Jean Claude Duvalier reportedly is back in Haiti. He returned this afternoon and reports are now coming out. A good friend in Haiti alerted me to this, and now it is out on the wire.
What a God awful mess. The Duvalier Dictatorship covered both Francois and Jean Claude and has never disappeared, and it won't until the evil basis of the dictatorship is finally confronted. The report is that supporters mobbed Duvalier on his arrival. The permissions for him to board the Air France flight in Paris and to land in Haiti and his ability to get beyond immigration is all a political sign - the government is either too weak to keep him out or various parties are glad to have him back, and more important, the US seems to be standing back and doing nothing. France, where the hell is France? Duvalier should never have been allowed to board the plane.
It is hard to think that everyone simply dropped the ball. This thing has support in unknown players. For Jean Claude Duvalier to return in the midst of a political crisis in Haiti is a sign: The night crawlers have returned, and once again a Duvalier might be touted as the savior of the Nation.
If they begin to sing "Duvalier, President for Life," it will be time to ask if the US simply blinked and looked the other way, or worse, welcomed his return.
This thing is a mess and can get worse very quickly.
Pray for Haiti and for all we love.
The place is thick with desperation and no doubt the willingness to do anything to survive--even I would go to the airport and cheer for Baby Blockhead for a bag of rice, for medicine, for a piece of corrugated tin to pull over myself and my loved ones at night--how easy it is to turn ones head away from a real record of corruption when the promise of IMMEDIATE HELP is on the tarmac looking squeaky clean--who knows the depth of greed and corruption that thrives each day in Haiti as the people are lied to, die and often deceived...and they are.
ReplyDeleteI once visited Haiti in the olden days/daze of Papa Doc--the place was a graveyard that got ¨blacked out¨ in quarters each night--it took me weeks to shake myself out of the shock of being one of only a handful of visitors--our Tonton pretended to be our 24/7 ¨driver¨ and slept in the car in front of the Hotel each night (the Hotel where we were the only guests)--it´s all true and the everyday people are wonderous and lovely souls...they need a big break in leadership and ¨Baby Doc¨ ain´t it (maybe this is where all this is going)--Haiti needs a Haitian Hero who hasn´t exploited his/her Nation already!
Lord have mercy, this is a very big deal (and clearly as urgent as you suggest).
This is so very sad and frightening, and yes, that Duvalier is back is a sign. France most certainly should not have allowed Duvalier to board the plane.
ReplyDeleteMark, I ask a serious question: what would you have the US do? I've thought about what our government leaders could or should do regarding Haiti, and I don't come up with answers. We are already viewed as heavy-handed in interfering in the affairs of other countries. What do we do?
Why wasn't he arrested as he got off the plane? O_o
ReplyDeleteThis is no small twist of fate. This is a carefully planned (on Baby Doc's part) coming back to take over. On the one hand, it may be that no one can get the country "back on its feet" save Baby Doc and so everyone is willing to give him a "chance". We (the US) have never been big on throwing him (or his dad) out since they were strong supporters of our policies and at that time you were "with us" or you were gainst us and there was no in between (just ask Fidel of Uncle Ho).
ReplyDeleteIt is terrible in that while order was there only by virture of "Uncle Boogeyman" and many a foe "disappeared" quickly and quietly. But, there seems to be nothing that can restore order of any kind in Haiti -- not now and by all accounts not very much back then. Many countries are probably tired of sending aid and having it go into thin air (or a bunch of nobodys pockets) that can't or don't want to restore any kind of civil government. The thinking maybe that at least Baby Doc can restore civil order.
Is this the one thing that Haiti needs? Probably not but it's the best of all the possible worlds and so most if not all governments are willing to put up with it. Tbhat woild mean both France and US. France would not let him return without our permission.
Friends, we are stuck with this for now. Things like this do not happen by chance. We (US foreing diplomacy) have put up with much worse and it is not up to us anyway.
Just think, we can look forward to a small intervention in about 10 years.
I heard this on the BBC last night, feeling a little involuntary shudder in response. Certainly serves as an object lesson in what can happen when we become complacent with evil in the background. I resonate with your instinct to call it by its true name, and I join you in praying for Haiti and for our own awareness. - Jen
ReplyDeleteAs to Duvalier being back in Haiti: "President René Préval rejected Duvalier's apology and, on September 28, he said that while Duvalier was constitutionally free to return to Haiti, he would face trial if he did so."
ReplyDeleteFrom AP article quoted in wikipedia.
We'll see what happens. Prayers continue for Haiti in the meantime.