he paid out of his own pocked when he went to Mexico back in October to meet kingpin El Chapo

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Government of Haiti does not take Fraudulent Voting Seriously: Releases Transgressors from Jail

Haitian police, acting under electoral pressure of the CEP, arrested 200-plus people for fraudulent voting on October 25th in the presidential elections. The PHTK, along with other parties under its banner, were blamed. The vast number of complaints reported to human rights organizations, who oversaw the voting on Election Day, pointed to PHTK as the culpable party.

A customs officer, Carlo Estard, an AAA party member subsumed under PHTK, was apprehended for voting repeatedly, as well as the voting center supervisor of L'Estere. In another instance of voter fraud a KID party member was arrested for carrying over a dozen electoral ID cards, and trying to ballot stuff. KID is also under the PHTK banner. Dieuseul Simon Desras, former Senate President, announced to the public voting fraud had indeed happened.

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