ðŸ‡ðŸ‡¹ This week's two crushing blows to Haiti's political stability? Suggested books, YouTube resources on the nation's politics
I find that Haiti and its politics are often misunderstood. Western media incessantly lists the country as the "poorest in the Western hemisphere"; this is repeated so unnecessarily it clouds media consumers' understanding of the country's conditions. As a result, the general public loses interest in learning more about the country's inner workings. The international community is rarely exposed to accurate, real-time details on Haiti's political framework or the history that resulted in current economic and political issues. That, along with a strong desire to report on underdiscussed geopolitical, health and resiliency concerns, inspired me to create this blog.
Last month, the world was shocked by the assassination of Haiti's President, Jovenel Moise. That was not the only attempt to forcibly end his power. In fact, his killing is believed to be a continuation of the failed February 2021 coup against President Moise. The mechanics of both actions are undeniably similar. We should never stop condemning such despicable acts! Violence is not the way to settle political scores.
It is frustrating to see so much misinformation on the President. Contrary to many reports, his term had not yet expired. A quick consult of the Haitian Constitution, article 134.2 (cited below and here) would verify that. This is not about 'liking' or 'disliking' a person when a state document clearly explains things. Why is there a smear campaign on someone unable to defend himself? I believe certain individuals have launched a concerted effort to disparage President Moise by allegedly encouraging/paying off journalists in the Americas and Europe to paint the President in a negative light. This highlights the importance of ***obtaining news from Haiti from individuals residing in, or with a direct connection to, Haiti, not just international news sources***. I will provide recommendations for Haiti's news below.
There hasn't been much progress made in the inquiry into the President's assassination. Sadly, justice will be slow to come for two main reasons. In a crushing blow today, 8/13/21, Mathieu Chanlatte, the judge tasked with overseeing the investigation into the President's death, resigned days after his confirmation, citing personal reasons. I, like others, suspect he is being threatened. Sources claim unknown persons killed Judge Chanlatte's personal assistant to send a glaring message and undermine his role.
The second blow: Unconfirmed reports suggest the Presidential elections once scheduled for 9/26/21 have been postponed to 11/7/21 (I need to find a reliable source in Haiti to confirm this, international media is reporting it). Unstructured transitions (read: Instability) like this are typically associated with increased violence, fraud and general lack of oversight in Haiti. Who would benefit from such circumstances? The answers to this and other questions asked in this blog, will hopefully be revealed when the investigation into the President's death continues. We will patiently wait...
Finally, here is a brief list of some popular political parties in Haiti (this is not an exhaustive list | Sorry, I do not know how to add accents yet, please excuse any mistakes):
Pati ayisyen Tet Kale (PHTK) | Haitian Tet Kale Party- (In Haitian Creole, Tet Kale means 'bald head', 'all the way', 'sharp' (as in on point) or 'not easily fooled') - Jovenel Moise was a member and his wife, Martine, injured during the assassination, plans to run for office, presumably under this party
Inite | Unity - Party of Ariel Henry, current Prime Minister and acting head of state until next Presidential election
Platfom Pitit Dessalines | Platform of the Children/Descendants of Dessalines (Dessalines was a major figure in Haiti's independence) - Headed by Moise Jean-Charles, popular opposition figure
Side note: (Jovenel: pronounced with a hard J like 'jovial', first e is silent+ nel - rhymes with gel | Moise: Mo -rhymes with go + 'ease'; Mo+ease).
Book recommendations on Haitian history and politics (photos courtesy of Amazon):
This book details the fight for Haitian Liberation
Here is a book on more recent circumstances (Note- Although the title and artwork may be interpreted as reiterating the cliche voodoo stereotype, the book is eye-opening)
YouTubers Providing Updated Haitian Political News This Month (I have no personal/business relations with these individuals, I just admire their hard work) :
(English) SouFloTV - This Jamaican Youtuber has chronicled the President's Assassination with good analysis despite not residing in Haiti | I learned some of Jamaica and Haiti's crime issues are interconnected through his videos
(Haitian Creole) Moun Afe Bon TV - Real-time updates on political developments; his sources directly in Haiti often get news before international media reports it
(Haitian Creole) Wendy Phele - Reliable, thoughtful analysis
(Haitian Creole) KadansTVRadio - Solid updates, posts just about daily
Receipts:
(English) https://www.argus-press.com/news/international/article_fc7917a4-8a2d-5b1c-9012-4968ae7c498a.html
(English) Haiti's most current Constitution - https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Haiti_2012.pdf?lang=en
Very good information
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