URGENT HAITI ACTION …URGENT HAITI ACTION…

WHAT: Joined by community-based activists to mark the one year anniversary of the US backed coup and occupation of Haiti, Congresswoman Maxine Waters spoke at a Press Conference to express her concerns and outrage at the continued human rights abuses in Haiti and to demand the return of democracy to Haiti. President Aristide was held in the Central African Republic following the coup; Congresswoman Waters traveled there and accompanied him to Jamaica. President Aristide is now in exile in South Africa. Congresswoman Waters in addition to her on-going efforts has in the past week written urgent letters about her concerns to President Bush and Condoleeza Rice.

WHEN, WHERE, CONTACT: Monday February 28, 9:30 am, Downtown Federal Building, 300 N. Los Angeles St. (Metro Stop, Union Station). Call 323-646-1269

WHO: Congresswoman Maxine Waters along with an Ad Hoc Working Group Against the Coup and Occupation of Haiti which includes those active in: ANSWER/LA; Coalition in Solidarity with Haiti; Haiti Action Committee; International Action Center/LA; LA/US Labor Against the War; National Lawyers Guild; The Pan African Activist Coalition; San Gabriel Valley Neighbors for Peace and Justice; Women of Color in the Global Women’s Strike including Margaret Prescod, host and producer of “Sojourner Truth” on KPFK radio and others.

ALSO: Wednesday March 2, noon-1 pm protest at the Brazilian Consulate at 8484 Wilshire Blvd (east of La Cienega). Endorsed by Danny Glover. Bring signs, noisemakers! Although the coup and Occupation of Haiti remains US backed, Brazil is now in charge of the occupying force and leads the way in putting the mask of international approval on this brutal occupation. The Haitian Resistance movement has requested that Brazil be asked to withdraw its troops from Haiti. Protesters are requesting that a delegation be allowed to meet with a representative of the government of Brazil to present the Porto Alegre, Brazil Declaration on Haiti, and to express their concerns.

Background: Haiti became the first Black Republic in 1804 when those enslaved defeated the French/Napoleon’s army, and abolished slavery. 200 years later, on February 29, 2004, US Marines kidnapped President Aristide, the first democratically elected President. President Aristide was elected by 2/3rds of the vote, with a 67% voter turnout. Former Liberation Theologist and Catholic Priest, President Aristide’s base of support is the 80% of Haitians who are poor. He was swept into power by a movement called Lavalas that in Haitian Creole means “flash flood” and was elected to tackle Haiti’s grinding poverty.

Eight months after he was first elected in 1991 his government was overthrown by a CIA backed coup. Under pressure from African Americans and large numbers of Haitian so-called “boat people” arriving in Miami, President Clinton was forced to return President Aristide to Haiti. President Aristide upon his return continued his programs to help the poor. The US and Europe then imposed an embargo on financial assistance to Haiti, but poured millions of dollars to a minority opposition to President Aristide and planned the next coup, which then took place on Feb 29,04. Brazilian led UN troops have replaced US Marines in the brutal occupation of Haiti. More than 3000 Aristide supporters have been killed since the coup, and hundreds thrown in jail. The Resistance in Haiti is demanding a return to democracy beginning with the return of President Aristide.

I know a haitian. Aristide was the reason he left to come here. He was a thug. He might have been democratically elected, but so was Bush. Supporting Aristide is the same as supporting Hussein yet progressives seem totally in the dark as to what this guy was about. That said US has no right to interfere in the politics of other nations.

Agreed. Both Aristide and Saddam would still be in power today if they had not angered Washington. The rule of the US empire is no different from that of Rome or any other empire.

It’s a very simple rule: Obey or die.

History also reveals another simple turth: No empire lasts forever. All empires fall.

Aristide, like Chavez in Venezuela, is loved by the poor, the 9o+ % of civil society. Those jailed by Aristide were primarily the US trained and supported military and police forces that terrorized the population since the 50's and throughout the Papa Doc and Baby Doc Duvalier regimes. Some of whom, under indictment from the previous Haitian government for murder, rape, torture, etc. still roam the streets of New York and Miami .

Aristide was under incredible pressure from the Clinton administration to follow the IMF, World Bank line but chose in the end to go the way of dignity and democracy for his country.

Aristides crimes include: Setting up hospitals, a medical school and community schools throughout the country. Setting up radio stations for the thousands of orphans and encouraging them to participate in society. Eliminating the army. Limiting the police and judiciary to international human rights protocols. 10 years of democratic culture and the development of a civil society which has been repressed by the US and France since Haiti's independence 200 years ago this year.

I would like to know the reasons for the US wanting

a coup to take place in Haiti. Are there any articles that cover CIA Coups throughout the world.

What defines CIA activity in a country compared with conspiracy theories when there is little or none media coverage and evidence

Yes, there is little coverage in the US about US military and CIA coups in the world, but a lot of coverage everywhere outside of the US.

The best book on CIA and US military coups and coup attempts is "Killing Hope" by William Blum. A lot of his search data are not from a Mickey mouse weekly but from the Library of Congress.

Another related book is "Confessions of an economic hit man" by John Perkins.

Those two books will give you a very good idea about what has been going on in the world the last 40 years.

The guy who coordinated the invasion has ties to sweatshop factory owners. They probably want to open more factories there.