On the anniversary of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s first electoral landslide in 1990, more than 10,000 Haitians took to the streets of Haiti’s second largest city to demand his return and an end to repression against his Lavalas political party.

 
December 16, 2004

Haiti Information Project

Cap Haitien, Haiti (HIP) – On the anniversary of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s first electoral landslide in 1990, more than 10,000 Haitians took to the streets of Haiti’s second largest city to demand his return and an end to repression against his Lavalas political party. Aristide was ousted last February 29th amid charges he was kidnapped by U.S. Marines and remains a guest of the Republic of South Africa where he resides.

Following earlier negotiations with Chilean troops of the United Nations and the Haitian National Police (PNH), an agreement was reached with organizers to provide security for the peaceful demonstration. One organizer stated, “Although we see the UN and the police allowing us to demonstrate peacefully today for the return of our president in Cap Haitien, we have no illusions that their role could turn repressive once again. Even though we are happy for their cooperation today, we cannot forget it was the same UN that stood by and allowed the police to kill unarmed demonstrators in the capital on September 30th. It is the same UN that has allowed the illegal government of Gerard Latortue to fill the prisons with Lavalas and has allowed the former military to return and kill us.