Mario Joseph: Worse than Gaza
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PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti—Attorney Mario Joseph, of the Office of International Lawyers (BAI), has received death threats over the phone in reaction to lawsuits and letters that he and his organiza tion have filed. The situation prompted Amnesty International to issue an “Urgent Acton” bulletin on Oct. 4. On Sept. 28, the chief prosecutor of Port au Prince, Jean Renal Senatus, revealed on the ra dio that he had been given orders by the Justice Ministry to arrest 36 political dissidents, includ ing Joseph and two other attorneys, Newton St.Juste and Andre Michel. Fortunately, the prosecu tor refused the order, but the charges were never explained.
The AI alert cited Joseph’s and the BAI’s role in DAJABON, Dominican Republic—The bridge over the Haiti-Dominican fron tier leading to the twice-weekly market in Dajabon is illustrative of the Haitian economy, where food flows in one direc tion. In every manner of transport, from trucks to motorcycles and simple wheel barrows, food is purchased at the mar ket to be sold throughout Haiti. Thirty years ago, Haiti fed itself; it is now a net importer of food.
The flooding of the market with subsi dized U.S.-grown rice, often referred to in Haiti as “Miami Rice” and freely dis tributed by USAID, has resulted in the displacement of many small farmers, while creating a market for American rice-growers.
Former President Bill Clinton has used his influence as co-chair of the Haiti Re covery Commission, the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund, as well as the Special UN envoy to Haiti to promote sweatshop apparel factories in the so-called freetrade zones as the “solution” for Haiti’s wrecked economy. In fact, The New York Times (July 5, 2012) reported that money for the earthquake recon struction effort is being used for the construction of a free-trade zone in the northern area of Caracol, rather than to house the homeless or build sanitation infra structure. A reported US $224 million in earthquake relief money has gone to subsidize the Caracol Indus trial Park.
The new park, which displaced farmers on rich, fertile land, will host Sae-A, a Korean clothing manu facturer, as one of its principal tenants. In a Dec. 10 pursuing justice for victims of former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier, back in Haiti since 2011. In addition, AI cited Joseph’s complaints registered with the UN over its role in the spread of the chol era epidemic and forced evictions of people in tent camps. As head of the BAI, Joseph addressed the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights last July. To that list should be added Joseph’s defense of the rights of sweatshop workers, represented by Batay Ouvriye.
In an interview with Socialist Action, Joseph re acted with a laugh to the title of Barack Obama’s autobiography, “The Audacity of Hope.” He said, “It’s a waste to vote for Obama. Obama never came to Haiti. If I were American I would not vote for Obama. I’m very clear on that. Obama would be a Republican in Haiti, no different than Bush.” Mario traveled with a Palestine-solidarity delegation to Gaza not long ago and said that in his judgment, the living conditions in Haiti are worse than Gaza.
— M.G.
Under the heel of U.S. imperialism U.S. policy toward Haiti has remained unchanged since Hai ti’s slave revolution proclaimed independence from French slave masters in 1803. The slave-owning U.S. did not rec ognize Haiti until 1862. The U.S. occupied Haiti from 19151934, creating a Haitian army trained in repression. In 1994, Bill Clinton agreed to restore President Jean-Bertrand Aris tide, the first elected president in decades (1990), deposed in a CIA-backed military coup in 1991. Aristide supporters asked for a U.S./UN occupation, betraying Haiti’s constitution. Haiti became a model for multi-national “humanitarian inter vention,” which always benefits imperialism, not the masses.
In 2004, George W. Bush led a UN force in support of a second CIA coup against Aristide. In January 2010, Obama dispatched 20,000 U.S.-led UN troops, using the earthquake as a cover. In contrast, Fidel Castro answered Obama’s occupation by pro claiming, “We send doctors, not troops!” n Tony Savino / Socialist Action