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#4571: Lavalas's Popular Organizations Stand Firm (fwd)
From: kevin pina <cariborganics@hotmail.com>
Lavalas's Popular Organizations Stand Firm
by Kevin Pina
In the early hours of Friday, July 7th, two days before the second round of
voting in the highly controversial parliamentary elections in Haiti, about
2000 supporters of Lavalas began a peaceful march for peace, justice and
democracy in their country. Lavalas is the party founded by former
president Jean-Bertrand Aristide that has been accused in the US press of
conducting a campaign of street violence against opposition political
parties in Haiti?s first round of parliamentary elections. On this day of
peaceful protest the only journalists to be found were a photographer from
the Magna Agency and Daniel Morel of the Haitian Times.
The marchers assembled at the Canadian Embassy and proceeded to the US
Embassy where they stopped for a speech from a spokesman of the Popular
Organizations (OP), followed by a symbolic ceremony and prayers for peace.
In front of the main gates of the US embassy an OP spokesman addressed
marchers, ?Even though many of us have lost our lives we are going to
continue on. We are ready to sacrifice our lives in order to shelter our
children in the future? he said in obvious reference to the coup and the
political violence that has wracked this small Caribbean nation since
Aristide?s return in 1994. He was direct in his accusation that US foreign
policy is largely to blame for much of the turmoil, ? We speak directly to
the international community who we believe is accountable to the United
States which is a great power. They are clearly responsible for the
situation in our country now. In spite of their actions to divide the people
we have remained fast. They have been coming here and trying to divide us
adding more misery to the people. The people have come through this and in
spite of this have remained strong and rich.?
The spokesman continued by citing specific examples of tactics used to
divide the movement for democratic reform in Haiti including the spreading
of misinformation and the recent upheaval created by the OAS in challenging
the credibility of the first round of elections. He made it clear that such
tactics would not work and that Lavalas remains resolute, ?If they do not
allow real democratic change the game is not going to be easy for them
anymore. Because even if they have terrifying weapons, chemical weapons to
use on us, even if they have a lot of greenbacks and diplomatic tricksters,
they cannot pass over the will of a people who want change, who want peace
and real democracy.?
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