United States - Haiti Observer Blog

Citing an increase in the crime level in Haiti, especially in regards to Americans living in or visiting the country, the U.S. State Department has issued a notice, replacing the last advisory on the subject made on December 28, 2012, informing the concerned parties on this subject.

Adding to the bill is the concern over inadequate infrastructure, limited, seasonal protection from the police and harsh weather. There is also the issue of the inefficient medical institutions, though safety and security remains the first concern.

While the warning does not dissuade Americans from visiting Haiti outright, the message is conveyed clearly enough in the picture painted by words and phrases describing the many murders, robberies, kidnappings and other violent crimes, especially within the scope of the Port-au-Prince area. The advisory goes on to mention a recent robbery of two U.S. citizens shortly after disembarking their flight to Haiti and leaving the airport.

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According to former Lower House President, Levaillant Louis-Jeune, Pamela Ann White, the United States Ambassador to Haiti, has become the one-woman representative of all things regarding the National Palace.

Louis-Jeune stated that a group of Minister's of Parliament was contriving to send a letter to the United States President, Barack Obama, informing him of the Haitian Ambassador's less than diplomatic behavior.

Pamela Ann White is widely considered a Martelly Administration spokesperson and as such her credibility suffers. As such, INITE, the National Coordinator, took her late statement about an election this year without weight.

Born in Lewiston Maine, in 1948, Pamela Ann White, US Ambassador stationed in Haiti, spent her formative years in nearby Auburn. She graduated from the Edward Little High School in 1967 and went on to graduate with a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Maine in 1971.

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The island of Haiti has been at the mercy of U.S. interests since the mid-1800s. In a greedy move, it appropriated the island of La Navase, just off the coast of Hispaniola. This action violated Haiti's 1801 Constitution that declares La Navase as one of its possessions.

The takeover of La Navase occurred in 1857 after U.S. Congress enacted Guano Islands Act in 1856. Because La Navase contains large deposits of guano over most of its terrain, any U.S. citizen could take possession of it. Guano, at that time, was a highly-prized fertilizer made from bird droppings.

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U.S. Congress member, Maxine Waters, recently sent UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, a letter signed by 18 congressional members, regarding the UN's inadequate response to the cholera epidemic in Haiti.

Waters targeted several issues concerning the UN's handling of the epidemic. Overall, Congress is disappointed at the slow pace of recovery, with the UN spending only $23.5 million dollars, or 1% of the $2.2 billion, required by the Hispaniola Initiative. The funding initiative has as its goals making decontaminated drinking water more available, building more sanitation-treatment centers, and ending the epidemic over the next decade.

Ban Ki-moon countered the charges, claiming the UN has provided $140 million-plus dollars in proactively treating victims of the epidemic over three years. He says the level of infection has been lowered 90%, and the death toll stands at only 1% currently.

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Haitian President Michel Martelly and American Vice President Joe Biden have begun a dialog between the U.S. and Haiti. They met in May when Biden made a visit to Trinidad on state business and spoke by phone for approximately an hour on 6/19/2013. The agenda included post-2010 reconstruction projects, making the government of Haiti (GOH) more efficient and responsive, and initiatives to tackle anti-corruption practices within the GOH.

Most imperative, Biden stressed, is Haiti hold free, fair, and transparent elections before years' end. The international community agrees. Haiti's electoral system is bicameral, composed of the Temporary Electoral Council (TEC) and the Permanent Electoral Council (PEC). Before an election can be held, the PEC must be seated. Until this happens, the TEC acts as proxy, with no powers to oversee the ballot casting and counting process. Martelly has been embroiled with the opposition party over his PEC pick, a corrupt politician. He is insistent his guy remain on the PEC, rather than the opposition appointee.

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Miami is home to one of the biggest populations of the Haitian Diaspora, 30% of North Miami's residents. Créole is the primary and perhaps only language they speak. When candidates run for office in North Miami, they depend on Haitian radio to present themselves to listeners.

The Haitian community in North Miami does not have access to media, such as public access TV. If a community newspaper exists, illiteracy among them keeps information undigested. What is left for those voters is Haitian radio.

Haitian radio hosts exercise unbridled influence. What they say--whether true or not--is received by their Créole-speaking audience as God's truth. At its best, Haitian radio keeps listeners abreast of local council developments, at its worse, conversations devolve into race baiting and political name-calling.

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The amusing lively election in North Miami have failed to reach a conclusion. With 23 out of 30 districts reporting, the 2 council elections and the Mayoral election are now headed towards inconclusive results and none of the candidates have received 50% votes. The report was unofficial.

Kevin Burns and Lucie Tondreau were competing for the Mayor's office. Kevin, who was formerly a mayor of North Miami, received 33.2% votes while Lucie, an activist of Haitian community, received 27.5% votes.

For the council election in District two, the two competitors were Carol Keys who captured 49.5 % votes and Mary Irvin who captured a modest 26.4% of the votes. Philippe Bien-Aime, a new face in politics, captured 41.3% of the total votes while the opponent - the former councilman of the city, Jacques Despinosse managed to bag a mere 27.4% of the total votes.

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Congresswoman Maxine Waters requested United Nations Secretary General, Honorable Ban Ki-moon to use his influence and his office to make United Nations take the responsibility for cholera introduction in Haiti. This request was sent using a letter that was signed by 19 Congress Members. The letter expressed concerns about the inadequacy of progress made in effectively dealing with cholera epidemic in Haiti. Maxine Waters, through her letter, requested Ban Ki-moon to make United Nation commit towards providing necessary efforts and resources required for supporting the efforts made in response to the cholera epidemic. It is to be noted that Congresswoman Maxine Waters is a very strong advocate of the people of Haiti in U.S. Congress.

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Is this a sign that you are not welcome here?

The current Haitian Deputy Arnel Belizaire may feel that way after his recent application for a U.S. visa to enter the country.

Posted on the Facebook page of Deputy Belizaire is a picture of the actual visa issued on May 29, 2013, with an expiration day of May 31, 2013. The visa issued to the Haitian Deputy is enter the United States that is valid only for 2 days.

Deputy Arnel Belizaire denounced the action by posting on his Facebook page:

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Great news for stage film buffs! Danny Glover is all set to play the character of the revolutionary Toussaint L'ouverture. For those who do not know about Toussaint L'ouverture, he was a shrewd and a military genius and was the mastermind behind the Haitian Revolution. His act of bravery and intelligence during the revolution is what is believed to have established the independent black state of Haiti and completely abolished slavery.

Danny Glover will star as Toussaint L'ouverture in "Roots of Liberty: The Haitian Revolution and American Civil War". Danny has been working on this film for quite some time and is very excited to have finally nailed down the script and get it off the blocks. This has got a lot of people excited in the stage pageant arena. Director Megan Sandberg-Zakian mentioned that the film would be highly exciting and humbling experience and that it would be great to be in the presence of such a revolutionary figure.

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