SocialistAction 1983–88

The paper of the Socialist League, formerly the International Marxist Group, 1983–88

Haiti: eight dead in protest

Socialist Action No. 139, 2 May 1986 · pp. 9-10 of the scan · 520 words

The scan: 139-may-02-1986-SA-UK.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive, opens at this page)

Uncorrected machine reading. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from a scan of a newspaper page, and the page was cut into articles by machine, at the headlines found by their type size. Nothing has been corrected: expect misread words, text from a neighbouring article, and titles that are the machine reading of the headline, some of them only fragments. Quote from the scan, not from this page.
How this article was cut and titled: headline found by type size in the OCR geometry (split_tabloid.py); 1-4 of 7; machine-segmented newspaper page; uncorrected Vision OCR.

page 9 of the scan

EIGHT PEOPLE died and dozens Since Duvalier was driven out on 7 February the three-person junta General Namphy which replaced him has been on a collision course with the Haitian people. It headed by General Henri Namphy, himself appointed army Chiet staff in 1984 by Baby Doc Duvalier.

The Haitians are conducting WilaL they call operasyon dechoukay uproot' DoCTatUl battle to destroy every.

of Duvalierism.

Responding to a call from the catholic Radio Soleil, a centre of opposition under Duvalier, they have set up Te bOSSOOO Coliliil They ices In Iany aicas.

were injured ching through the city following a memorial service rooting out former Tontons Macoutes Duvalier's menDes hated personal militia.

e untoas are DCSS ing their demands. CATH, Federaine naepenaell tion of Haitian Workers, is battle Nossorue under way for official use the Creole language. spoken by the vast majoristrident demand for elections to a civilan government to replace the junta, and for a constitution.

A series ol exies returning: leader Haitian Democratic anoue ene Theo dore (IFOPADA); Rene of the Unified Haitian Communist Party (PUCH); Colonel Octace Cayard whọ led a failed against Francois ICTULl Duvalier 1970, Ilaly others. Their statements and press conferences on return are provoking widespread political debate.

The government resisting or marking time. prices. Long live democracy' The junta claims it wants 'order' In fact it wants to ensure that Haiti's wealthy classes do not lose the privileges they held under And it wants to protect the US interests on which they depend.

The theoretical minimum wage is $3 a day. In fact, of the 50 per cent of working population who have a job, earnings average $130 year. Accurd of 129 Third World Third Oul countries, Haiti was 127th calorie consumption and 129th in protein conSlogans on Port-Au-Prince wall reads 'government should cut all sumption.

ante of this misery were phenomenal. The 200 or So US . companies operating in Haiti earned profits between 30 and 100 cent. Duvalier reckoned to nave ovel $750 million salted away. The flowering of Haitian political life is a inical to the junta, Haiti's ruling classes and above all to UŠ interests in Hait1, which have thrived and grown fat on 35 years of brutal dic tatorship.

At the beginning of congressional delegation VILCU Haiti, headed liberal democrat Walther Fauntroy. 'How lucky you are in Haiti,' he said 'that you have in power the interim General Coveucl Henri Namphy. I am certain that he is an honest man He deserves confidence and support. urge Haitian people back the army high command during the coming critical days and months. For some strange reason. lt seems as though the people of Haiti don't quite see it the same way. East Germany Iwo fourteen-year old school students were arrested and held for three weeks for circulating a draft programme in their school calling for a 'genuine socialist party.'

page 10 of the scan

Socialist Action 2 May 1986

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when Haitian army troops fired on a demonstration in the capital, Port-au-Prince, last Saturday. The demonstrators, over 10,000 in number, were mar- for political victims of Baby Doc Duvalier.

← U.S. threatens direct intervention in NicaraguaAnti-Reagan demos →

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