Regime Change and Brutal Repression

The U.S. forced a regime change and now people are being openly massacred. Iraq? No, it's Haiti. On August 20th, thousands of spectators gathered at a soccer match sponsored by USAID. The Haitian National Police showed up with men in hoods carrying machetes. The crowd thought that security for the game had arrived and cheered. That is until police started firing into the crowd and a number of people were struck down by the hooded men with machetes. Somewhere between 20 and thirty people were massacred before the eyes of a crowd reported as numbering between 5000 and 6500.

Reports of collaboration between the Hatian National Police and the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (Minustah) in violenting supressing supporters of Aristide and Lavash are common - UN forces, militarily attacking neighborhoods, hooded gangs running with the police. It all looks nice and official, and who are people to trust?

Of course, it is not genererically "the people" who are suffering under these attacks. It is the poor. The poor found hope in Aristide, and he was democratically elected. He was also very undemocratically deposed. National leaders who champion the poor are not positively viewed by the U.S. - witness Venezuela and Chavez. The US corporate media blithely parrots that Chavez is a "dictator;" however, he is a democratically elected president - as was Aristide.

If the poor protest, violent repression - even with the collaboration of "peace keeping" forces - is considered appropriate and justified. What is being created (and recreated) in Haiti? It is definitely not freedom and democracy.

The "incident" is under "investigation."

I don't believe that this is what democracy looks like.

8/28/05 Lindsay, Newsday.com 'Play for Peace' soccer match turns into massacre

8/27/05 Luce, Haiti Action, The Fascist Police State Surfaces In Haiti

8/25/05 Pelzer, People's Weekly World, UN troops in Haiti aid repression, critics charge

8/25/05 Delva, Reuters, U.N. to investigate Haiti slum lynchings

8/25/05 Democracy Now, 20 Massacred in Port-au-Prince Soccer Stadium

Posted by rowan at August 28, 2005 5:56 AM | [eMail this article!] |