Kreyon pèp la pa gen gòm
Lizay! 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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The investigation continues
Martine Moise gave her first TV interview since the passing of Jovenel Moise to CNN on Monday. Like in the interview she accorded to the New York Times last week, she recounted what happened at their residence that night. This time around, she shied away from questions on running for office saying that her focus is her children, healing, and calling for a credible investigation into her husband’s murder. She again cast doubt on the investigation.
"Little emotion crossed her face as she recounted that bloody night -- other than a short burst of ironic laughter at the suggestion that the assassination's masterminds are among the dozens of suspects identified so far in Haitian authorities' investigation.
The true masterminds are still at large, Mrs. Moise believes. "The people that they arrested are the people who pulled the trigger. They wouldn't pull the trigger with no orders. So the main characters that we need are the people who paid for that. And the people that gave the order."
She is not sure local authorities alone are capable of uncovering the truth. What the Haitian people need, she said, is an independent investigation run by the UN, and potentially for the case to one day reach the International Criminal Court in the Hague." (Source: CNN)
A warrant was released to bring in suspects which include a new set of political figures: party leaders Line Balthazar from Moise’s own PHTK party and Paul Denis from Inifòs, businessman Samir Handal and high profile pastors, Gerald Bataille and Gerard Forges. This issue was issued by the prosecutor of the civil court of Port-au-Prince. Many folks are wondering whether this hasn't turned into a witch hunt against Jovenel Moise’s political opponents.
This echoes claims made by investigation clerk, Marcelin Valentin, who explained to Le Nouvelliste that he received death threats and pressure to implicate Reginald Boulos and Youri Latortue.
« Je peux confirmer pour vous que j’étais passé au tribunal le 10 juillet pour sceller un procès-verbal lorsqu’un jeune homme de grand gabarit et d’un air menaçant m’a dit On vous a dit d’ajouter les noms de Réginald Boulos et de Youri Latortue comme faisant partie du complot. Wap fe kk") », a détaillé le greffier qui a été menacé pour enlever deux noms dans les procès-verbaux." (Source: Nouvelliste)
Death of a prosecutor
The Haitian justice sector is in mourning. Prominent prosecutor and investigating judge in charge of the Jean Dominique assassination dossier, Claudy Gassant, was announced dead in the Dominican Republic this week. Gassant who was associated with the opposition was appointed as the head of the Unité de Lutte contre la Corruption (ULCC) by Jovenel Moise in November 2019 only to be promptly fired in January 2020 after Gassant filed complaints and tried to investigate a corruption scandal among officials close to Moise. (Source: Loop Haiti)
Here is an interview with Gassant from 2001 where he explains how the judiciary branch should work, and gives an update on the Jean Dominique murder investigation and the dangers he was facing at the time.
To the Polls
Prime Minister Ariel Henry in a thread on Twitter called for international help to organize elections, increasing the fears of potential occupation.
The electoral council announced on July 30th that registration for political parties and groups for presidential elections have officially been closed. This announcement happens amidst several sectors of the country insisting that elections are not possible in the current political climate, where fair and safe elections cannot be guaranteed.
Matisan
It has been two months since the increasing gang violence in Martissant has blocked the area from the rest of the country, with inadequate response from the authorities. As former President Moise’s allies call for international assistance to bring justice for his assassination, the ongoing silence for the citizens of areas like Martissant is deafening.
Médecins Sans Frontières has closed its hospital due to gang violence in Martissant.
"Unable to guarantee the safety of its staff and patients, and wanting to draw attention to the unbearable situation in Martissant, MSF is forced to close its doors after 15 years of presence in the area," the NGO said. (Source: France24)
One Matisan resident contests the governments decision to give people money to relocated out of Matisan instead addressing the issue to allow folks to stay in their homes.
Fuel shortages
In the North of Haiti, a now 8-week long fuel shortage persists. As Cap Haitian prepares for the famous annual festivities of the city’s birthday, fuel is almost nowhere to be found.
La gazoline est devenue quelque object précieux et rare, si le diesel reste disponible dans quelques stations de service, la gazoline quant à elle est joignable le long des rues, où les nombreux receleurs revendent à prix d’or leur précieux liquide. (Source: Sakapfèt Okap)
Vaccines in Haiti!
Three weeks into the arrival of the first batch of vaccines, the Ministry of Health announced that 6,576 people have received their first dose and are awaiting a second dose, and 341 are fully vaccinated after receiving a one-dose vaccine. (Source: Loop Haiti)
Interviewed by NPR, Dr. Jean William Pape of the Gheskio Hospital explained:
In the early days of the pandemic, Pape and his staff observed more sporadic COVID-19 infections. Now, presumably because of the new variants, Pape is seeing more clusters of cases.
"Now everybody — the family members, the servants" — are getting infected, he says. "Once one person gets infected, the transmission goes to the entire household. So that's different."
But up until now, the number of reported infections and deaths has not been overwhelming. The reported rate of infections per capita is 30 times higher in neighboring Dominican Republic than in Haiti, which has 1,745 cases per one million people.
And deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Haiti remain low. Officially, just over 500 Haitians have died of COVID-19 so far in the pandemic — half the number of fatalities that occurred in the first month of Haiti's devastating cholera outbreak in 2010. (Source: NPR)
Mèsi pou medikaman an
We would be remiss if we didn't salute the passing of Jacob Devarieux Zouk musical legend, co-founder of Kassav, and friend of Haiti. His singing, guitar playing and producing rocked our world for over 40 years. He was buried in Pointe a Pitre on Thursday 5 August 2021.
For those doing research on the Haitian music industry both in the country and in the diaspora, check out this new report mapping the Haitian music sector conducted by l’Association haitienne des professionels de la musique.
Last but not least, our Lead Editor, Nathalie Cerin, was interviewed by one of our favorite podcasts, WNYC’s On the Media on the discourse on Haiti. You can listen to it here.