7291: Lauture (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

Please post anonymously

In reponse to Durban' and the latest anonymous questions on Lauture.

1. Old Haitian family means of Haitian origins preceding independence as 
opposed to recent (20th century) immigrants to Haiti such as Brandts, 
Madsens, Izmerys.  It also means that she may not have to earn all the money 
or land she owns.  Her family was able to send her to France to study.  It 
may be a sin to be born in wealth but it is not a sin to use one's own wealth 
to help others.
2. Mrs. Lauture was associated with the Michelle Bennetts foundation when MBD 
decided to try to do something positive.  There was no reason to destroy the 
Bon Repos hospital for women just because it was built by MBD's foundation.  
3. There are many people in Haiti who associate and/or flatter the current 
government to protect their private or public entreprise, including their 
charities.  Look for the December 25, 1985 issue of the Government Newspaper, 
the Nouveau Monde, and you'll find:  La Boulangerie Francaise de Antoine et 
Georges Izmery souhaite ses meilleurs voeux a son excellence Mr.  Jean Claude 
Duvalier a la premiere dame de la republique madame Michelle B. Duvalier (a 
fulll page add).  Now that they've died they were great revolutionaries.  The 
fact that Izmerys, Lauture and others (maybe Archim included) flatter the 
powers does not make it right but it is common practice in Haiti.  
4.  There is confirmation that half a million dollars was spent on dishes, 
glasses, and utensils for the inauguration.  Apparently the prior purchases 
of supplies for the national palace were made by Prospere Avril.  Since then 
there was nothing left in the palace kitchen.  So the purchase was not for 
the inauguration but for the use of the Aristide government:  limoge service 
for a party of 800 .  Maybe they could have used wal-mart quality, or paper, 
plastic, or styrofoam.  If Lauture was in charge of the purchase it is 
probably because Aristide thought that his poorer friends would use the money 
for opening a foreign bank account and leave his guests to eat with plastics. 
 The governments of Haiti have wasted a lot of money on guns, carnavals, many 
presidential inaugurations, big homes for friends and employees, American 
private security services.  The question of where these government place 
their priorities remains, but should not fall on Gladys Lauture exclusively.
5.  Since Mr. Durban asks about cars:  Mr. and Mrs Lauture have 2 cars, one 
of which is a 15 year-old Subaru.  About the house: it's a traditional big 
house like the ones the US government employees rent in Pacot, Turgeau, 
Babiole.  It is not one of the new mansions.  About house workers: few, she 
does her own cooking and he does his own gardening.
6.  Finally I would like to add that people demonize women much more than 
they do men.  Mrs.  Lauture is not an angel but she is well-known for being 
devoted to Aristide since before he was well-known as she will go very far to 
help others who she thinks are trying to do something positive.  She is now a 
mythical figure in Haitian politics because she meddles in just about 
everything.  When she asks that something be done by a government official, 
it usually gets done.  She is very protective of Aristide and she is trying 
to help what she perceives as a good cause.  Most educated Haitians hate to 
see others accomplish anything while they sit around talking about what they 
could do but do not understand the concept of work, particularly work that 
gets their hands dirty .  Jealousy creates distruction.  Haitian Women get 
things accomplished.  Haitian Men hate to admit that things can get 
accomplished.