Yon sèl dwèt pa manje kalalou
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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CHAY LA | BIG STORY
Deblozay nan palè jistis
On June 10th, the Palè Jistis of Port-au-Prince was overtaken by an armed group. The security situation in the Palè Jistis has been weak for years, with many reports of break-ins and the theft of important case files. This time around, bandits have successfully taken control of the space, which is the court house and administrative location over the largest jurisdiction in the country.
People present at the time of the invasion including judges, lawyers, employees, defendants, and civilians only narrowly escaped by scrambling to climb over walls or otherwise finding their way out of the building — in addition to efforts contrived by the police officers from the Municipal Police Station of Port-au-Prince, who responded to the attack.
In a report, Alterpresse highlighted an observation made by Fondasyon Je Klere, pointing out that the siege curiously happened while 6 employees from the Direction de l’Administration Pénitentiaire were being questioned by judges regarding their alleged involvement in a corruption scheme at the time of the attack. These individuals had been accused of pocketing the salaries and benefits of police officers who have left the job.
Le bilan provisoire de ces attaques se présente ainsi :
Un blessé par balle ;
Sept (7) véhicules emportés par les bandits dont deux (2) appartenant au Parquet de Port-au-Prince, deux à la Pnh et les autres appartenant à des Magistrats ;
Les Ordinateurs, Bureaux, Chaises, Climatiseurs, installés aux bureaux des juges et Parquettes ont tous été emportés par les malfrats.
Le lundi 13 juin 2022, on pouvait remarquer les meubles qui ornaient le Palais de justice de Port-au-Prince exposés à la vente à la rue du Champs de Mars au su et au vu de tous. (Source: Alterpresse)
The attack is said to have been conducted by the Village-de-Dieu gang which had already taken control of le Bicentenaire. They have now taken complete control of the country’s primary judicial edifice — an ironic but not entirely unsurprising twist of fate.
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POLITIK | POLEMIK
JoMo’s Penal Code gets pushed back
The application of a new penal code has been deferred pending review. This new penal code was issued by decree by the late Jovenel Moise back in June 2020 — while parliament was out of session and the terms of two-thirds of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies had elapsed.
At the time, many actors in the political sphere denounced this unilateral act as being unconstitutional and a play by Moise to gain favor internationally. There is no debate that Haiti needs a new penal code, but the change of penal code had been going through a slow and deliberative process over the years. This move by Moise hijacked that process. Others, like the association of judges, evaluated the various articles.
Over the past few weeks, Haitians have continued to dispute this edict. Following a Council of Ministers (Conseil des ministres) held on June 22nd, the enforcement of this new penal code was henceforth postponed pending review by a commission made up of 9 members. Among them, René Magloire, Gélin Collot and Jean Joseph Exumé.
The new penal code was supposed to go into effect today, June 24th, and was set to replace one dating back to the 19th century. Among the most contentious amendments, progressive advancements like the criminalization of discrimination based on sexual orientation and the decriminalization of abortion. Another article alarmingly lowers the legal age for consensual sex to 15. The commission is charged with reviewing the articles for their feasibility and appropriateness for Haitian society.
That yet another unelected group of people is now responsible for such an important base of Haitian justice instead of the parliament, is the result of catastrophic governance and destruction of Haitian institutions by the PHTK regime.
←Woy Rewind: When this new penal code was announced in 2020, the protestant community responded aggressively —particularly against the codes protecting members of the LGBT community. Nathalie Cerin, Woy's Lead Editor, reflected on this response in The Haitian Church and a Better Haiti.
There is a laundry list of issues pushing the country to the brink that church leaders continue to turn a blind eye to. The Haitian Gourde is at a historical low, which means hunger and poverty are at historical highs. Donald Trump notoriously referred to Haiti as a “shithole.” Jovenel Moise and his predecessor’s names have been implicated in the disappearance of funds that were meant to build hospitals, schools, stadiums — things that could have greatly improved people’s quality of life. Recent reports by leading human rights groups in Haiti revealed that gangs that have been terrorizing impoverished neighborhoods with massacres and arson for the last few years, are actually being armed by people in the government and being used for political purposes. And we can’t forget the gun violence and kidnapping that continues to take so many lives with impunity. Gun violence that kills people of all ages and religions, including a baby as young as 8 months old recently. Why hasn’t the Church come out against any of this? (Source: Woy Magazine)
KILTIRÈL
Quisqueya University's Cultural Conservation Center
New on WoyMagazine.com: Woy contributor, Christina Jean-Louis, had a lovely chat with Mr. Erntz Jeudy, the lead conservator at Quisqueya University’s Cultural Conservation Center. Check out this refreshing piece about Haitian art and the importance of preserving it for the people here now and for generations to come.
“My life wouldn’t have real meaning if I did not contribute to preserving our culture, our identity… I love what I do because I love myself. I love myself because I love my origins. Loving my origins means that I love my country. To say I love my country means I love my story, our history, and our identity. For this work to have meaning, for me, it is because of these testimonies, these artifacts. I will also pass on, but these will remain. This work is not only for this generation but for generations to come.” - Erntz Jeudy (Source: Woy Magazine)
IMIGRASYON | DYASPORA
Honoring the lives of those lost
Funeral processions took place on June 15th, in memory of the 11 women who lost their lives last month, as they tried to make their way to the U.S. The burials were orchestrated thanks to a small community of Haitians living in Puerto Rico, to offer the victims a proper goodbye.
The overloaded vessel which led them to their untimely demise departed from the shores of the Dominican Republic, carrying an estimated 72 Haitians and two Dominicans — the latter of which were criminally charged with human smuggling upon rescue. This is one of the deadliest incidents recorded in recent months, as Haitian migrants continue to flee the country for a better life elsewhere.
While the U.S. Coast Guard has intercepted more than 5,900 U.S.-bound Haitians since October, in what they say is the largest exodus of boat refugees in nearly two decades, countless others have been lost, their bodies never recovered in voyages that can quickly turn deadly. The shark-infested waters are the scene of the second-highest number of migrant deaths and disappearances in the region after the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the International Organization for Migration. (Source: Miami Herald)
DEGI | RECOMMENDED READING AND VIEWING BEFORE YOU GO:
Sex for a job: the scandal of Haiti’s exploited US garment workers | Haiti | The Guardian
Interview in Kreyol with Haitian author, Louis Philippe Delembert who was one of the guests of honor of the 28th edition of Livres en Folie, Haiti's largest book festival. His latest book called Milwaukee Blues was inspired by the uprisings after the murder of George Floyd - Dèyè Kay
Sous menaces, les policiers qui avaient arrêté Fednel Monchery s’enfuient du pays – AyiboPost
Support talented Haitian poet and friend of Woy, Georgy Lundy, by purchasing his new poetry anthology Anvlimen which is available on Amazon