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Dear Bay Area Friends of Haiti -<br><br>
<br>
We urge you to join Haiti Action Committee for an emergency rally
tomorrow afternoon to support the historic return of Jean-Bertrand
Aristide to Haiti. As many know, President Aristide and his family
departed South Africa for Haiti today, to banner headlines that read
"Jean-Bertrand Aristide defies US by heading back to Haiti."
<br><br>
<br>
While this marks a great occasion, still the next 24 hours is critical as
the US relentlessly pursues efforts to block the return of Haiti's most
popular leader. Dozens of prominent lawyers and law professors sent a
<a href="http://ijdh.org/archives/17766">statement</a> today to Cheryl
Mills, US Dept of State Chief of Staff, criticizing US government
interference with Aristide's constitutional and human right to return
from forced exile. There are rallies planned across the country in NY,
Florida, and the Bay Area to coincide with the anticipated popular
celebrations that will - if all goes well - be held tomorrow in Haiti
upon the arrival of President Aristide and his family.<br><br>
<br>
We hope you will join us <b>Friday, March 18th at 4:30PM at UN Plaza in
San Francisco, Hyde at Fulton</b>. Meanwhile follow the journey as
<a href="http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2011/3/17/live_blog_amy_goodman_reports_on_jean_bertrand_aristides_historic_return_to_haiti">
Amy Goodman</a> blogs from the plane that is bringing President Aristide
and his family back to Haiti. Continue to demand the US annul Haiti's
phony elections slated to be held this Sunday, March 20th -
between<a href="http://www.haitisolidarity.net/article.php?id=503"> two
right wing Duvalierist candidates</a> who together won 10% [6% and 4%
respectively] of the vote in widely discredited November
elections.<br><br>
<br>
In solidarity,<br><br>
<br>
Haiti Action Committee<br>
<a href="http://www.haitisolidarity.net">www.haitisolidarity.net</a> and
on FACEBOOK<br><br>
If you wish to unsubscribe from this list, please send a message with the
subject header UNSUBSCRIBE<br><br>
<br>
<div align="center">For Immediate Release<br><br>
<br><br>
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Contact: Marilyn Langlois, Haiti Action Committee spokesperson –
<a href="tel:510-932-1942">510-932-1942</a><br><br>
Walter Riley, Haiti Emergency Relief Fund –
<a href="tel:510-451-1422">510-451-1422</a> <br>
Haiti Action Committee Voice Mail –
<a href="tel:510-483-7481">510-483-7481</a><br>
<a href="mailto:action.haiti@gmail.com">action.haiti@gmail.com</a><br><br>
<div align="center"> <br><br>
<b>The Return of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to Haiti <br><br>
<br><br>
Press Conference and Emergency Rally<br><br>
Friday, March 18<br><br>
4:30 PM<br><br>
United Nations Plaza, Hyde at Fulton, San Francisco<br><br>
</b> <br><br>
</div>
Haiti Action Committee welcomes and celebrates the return of President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide to his homeland, after almost 7 years of forced
exile in South Africa, following a coup against his government on Feb.
29, 2004, orchestrated by Haitian elites, France, Canada, and the United
States. “The return of Aristide is a tribute to the love the Haitian
people have for the president they elected twice with overwhelming
majorities, and their persistent demand for his return, in spite of
adamant opposition from the coup supporters, and a continuing United
Nations occupation force of almost 12,000 personnel,” said committee
member Ayana Labossiere.<br><br>
<br>
We condemn the threatening language of the State Department, and its
ongoing and blatant efforts to disrupt true democracy in Haiti. On March
14, U.S. State Department spokesperson, Mark Toner said, “We would urge
former President Aristide to delay his return until after the electoral
process has concluded, to permit the Haitian people to cast their ballots
in a peaceful atmosphere. A return prior to the election may potentially
be destabilizing to the political process.<i>”<br><br>
</i>These
<a href="http://sfbayview.com/2011/haiti-annul-the-elections/">so-called
“elections”</a> excluded the participation of Haiti’s largest party,
President Aristide’s <i>Fanmi Lavalas</i>, in the first place, and have
forced a fraudulent “run-off” on Sunday, March 20, with two supporters of
former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier, completely rejected by most
Haitians. It is the United States that, since President Aristide was
first elected in 1990, has refused to send funds directly to the Aristide
government, blocked it from receiving signed international loans,
economically destabilized it, and orchestrated his overthrow twice in
1991 and 2004 coups. Washington has also prevented the Fanmi Lavalas
Party from participating in post-2004 coup elections.<br><br>
<br><br>
If allowed to do so in peace, the Haitian people are perfectly capable of
governing themselves wisely and democratically. They love President
Aristide because his governments built more schools in their few short
years in power than had been built previously in Haiti’s entire history,
built clinics and a medical school, built parks in neighborhoods with no
open space, raised the minimum wage, and tried to get the wealthy to pay
taxes, making powerful enemies in the process.<br><br>
<br><br>
We want people to understand that the enthusiasm with which President
Aristide will be welcomed in Haiti reflects not only the affection of
Haitians for this individual and respect for the office to which he was
elected, but also their cry for a legitimate democratic process. This
means recognition of their favored political party, non-interference by
foreign elements in Haiti's internal affairs, and a respect for the
political and structural changes brought about during President
Aristide’s administrations.<br><br>
<br><br>
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