Welcome to the latest edition of Woy Magazine’s biweekly newsletter, providing you with must-know news and commentary on Haiti and our Diaspora.
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Demen, lè bann ap pase, na bliye vant kòde
Tomorrow, when the street band passes by, we'll forget our growling bellies
(Plezi Mizè - Emeline Michel)
CHAY LA | Main Story
Kot Kòb Petwokaribe A?
On February 28th, the Haitian government announced that it was in talks to renegotiate the terms of the Petrocaribe debt to the Venezuelan government. This news dropped after the government of Venezuela made a statement informing the public that Haiti paid $500 million toward the total debt of $2.3 billion. The mismanagement and squandering of the Petrocaribe fund triggered arguably the largest anti-corruption social movement in Haiti starting in 2018, garnering thousands of calls for accountability and transparency on social media and bringing tens of thousands of people to the streets across the country.
Activists and ordinary Haitians marched, organized sit ins, and held days long vigils in front of the Cour Supérieur des Comptes to pressure the court to publish the reports from the audit of the Petrocaribe funds. The movement did push the court to publish the reports, but no real progress has been made in pursuing legal action against the culprits.
The anticorruption movement brought visibility to the issue on the international stage and the sanctions levied against former Haitian government leaders by the likes of the United Nations, the United States and Canada citing corruption in the use of the Petrocaribe funds are a result of that organizing. We discussed this in a previous newsletter, where Laurent Lamothe is named as one of the main actors in this scheme.
Petrocaribe is a petroleum program between Venezuela and a number of countries in the Caribbean and Latin America. Basically, Venezuela sells petroleum to these nations at a preferential rate, paying only 5-50% of the cost upfront. The remainder of the cost is considered a loan to be paid back over a 25 year period at a low 1% interest rate. Are you with me still? Basically, Venezuela is giving us a huge discount on petroleum upfront, and they are giving us 25 years to pay back the rest.[…]
Haiti joined the Petrocaribe program in 2007 while Rene Garcia Preval was president, the United States fought against Haiti joining this alliance. Since joining the alliance, Haiti has had nine prime ministers, several of who have overseen the implementation of PetroCaribe funded projects. Between September 2008 to January 2016, $1.7 billion in Petrocaribe funds were disbursed to be spent on projects around the country. (Source: Woy Magazine)
The original terms of repayment were generous and a rare gift in a world where countries like Haiti depend too heavily on Western countries and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). What does renegotiating the payment terms mean for the prospect of the Petrocaribe trial?
Whether or not Haiti's debt is paid on more favorable terms, the money was deviated away from social and infrastructure programs including schools, airports and hotels that should have made the lives of ordinary Haitians better. The people who stole that money should still be tried for their actions. The fact remains that this money was stolen from the Haitian people.
POLITIK/POLEMIK
Thursday and Friday of this week violence erupted in Port-au-Prince as coordinated attacks by armed groups unfolded on the capital’s main international airport, Toussaint L’Ouverture, as well as on police stations downtown.
Jimmy ‘Barbecue’ Chérizier, the infamous G9 leader, was seen in a pre-recorded video detailing the intentions behind the attack: to oust de facto Prime Minister Ariel Henry. The de facto Prime Minister is currently in Kenya ironing out the final details of the impending military intervention he called for last year. Four police officers were killed as residents fled their homes, while others barricaded at home themselves with no time to flee.
“Gunfire still rang out Thursday evening and dozens of Haitians were seen carrying children and heavy bags stuffed with belongings as they fled from their neighborhoods. They raised their hands as a peace offering to potential gangs while rushing through intersections. […]
Residents in some neighborhoods, including Canape Vert and Turgeau, set up roadblocks to prevent gangs from entering as men who were not wearing uniforms stood by with machine guns. […]
Diego Da Rin, with the International Crisis Group, noted that Barbecue in his speech referred to a coalition called Viv Ansanm, which means "living together" in Haitian Creole. The coalition was created last year as part of a peace pact between Barbecue's federation and another powerful gang called G-Pep and had as a main goal to bring down Henry's administration.” (Source: VOA)
FOOD SOVEREIGNTY
Dwa Grandèt Lamanjay Nou
A recent study out of the University of Michigan has found that rice exported from the United States contains unhealthy levels of the heavy metals cadmium and arsenic, nearly twice as high as in local rice. High concentrations of these heavy metals in the body are associated with an increased risk of several cancers, diabetes, heart disease, and other illnesses.
This study was designed in part to analyze concentrations of heavy metals in local rice compared to rice exported by foreign countries, following complaints among Haitian locals of gastrointestinal illness after eating imported rice.
“The researchers are urging policymakers and others, especially in the U.S. where the farm bill will expire in September 2024, to update a system of trade that harms Haitians and citizens of other major rice-consuming countries by allowing foreign rice to flood local markets—making it nearly impossible for local farmers to sell their own.
“Haitian farmers grow a wide array of healthy produce but struggle in the markets when competing against cheap imported rice,” said Jackie Goodrich, research associate professor of environmental health sciences at U-M’s School of Public Health.
The study started when first author V Koski-Karell was conducting dissertation research in Haiti and learned of reports of gastrointestinal illness in local residents after eating foreign rice. Heavy metals were the suspected cause.” (Source: University of Michigan)
The findings of this study reaffirm the importance of efforts to protect and support local production in Haiti. Rallying around projects like the canal in Wanament that is well underway and pushing the government and private sector to invest in farming in-country isn't only an economic issue—it is a public health issue as well.
IMIGRASYON/IMMIGRATION
Asylum Seekers in Del Rio take Biden to Court
A lawsuit accusing the Biden administration of racial discrimination and rights violations against Haitian asylum seekers who were abused by U.S. Border Patrol agents in September of 2021 went to court in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.
The lawsuit was brought on behalf of 11 Haitian asylum seekers, including Mirard Joseph, who was assaulted by a Border Patrol agent and whose picture went viral after the incident—where more than 15,000 asylum seekers, mostly from Haiti, were forced to stay on the banks of the Rio Grande near the Del Rio Bridge in Texas in a makeshift border camp.
This is a small victory for human rights and the rights of asylum seekers—holding the United States government accountable for its unlawful actions against people seeking asylum in the country, whether or not they are documented.
KILTIRÈL
Men rara, men rara
Rara season is upon us! Rara season begins right after carnival and lasts every Sunday during the Lent season leading up to Easter. During this time, Rara street bands can be found parading the streets with dancing crowds and masked madigra. The city of Leyogàn is known for its strong practice of Rara, being home to Rara bands that are over 100 years old and are important institutions in that area. The tradition of Rara finds roots in both African and Taino cultures. It is beautiful that the city of Leyogàn also home to famous historical Taino queen Anacaona has such a clear marker of Taino legacy in Haiti culture.
If you’d like to learn more about Rara as a Haitian practice, read our article on Rara: Rites and Rhythm for the low down on the origins and musicality of this great tradition.
The word “Rara” comes from the Yoruba language (meaning, “loud” or “a lot of noise”). We have known Rara from the beginning of colonial times. It calls upon the principles of the religious African kingdom of Congo which prospered during the 14th and 15th centuries. It wields specifically the spiritual power of “Petwo” (the aggressive side of Vodou) and “Bizango” (the secret societies). However, well before Christopher Columbus arrived and killed 250,000 Tainos that were living on the island, the indigenous people of the island held festivals that strongly resemble what we celebrate as Rara today.
In its early days, Rara bands did not use instruments, the members sang a capella. They used their hands and stones to create sounds. This is where Rara bands got the name “Chay O Pye”.