#34 - January 12 in all sobriety
All the news from Haiti this week: modest commemoration of the 2010 earthquake, slowdown of work in Ouanaminthe, guerrilla warfare in Mariani and the Grand Sud paralysed
On Friday, the sad anniversary of the January 2010 earthquake was marked by very few commemorative events. A short official ceremony with a limited list of guests was held at the site of the former presidential palace in Port-au-Prince. For its part, the FOKAL Foundation continued its tradition, started more than 10 years ago in the Parc de Martissant, by bringing together a large part of the cultural community of Port-au-Prince, this time at the Maison Dufort.
This and more in HAITI WEEKLY #34 by DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO, a collective of journalists and media professionals based in Haiti.
Editor’s note: In the last few days, we've passed the 1,500 subscribers mark by e-mail and 10,000 subscribers to our Facebook page. Thanks to all our followers!
Étienne Côté-Paluck
Summary #34
Modest Commemoration of the 2010 Earthquake
Work Slows Down on Ouanaminthe Canal
Music Video of the Week: C.E.O. by Wendyyy
Guerrilla Warfare in Mariani: the South Paralyzed
Press Review of the Week
Modest Commemoration of the 2010 Earthquake
The people of Port-au-Prince were hardly in the mood for commemoration last Friday, preferring to remember their loved ones who died in the 2010 tragedy in private. Fourteen years later, attendance was modest at the ceremony at the Champ de Mars, on the highly secure grounds of the former presidential palace, where de facto Prime Minister (and President) Ariel Henry once again delivered a speech that is unlikely to go down in history.
A few blocks away, the large courtyard of the Maison Dufort, a gingerbread-style house in the Bois-Vernat district, completely renovated by the FOKAL Foundation, was filled with an atmosphere of contemplation. Former Prime Minister and FOKAL co-founder Michèle Pierre-Louis spoke, accompanied by the group Nanm, singer Renette Désir and the Koral Fokal.
“In 2024, our daughters and sons must hold high the torch of competence for the Haitian renaissance.”
Excerpt from 2024: Can we hope?
Editorial in Le National by Gary Victor (December 30, 2023)
At the end of the event, the Collectif pour la sauvegarde des traditions haïtiennes, a group of drummers, closed the event with their powerful, solemn rhythms, an emotional reminder of the collective power of a commemoration.
“The January 12 earthquake could have been a salutary shock. But it didn't. Perhaps our ailment is too chronic for a natural catastrophe to change our ways of seeing and understanding our relationships with others, our relationships with our land.”
Excerpt from January 12!
Editorial in Le National by Gary Victor (January 12, 2024)
Sober commemoration of 14 years since the earthquake . Le Nouvelliste
14 years after the January 12 2010 earthquake, housing problems persist - Le National
In the eye of Ivanoh: Daniel Morel's powerful photos of the Haiti earthqua | Radio-Canada
“Our wounded cities and our country have been turned into a haven for all the lost and all the humanitarian businessmen, the laboratory for the implementation of all the political masquerades, all the policies of reinforcing dependence.”
Excerpt from January 12, how to forget ?
Analysis by Lyonel Trouillot in Ayibopost (January 11, 2024)
Work Slows Down on Ouanaminthe Canal
Work on the Ouanaminthe canal is nearing completion, but there's still a long way to go. Construction should be finished soon, but the pace of gabionage has slowed due to a shortage of stone. Gabionage is a critical step in ensuring that water flows into the canal without eroding it.
Meanwhile, farmers in the Maribahoux Plain have begun preparing their fields for the coming season after heavy rains in recent weeks. The Ouanaminthe Canal is designed to bring water to the fields of this plain, which has been hard hit by climate change.
1.8 km of 2.6 km already built - Le National
Music Video of the Week
C.E.O. - Wendyyyyy
The song C.E.O. is the first single from rapper Wendyyy's long-awaited new album. Without even a chorus, the video has been viewed 2.5 million times in the last five days. The nine-track album, titled III, will be officially released on January 21, as a promotional staging at the end of the video reminds us.
Guerrilla Warfare in Mariani: the South Paralyzed
Since January 1, most of the traffic on Route Nationale #2 has been paralyzed due to the conflict in Mariani. Part of the Carrefour district has been under the control of an armed criminal group since November 1. To get there, the police send reinforcements by boat to avoid the southern route, including Martissant.
“Mariani for the end of 2023, after Carrefour-Feuilles, illustrates the je m'enfoutisme, the contempt, if not the hatred of our so-called leaders for the Haitian people, and also the hatred they have for themselves as no one else.”
Excerpt from The unacceptable
Editorial in Le National by Gary Victor (January 6, 2024)
Bandits destroy the economy of southern Haiti - METROPOLE
AlterPresse | Ayiti-Laterè : Yon lòt beny san gang ak zam Maryani yo, 6 janvye 2024 la, sou vwayajè sou lanmè
Situation still tense in Mariani despite PNH efforts | Loop Haiti
Less and less police presence in Mariani, denounces the interim executive agent of Gressier . Le Nouvelliste
“Madan-Sara” trapped in Mariani - Le National
Some people pay smugglers to cross the mountains, while fishermen have adapted their boats to carry passengers by sea. Last week, however, a horrific incident shook the country: passengers in a rowboat were shot from the shore.
The noose is tightening around Port-au-Prince, but the de facto government still seems incapable of turning things around, and has been for more than two years.
At a Glance: Candles for Nanm in Concert
Port-au-Prince's popular new concert venue in recent months, the Centre Culturel Caraïbes, located on the premises of Radio-Télévision Caraïbes in Bas-Peu-de-Chose, played host to a concert by the vodou music group Nanm. The sweet song Travese (I'm Vodou) was performed by candlelight in the audience. The event, dubbed Kousou Marasa, also featured singer Vanessa Jeudi and DJ Kemissa (Video: Eliezer Guérismé).
DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO’s team
Photojournalists: Francillon Laguerre, Sonson Thelusma, Andoo Lafond, Milot Andris, Patrick Payin
Editorial board: Etienne Côté-Paluck, Jean Elie Fortiné, Jean-Paul Saint-Fleur
Interns: Wilky Andris, Donley Jean Simon
Special collaboration: Stephanie Tourillon-Gingras, Mateo Fortin Lubin, Eliezer Guérismé, Josué Azor, Marika Jeanty, Jéthro-Claudel Pierre Jeanty, Ralph Simon, Chrisfort Louis, Gilbert Mirambeau Jr.
Media partners: Centre à la Une, J-COM, Nord-Est Info
Institutional partners: Kay Fanm, Mouka.ht
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Press Reviews of the Week
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