Bonjou yo pa laverite
Welcome to the latest edition of Woy Magazine’s weekly newsletter, providing you with must-know news and commentary on Haiti and our Diaspora.
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Some Good News
We start this week’s newsletter with the good news that Hija Djenicka Philippe - one of 20 people who were arrested for what Jovenel Moise claimed to be an attempted coup d’etat that he evaded - was finally liberated after being unjustly held for 7 months in prison. She was the last to be let go because of a clerical error in her name, in another striking example of the shame that is the Haitian justice system. This week’s Ti Seri Ayiti Lòk Mondyal episode offers its artistic interpretation of Hija’s plight with the Haitian justice system, starring Fabiola Remy who recently participated in the Cannes Film Festival.
Here is what we explained in a previous newsletter about the incident that reeked of a witch-hunt then:
In the midst of his defiance of the constitution, Jovenel claimed that he nearly succumbed to an alleged coup d’etat. The accusation came as he ordered the arrest of Supreme Court Judge Ivickel Dabrésil, who Jovenel and Justice Minister Rockefeller Vincent claim “…made a plot to destabilize the country.” Overall, more than 20 individuals including the judge, Dr. Marie Antoinette Gauthier, Police Inspector General Marie Louise Gauthier, and respected agronomist Louis Buteau were seized by the state.
Despite a release ordinance issued on Wednesday for Judge Dabrésil from a dean from the Court of Instances in Croix-des-Bouquets, news of the judge’s release did not come until late Thursday evening. The release order came after a group of lawyers filed a collective appeal of the arrests. The group later expressed their frustration with the prisons refusal to comply with the court’s order and the incident overall (they were only able to secure the judge’s release) (Source: Woy Magazine)
Yon mo pou Matisan
Stabilizing the security situation is one of the conditions Haitians have long been demanding before elections can be held. This past week in Matisan the violence has continued, particularly on Thursday 5 August. Alter Presse reports that armed bandits attacked a bus full of passengers killing and harming many others.
Plusieurs personnes ont été tuées et blessées, dans une attaque armée commise, dans l’après-midi du jeudi 5 août 2021, à Martissant, par des bandits armés contre un autobus de transports en commun.
Ces bandits armés auraient tiré à bout portant sur le véhicule en question, qui est tombé à la renverse dans un trou, selon des informations disponibles.
Le chauffeur de la voiture aurait été atteint d’un projectile, lors de l’attaque.
Certaines des victimes ont pu être transportées à l’hôpital par de bons samaritains, alors que d’autres restaient coincées dans le véhicule accidenté. (Source: Alterpresse)
Business as usual
Deportation flights to Haiti have started up again after a brief pause following the assassination of de-facto president Jovenel Moise. Immigration advocates are decrying the injustice of deporting Haitians in the middle of a crisis caused by a regime that the United States continues to back.
The Biden Administration continues the legacy of inhumane immigration policy, and in the midst of this current political climate in Haiti, Haitians continue to experience the blow. A recent report from The Daily Beast reveals the conditions of detention centers where children continue to be held.
Untreated broken bones. Foodborne illnesses from undercooked meals. Outdoor activity limited to the hottest hours of the day, when temperatures regularly hit triple digits.
“Based upon my direct observations and experience working since 2005 as an attorney who primarily represents immigrants detained in Texas, I find the conditions at Pecos among the harshest and most restrictive of any ORR or ICE facility that I have visited in my career,” said Jonathan Ryan, president and CEO of immigrant-rights group RAICES. (Source: The Daily Beast)
These kinds of conditions were cause for much outrage under the Trump administration. These flights remind us that strict immigration policy that disproportionately affects Haitians is bipartisan.
Carry on. Nothing to see here
Despite this climate of terror, the Haitian Electoral Council announced a new calendar for elections slating first round of voting for presidential elections as well as the constitutional referendum for November 7th. The constitutional referendum has been deemed unconstitutional by many, as the 1987 constitution bars any changes to it via referendum. There were frequent massive protests against Moise's government prior to his assassination opposing his regime's attempts to illegally change the constitution through referendum among other things. It seems this agenda is still in full swing.
Oligachi vs. Oligachi
Colombian media continues to scramble to make sense of the assassination of defacto President Moise, as several Colombian nationals find themselves at the heart of the scandal. Recently, a Colombian outlet, El Tiempo, reported that $45 million dollars were found in boxes in Moise’s home the night of his assassination. It is unclear how founded this claim is, and this outlet remains the only source reporting that specific amount. Rezo Nòdwès, a Haitian news outlet, reported in a piece earlier this week that other sources have stated that there was cash present at Moise’s resident.
Pierre Espérance, directeur exécutif du Réseau national de défense des droits humains (RNDDH), a assuré aux médias locaux qu' »il y avait beaucoup d’argent dans la résidence privée de Jovenel Moïse le jour de son assassinat ». Un montant important de liquidités« .
Selon M. Espérance, des sacs de sécurité, habituellement utilisés par la Banque de la République d’Haïti (BRH), ont été trouvés avec des liasses de dollars et des liasses de 1 000 gourdes, 500 gourdes et 250 gourdes, la monnaie locale.
Despite the ambiguity, this has not prevented the rumors to circulate as fact and has raised many questions. For context, Moise’s term prior to his assassination was mired in corruption scandal accusations, especially in the context of missing PetroCaribe funds. In reaction to this, a few of the former president’s advisors have taken to the Haitian press to provide clarity that Moise was a millionaire prior to becoming president. It should also be noted that accusations of Moise’s involvement in the disappearing of PetroCaribe funds predate his presidency. The 2019 report from the Haitian superior court of auditors on its investigation into the PetroCaribe listed Moise’s firm, Agritans’s questionable activities regarding the funds dating as far back as 2014.
The Sociology of Religion and the State
Dr Celucien L. Joseph interviewed Faculté d’Ethnologie de l’Université d’État d’Haïti professor, Lewis Ampidu Clorméus, who specializes in religion and the state. Professor Clormeus broke down an epic public debate that took place between priest Joseph Foisset and Jacques Roumain founding director of the Bureau of Ethnology and founder of the Haitian Communist Party on anti Vodou campaigns in the 1940s. The debate took place in newspapers Le Nouvelliste & the catholic paper La Phalange. Professor Clormeus sets the stage for the exchange and explains why he decided to write a book about the debate:
Malheureusement, si tout le monde peut facilement trouver les textes de Roumain, ceux de Foisset sont beaucoup plus difficiles à retracer. Au final, les commentaires autour de cette polémique sont souvent déséquilibrés. Leurs auteurs n’ont pas toujours la chance d’étudier les contre-thèses de Foisset. C’est pour cette raison que j’ai choisi d’écrire ce livre et d’y présenter les échanges entre les deux intellectuels. Vous comprendrez alors que je ne cherche pas de vainqueur dans cette polémique. Il s’agit d’un échange entre deux sourds qui, à la fin de cette confrontation intellectuelle, sont proclamés vainqueurs par leurs partisans. Je ne dirai pas plus… Je laisse le lecteur s’en faire une idée personnelle. En tout cas, j’espère que cette publication aidera à mieux comprendre le contexte de cette fameuse campagne antisuperstitieuse. (Source: Haiti Then and Now)
What role does religion play in Haiti today and Haitians’ search for a solution? The answer is complex. One theatre company called Bazou, led by Miracson Saint Val and Ketsia Vaïnadine Alphons, claims that Vodou helps Haitians to analyze and reflect on human rights. They explain how in their forthecoming album ( August 29th) called Liminasyon in this video.
Lisette quitté la plaine
We’re excited to share this interesting newly released research project by Dr. Jean Bernard Cerin. Listette quitté la plaine is a song whose lyrics is the oldest known Haitian Creole text, and reappears throughout the 19th and 20th century in works of composers in Europe, the United States and Haiti. In the Lisette Project, Cerin performs five versions of the song and discusses the history and political significance of the song as it left Haiti’s shores.
Check out this beautiful version of Lisette.
Call to action
A few weeks ago, we boosted this fundraiser by Kay Trans, a home for LGBT youth in Haiti. They have received an increase in demand for shelter in the last few months with the rise in gang violence in Matisan and surrounding areas. This fundraiser is still ongoing, and the first bit of money that has been raised so far was able to purchase food for everyone in the shelter. Imagine what more we can do if we help them reach their goal. Consider donating today.