A well organized effort by anti-Lavalas interests saw that there was a sizable contingent of provocateurs to create a confrontation with Aristide supporters.

Is the US Embassy in Haiti behind the political tensions?

Veye Yo Rara marched miles from Cite Soliel to the Courthouse to show their support for Aristide

The anti-Aristide militants threw rocks and wounded this Fanmi Lavalas supporter

Ti Sony was also known in Bel Air as Dred Sony. He has recently cut off his dreds. Here he is celebrating the return of Jean Bertrand Aristide in March 2011 outside the gates of Aristide's house in Tabarre.

Ti Sony's showing the 2010 Earthquake damage to his small house in one of the poorer sections of Bel Air.

by Randall White

HaitiAction.net - Port au Prince, Haiti — Former President of Haiti, Jean Bertrand Aristide, was summoned to appear in civil court on Thursday by a former GNB militant that, somehow, has become a prosecutor appointed by Martelly. Government Commissioner Lucmane Dellille has been in a singularly dogged pursuit of persecuting Fanmi Lavalas activists; seemingly to disrupt their solidarity ahead of national elections to fill out the Parliament. On the other hand former President Jean-Claude Duvalier was awarded a "diplomatic" passport recently and was relaxing in the US-client state — Dominican Republic — even though he faces serious civil and human rights charges in Haiti. And, in the halls of "justice" another twenty one Fanmi Lavalas activists have been sitting in prison, without seeing a judge, since December 16 — with a capricious charge of consorting with undesirables.

Over 25 years ago, then, Father Aristide started a shelter for homeless orphans that were living a hardened and miserable existence on the Streets of Port au Prince. As could reasonably be expected, sheltering and stabilizing street kids was a constant struggle — to say the least. After the boys grew into men they still had their individual survival sensibilities that they used to stay alive every day of their lives, up to the present.

It didn't help that as a result of Aristide's role in transforming governance of Haiti with the objectives of Liberation Theology — empowering those excluded from "civil society — all the gains and milestones reached by the larger Lavalas popular democracy, became targets of US "containment" in the Western Hemisphere. "Disrupt, dismantle and defeat" — to quote President Obama — didn't belie the fourth word "deadly" which was the level of means which was used against that vision. A US-trained (at Ft. Bragg) strongman, Michel François — and namesake of Sweet Mickey Martelly— targeted LaFanmi Selavi for fiery raids to scatter and annihilate the boys. Many of the LaFanmi Selavi simply had to fend for themselves — while their mentors were being assassinated, thrown into prison or hiding — and each seemed to have a price on their heads for life.

After the US-sponsored Coup d"État of February 29, 2004 many from LaFanmi Selavi were killed, yet again, by US-trained death squads.

The group that is asking for civil compensation from Aristide are very well known by the leaders of Fanmi Lavalas, being very prominent and rowdy at most demonstrations and meetings of the political organization. In the past, even when the Fanmi Lavalas political organization held the reigns of governance the LaFanmi Selavi were somewhat uncooperative in trying to come up with constructive solutions. Notably, in June of 1999 a group of them — including Ti Sony — were arrested at a Fanmi Lavalas function and had to issue a public apology for airing "dirty laundry" and stated their commitment to Lavalas. Their complaint then, was similar to the complaint today.

This time it seems as if they are being provoked and sponsored to take this action. It was reported that an official vehicle of the French Embassy brought Ti Sony — Sony Thélusma — to the hearing on Thursday instead of a more appropriate PNH or UN vehicle deemed necessary for security. When Ti Sony decided, afterwards, that he was at risk he fled to seek out his handlers [ahem] at the US Embassy in Tabarre to request asylum — that, it is likely, he was promised beforehand.

For his efforts he was handed over to the PNH and now sits in the Delmas Jail where his safety is tenuous, at best. It appears most unlikely that anyone calling themselves to be "friends" will step forward at this time.

Once again, the poor and the hungry become patsies in a deadly game of empire building. It's likely that the complainants will be cast aside by their sponsors when this episode becomes "inconvenient." While most in Haiti can clearly see who is being played by whom, the taxpayers of the occupying forces are being fed a constant stream of disinformation about the protagonists of a fictional narrative provided by the corporate media as "News."

***

Speaking of patsies, journalists, intrigue and coups, how bout that *Herb Gold? He was dusted off again to celebrate the upcoming arrival of coworker Amy Wilentz' even-newer narrative. He must have been chewing on a bit too much of that spiny cucumber and seems to be parroting even more vitriolic, anti-Aristide propaganda for the corporate sponsors when he should stick to ghostwriting content for Haitian-Truth.org

Herb Gold pops up now and again when there is a need for that special bit of hijinx in preparation of overturning Democracy. Herb is more famous for consorting with the handler of that most famous patsy Lee Harvey Oswald — CIA bon vivant, George de Mohrenschildt. It's reported that the day after the Coup of All Coups — President John F. Kennedy's assassination — Herb, George de, and (likely) François Duvalier were sipping rum-sodas at Villa Vabrune. All in a day's work…

Which brings us back to the very dangerous situation today on the streets of Port au Prince. While many Haiti insiders seem to think that Michel Martelly is functioning at the direction of Washington D.C.'s Intelligence Community there seems to be a divergence of tactics. The US State Department has issued a travel warning for Haiti. A phenomenon that seems to happen before there is a "realignment" and a few leaders become victims. For its part, the Martelly PR hacks issued their own rebuttal.

The operative "collateral damage" was invented by members of Civil Society to justify the "trickle-down" violence that befalls upon the poor and hungry during such episodes of realignment.

***

As was expected, President Aristide was not at the hearing last Thursday. His attorneys have made it clear that the series of complaints being shepherded by the Martelly government is more of a political maneuver than a civil action by erstwhile supporters. Everything is being done to deflect the will of the People of Haiti from holding free, open and fair elections.

"Disrupt, dismantle and defeat." Rahm Emmanuel, Consul Général Lesly Condé in Chicago, AIPAC and Patrick Gaspard seem to have become more than just Facebook friends.

Fanmi Lavalas is struggling a bit, within, over appropriate tactics to respond to that situation. The current trend seems to be away from confrontational mobilizations, even if largely nonviolent. There is a larger will that seems to be weary of strident discourse. So there was a smaller crowd of Aristide supporters at the Courthouse.

Just the same, some of Cite Soliel the faithful showed up on Risky Thursday to voice their dissatisfaction with the charade. A contingent of better fed Zinglendos are becoming more organized and provocative in order to pull the Lavalasien into a confrontation and risk arrest.

The pressure from the Embassies to disrupt the unity of the popular movements ahead of elections is a practiced routine. For now, another hearing is set for Wednesday which is most likely to cause further unrest. The twenty one arrestees languishing in the prison will likely see yet another week without any justice in sight.

***

*steering clear of the obvious puns.

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HaitiAction.net is making a special fundraising call for the benefit of the Rara musicians that are trying to recover from December 16th's Manifestation and need to buy new instruments for the upcoming Kanaval season. Donations can be made online to the Rara Fund for now. If you wish additional information, send your questions to info@haitiaction.org

click fund logo above to donate

The Rara Bands are a vital component of the pro-democracy demonstrations in Haiti. Each band is usually organized around a community and the leaders (maestro) are usually pressed for other concerns of benevolence for that community. The HaitiAction.net readership has been quite generous in the past with their donations to Haiti through this news website; coming up with the resources to re-equip these musicians and their community will be a relatively simple goal.

As we prefer to encourage the benefits of a tax paying society, and that the Rara bands that we're involved with are striving for the full participation of Fanmi Lavalas in the electoral politics of Haiti this particular project is NOT tax-deductable.

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