By some accounts, YouTube has censored some versions of the video - but even so, all of Port-Salut, most of Haiti and much of the diaspora have seen it via various channels. The graphic video shows four lighter-skinned or white men, one of whom is wearing a blue beret, holding a younger darker-skinned man down and restraining his arms behind his back while apparently sodomizing him. The young man is heard screaming for help.

The images have generated outrage online, including a #withdrawminustah hashtag on Twitter. This is not the first MINUSTAH scandal; 6,000 died from a cholera epidemic brought to Haiti by Nepalese peace keepers from the UN force.

Controversies

Réseau National de Défense des Droits Humains (RNDDH), a local human rights organization, has published a report [fr] on the alleged rape case, recommending the UN provide reparations for this and other mishaps in Haiti. It also demands further investigation into yet another controversy for the United Nations force: minors in Port-Salut allegedly pregnant by peacekeeping staff at the base.

Journalists and bloggers such as Etant Dupain (@gaetantguevara) and Ansel Herz and Uruguyan televison [es] have since dug up details on children born to underage Haitian women and Uruguyan men.

Journalist Ansel Herz, who blogs at mediahacker, has published an interview with the two local youths who leaked the video to the Haitian press. One of them stumbled upon it on a peacekeeper’s phone while trying to transfer a song and captured the video via Bluetooth after recognizing that the victim was his cousin. He has now received what he believes to be threats by night visitors to his home, according to [fr] Haiti Press Network.

Haitian President Michel Martelly has condemned [fr] the case, saying the reprehensible act “shocks the national conscience”. Uruguay’s president has offered an official apology [fr,es] to the Haitian people, citing Haiti’s historic contribution to the independence struggles of many Latin American countries:

Le président et le ministre de la défense de l’Uruguay disent s’exprimer au nom du peuple noble, hospitalier et solidaire de leur pays qui reconnait en Haïti une nation sœur, dont la fraternité s’est exprimée au moment de la lutte pour l’indépendance des pays sud-américains.

The chief of the Uruguayan UN contingent [fr] and the four suspects [fr] have been repatriated and are due to be tried [fr] in the Uruguayan courts.

Twitter reactions to the video

Haitians and Haiti sympathizers have reacted with anger, many seeing the apparent rape as a metaphor for how the mission and thousands of foreign NGOs treat Haiti.

@NegAyiti: Mission des Nations Unis pour le Sacrilege et la Terreur Amere en Haiti= MINUSTAH.

@GioJules who blogs at Haitianist had this to say:

@GioJules: We have too many fake aid workers wannabe-famous journos #Haiti. Everyone come here to get their own piece of the cake just to spit on it

@GraceinTC, an American who fundraises for a Haiti-based dental care non-governmental organization, was as strident as some Haitian tweeters:

@GraceinTC: To say the MINUSTAH video is disturbing is the understatement of the century & angry, sick, broken hearted is a small portion of what I feel

She went on to say:

@GraceinTC: It is ridiculous that those in a position to “keep the peace” are in reality causing so much more pain than can easily be imagined….

Another American, who works at Let Haiti Live, asked for a completely independent investigation:

@melindaayiti: We must demand an independent investigation of MINUSTAH - the UN and Uruguay don't cut it! #Haiti #justice #withdrawMINUSTAH

Live tweeting Monday's anti-UN demonstration

On Monday September 5, 2011, a demonstration was held in Port-Salut, the southern coastal town where the rape is believed to have occurred. Parliament members such as Youri Latortue attended.

Activist and blogger @gaetantguevara (Etant Dupain) tweeted and posted pictures on Lockerz.

Image by Etant Dupain (@gaetantguevara) via Lockerz.

@gaetantguevara: Si otorite yo pa't Konnen vrè misión #minustah kounye a yo Konnen #withdrawMINUSTAH http://lockerz.com/s/136088239

Image by Etant Dupain (@gaetantguevara) via Lockerz.

@gaetantguevara: Majistra port salut a di yo pral fe yon petisyon pou mande gouvenman an ak nasyonzini retire #minustah nan port salut

@gaetantguevara: Moun yo konn sa yo vle. #withdrawMINUSTAH http://lockerz.com/s/136089571

Image by Etant Dupain (@gaetantguevara) via Lockerz.

Pregnant minors

Early yesterday, Etant Dupain (@Gaetantguevara) posted a video of a Port-Salut woman and the child she had with a Uruguyan peacekeeper stationed in Haiti from 2006 to 2008 who has since left.

On the blog Bri Kouri Nouvèl Gaye, Dupain goes on to report on various pregnancies resulting from relationships with Uruguyan peacekeepers in Port-Salut:

One of the things that people in the streets of Port Salut know is that MINUSTAH soldiers have fathered many children in the village, and they have a habit of exchanging food and money with women for sex.
(…)
It wouldn’t be surprising if in a few years we see Port Salut turn into a town where many of the children are half Uruguayan and half Haitian, because one of the things the Uruguayan soldiers have done in the area is impregnate women and not take care of their children.
(…)
Rose Mina Joseph is seventeen years old and eight months pregnant. A Uruguayan soldier named Julio Posse got her pregnant after they had liked each other for a few months. Rose Mina was only sixteen years old when she got pregnant and now she is counting the days until her baby is born.
(…)
Johnny Jean became one of many victims of MINUSTAH but it was not the first dishonorable act by the MINUSTAH in Port Salut. The worst thing in the history of violations of human rights MINUSTAH has perpetrated in Port Salut are the authorities who are aware but they never do anything to help the victims or denounce MINUSTAH, and because of this we have arrives at the case of Johnny Jean and a revolting act.
One of the reasons MINUSTAH has created so many problems in Port Salut is that they have no work to do – it is a peaceful and beautiful town that has never had any reputation of violence.

@Ansel (also known as Mediahacker) tweeted yesterday that Rose Mina Joseph’s baby is due imminently:

@Ansel: Was just told by phone that 17-yr-old Rose Mina Joseph has been in the hospital since last night, may give birth shortly. #Haiti

MINUSTAH withdrawal?

Fatigue among Haitians (both in Haiti and throughout the diaspora) with MINUSTAH and the thousands of NGOs stationed in the country has been palpable for quite some time. Back in May 2011, Massachussetts-based Reginald Toussaint (Toussaint on Haiti) posted:

In light of the recent report by an independent panel indicating that the recent cholera outbreak in Haiti can be traced to the UN base in Mirebalais, it's clear that the UN needs to leave Haiti, now!!!
I'm not one those anti-UN people. I like the idea of a United Nations and, for the most part, I think they do good work. Especially in cases where they can really serve as a peacekeeping force. However, in the case of Haiti, they are causing more harm than good. Whether it's in providing support in running elections or with earthquake reconstruction the UN comes across as a bloated, inefficient organization that's often out of touch with the needs of Haiti.

The diaspora blogger revisited the topic in June and added:

MINUSTAH’s presence in Haiti has been fraught with controversy. At times, they’ve appeared as an infective organization that’s more concerned about justifying their presence than helping Haiti. This was especially true after last year’s devastating earthquake that destroyed much of Port-au-Prince. To many Haitians, they seemed more concerned about their own workers and their image than taking a leadership role in the larger rescue effort.

The blogger reacted to news of the alleged Port-Salut rape with the following tweet, echoing an argument by Mark Weisbrot of the Guardian:

@RPrestonT: Why are UN soldiers in Haiti referred to as peacekeepers when there is no war?

Recent works by local artists and performers also reflect the unease with NGOs, as related by Nadève Ménard at the blog Tande:

Les Mots Vulnerables was the title chosen for the event held at the French Insitute as part of La Quinzaine du Livre on Friday, June 24th. A theater group presented a short sketch and several authors (Edwidge Danticat, Kettly Mars, Verly Dabel, Lyonel Trouillot, and Georges Castera, among others) read excerpts of their published works and other short texts. The crowd seemed to especially appreciate Dabel's take on Haiti's post-earthquake situation, including his critique of the international community and various NGO's.

A UNASUR meeting took place yesterday in Uruguay among South American countries who contribute the bulk of peace keepers to MINUSTAH to decide on the future of the mission, reported [fr] Haitian paper Radio Kiskeya. The various countries discussed a recent report recommending a gradual end to the mission. The Brazilian Minister of defense has recognized that [fr] “maintaining troops in Haiti will not be beneficial in the long term”.  At the meeting, the countries' decided to ask the UN security council to withdraw gradually, starting with an immediate withdrawal of 15% of the troops, as reported by Haiti Libre:

Celso Amorim the new Brazilian Minister of Defense has called, during this meeting, to a decrease of 15% of the staff of the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti, aiming to hand over to the Haitians the responsibility for the security of their country. The Brazilian Minister said that Brazil was negotiating with the United Nations to initiate this withdrawal, but that it would maintain its troops in Haiti until the local forces are ready to take over.

Various Haitian groups which form the “Collectif pour un dédommagement en faveur des victimes du choléra” (Collective for Reparations for Cholera Victims) are organizing a series of activities [fr] against MINUSTAH, including a lawsuit for reparations for cholera victims and a popular tribunal - and according to Haitian paper Alterpresse [fr], the Haitian Senate’s justice commission is also planning to propose a resolution to encourage a withdrawal calendar for MINUSTAH.

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There are two kinds of Haitians, people who love Aristide “Titid” or those who despise him. Many believe he was the messiah of the poor people because before him, they were widely ignored, others believe he is the most malevolent force to ever preside Haiti because he incited violence and targeted the middle and upper class. Many believe that he still has the power to control the masses and disturb the current electoral process. This is something we will have to wait to see. Haiti is on edge, both with excitement and/or fear.  Grab your popcorn, folks! Things just got a bit interesting.

Obama, ostensibly not the biggest fan of the whole situation, apparently called South Africa’s President Zuma personally in an effort to delay Aristide’s return until after today's election. This, in turn, caused the (Boston-based) lawyers at Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, well-known Aristide defenders, to circulate a petition in favor of said return. Alain Armand, a.k.a. @theHaitian, a Haitian-American lawyer living in Haiti, objected:

The IJDH would better serve the Haitian constitution by helping it honor its commitment to free education for its children or prosecuting lawless and corrupt government officials like ex-presidents and corrupt customs officers. I, for one, reject this petition [in favor of Aristide’s return] on the basis that it supports everything that is wrong with Haiti today. It is an argument for more impunity, the one thing Haiti has too much of.

But Aristide did indeed return, to the jubilation of massive crowds who, for the most part, probably do not read, write, blog or even tweet; his main constituency comprises the most disaffected. His speech at the airport was broadcast live on all Haitian radio stations and the national TV channel. Flanked by his wife and two daughters, as well as celebrities such as Danny Glover and Venezuela’s Ambassador, Aristide, with his usual eloquence, expressed his happiness to be home. He mentioned the coup that overthrew him only in passing; instead, stressing the need for inclusion for Haiti’s poor majority.

When is a house just a house?
Haiti-based tweeters, including @Thirdworldgirl and @EmilyTroutman, an AOL news reporter, spent Friday watching and commenting on Aristide’s return: They wondered what it meant for Haiti’s future and for today’s second round election, in which the two main opponents are Michel Martelly, a right-wing singer [video: Kr] who has insulted Aristide and endorsed the coup in past concerts and Mirlande Manigat, a centrist professor whose election rallies have been violently disrupted by what she calls Martelly’s “Pink Militia”…

@ThirdWorldGirl: Does Lavalas still have pull? That is the question! If they do elections will not happen, if elections happen I can assume they don't.

@emilytroutman: Many people told me they won't vote at all unless Aristide tells them who to vote for. #jba #Haiti

For many who’d spent the past month tweeting in favor of either candidate, one preoccupation was whether their candidate would garner Lavalas votes. @Durandis, who has tweeted favorably about Manigat, mused [Kr]:

Van vire nan eleksyon ak prezans yon sel moun..mwen we moun kap chire mayo woz, kap joure manman #tetkale..bagay yo pran yon lot dimansyon.

A vertiginous buzz ensued over whether Aristide’s many “house” and “home” references were a subtle encouragement for voters to choose Manigat over Martelly. (Manigat’s electoral emblem is a small house.) Aristide’s speeches are usually metaphorical; Haitians know how to decode his words and the many Creole idioms that pepper his speeches. Though his supporters say it is unlikely he will endorse either candidate, Manigat supporters have capitalized on the rumour:

@boukman2004: @2012writer #TITID:” Si kèm te ka tounen “KAY” poum retire pèp la anba tant!” Nap vote ti KAY la = #68 #TITID #MANIGAT #HAITI

They were met with scepticism from the Martelly side, which found other ways to ride the Aristide wave:

@ThirdWorldGirl: Depi on moun di kay kounyen an se andose li andose madanm lan?

@FutureHaiti: RT @etnos: Jean-Bertrand Aristide di “Roz la a la mod” http://twitpic.com/4avk3o #TetKale

Crowds as measure of popularity
Tweeters and bloggers also bickered over how many folks came to greet Aristide at the airport and joined the procession to his home in Tabarre, with his supporters seeing thousands and the rest seeing hundreds or less.

Le Monde du Sud/Elsie News, a France-based Haitian native who favours Aristide, noted [Fr] the downplay of numbers by what French-speaking reports she could find, voicing her disappointment in the silence of French-speaking mainstream media on the crowds who met Aristide:

Est-ce qu'il faut être anglophone et/ou hispanophone pour avoir une information tout court et de plus objective sur Haïti? Est-ce qu'il serait préférable de ne pas savoir lire du tout et de se contenter de regarder des photos - qui disent quand même plus que les “quelques dizaines
de curieux.” de Alterpresse ? […] Pourtant son confrère Le Nouvelliste, très loin d'être favorable à Aristide écrit ceçi:
‘Une centaine d'employés de l'aéroport couraient de leur côté en direction de l'avion pour accueillir Jean Bertrand Aristide.'

http://www.lenouvelliste.com/

Seraient-ce les ‘quelques dizaines de curieux' mentionnés par Alterpresse?

Could one explanation lie in France’s opposition to Aristide’s return, which Haiti-based @Mediahacker emphasized in his summary of Wikileaks cables about the issue?

This video, posted by Aristide supporter @gaetantguevara, allows netizens to judge the extent of the crowd for themselves:

Since his speech at the airport on Friday, Aristide has not addressed Haitian voters who choose between Manigat and Martelly today.

Written by Alice Backer · comments (1)
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PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI, 30 January, 2010

Régine Zamor is a Haitian-American based in New Rochelle, New York, but raised in Brooklyn. Her Haitian family is from Martissant. She decided to come to Haiti after the 12 January earthquake and volunteer on her own, without signing up with a major NGO. She had contacts in Haiti and the Dominican Republic before arriving, having volunteered with Haitian indentured laborers in Batey Ocho, Barahona, in the Dominican Republic last summer. Her family and friends in the United States were supportive of her decision.

Régine is a film producer and writer who just finished a documentary film on street children in Cap Haïtien, titled Bagay Dwòl. She has been blogging about the film and about her first-response volunteering at her blog, Bagay Dwol Journal.

When she initially arrived in Haiti, a couple of days after the quake, she researched where her help was needed and wound up volunteering in food distribution, information sharing — both in person and through her blog — and in medical supplies distribution through various contacts at smaller NGOs such as SOIL, Wynn Farm, and COHEF.

Georgia Popplewell and I met with her at the Hotel Oloffson a couple of afternoons ago.

“I didn't want to wait”

When I told other Haitians living in the United States that I was traveling to Haiti with Global Voices, many who were on waiting lists with large well-known NGOs and US government agencies expressed dismay. For example, my friend Alex — who holds a masters degree in public health administration and has been working in the healthcare industry in the United States for years — was itching to be picked from a volunteer list. When Régine explained to Georgia and me how she made it to Haiti shortly after the quake, I immediately thought of Alex and all the others waiting in the U.S.

Régine decided not to wait, and in this video she explains how she connected with the work she wound up doing:

(A version of this video with French subtitles is also available on dotSUB.)

Régine and other first-responders took food distribution in their own hands and at their own cost

I have only spotted one UN-run food distribution line since my arrival here a week ago. It was near the National Palace, and proved so chaotic that either tear gas or pepper spray was allegedly used on the crowd. A handful of UN officers seemed to be handling a crowd of thousands. A system for the distribution of the global influx of aid by either the UN or the Haitian government has yet to materialize. But in speaking to Régine, it became clear that many Haitians and others willing to help took matters into their own hands during the first-response period.

Here Régine explains how she coordinated with an NGO contact in the Dominican Republic to buy food, have it sent to Port-au-Prince, and distribute it to Orphelinat l'Amour du Bon Berger.

Volunteering with the Parc Antoine Izméry Clinic in Delmas 33

When we met Régine at the Oloffson, an American buddy from her hometown of New Rochelle, NY, interrupted our meeting to introduce some doctors to her. Régine left Georgia and me to go and meet them, and eventually introduced us to one of them, an American doctor who has served Haitian patients in the Bahamas for the past 11 years. She turned to us and said: “He just agreed to come to the Sité Solèy Clinic with me tomorrow morning.”

That is precisely what Régine means by her role in “information sharing”. Via word of mouth and using all means available, she has connected tens of people to whatever service needs she has identified or become aware of.

Here Régine shares a bit about the work she has been doing at the medical clinic at Park Antoine Izméry in Delmas 33:

On her blog, she explains how she delivered needed medical supplies to Kenscoff.

Régine's journey is far from over. Like many of the Haitian-Americans I have met in Port-au-Prince, she is planning on installing herself permanently here in the next few weeks. Here are her “Helpful Resources for Volunteering in NYC.”

Global Voices' work in Haiti is supported by our general support donors and by a humanitarian information grant from Internews. Please visit the Global Voices Haiti Earthquake page for more coverage.

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