5886: Grenade explosions in P-a-P - news flashes (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Charles Arthur <charlesarthur@hotmail.com>

news flash #1
Port-au-Prince,11/22/2000 -- 11: 30 AM
[Haiti OnLine] (translated by Charles Arthur for the Haiti Support Group)

The climate of insecurity which prevails in the capital has taken a dramatic 
turn with a grenade explosion in the downtown area of the city in the zone 
of Rue du Peuple. At least two people perished. Another grenade exploded in 
Delmas 95, in  Pétionville, killing one person. As it is three days to the 
Presidential election of November 26 2000, is a massacre of the type of 
November 29, 1987, at hand? All of Port-with-Prince is in agitation, and all 
live in fear and anxiety.

news flash #2
Wednesday 12.54 PM
[Haitian National Television] (translated from the French by Charles Arthur 
for the HSG)

The explosion of home-made bombs in various places in the Haitian capital 
caused the death of a 14 year old teenager and serious casualties. In 
Port-au-Prince, at the angle of the streets of Dr. Aubry and Front-Forts, an 
explosion blew off the leg of a street-trader. In Pétionville, at Métélus 
and Gregoire Streets, and at Delmas 95, it is the same situation - people 
circulating aboard unmarked vehicles throwing grenades which have injured 
several people, some seriously. Near the international airport of 
Port-with-Prince, there were explosions that also wounded two people.

Until now, no arrests have yet been carried out by the national police force 
of Haiti. However, the police chief of Port-with-Prince asked the population 
to go to vote on 26 November because the police will be at their side. At 
the same time, the popular organizations close to Lafanmi Lavalas, once more 
threatened to take action if the police do not carry out the arrest of the 
leaders of the opposition. The popular organisations hold these leaders 
responsible for the acts of violence perpetrated in the capital. For the 
moment, the town of Port-with-Prince is practically empty. After the 
explosions, the small traders and merchants left.

There was also a demonstration of popular organisations in front of the 
Parliament this morning. The objective was to protect the elected officials 
of May 21, they explained. On their side, the leaders of the opposition 
continue to reject the charges according to which they are involved in the 
acts of violence in Port-au-Prince.


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The Haiti Support Group - solidarity with the Haitian people's struggle for 
justice, participatory democracy and equitable development, since 1992.
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