Not since the dark days of the Duvalier dictatorship has Haiti seen such repression. Every week brings new horrors. Police have fired on unarmed demonstrators repeatedly. Former soldiers conduct murderous rampages through popular neighborhoods, leaving dozens of corpses in their wake. Others are arrested or have simply disappeared.

Haiti Proges, Vol. 22, No. 39, December 8 - 14, 2004.
DANNY GLOVER TO DECEMBER 5 MEETING:
"THERE ARE TIMES WHEN ONE MUST SIMPLY TAKE A STAND"

Actor Danny Glover sent the following letter to the December 5 rally in Brooklyn organized by the Lavalas Family and the National Popular Party, where it was read.

I am sorry that I could not be with you tonight. This rally is of great importance and will not only echo in New York, but also from San Francisco to Saint Marc, from Montreal to Mirebalais, from Boston to Belair.

Not since the dark days of the Duvalier dictatorship has Haiti seen such repression. Every week brings new horrors. Police have fired on unarmed demonstrators repeatedly. Former soldiers conduct murderous rampages through popular neighborhoods, leaving dozens of corpses in their wake. Others are arrested or have simply disappeared.

Today, without exception, all credible international organizations concur that Haiti's jails are replete with political prisoners. This is intolerable in this year 2004 when Haiti should be celebrating its bicentenary.

Fortunately, despite the pressure Caribbean nations have come under, CARICOM is refusing to buckle to the pressure and intimidation of the big powers that would like to steamroll Haitian democracy. Furthermore,
I am gratified to see South Africa and President Thabo Mbeki standing steadfast beside the Haitian people.

And from the actions of President Mbeki, as well as the actions of the CARICOM nations we can learn an important lesson. Despite the pressure that can be brought against those who stand for justice, there are times when one must simply take a stand. One must recognize that the consequences can be severe, but that silence in the face of aggression, in the face of injustice, is simply unacceptable.

So, for us in the United States of America, it is time to step out from the shadows and the margins of the issue of Haitian democracy and sovereignty. It is time that our collective voices be heard and that our
actions become apparent. We must work with all forces in Haiti that are fighting for a restoration of democracy. We must support their efforts in the struggle against injustice.

For those with even an iota of conscience, there is no alternative. Haiti much be returned to its people. Haiti must be permitted to chart its own course.

In Solidarity,

Danny Glover