Prime Minister Lamothe on Tour: Lying to Keep Haiti "Open for Business"

Haiti's Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe speaks at Columbia University, photo from his Facebook page.By: Etant Dupain

Last week, Haiti’s Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe traveled to United States in what he called an official trip, although what defines an “official” trip for the current Haitian government is unclear. During his entire trip, the prime minister’s staff tweeted the details of his travels and speeches, making it obvious through the interaction with participants at various events that he is completely out of touch with the real situation in the country.

The way the Lamothe describes Haiti today is false and it is dangerous for the country. The propaganda being peddled to support the notion that “Haiti is open for business” doesn’t match the reality. Is Lamothe incompetent or is he just a fool enjoying the privilege of being a Prime Minister in a government that is not serious about anything but getting more stamps on their passports and building their internet following? 

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"If they put me out of the camp I will put my tent in the middle of the street", Camp Gaston Margon

From Bri Kouri Nouvèl Gaye

Camp Village Gaston Magon in Mariani/Kafou has 850 families living under the threat of eviction since the month of November 2012

150 families have already been evicted from one part of the camp.

Audio 1: When the rain falls we have to climbed onto the beds because the water floods everything, the space where I make food is always the worst.

The camp hasn’t had toilets or water since the beginning of 2012

Audio 2: The landowner says he will come and everyone must leave the camp, because when he comes it will be with a tractor to destroy the camp

Question: Where will you go when the camp is destroyed?

Audio 3: If I had a place to go I would have gone there already because the situation here is so difficult.

Audio 4: We have been living in this camp for three years and two months since the earthquake. We have faced a lot of threats from the landowner because we are on private land. One time they came to destroy the camp and they ripped our tents, we rebuilt the tents again. I used to live in a first part of the camp and when they forced us to leave I came here. The landowner wants the land to build his business.

We stay here because we have nowhere to go. When it rains we have a lot of problems and in the night it’s as though we live under streetlights because our tarps are no good. If the government relocates us from the camps it would be a miracle.

Auido 5: If they put me out of the camp I will put my tent in the middle of the street because I have nowhere else to go. I don’t have my husband, I have six children and only God can help me. My children don’t work, they are school age, if they put me out they are throwing me into the street because the only option is to rent a house. My house was destroyed and I have no money to rent a house

Urgent Action for Earthquake Survivor Camp Gaston Margon (Magwon)

A child at Camp Gaston Margon (Magwon)UA: 69/13 Index: AMR 36/006/2013 Haiti Date: 22 March 2013

URGENT ACTION: DISPLACED FAMILIES FACE FORCED EVICTION IN HAITI

Hundreds of families who were left homeless after the January 2010 earthquake face imminent forced eviction from their makeshift camp in the Port-au-Prince municipality of Carrefour. Amnesty International is concerned that if evicted they will once again be left homeless.

Approximately 650 families living in Gaston Magwon displacement camp in the Port-au-Prince municipality of Carrefour are currently under the threat of forced eviction. Already, on 15 February, 150 families were forcibly evicted from the camp by police officers and a group of men carrying machetes and knives who were accompanied by a local justice of the peace. The armed men began destroying the families’ shelters, while some people were still inside, and attacked individuals that attempted to stop them. The police also shot their firearms into the air to intimidate the families. One infant was reported to have suffered injuries when armed men and police damaged a shelter with the child still inside. The men reportedly threatened to burn down the entire camp and to kill the children of families who did not move.

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Popular Organizations Announce Protest Against Hunger and Cost of Living on April 11

Heads Together of Popular Organizations

Port-au-Prince, April 3, 2013

Press Conference

Tèt Kole Oganizasyon Popilè (Heads Together of Popular Organizations) have taken a long time to observe the political, economic and social situation of the country since the government of Martelly-Lamothe has run the country in light of Haiti’s recent ratification of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights dedicated to these rights. Tèt Kole has observed this far right power for a long time, which does not have the ability to respect or enforce a set of legal democratic values​​, including: 1) the lack of elections; 2) destroying the Republican Institution; 3) protecting the interests of imperialist countries and then reinforcing the bourgeoisie’s projects that have always taken advantage of the people; and 4) attempting to bring back the old dictatorial regime. We have realized that the quality of life of the people in popular neighborhoods and in the underserved areas are deteriorating every day, life is getting more expensive, hunger is currently impacting people who were already vulnerable, parents cannot pay school tuition for their kids, unemployment is getting higher every day.

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Victims of the Earthquake Call on Government to Meet its Responsibilities

"We all voted for a better life"Victims of the January 12, 2010 earthquake who are still living in camps more than three years since the tragedy, demonstrated in Port-au-Prince on March 28, 2013 to call on the government to meet its responsibility to help internally displaced people. 

Twenty-five camp committees alongside organizations working for decent housing programs that meet the needs of the disadvantages like FRAKKA, denounced the forced evictions that are happening to displaced people.

The demonstrators weren’t afraid to speak out against the Haitian government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that haven’t worked with them to create a sustainable plan and instead have just given people 20,000 gourdes ($500 US) which isn’t enough to rent a house and doesn’t solve the housing problem.

The protestors carried signs with messages like: “Down with forced evictions, Long live social housing, Down with NGOs.”

One of the biggest demands for demonstrators was for the government to make land available for victims who are in displacement communities on private lands while they are working for a long-term solution.

The Demonstration started with around 600 people but many more gathered as the group progressed through areas with camps. The numbers grew to between 2,500 and 3,000 participants.

President Martelly wasn’t spared in the speeches and chants of protestors who used their signs and songs to ask the president where are the 30,000 houses he promised to the January 12 victims during his election campaign.