From: nyxfer%panix.com@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu (N.Y. Transfer)
Subject: NEWS:New U.S. Schemes to Undermine Haiti/WW
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: daemon@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: ?
Resent-From: "Rich Winkel" <MATHRICH@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 20:48:41 GMT



Via The NY Transfer News Service ~ All the News that Doesn't Fit

               New U.S. schemes to undermine Haiti

                           By Pat Chin

Under unrelenting pressure from U.S. imperialism, the Haitian
government in exile has formulated a plan ostensibly aimed at
restoring constitutional order and deposed President Jean Bertrand
Aristide to Haiti.

The Declaration of Florida, which evolved from a meeting held in
Miami June 25-28, establishes a 10-member commission headed by
Father Antoine Adrien, Aristide's personal representative. Under
the nine-point plan, the commission hopes to begin talks with the
army and business, church, labor, peasant, political, and human
rights groups.

U.S.-backed Marc Bazin, appointed president by the interim
government on June 2, could participate "in his capacity as
president of Haiti's second largest political party," explained
Jean Casimir, Haitian ambassador to Washington. (New York Carib
News, July 21) According to the Declaration of Florida, the
delegation would be accompanied by an Organization of American
States civilian mission "for an unfolding of negotiations in Haiti
without confrontation."

Citing Casimir, Carib News further reported that the commission
would also seek to "discuss military reforms, accelerate the
introduction of a market economy in Haiti and promote respect for
human rights and civil liberties."

Not all elements in the Lavalas movement, Aristide's base of
support, agree with this course of action. For example, an article
in the July 8-14 issue of Haiti Progr s stated:

"If the principal objective of Bazin was to seize power at any
price, he now feels to be on extremely slippery ground. So, rather
than remain at the mercy of the military and be terribly limited
by the very grave economic situation, he is rather interested in
orienting himself toward `negotiations' which will permit him to
draw nearer to the international community, perhaps as a first
step to at least obtain a softening of the embargo. If the Lavalas
government agrees to a power sharing arrangement, that would be
the best thing for him, since he knows the reinstallation of
President Aristide under these conditions would only be a
temporary measure before his subsequent elimination.  And also the
best solution for the United States. ... We understand the tactics
of Bazin and the United States perfectly, but something leaves us
perplexed and that's the tactics of the Lavalas government. Can we
believe that it also would be in favor of this type of
`reconciliation'?"

According to the July 12 Nicaragua Solidarity Network update:
"Radio RCN of Bogota, Colombia reports that the U.S. has launched
a diplomatic offensive to get Latin American support for a
military invasion of Haiti. ...`The U.S. is seeking a regional
legitimacy for the likely occupation, of Haiti,' said RCN."

Meanwhile, under severe conditions of repression, Haitians
continue to flee their country. About 50 people drowned off the
coast of Haiti July 20 while attempting to escape in a rickety
boat, reported Radio Metropole.

Prior to that, on July 15 about 400 medical students demonstrated
against the military-backed de facto regime. According to the
Haitian News Agency, the protest was broken up by soldiers and
plainclothes police. On July 15 the Associated Press reported
seven students injured, one by gunshot. "The security forces fired
at the students and clubbed them inside the building.  Witnesses
said about 20 students were arrested."

The proliferation of signs attacking Bazin in numerous anti-coup
demonstrations reflects a strong current in the Haitian mass
movement that sees through the latest accomodationist maneuvers.
Bazin, who won only 13 percent of the vote in presidential
elections to Aristide's 67 percent, is loathed by the great
majority of Haitians as a U.S. puppet. For them, the Declaration
of Florida is seen for what it truly is: a thinly veiled attempt
to obstruct everything for which the Haitian people hoped when
they elected Aristide in the landslide of Lavalas.

                               -30-

(Copyright Workers World Service: Permission to reprint granted
if source is cited. For more info contact Workers World,46 W. 21
St., New York, NY 10010; "workers@cdp!igc.org".)

-----
NY Transfer News Service
Modem: 718-448-2358  nytransfer@igc.org  nyxfer@panix.com

Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive