By: Wadner Pierre and Darren Ell - HaitiAnalysis
Part 1 (of a
2 Part Photo Essay)
There are several refrains that echo throughout the tin and brick homes of Cité Soleil. They may not be what the United Nations, the Préval Government or the governments of the US, Canada and France want to hear, but they are very loud and very consistent. Wadner Pierre and myself spent three mornings interviewing community members in the seaside shantytown. We met people who had been shot or whose loved ones had been killed or arrested in the recent “Operation Nazca” by MINUSTAH, and others who were outraged at the hunt for local leaders that provide otherwise non-existent social services. People spoke of being victimized and targeted because of being labeled “bandits” or “criminals.” The anger is palpable, all the more because the needs are so great.
The mention of MINUSTAH or the Préval government ignites tremendous outbursts or rage. The people of Cité Soleil are demanding the departure of MINUSTAH from their community. They are demanding reparations for the damage done to their homes and their families. They are demanding that the Préval government – which they voted for after two years of terror - respond to their needs. What’s more, wherever we went – Boston, Belekou or Key Boyle – everyone is demanding the return of Jean-Bertrand Aristide to Haiti. On this, the third anniversary of the February 29th 2004 coup d’état – fomented and executed by the United States, France and Canada – we bring you some of the voices to those most dramatically affected by this great crime against the people of Haiti.
1. Mercius Lubin breaks down during a press conference during which he described what happened to his family during a MINUSTAH raid in the early morning hours of February 2nd, 2007: “At 11 pm, MINUSTAH soldiers started operations behind my house. There were four armored cars with bright lights to light up the area. They saw everything that was happening in our home because the wooden walls are filled with holes. I was sleeping on the ground because MINUSTAH had ordered everyone in the area to get on the ground. Then they started shooting. Suddenly my wife and I were both hit by bullets. My wife turned to go to our daughters, Stephanie and Alexandra, but they were already dead. Stephanie was struck in the head and Alexandra in her arm and heart. I was shot in the arm. My wife received several bullets in the legs and is having grave difficulty walking now. Until now, no member of the government has come to talk to us. I demand justice for my family. We were at home when this happened, in the place God gave us to sleep.” (Photo: ©2007Darren Ell)
2. In heart wrenching testimony, Marie Danielle Remy, the wife of Mercius Lubin, stated: “I worked hard to put my girls through school. Every day I carried heavy loads on my head to make enough money to get them through school, and now they are both dead. I did not vote for René Préval so that MINUSTAH could kill my children. I will never stop crying because I will never see them again.” (Photo: ©2007Wadner Pierre)
3. Jocelyne Hyppolite of Belekou quarter in Cité Soleil, accuses MINUSTAH for the bullets that struck both her legs on February 22nd, 2007: “While I was washing clothes at home, I heard shooting and I started running. I felt the bullets hit my legs and now I can barely walk, even with crutches. I have eight children and I raise them alone. I can do nothing for them now. I demand justice for all the victims of Cité Soleil and I demand justice from the Préval Government for what is happening to my family and me. (Photo: ©Darren Ell)
4.
A young man nicknamed Sonson said: “My older brother, Bernard Joseph, was illegally arrested in the recent action by MINUSTAH. He works for Bernard Meuz’s company [important businessman in Port-au-Prince]. He was leaving for work. He was not afraid of the MINUSTAH barrier surrounding the neighborhood because he knew he had no problems with MINUSTAH or the Police. He was arrested because he has dreadlocks. They called him a bandit. He’s not a bandit! If he were a bandit, he wouldn’t have tried to go to work because he knew MINUSTAH had been in the zone for three hours. We saw him finally in the Police Station of Tabarre yesterday before they transferred him to the downtown Fire Station [where people are also detained]. (Photo: ©2007Darren Ell)
5.
A young woman named Dieula spoke to us: “My cousin was arrested. Her baby is barely two months old. She was going to work. They accused her of being the wife of a Chimère, but her husband is a hard-working man. He works very hard in Léogane, [town near Port-au-Prince]. Her husband does demanding physical labor. They came into our home, found nothing, then stole our belongings, even my shoes. My son, Renésca, is 4 months old. He inhaled tear gas during the raid and right now he’s at the hospital. The soldiers did not fire bullets, only tear gas. They say Amaral is a bandit. This is a lie. He gets food for us and gets meals prepared for us. We want peace, and if they don’t let Amaral live here, we will lay down our lives for him.” (Photo: ©2007 Wadner Pierre)
6.
A woman named Sianie spoke with us: “My son-in-law, Jean-Ronel Pierre, was arrested in this last raid. He is 18. He’s not a bandit. They are always saying this about the people of Cité Soleil, that no one here is innocent.” When asked if she knew of any bandits living in Belekou, she said, “No. There are only activists pushing for the return of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Another of my son-in-laws was arrested at the same time. He is a hairdresser. He is 22 years old. We were there during the arrests. It was a mass arrest. There were no warrants. They had no photos on hand to show who they wanted to arrest. These were illegal arrests. There were many vehicles and soldiers. No one fought back or resisted. There were no shots fired.” The crowd around Sianie then shouted: “They fired tear gas but not bullets!” (Photo: ©2007Wadner Pierre)
1. Mercius Lubin breaks down during a press conference during which he described what happened to his family during a MINUSTAH raid in the early morning hours of February 2nd, 2007: “At 11 pm, MINUSTAH soldiers started operations behind my house. There were four armored cars with bright lights to light up the area. They saw everything that was happening in our home because the wooden walls are filled with holes. I was sleeping on the ground because MINUSTAH had ordered everyone in the area to get on the ground. Then they started shooting. Suddenly my wife and I were both hit by bullets. My wife turned to go to our daughters, Stephanie and Alexandra, but they were already dead. Stephanie was struck in the head and Alexandra in her arm and heart. I was shot in the arm. My wife received several bullets in the legs and is having grave difficulty walking now. Until now, no member of the government has come to talk to us. I demand justice for my family. We were at home when this happened, in the place God gave us to sleep.” (Photo: ©2007Darren Ell)
2. In heart wrenching testimony, Marie Danielle Remy, the wife of Mercius Lubin, stated: “I worked hard to put my girls through school. Every day I carried heavy loads on my head to make enough money to get them through school, and now they are both dead. I did not vote for René Préval so that MINUSTAH could kill my children. I will never stop crying because I will never see them again.” (Photo: ©2007Wadner Pierre)
3. Jocelyne Hyppolite of Belekou quarter in Cité Soleil, accuses MINUSTAH for the bullets that struck both her legs on February 22nd, 2007: “While I was washing clothes at home, I heard shooting and I started running. I felt the bullets hit my legs and now I can barely walk, even with crutches. I have eight children and I raise them alone. I can do nothing for them now. I demand justice for all the victims of Cité Soleil and I demand justice from the Préval Government for what is happening to my family and me. (Photo: ©Darren Ell)
4.
A young man nicknamed Sonson said: “My older brother, Bernard Joseph, was illegally arrested in the recent action by MINUSTAH. He works for Bernard Meuz’s company [important businessman in Port-au-Prince]. He was leaving for work. He was not afraid of the MINUSTAH barrier surrounding the neighborhood because he knew he had no problems with MINUSTAH or the Police. He was arrested because he has dreadlocks. They called him a bandit. He’s not a bandit! If he were a bandit, he wouldn’t have tried to go to work because he knew MINUSTAH had been in the zone for three hours. We saw him finally in the Police Station of Tabarre yesterday before they transferred him to the downtown Fire Station [where people are also detained]. (Photo: ©2007Darren Ell)
5.
A young woman named Dieula spoke to us: “My cousin was arrested. Her baby is barely two months old. She was going to work. They accused her of being the wife of a Chimère, but her husband is a hard-working man. He works very hard in Léogane, [town near Port-au-Prince]. Her husband does demanding physical labor. They came into our home, found nothing, then stole our belongings, even my shoes. My son, Renésca, is 4 months old. He inhaled tear gas during the raid and right now he’s at the hospital. The soldiers did not fire bullets, only tear gas. They say Amaral is a bandit. This is a lie. He gets food for us and gets meals prepared for us. We want peace, and if they don’t let Amaral live here, we will lay down our lives for him.” (Photo: ©2007 Wadner Pierre)
6.
A woman named Sianie spoke with us: “My son-in-law, Jean-Ronel Pierre, was arrested in this last raid. He is 18. He’s not a bandit. They are always saying this about the people of Cité Soleil, that no one here is innocent.” When asked if she knew of any bandits living in Belekou, she said, “No. There are only activists pushing for the return of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Another of my son-in-laws was arrested at the same time. He is a hairdresser. He is 22 years old. We were there during the arrests. It was a mass arrest. There were no warrants. They had no photos on hand to show who they wanted to arrest. These were illegal arrests. There were many vehicles and soldiers. No one fought back or resisted. There were no shots fired.” The crowd around Sianie then shouted: “They fired tear gas but not bullets!” (Photo: ©2007Wadner Pierre)