#39 - Between Land and Sea: the Splendors of Labadie
The beauty of the sea in Cap-Haïtien, towards the end of construction in Ouanaminthe, Ekip and Bedjine in duet, a feminist look at LFAS and the resumption of police patrols in Port-au-Prince
On the horizon, where the blue of the sky merges with that of the sea, the glistening beaches of Labadie and Cormier spread out their carpets of fine sand. Here are a few privileged moments with some of the last tourists to set foot on these paradisiacal shores.
This and more in HAITI WEEKLY #39 by DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO, a collective of journalists and media professionals based in Haiti.
Editor’s note: The work in Port-au-Prince is still complex, and several members of the Dèyè Mòn Enfo team have had to leave their homes in recent weeks. In spite of everything, our passion guides us. Enjoy reading!
Etienne Côté-Paluck
Summary #39
A Sunday at Labadie: the Beauty of the Sea in Cap-Haitian
Towards the End of Canal Construction in Ouanaminthe
Music Video of the Week: Separasyon by Ekip and Bedjin
Mouka Conference: Haitian Women's Struggle in the 20th Century
Police Patrols Resume East of Champs-de-Mars
Security Council Installation: Back to Corridor Negotiations
Press Reviews of the Week
A Sunday at Labadie: the Beauty of the Sea in Cap-Haitian
Haiti's magnificent beaches have been largely deserted by visitors since last March. At the entrance to Labadie Bay, American tourists last visited the Labadee resort in February, where thousands of people normally stop each week. Royal Caribbean has just announced the suspension of its cruise until the fall because of the political crisis rocking the country.
At the far end of the bay, past the resort reserved for cruise passengers, lies the village of Labadie, inaccessible by motorized vehicle. However, colorful pirogues provide access by sea. Most of the Haitian employees of the Labadee Center, which includes a zip line, a small train and numerous water games, live in this village. Most are therefore unemployed, although they receive a monthly stipend.
This small fishing village stretches along much of the bay and also offers a number of seaside restaurants, clubs and hotels.
"When you come here, your breathing slows down," explains one of the guides who is originally from the village. "These are the places you never see in the images broadcast abroad, but this is also Haiti."
At the beginning of the bay, at the Cruiser Center, there are several personal watercraft and inflatable water games. Cruisers also usually have the opportunity to take a boat tour of Île-à-Rat with a Haitian guide who explains the region's importance in the country's history. From the most famous pirates to the fight against the French slave traders, many of Haiti’s defining moments have taken place along these coasts where the mountains plunge into the sea.
Unlike Labadie, the neighboring village of Cormier is easily accessible by road. In addition to a few second homes, the beach is home to a hotel complex with a beach bar under a large choukoun (wall-less construction with a roof).
On Sunday afternoons, many villagers and visitors from Cap-Haïtien, a ten-minute drive away, also enjoy the beaches. Numerous lambi vendors are out and about, and a few kiosks also offer fried fish or cold drinks.
Towards the End of Canal Construction in Ouanaminthe
Workers on the Canal de Ouanaminthe, also known as the Canal of Hope, prepare to pour a concrete slab on the bridge that has just been built over the Trop-Plein River. This is where the water from the canal under construction spills over to irrigate farmland downstream. This watercourse is regularly drained.
Once the bridge is built, only an agricultural road remains to be completed before the canal can be officially inaugurated, a member of the canal management committee told DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO on Friday.
Music Video of the Week
Separasyon - Ekip ft Bedjine
In these troubled times, there's nothing more comforting than a good compas song. A tragic love story, languid vocals and an unstoppable keyboard solo: the best ingredients are combined in this duet between Shabba, singer of the famous compas group Ekip, and one of the queens of the genre, Bedjine. In just five days, the music video for Separasyon has already reached almost half a million views on YouTube.
"Just because we're not together anymore doesn't mean the love I have for you is going to fade away," the chorus says.
"I'm pained, in grief, baby, I'm having a very difficult time," Shabba sings in conclusion at the end of the song. Bedjine responds with the same melody: "I'm in joy, my heart's content, I'm so good where I am now."
Mouka Conference: Haitian Women's Struggle in the 20th Century
Sociologist and feminist Sabine Lamour addressed the question of the struggle of Haitian women in the 20th century during a MOUKA conference that highlighted, among other things, the important contribution of the Ligue féminine d'action sociale in Haiti and elsewhere. This event is organized by ORÉGAND of the Université du Québec en Outaouais, in partnership with, among others, the Observatoire francophone sur le développement inclusif sur le genre (OFDIG), DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO and MwèmTV.
Police Patrols Resume East of Champs-de-Mars
Gradually, more and more police patrols have been seen east of the Champs-de-Mars in recent days, while attacks by armed groups have become less intense in the center of the city. Over the past two months, many police officers had retreated to their stations or departmental offices to protect themselves from these attacks.
The entire western part of the Champs-de-Mars, including the city center, remains deserted. The streets are empty and many of the shops have been looted or ransacked since early March.
At the end of the city's historic main street, the country's largest bus station, Portail Léogane, is still deserted. For the past few weeks, its drivers have been gathering on rue Lalue (John Brown) or at the Tifou intersection, where an armored police vehicle is now permanently stationed.
Some more daring drivers, especially for Fontamara or Carrefour, gather at the bottom of the first avenue Bolos, at the southern entrance to the city center.
In the northeast of the city, the neighborhoods of Solino and Delmas 24 were heavily attacked last Wednesday night. Dozens of residents were seen trying to flee the area during the night with suitcases in hand, especially women and children.
On the other hand, the Debussy district had also been celebrating the first anniversary of the Bwa Kale movement the week before. In April 2023, local residents had successfully repelled an attack by an armed criminal group, sparking a self-defense movement in the free neighborhoods and other parts of the country.
In the middle of the last week, the police permanently installed armoured tanks at certain strategic crossroads in the city. These are supposed to repel armed groups, as they are usually manned by a well-protected policeman with a high-caliber weapon. In recent days, one of these vehicles has been stationed at Carrefour Drouillard, near the airport, and another at Carrefour Vincent. The police have also cleared access to the Varreux oil terminal, the country's largest, which had been inaccessible for more than 10 days.
The new conflict between the gunmen of La Saline and those of Wharf Jérémie, who still control the La Saline high school and the Makawon district of La Saline, has subsided somewhat in recent days. An armored police tank has also reportedly been stationed near the entrance to Port-au-Prince's commercial port (CPS), in front of Makawon, to provide security.
Security Council Installation: Back to Corridor Negotiations
The Transitional Presidential Council was installed in Port-au-Prince on April 25, with great pomp and ceremony and a large-scale mobilization of the national police and army. The first part of the ceremony was unannounced and took place on the grounds of the presidential palace on the Champs-de-Mars, at about 8:00 a.m. The presidential band played the national anthem and a few minutes later, a long procession of vehicles and police quickly left the site to the sound of bullets fired by armed groups who had realized the deception after fighting for weeks to enter the site.
The second part of the ceremony took place with a few dozen guests dressed in gala attire. Canapés and champagne were served as armored SUVs filled the parking lot. The new ambassadors of the United States, Canada and France were present, as were representatives of the United Nations office in Haiti.
Since last week, however, the good feeling among the seven voting members of the board seems to be over. Four of them have quietly negotiated a deal to control all future board votes. The other three are now threatening to withdraw. Negotiations over the allocation of the various cabinet ministries in the next government appear to be at the heart of the exchanges. This points to a return to the usual political practices and backroom negotiations for the allocation of projects and "chantiers" that are highly lucrative for the individuals involved.
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: Stéphanie Tourillon-Gingras, Siffroy Clarens, Molière Adely, Eliezer Guérismé, Mateo Fortin Lubin
Media partners: Centre à la Une, J-COM, Nord-Est Info
Institutional partners: Kay Fanm, Mouka.ht
Special thanks to the Fonds québécois pour le journalisme international (FQJI) for its support.
How Does Your Contribution Help?
Your monthly support helps to finance the production and pay the salaries of the DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO staff in the communities of Cité-Soleil, Port-au-Prince and Cayes-Jacmel. In addition, donations are regularly distributed for medical expenses, school fees and other emergencies in these communities.
Press Reviews of the Week
RevuPress Review - Culture and Heritage
Lancement d’une collecte de fonds pour la reconstruction du Centre d’art - Le National
Joseph Odelyn, photojournaliste haïtien sur le front de tous les dangers - Martinique la 1ère
Le professeur Esaü Jean Baptiste expose les causes de nos malheurs dans : « Haïti, le pays mal aimé » - Le National
Kapedi, la nouvelle sensation de la toile - Le Nouvelliste
Un tournoi d'échecs à l'occasion de la fête patronale de Saint-Marc - Le Nouvelliste
Gaëlle Bien-Aimé : en Haïti, "le théâtre c’est comme résister" - Outre-mer la 1ère
Kanaval, d’Henri Pardo | La traversée du continent - La Presse
Haïti - Arts : Deux artistes peintres haïtiens exposés à la Biennale de Venise 2024 - HaitiLibre.com
Press Review - Sport
L'équipe San Limit remporte le tournoi Cacao 3x3 - Le National
Football féminin : Melchie Dumornay envoie l'OL en finale de la Ligue des Champions - Le Nouvelliste
Derrick Étienne Jr signe avec le Toronto FC - Le National
Taekwondo : Ava Soon Lee gagne une médaille d'argent au Brésil - Le Nouvelliste
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to HAITI WEEKLY by DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.