21796: (Hermantin)Sun-sentinel-Boca man thrust onto world stage as Haiti's prime minist (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>


Boca man thrust onto world stage as Haiti's prime minister


By Alva James-Johnson
Staff Writer



BOCA RATON -- A casual visit to the home of Haitian Prime Minister Gérard
Latortue is no longer a trivial matter. The greeters at the front door are
Secret Service agents, courtesy of the United States. They ask for names and
let callers in only after confirming appointments.

Their presence is one indication that life indeed has changed for the
69-year-old retired economist, who became interim prime minister of the
poorest country in the Western Hemisphere only two months ago.

"It's a completely different style of life," he said Sunday, sitting
serenely in his living room, while his wife of 37 years, Marlene, fielded a
constant stream of phone calls. "I'm usually a man that's very open. I like
to see my friends and go to any small Haitian restaurant that I want to. ...
Now I cannot do that. I'm under very heavy security and can't make a move on
my own."

Latortue, who spent a quiet Mother's Day with his wife, mother and
mother-in-law, sat comfortably in his favorite wood-carved chair, a keepsake
from his years as an official for the United Nations in West Africa. His
armrests were two wooden lions, the symbol of "power and strength," he said
jokingly.

Outside, neighbors in his middle-class subdivision tended to their yards and
strolled the sidewalks, seemingly oblivious to the head of state among them.

Latortue arrived in South Florida on Friday after leaving Haiti last week on
a mission to drum up international support for his country. After meeting
with President Bush and other U.S. government officials in Washington, D.C.,
he hopes to receive millions of dollars in emergency aid. He spent the
weekend attending community events in Miami and Boca Raton, where he was
received warmly by hundreds of supporters.

But in both Washington and South Florida, he received a cold shoulder from
some government officials and Haitian immigrants who maintain that former
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was removed from office illegally and have
refused to recognize Latortue's government.

Among those who consider his government illegitimate are Rep. Maxine Waters,
D-Cal., who was among some black representatives who boycotted a meeting
between Latortue and members of the Congressional Black Caucus last week.

Latortue also has clashed with some members of Caricom, the Caribbean
community organization, which also has refused to recognize his government.

On Sunday, he said he had a productive meeting with members of the
Congressional Black Caucus who are committed to the people of Haiti and not
only to the former government.

"The question of how Aristide left power cannot block their cooperation with
8 million people," he said.

He said the country's relationship with Caricom is improving, and he plans
to move forward and leave the controversies behind.

"How to modernize the country, bring jobs and progress, those are my
concerns and my priorities," he said.

Latortue said he would travel to New York today to meet with U.N.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan. From there, he will travel to Europe to meet
with European Union officials and French President Jacques Chirac.

He said the meeting with Annan would focus on the U.N. plan to dispatch a
multinational peacekeeping force to Haiti. He will also ask Annan for
assistance with disarming gangs that still threaten the country's stability.

"When you're talking about armed gangs, you need people with military
experience to do the job," he said.

Latortue said the challenge he faces in rebuilding Haiti is daunting.

"I've traveled throughout the world to places in Africa and Asia, and I
thought those were cases of extreme poverty," he said. "But what I saw in
Haiti, it was unimaginable."

As prime minister, it has not been easy handling the load.

"You have the problems of a country on your shoulders," he said. "The
problems are numerous and have accumulated over many years, and everybody
wants the solutions yesterday."

But on Sunday, he was just a husband and son, spending Mother's Day with the
women he loves. He said Saturday night was the first time in a week he had
slept seven hours. Since becoming prime minister, it was only his second
trip home, he said. His wife, who remains in Boca Raton, has been a real
trooper, he said.

"She lends me to Haiti because she knows about my commitment to my country,"
he said. "She's busy organizing the wedding of our first daughter, which is
next month."

Alva James-Johnson can be reached at ajjohnson@sun-sentinel.com or
954-356-4523.
Copyright © 2004, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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