News from Haiti:
IMF concludes visit to Haiti
June 14, 2013
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- A mission from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) headed by Boileau Loko visited Port-au-Prince from May 29 to June 7, 2013, to conduct the discussions for the sixth review under the extended credit facility (ECF) arrangement. The mission met with...
US Coast Guard assists disabled vessel north of Haiti
June 14, 2013
MIAMI, USA -- Crewmembers aboard the US Coast Guard Cutter Northland and the Coast Guard Cutter Oak transported 15 fisherman and their disabled vessel to Cap Haitien, Haiti, Thursday. The fishing vessel Hunter became disabled and adrift with 15 people aboard after losing power on Tuesday morning.
JetBlue flights to Port-au-Prince now on sale
June 13, 2013
NEW YORK, USA -- JetBlue Airways on Wednesday announced that tickets are now on sale to its 82nd destination, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Beginning December 5, 2013, the airline will serve Toussaint Louverture International Airport (PAP) in the Haitian capital with one daily nonstop flight from...
Millions in Haiti face severe hunger following weather shocks
June 12, 2013
GENEVA, Switzerland -- The United Nations food relief agency said it remained extremely concerned by the plight of 1.5 million people in Haiti who need food assistance, following extreme weather conditions and poor harvests. In addition to the 1.5 million people facing food insecurity...
CONCACAF announces details of inaugural Under-15 Championship
June 12, 2013
MIAMI, USA -- The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) on Tuesday announced the competitors and details of the inaugural CONCACAF Under-15 Championship, to be held in the Cayman Islands from 14-25 August.
Senior UN official 'gravely concerned' by forced evictions of displaced families in Haiti
June 11, 2013
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti -- Following the razing of a temporary camp site in Haiti, a senior United Nations official on Monday expressed concern about ongoing illegal forced evictions and human rights abuses of families displaced by the 2010 earthquake.
Haitian president to launch Caribbean aid for trade strategy
June 8, 2013
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- The Caribbean Regional Aid for Trade (AfT) Strategy will be launched in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Tuesday by Michel Martelly, the president of Haiti and chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), who will be joined by Director General of the World Trade...
OAS member countries discuss drug policies and other matters
June 8, 2013
ANTIGUA, Guatemala -- The representatives of the member states of the Organization of American States (OAS) on Thursday finished expressing their points of view on the topic “For a Comprehensive Policy against the World Drug Problem in the Americas” during the third plenary session...
Central American and Caribbean business leaders meet with OAS in Guatemala
June 3, 2013
GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala -- Major business executives from Central America and the Caribbean met in Guatemala City in a private meeting convened by the assistant secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, and the minister of economy of Guatemala...
Commentary: New York City revisited
June 1, 2013
I came back to New York after a long stay abroad. I was struck and in awe by the immense greenery of New York even when hurricane Sandy has devastated most of the trees a year ago. I was struck by the silence and the cleanliness of the city and I was also in awe by the abundance of produce and products.
New strategic direction on agenda of Caribbean fisheries ministers
May 31, 2013
CHRIST CHURCH, Barbados -- The seventh meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) opens this Friday in Christ Church, Barbados. Participation will be drawn from The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica...
Commentary: The characteristics of the Haitian people
May 25, 2013
The Republic of Haiti might have taken birth on January 1, 1804, but the ethos of the Haitian people has been distilled through and processed throughout the 300 years (1504-1804) of the colonial period. This ethos is woven with five characteristics that permeate the Haitian mentality. There is at the same time a slave and a...
IDB supports sustainable energy for rural electrification in Haiti
May 24, 2013
WASHINGTON, USA -- The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will support a $3 million technical cooperation project to help the government of Haiti test different renewable energy solutions with the goal of expanding rural electrification. Haiti has the lowest level of electrification in the Americas.
Haitian PM signs MOUs for increased trade and collaboration with Brazil
May 23, 2013
BRASILIA, Brazil -- Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe left Brazil's capital city on Tuesday, following two days of meetings focused on strengthening ties with Brazil and encouraging private sector investments in Haiti's developing economy. Meeting with Defense Minister Celso Amorim...
Haiti PM visits Brazil to promote investment
May 21, 2013
BRASILIA, Brazil -- Haiti's Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe arrived in Brasilia on Monday at the beginning of a week-long trip whose main goal is to deepen ties with the government of Brazil and to encourage private sector investment in Haiti. Lamothe's trip is also part of a broader Haitian government...
Florida woman accused of bringing 143 Haitian nationals to US on fraudulent visas
May 21, 2013
MIAMI, USA -- On Friday, a federal judge unsealed a three-count indictment returned by a grand jury in the Southern District of Florida charging Jetta McPhee, 59, of Tamarac, Florida, for her role in bringing 143 Haitian nationals to the United States on fraudulently obtained guest worker visas.
OAS assistant secretary general addresses aid coordination meeting in Haiti
May 14, 2013
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti -- The assistant secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, speaking at a meeting of the Coordination Framework for Foreign Development Aid (CAED), says the list of priorities and the development vision presented by...
Government of Haiti streamlines disbursement of reconstruction funds
May 13, 2013
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- At the opening ceremony of the first meeting of the Committee on Coordination of External Aid for the Development of Haiti (CAED), Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe rallied international donors with a call to action and...
Commentary: The state of state of the world - Part I
May 11, 2013
A few weeks ago, as I attended the ACS (Association of Caribbean States) summit in Petionville, Haiti, I was enthused while watching the family picture of the heads of government of the Caribbean and of Latin America. They were pledging to work together like a true family.
JetBlue to begin flights to Haiti!
May 10, 2013
NEW YORK, USA -- JetBlue Airways has announced plans to serve Port-au-Prince, Haiti, with daily nonstop service from both New York City and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood. From Toussaint Louverture International Airport (PAP) in the Haitian capital...
Commentary: If it is April it is checkup time!
May 4, 2013
April is the time for the birds and the buds to surface after their hibernation in winter. Even in the tropical Caribbean, the Spring season is clearly visible, with the new leaves from the mahogany and the cedar trees surfacing after they have given their corn filled with...
OAS to support registration process of Haitian citizens in Dominican Republic
May 2, 2013
WASHINGTON, USA -- The secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, and the deputy foreign minister for economic affairs and trade negotiations of the Dominican Republic, Cesar Roberto Dargam...
OAS and UN core groups on Haiti meet in Washington
May 1, 2013
WASHINGTON, USA -- The United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN-ECOSOC) Advisory Group on Haiti met with counterparts from the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington, DC this week, to exchange information and...
Haiti hosts regional leadership
April 29, 2013
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Haiti hosted the fifth summit of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) this week in Port-au-Prince and the event proved to be a show of support for President Michel Martelly and Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe.
Commentary: Haiti won't forget the violations of the past
April 29, 2013
Friday was a day of remembrance for Haitians everywhere. On 26 April 1963, after a failed attempt to kidnap the then President François Duvalier’s two children, a radio appeal called on the dictator's militia to go after the alleged conspirators.
Haiti's prime minister reaffirms commitment to universal human rights for all Haitians
April 26, 2013
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- In response to Amnesty International's reports of human rights violations regarding alleged forced evictions of individuals living in makeshift [displaced persons] camps, Haiti's prime minister, Laurent Lamothe, has issued...
Caribbean writers honour Haitian-American author
April 24, 2013
BAIE-MAHAULT, Guadeloupe -- Haitian-American author Edwige Danticat has been honoured by fellow writers for her book "Create Dangerously" published by Editions Grasset. The pan-Caribbean awards panel, convened at the third International Congress...
Turks and Caicos working with Haiti to prevent illegal immigration
April 23, 2013
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands -- Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) Governor Ric Todd held a joint meeting with Immigration Minister Don-Hue Gardiner, permanent secretary Clara Gardiner and the TCI-based Haitian Consul General...
Haiti names airport after Hugo Chavez
April 20, 2013
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- The government of Haiti announced on Thursday that the international airport in Cap-Haitien, Haiti's second-largest city, will be named after the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Commentary: The three Cs: The panoramic picture of the Haitian political space
April 20, 2013
With the promulgation of the new electoral board this week by the executive, the legislative and the judiciary, after a long and controversial search, Haiti is engaging finally on the road to elections for the next three years: 2013 elections for ten senators and all the mayors...
Landmark MIT initiative will transform education in Haiti
April 19, 2013
BOSTON, USA -- Speaking on Wednesday at Boston's Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Haiti's Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe praised the history-making approach of the MIT-Haiti Initiative in addressing one of Haiti's most significant...
Protester allegedly beaten to death by police in Haiti following attack on camp
April 18, 2013
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Allegations that a man died after being beaten by the police as he took part in a protest against an arson attack on a camp for displaced people in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince must be thoroughly and impartially investigated...
Haiti strengthens ties with Uruguay
April 15, 2013
NEW YORK, USA -- On March 25, Uruguay’s Foreign Minister Luis Almagro handed to the Haitian delegation at the United Nations the amount of $3,477,770 million, which represents the solidarity of each Uruguayan with the Haitian people.
US coast guard and Dominican Republic navy join forces to rescue six adrift off Haiti
April 15, 2013
MIAMI, USA -- US Coast Guard crewmembers from Coast Guard Air Station Miami located six people who were adrift 37 nautical miles northeast of Isle De Tortue, Haiti, on Friday. Watchstanders at Coast Guard District Seven command center received a report...
Commentary: The three most important issues facing the Republic of Haiti
April 13, 2013
The Republic of Haiti has set itself to become an emerging nation by 2030. This will not happen by that time unless it takes steps now to deal with these three most important issues. 1. The complete degradation of its ecology; 2. The intergenerational and endemic...
Innovative disaster mitigation project launched in Haiti and Dominican Republic
April 11, 2013
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- The Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) and Taiwan have launched the Haiti/DR Disaster Mitigation Project, an innovative crisis and risk prevention intervention that melds high-technology innovation with...
Ambitious social programs underway in Haiti
April 9, 2013
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (HCNN) -- From cash transfers to the elderly and disabled, to hot meals and subsidies for students and farmers, the government of Haiti has launched the largest and most structured social assistance program ever implemented...
Commentary: If it's Holy Week, the destination is Aquin, Haiti!
April 6, 2013
For the past six years, the city of Aquin, the second largest town of the southern county of Haiti has been staging an international festival of dance, music, film, food and culture which is dubbed “Destination Aquin”. The city, called Yaquimo before the discovery of the...
Drought and tropical storms hinder food supply in Haiti
April 5, 2013
NEW YORK, USA -- A growing number of people in Haiti do not have enough to eat, according to the United Nations relief wing, mostly as a result of drought and the impact of recent tropical storms. “The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs...
IMF concludes consultation with Haiti
April 3, 2013
WASHINGTON, USA -- On March 11, 2013, the executive board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation with Haiti. Significant progress has been made since the January 2010 earthquake to safeguard macroeconomic...
