Stories about Haiti from May, 2009
Haiti, U.S.A.: Remembering Fr. Jean-Juste
Blogger tributes are pouring in for the late Fr. Gérard Jean-Juste, a Haitian Roman Catholic priest who was known by his admirers as a champion of the poor and an ardent supporter of the Fanmi Lavalas political party, headed by ousted President Jean Bertrand Aristide.
Haiti: Father Jean-Juste Passes On
HaitiAnalysis.com acknowledges the passing of “Father Jean-Juste, a friend and inspiration for us all.”
Haiti: Flooding Claims Lives
Repeating Islands reports that “at least 11 people died…in Haiti after torrential rains triggered floods throughout the nation.”
Haiti: Minimum Wage Increase
Wadner Pierre says that “Haitian labor activists applauded the Preval administration's decision to raise the minimum wage in Haiti from 70 to 200 gourdes ($5.50 USD) per day”, but notes that “the increase has been strongly opposed by Haitian industrialists.”
Haiti, Dominican Republic: Repercussions
Wadner Pierre republishes an article from Haiti Liberte that examines the repercussions of the decapitation of a Haitian man by another from the Dominican Republic.
Haiti: Flag Day
Today is Flag Day in Haiti. Real Hope for Haiti offers some insight into the history of the celebration, while The Livesay Weblog ruminates on the country's recently concluded elections.
Haiti: Lamothe, Classical Composer
AfriClassical profiles Ludovic Lamothe, one of Haiti's most renowned classical composers.
Haiti, Dominican Republic: Enough
In the wake of an alleged reprisal killing in which a Haitian man was beheaded in Santo Domingo, blogger Wadner Pierre says: “Our government must use this case to put an end to the targeting of Haitians in the DR once and for all.”
Haiti: Senate Elections Explained
“Haiti’s Lavalas movement effectively destroyed the credibility of the April 19 Senate election through a successful boycott campaign called Operation Closed Door”: Kevin Pina, writing at HaitiAnalysis.com, explains.
Caribbean: Hurricane Names
Repeating Islands reports that “three Atlantic hurricane names—Gustav, Ike and Paloma—have been retired after those storms killed more than 200 people in the Caribbean region during the 2008 season.”
Haiti: Election Farce
“Haiti's senatorial elections of April 19 were boycotted by the overwhelming majority of the electorate. As if to deliberately invite more ridicule, the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) announced that a…second round of the discredited elections will take place on June 7″: