Notes from the last testament
Subtitle: the struggle for Haiti
By: Michael Deibert.
Edition: A Seven Stories Press 1st ed.
Publisher: Seven Stories Press
Published: 2005
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 454
ISBN-13: 9781583226971
Subjects: Aristide, Jean-Bertrand.; Deibert, Michael.; Haiti -- History -- 1986-
Description: "Notes from the last testament by veteran reporter Michael Deibert is a narrative account of the events leading up to and including the overthrow of Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. A fearless correspondent and a meticulous researcher, Deibert traces the rupturing of the social-democratic coalition that originally brought Aristide to power and that had been the fruit of years of opposition to dictatorships and military juntas.

From chaotic scenes on the streets of the bidonvilles of Port-au-Prince with their armed gangs and burning intersections to heated debates in the halls of power, these dramatic events throw into stark relief the obstacles facing the world's nascent democracies, the tradition of first world military intervention in third world affairs, and the dual legacies of slavery and colonialism."

"In this remarkable and deeply humane synthesis of on-the-ground perspectives and exhaustive research, Deibert sets vivid personal testimonies alongside an analysis of the country's rich history that reaches back to Haiti's first days as a colony, to the time when the nation's slaves successfully revolted, and extends to the present, ultimately exploring how Aristide, once a beacon of populism and democratic aspirations, came to embody brutality and misrule in the tradition of his predecessors.

Along the way, Deibert introduces us to the real heroes of the Haitian people's struggle for a just and independent society free from violence and corruption: community leaders, human rights workers, peasants, journalists, and many others who risked - and in many cases lost - their lives for the sake of their country."--Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Saint-Domingue; title: Rocks in the sun; title: Marassa in the kingdom; title: The crocodile of Delmas; title: Putting our heads together; title: La pe nan tet, lape nan vant; title: Small hours in the night; title: Bizoton; title: The people's pencil has no eraser; title: Among the masters of the dew; title: The last testament.