Stop the Political Persecution of Aristide and Fanmi Lavalas Once and for All
Stop the Political Persecution of Aristide and Fanmi Lavalas Once and for All
Posted: 09/19/2014 4:54 pm EDT Updated: 09/19/2014 4:59 pm EDT
In March of 2011 I accompanied Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide on his trip home to Haiti following years of forced exile in South Africa. I did so in support of Haitian democracy and Aristide's civil rights, and in protest against my country's role in illegally removing him from power in 2004 and then preventing him from returning to his native land for seven long years. Today, Haitian democracy and the rights of Aristide are again under threat and the U.S. government appears to be turning a blind eye.
Since returning to Haiti, Aristide has focused his energy on rebuilding and reactivating a medical university that he founded in 2001 and that had been closed down during his time in exile. Though he hasn't been directly involved in politics, he remains a popular figure and is the leader of Fanmi Lavalas (FL) -- a political party that has won the majority of votes in every election in which it has participated. However, FL has been kept off the ballot by Haiti's authorities ever since the 2004 coup that led to Aristide's forced exile.
Haiti's parliamentary elections, originally scheduled for 2011, are now three years overdue and the UN and other foreign entities have repeatedly called for them to take place before the end of the year. With Aristide back in Haiti it would appear to be more difficult this time around for the government to prevent FL from participating. This is perhaps why the deposed president is once again under attack.
Last month, a Haitian judge reportedly issued an arrest warrant for Aristide. The case being mounted against him reeks of political persecution directly tied to efforts to suppress a popular alternative to the current administration of Michel Martelly, who is supported by conservative Haitian elites and the U.S.
More:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/danny-glover/aristide-fanmi-lavalas-political-persecution_b_5852006.html