KINGSTON, Jamaica - It might sound like the Jamaicanised pronunciation of the number which comes after 79, but Haiti is a historical enigma and its people are a worthy of respect, dignity and even our admiration. This is the last week in Black History Month, and it is ironic that in the 28 days given to us to come to an understanding of ourselves, we have figuratively and literally missed the boat regarding the first nation in modern history to have a black government. The Haitians are not as far from us as one thinks.
Haiti
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC - Magistrate Jean Joseph Lebrun Thursday ordered former dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier to appear in court next week after rejecting an appeal filed by his defence team that sought to take his matter before the Supreme Court. Duvalier had earlier defied an order to attend a hearing to determine whether to reinstate charges of human rights abuses against him allegedly committed during nearly 15 years in office. The prosecutor said that as a result of the court ruling, Duvalier will now have to appear in court next Thursday.
UNITED NATIONS The United Nations has rejected a claim for compensation filed on behalf of 5,000 Haitian victims of a cholera outbreak, saying the world body is protected by immunity. The claim, filed in 2011, sought millions of dollars from the United Nations, saying its peacekeepers brought the deadly disease to Haiti. The water-borne disease had not been documented in Haiti for decades when it appeared several months after the January 2010 earthquake that left thousands of people homeless and living in makeshift camps. Newly arrived U.N.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - A UN envoy in Haiti said last week that the Caribbean nation is "not yet" ready for foreign investment. The remarks by UN Acting Special Representative Nigel Fisher challenged a mantra often championed by Haitian President Michel Martelly's government. The slogan "Haiti is open for business" has been a rallying cry for the government as it seeks outside investors to help the country rebuild from the devastating 2010 earthquake.
MIAMI, CMC - A United States federal district judge has ruled against a New York-based online Haitian newspaper for publishing false and defamatory statements against Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe and his former business partner and prominent South Florida businessman, Patrice Baker. Judge Ursula Ungaro ruled that the Haiti Observateur's publications were “replete with statements that are outrageous, scandalous and reminiscent of a tabloid publication,” adding that the paper and its reporter acted with malice.
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – Caribbean leaders are calling on the United States to comply with the ruling by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to end the long running dispute with Antigua and Barbuda on internet gaming. In a ruling last month, the Geneva-based WTO allowed Antigua and Barbuda to suspend certain concessions and obligations it has under international law to the United States in respect of intellectual property rights. Washington has criticised the move by St. John’s warning that it might further hurt trade relations between the two countries.
Port au Prince, (Prensa Latina) The leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) demanded the United States (U.S.) more control over firearms as part of security efforts in the region, the press reported today. During a closed-door meeting with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, area leaders explained the damage that causes the arms trade to the Caribbean and requested the signing of an international treaty on the subject. "Small arms and munitions are the ones that cause more damage in CARICOM", said Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
PORT-AU-PRINCE -- Caribbean leaders concluded a two-day summit in Haiti by deciding to progressively introduce French as a second language in their 15-member regional trade bloc and to hone in on the challenges facing their vulnerable economies.
As well as exporting cash crops such as coffee, cocoa, mangos, breadfruit and potatoes, Haitians rely on 40% of the food produced in the country for local consumption. With this in mind, it's easy to see why last year's dramatic weather patterns and global economic meltdown produced aftershocks as significant and devastating as those of the 2010 earthquake. In 2012, there were five events – separate, but intrinsically linked – that Haiti did not handle well, in my opinion.
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - With at least one third of the Caribbean Community’s 15 Heads of Government absent from the current two-day Inter-Sessional Meeting in Haiti, it would be a welcome surprise if any new initiative of significance on the way forward for the regional economic integration movement is included in the communiqué to be released this evening.
Prior to yesterday’s start of this first Heads of Government meeting in Haiti, with President Michel Martelly presiding, it was disclosed by the CARICOM Secretariat that crime and security would top the agenda.