The Wire

Yesterday Haiti’s first freely elected president in 200 years of independence fled the country for the second time. President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was also forced to flee back in 1990 when he was ousted by a military coup backed by the CIA. Rebels have seized over two thirds of Haiti, but the political situation is fluid and the fighting isn’t over. There are still government held towns where armedand angry pro-Aristide supporters are showing no signs of capitulating. As the first of 200 U.S. marines flew in to help restore order, Supreme Court Justice Chief Boniface Alexandre has taken charge of the country. The arrival of US troops in Haiti was greeted with mixed feelings. Some people see the troops as welcome peacemakers in a country that has been rocked by rebellion over the past three weeks. However, given the long history of US interventions in Haiti, others are viewing the arrival of marines with misgivings. Kate Hairsine spoke to to Eugenia Charlies, Haiti Reborn, a US based not-for profit project run out of the Quixote Institute, Jean Phillipe Le Roy, a Haitian journalist, and Ton Tonga, Editor of Tanbou magazine, a US based Haitian political and social journal published in 3 languages, Haitian, Creole and English.

Haiti News from various sources
Alternative Media website (French)
Haitian website