6621: Washington DC (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: OLOFFSONRAM@aol.com

Well, here I am in Washington. Its interesting because whenever you tell some 
one in Haiti that you're going to Washington, they think you're going to talk 
and determine policy with the powers that be. Far from the case this time, 
however, one interesting note. While I was going through the airport in Miami 
I noticed that the loudspeaker announcements are now in English, Spanish AND 
Creole. Immigration treaties can't be far behind.
Some real interesting political turns in Haiti. The Parallel government group 
travelled to the Dominican Republic the other day to meet with members of the 
International Socialists who also happen to be part of the Dominican Ministry 
of the Interior. For these guys to be talking parallel government and to be 
coming and going  in and out of Haiti at will, they must have some kind of 
pretty strong back-up. Sometimes these things (parallel governments, etc.) 
that sound so ludicrous have to be taken seriously. Did they get their 
passports stamped at immigration by the current government? Why weren't they 
blocked and kept from returning to Haiti as destabalizers? Why didn't the 
"chime" barricade the streets? Perhaps "Atensyon pa kapon". This is the first 
time a political group has stood up to Lavalas since the return and Lavalas 
has quietly backed down. 
Even more incredible. One of the popular organizations backing Lavalas came 
out and said they were going to use the opposition's skin as paper and 
opposition blood as ink and opposition skulls as inkwells. The next day other 
popular organizations backing Lavalas came out and distanced themselves from 
those preaching the violence. In the past Lavalas has waited months before 
distancing themselves from violence.

Richard Morse
P.S. they told me at the airport that Alexis arrived in Washington a bit 
before me. People sure love pre-inauguration intrigue.