Black Spartacus: Triumph and Death of Haiti's Hero: book review February 10, 2007

NEW YORK, USA (Bloomberg): "The leader of the only successful slave revolution in recorded history" ended his days, according to Madison Smartt Bell, imprisoned "behind five heavy double doors" in the innermost cell of a fortress "ringed by five concentric walls and three moats. read more..

OAS pledges help for Haiti's tourism development February 10, 2007

WASHINGTON, USA: The Organization of American States (OAS), in response to a request from the government of Haiti, has pledged to help that country update its tourism master plan to spur economic development and opportunity. OAS support would also focus on raising awareness among Haitians. read more..

OAS backs education initiative in Haiti February 8, 2007

WASHINGTON, USA: Supporting an initiative to improve education in Haiti, the Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Ambassador Albert R. Ramdin, advocated a twin-track approach that would include both short- and long-term objectives. read more..

OAS meeting focuses on international support for Haiti February 1, 2007

WASHINGTON, USA: OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza on Wednesday reiterated the importance of a joint effort by international organisations to tackle the challenge of strengthening Haiti’s institutions. “It is crucial for all international cooperation agencies to coordinate their efforts,” he said. read more..

CARICOM could make vital contribution in training Haitian police, says OAS January 11, 2007

WASHINGTON, USA: Countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and others such as the United States and Canada, could make a vital contribution to Haiti by helping to train the Haitian National Police, according to Assistant Secretary General Albert R. Ramdin of the OAS. read more..

Jamaica and Haiti to deepen diplomatic relations January 6, 2007

KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS): Jamaican Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller, has described her recent talks with Haitian president Rene Preval as a further step in deepening the diplomatic relations between Jamaica and Haiti. She said both leaders applauded the establishment of the Single Market. read more..

Rapper Wyclef Jean to be Haiti's roving ambassador January 4, 2007

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Reuters): Haitian President Rene Preval has appointed Haitian-born hip-hop star Wyclef Jean as a roving ambassador to promote the troubled country's image abroad, government officials said on Wednesday. Jean moved to New York when he was nine. read more..

Commentary: Nation-building 101: The case of Haiti January 1, 2007

Some seven years after Haiti's bicentennial, and the bicentennial of the assassination of its founding father, it is fitting to stop, reflect and ponder on where Haiti has been, where it is now and where it is going. read more..

Haitian PM vows to get to grips with corruption December 2, 2006

MADRID, Spain (AFP): Haitian Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis on Friday vowed to get to grips with corruption, along with violence a bane in the world's poorest country, saying he would fight "mercilessly" against it. Alexis urged Spanish firms to invest in his country. read more..

Haitian PM says aid more urgent than ever December 1, 2006

MADRID, Spain (AFP): Haitian Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis issued a strong appeal here Thursday for international aid for his country, which he said was now at a crossroads in its development. Alexis has said a part of the aid should be reserved for the budgets of Haitian ministries. read more..

Kidnappings, violent crime surge in Haiti November 29, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Reuters): Kidnappings and other violent crimes have increased in Haiti in recent weeks, and Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis on Monday blamed the surge partly on criminals deported by the United States. As many as 100 people have been kidnapped for ransom in November. read more..

OAS Assistant Secretary General visits Haiti November 22, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti: The Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, on a working visit to Haiti, reiterated the hemispheric organization’s support for the country’s electoral process. He also met with the authorities to discuss future cooperation. read more..

Dominica's PM calls on international community to honour pledges to Haiti November 18, 2006

ROSEAU, Dominica: Dominica's Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has called on the international donor community to honour the pledges it has made to Haiti. The Dominican Leader issued the call at a press conference held recently in the aftermath of a Prime Ministerial Mission to Haiti. read more..

Dominican Republic president urges help for Haiti November 13, 2006

WASHINGTON, USA: Noting the importance of stability on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, the president of the Dominican Republic has called international attention to the problems of Haiti, and has urged US President George W. Bush to "help Haiti in any way you can." read more..

Haitians in voodoo-tinged celebration of the dead November 3, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Reuters): Haitians poured into cemeteries and danced in the streets on Thursday, as their strife-torn Caribbean nation wrapped up its annual two-day celebration of the dead, driven by voodoo and the widespread belief that the dead have supernatural powers. read more..

Thousands protest near Haitian capital against UN presence October 30, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Thousands of Haitians protested Friday in the streets of a Port-au-Prince district demanding the withdrawal of United Nations forces. The demonstration, in Cite Soleil, one of the most dangerous districts of the capital, was peaceful. read more..

Haitian leaders want to end human rights abuses, says top UN rights official October 20, 2006

UNITED NATIONS, New York: Although the human rights situation in Haiti is cause for concern, there is room for optimism in light of the Government’s will to confront and resolve these problems, according to the top United Nations rights official, Louise Arbour. read more..

Ernesto weakens as it pounds Haiti; Cuba in sights August 28, 2006

MIAMI, USA (Reuters): Hurricane Ernesto weakened to a tropical storm as it hammered flood-prone Haiti on Sunday and Florida and Cuba started evacuations as the storm headed for the Gulf of Mexico a year after Hurricane Katrina swamped New Orleans. read more..

Volunteer doctors from Cuba tend sick children in Haiti August 16, 2006

CANGE, Haiti (AFP): "It hurts me to see children die before they even had a chance to live," says Estrella Torres, one of 600 Cuban doctors who work in Haiti, where life expectancy is only 52 years. Haiti, with a population of just eight million people, is the poorest country in western hemisphere. read more..

Prominent Aristide backer freed from Haitian jail August 16, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Reuters): A well-known singer and supporter of ousted former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide has been freed from prison where she was held on what she decried on Tuesday as politically motivated charges. Magistrate Fritzner Fils-Aime issued the release order. read more..

Kofi Annan concludes short visit to Haiti August 4, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti: The United Nations General Secretary concluded a short visit to Haiti Thursday evening. In a joint press conference with President Rene Préval before his departure, Annan admitted that the security climate is difficult in Haiti. But he talked of positive evolution. read more..

OAS welcomes release of former Haitian prime minister July 31, 2006

WASHINGTON, USA: The Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Ambassador Albert R. Ramdin, has welcomed the release from prison of former Prime Minister of Haiti, Yvon Neptune. “This is a very positive development,” Ramdin said. read more..

Former Haitian prime minister released from jail July 29, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Former Haitian prime minister Yvon Neptune, jailed since 2004 for allegedly killing opponents of ex-president Jean Bertrand Aristide, walked free Thursday, a UN mission said. The UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) welcomed the release. read more..

Préval's European tour provides hope for Haiti’s future July 5, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti: President Rene Préval's visit to Paris has encouraged support for Haitian political parties. President Préval's delegates included several former presidential candidates, which many hope will enhance international cooperation and support. read more..

Haiti PM names cabinet, to address prisoner issue June 7, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Reuters) : Haitian Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis unveiled his cabinet on Tuesday and vowed to deal with the burning issue of political prisoners. Alexis went before the Senate to outline his plan for governing as part of the formal process of installing a new government. read more..

Commentary: Last chance for Haiti? May 22, 2006

“The Haitians are a proud and energetic people, and given the tools they can do the job of their own development”. This is the view of Cecil Pilgrim, a former Caribbean diplomat, who observed the Haitian Presidential and Parliamentary elections. read more..

Preval sworn in as president of Haiti May 15, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Rene Preval, a 63-year-old agronomist seen as a champion of the poor, was sworn in as president of Haiti on Sunday, two years after Jean Bertrand Aristide fled the impoverished Caribbean nation. The moderate leftist took the oath of office for a five-year term. read more..

Venezuela offers oil aid to Haiti during Preval visit April 26, 2006

CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP): Venezuela invited Haiti to join a program offering cut-rate oil to Caribbean nations as Haitian president-elect Rene Preval met Monday with President Hugo Chavez in Caracas. Chavez announced that Haiti would be added to his Petrocaribe program. read more..

Haiti president-elect Preval meets Castro April 17, 2006

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP): Haitian President-elect Rene Preval met Cuban President Fidel Castro late Thursday to discuss new ways for improving bilateral cooperation. Preval, visiting Cuba with a delegation that includes future members of his government, earlier praised Cuban-trained doctors. read more..

Haiti's Preval meets Bush at White House March 30, 2006

WASHINGTON, USA (AFP): Haiti's president-elect Rene Preval on Tuesday met briefly with US President George W. Bush, a White House official said, as part of a three-day visit to Washington. Bush "again congratulated Preval and noted that he was looking forward to working with the president-elect," read more..

More human skulls found in Haiti March 28, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Eleven human skulls were found Monday on a rubbish dump in the Haitian capital, two days after 17 skulls were discovered in a nearby suburb, according to an AFP reporter at the scene. No official explanation has been given for the macabre discovery of the skulls. read more..

Preval appeals for long-term aid program for Haiti March 28, 2006

UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK (AFP): Haiti president-elect Rene Preval on Monday pressed for more international long-term aid to boost economic recovery and prop up democratic institutions in his impoverished country. Addressing an open debate on Haiti in the UN Security Council. read more..

Haiti's president-elect meets with Rice, Mbeki March 13, 2006

VALPARAISO, Chile (AFP): Haitian president-elect Rene Preval held talks here Saturday with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on economic and security issues in his country, officials said. Preval met with Rice, and separately with South African President Tabo Mbeki. read more..

Analysis: Waiting for Aristide March 3, 2006

WASHINGTON, USA (UPI): Haiti's beloved and detested former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide intends to return home, a prospect U.S. officials and analysts say could subvert efforts to hoist the western hemisphere's poorest country from the brink of total breakdown. read more..

Haiti's Preval makes first foreign trip since election March 3, 2006

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AFP): Haitian president-elect Rene Preval arrived Thursday in the neighboring Dominican Republic to discuss the plight of Haitian migrants here in his first foreign trip since his election. Preval noted the friendly bond shared by the neighboring countries. read more..

Haiti's president-elect leaves door open for Aristide return February 23, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Haitian president-elect Rene Preval left the door open Wednesday for former president Jean Bertrand Aristide to return to Haiti from exile in South Africa two years after he was forced from power. Preval said the Caribbean nation's constitution allows its citizens to freely leave and return to their homeland. read more..

Commentary: Haiti poses challenges for CARICOM February 21, 2006

The victory by Rene Préval in Haiti’s presidential elections poses challenges for the member countries of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM). It was well known that the regional grouping was divided on how to treat with Haiti. read more..

Preval declared Haiti president after vote deal February 17, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Haitians celebrated in the streets Thursday after Rene Preval was declared president following a reshuffling of blank ballots, in a internationally brokered deal over fraud claims. While crowds danced and sang in the streets of Port-au-Prince, the second placed candidate said Preval's victory was a "reward for violence." read more..

Haiti's vote counting system reconsidered amid protests, fraud claims February 16, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Foreign diplomats in Haiti Wednesday considered proposals that would give Rene Preval his claimed presidential election victory, as his supporters again demonstrated against alleged fraud. Further delaying the outcome of the February 7 vote, a commission was formed to probe claims of "massive fraud." read more..

Preval declared Haiti election winner February 16, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (UPI): Haitian presidential frontrunner Rene Preval has been anointed the troubled country's new leader, Haitian radio reported Thursday. Preval appeared to have soundly defeated the competition in last week's election. However, as the ballot count continued, his lead diminished to below the 50-percent threshold. read more..

Haiti's frontrunner rejects vote results, calls for more protests February 15, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Frontrunner Rene Preval on Tuesday decried "massive fraud or gross errors" in Haiti's presidential election, insisted he won outright, and urged supporters to continue protesting. The presidency promptly announced the formation of a commission to investigate the claims. read more..

Commentary: What to make of last week’s elections in Haiti... February 14, 2006

I must admit that I do not know who amongst the motley crew of 34 candidates in last week’s presidential elections offered the best leadership prospects for Haiti. I have felt that Haiti does not need a president so much as a prolonged period of (enforceable) martial law. read more..

South Africa's Tutu preaches peace, reconciliation in volatile Haiti February 13, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Former South African Anglican archbishop and Nobel peace laureate Desmond Tutu Sunday preached his message of reconciliation in volatile Haiti, where voters awaited the outcome of presidential elections. "The people of Haiti say yes to peace ... no to revenge," he said in a sermon. read more..

Demonstrators demand Preval be declared president of Haiti February 13, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): More than 10,000 people demonstrated in the Haitian capital Sunday demanding Rene Preval be declared president, despite partial results that put him just shy of the 50 percent needed to win the election outright. Results announced earlier in the day showed that Preval, a former president, had 49.1 percent of the vote. read more..

Four dead, dozens injured as volatile Haiti elects new president February 8, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Four people were reported dead and dozens more were injured during presidential elections in volatile Haiti as angry crowds stormed voting centers that opened hours late. But by mid-afternoon, fears that fresh political violence could mar the elections did not materialize. read more..

Trucks, choppers and mules deliver ballots for Haiti's election February 7, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Trucks, helicopters and in some cases mules were deployed across Haiti Monday, one day before Haitians were set to pick their first elected president since Jean Bertrand Aristide fled the country. UN military and police troops took up their positions to protect voting centers and prevent a new flare-up of violence. read more..

Haiti's frontrunner confident UN can handle electoral trouble February 6, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Haitian presidential favorite Rene Preval acknowledged there could be isolated incidents in Tuesday's elections, but said he was confident police and UN troops could deal with them. "There are risks of attempts to disrupt the elections by people linked to organized crime who do not want stability," Preval, 63, told AFP. read more..

UN troops patrol tense Haiti ahead of elections February 6, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Six blue-helmeted soldiers peer through the hatch of a UN armed personnel carrier, pointing their rifles as they scan the mean streets of Cite Soleil, a focus of concern ahead of Tuesday's elections in Haiti. They get nasty stares from residents of this Port-au-Prince slum notorious for its violent gangs. read more..

Haitians demonstrate for polling stations in Cité Soleil February 3, 2006

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti: Hundreds of supporters of former Haitian president Jean Bertrand Aristide demonstrated Wednesday in Cité Soleil", north of Port-au-Prince, demanding the installation of polling stations inside this shantytown. Some of the demonstrators raised photographs of Aristide and presidential candidate René Préval. read more..

Haiti imposes tough security for election February 3, 2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Haiti's Prime Minister Gerard Latortue on Thursday promised stringent security for the country's landmark elections next week following recent attacks on United Nations peacekeepers. Latortue said security forces had been ordered to "get tough with all those who believe they could upset the elections". read more..

OAS renews call for Haiti election date of February 7 to be observed January 24, 2006

WASHINGTON, USA: The Organization of American States’ (OAS) Assistant Secretary General, Albert R. Ramdin, has renewed the call by the international community for the country’s February 7 first-round elections to be held on schedule. He participated in a high-level international mission to Haiti along with several senior representatives. read more..

01-24-2006

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti: Less than three weeks remain for the first round of the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in Haiti and, in order to give voters confidence in the process, the Provisional electoral council (PEC) on Friday conducted a vote simulation exercise. read more..