HAITI
Popular protests condemn Senate
By G. Dunkel
Bosses and workers took opposite positions on Haitian
President Rene Preval's recent decision to dissolve the
reactionary Haitian Senate.
The wealthy class of the Haitian cities--the
bourgeoisie--called a general strike in Haiti Jan. 22 to demand
that Preval restore the Senate to power. Few participated.
Schools and big stores closed in Haiti's capital
Port-au-Prince, but public transportation, street vendors and
even the assembly plants worked. All the major unions rejected
the strike call.
Revi Elius, head of the Union of Public Transport Drivers in
Port-au-Prince, said, "We might strike for better roads or
gasoline prices but not for those guys to get back in
power."
Elius was referring to the Haitian senators whose terms
ended in early January. At that time, Preval rejected their
decision to unilaterally extend their terms and said he would
run the country by decree.
On Jan. 25, tens of thousands of people came out to denounce
the Senate. Schools were open but unattended. Banks closed. The
streets were empty because everyone went to the march.
They gathered at the ruins of St. Jean Bosco, Jean-Bertrand
Aristide's parish church before he was elected president with
70 percent of the vote in 1990. The reactionary Ton Ton
Macoutes had earlier destroyed that church in an attack that
left dozens of people dead or mutilated.
Then the marchers proceeded to the National Palace, where
the president lives. They chanted, "Down with the OPL,"
referring to the party that controls the Senate, and, "OPL out
of parliament."
They were upset that the senators were still driving
government four-wheel drive automobiles, carrying parliamentary
pistols and cell phones, and drinking bottled water--privileges
allowed Haitian senators.
Along with demonstrating against the parliament, the
demonstrators made it clear they were opposed to the climate of
reactionary violence now widespread in the country, and against
hunger and unemployment.
The People's Power Youth Organization (JPP), the
Coordination of St. Jean Bosco (KOSEJAB) and the National
Popular Assembly (APN) were among the 50 popular organizations
that called the demonstration.
Edouard Baker, an APN leader, told a television crew: "Today
and on Jan. 11, the people took to the street to tell President
Preval to respect the constitution, to respect the Electoral
Law, and to say that the parliamentarians have to go because
their mandate is over."
U.S. threatens to intervene
In a Jan. 6 news release, U.S. Rep. Porter Goss of Florida,
chair of the House Intelligence Committee, claimed there has
been "$2 billion in U.S. taxpayer assistance to Haiti in the
past few years."
This vast amount of money has done nothing to help the
Haitian masses.
Haitians have less access to clean water, sanitation,
education, health care, transportation, electricity and
government services than they did under the last Duvalier,
according to United Nations Human Development Project
statistics.
This $2 billion went to pay for the 20,000 U.S. soldiers who
invaded Haiti in 1993. It went for their bases and the UN
troops and bases. A good chunk went to the agents of the United
States in Haiti.
It didn't go to the people.
Jan. 22, the same day as the bourgeoisie's failed "strike,"
four far-right U.S. senators--including Jesse Helms--submitted
a resolution claiming that "on Jan. 11, President Rene Preval
seized dictatorial powers."
It demanded that the Organization of American States
"consider joint actions to bring about a return to democracy"
in Haiti.
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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