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<h1 class="titles"><a
href="http://resumen-english.org/2016/01/statement-from-haitis-popular-movement/"
title="Permanent Link to Statement from Haiti’s Popular
Movement"> Statement from Haiti’s Popular Movement </a></h1>
<p>January 24, 2016</p>
<p>In this statement, written right before the postponement of the
January 24th presidential “run-off” election, 68 grassroots
organizations in Haiti issue an urgent call for solidarity with
their struggle for free and fair elections, dignity and justice. <span
id="more-1967"></span>The statement was written as tens of
thousands of Haitians have taken to the streets—braving
assassination, tear gas, beatings, and police torture—demanding
the annulment of the fraudulent elections that gave the lead
positions in the legislative and presidential races to the
hand-picked candidates of President Michel Martelly. The
postponement of the presidential election was a dramatic and
hard-won victory for the people’s movement, which had insisted
that no election take place until it could be free and fair and
democratic. The struggle for the right to vote and for all
Haitians to participate in the political process continues.</p>
<p><strong><em>We are honored to circulate this powerful message </em></strong></p>
<p>Haiti Action Committee <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.haitisolidarity.net">www.haitisolidarity.net</a>, on Facebook,
@HaitiAction1</p>
<p><strong>A Call for Solidarity from Haiti’s Popular Movement</strong></p>
<p>Reflecting on the voting rights struggle led by Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. and so many other courageous fighters for justice fifty
years ago in the US; on the one person one vote struggle led by
Mandela’s comrades in South Africa; reflecting on struggles
everywhere, we came to the conclusion that a people can’t be
sovereign if they don’t have the right to vote. No people can
retain their dignity if their vote does not count. As clearly
stated by President Aristide: “If we don’t protect our dignity,
our dignity will escape us!” That is why we struggle and ask that
people the world over with a history of struggle stand in
solidarity with us.</p>
<p>Six years after the earthquake that jolted the country, causing
the death of hundreds of thousands of Haitians, we, Haitian
organizations, in the context of reflection, take our hats off and
humbly say to the people all over the planet who opened their
hearts to us, “We have not forgotten your acts of solidarity”. The
sharing impulse manifested by people the world over, should have
helped the Haitian people to rebuild their environment, rebuild
their lives. Pity! To this day, the people’s lot has not changed.
Adding insult to injury, shameless characters, local slave owners,
empowered by various international organizations, hijacked the
reconstruction funds.</p>
<p>Right after the earthquake, the internationals took advantage of
our momentary state of helplessness to occupy the political space.
Today, the Haitian people are engaged in an all out struggle to
reclaim that space and to exercise their right to vote. The very
ones who hijacked the reconstruction money want to prevent the
people from choosing their government, in a wide scale conspiracy
to continue the looting of the country’s resources. Subsequent to
many schemes designed to remove the people from the political
equation, local colonialists joined forces with international
colonialists to force the people to accept choices against their
best interests. Illegitimate officials implemented urban removal
plans and land grabs, assaulting both the middle-class, as well as
the poorer classes, putting the country on the brink of collapse.
The people’s resistance slowed down the “terror apparatus,”
preventing it from completing this program. Now they want to put
more false officials at the helm of the government to continue
their assault.</p>
<p>The blatant violence perpetrated in Ile-a-Vache, the hideous
massacres perpetrated on the people of Arcahaie, the continuous
massacre of the people of Cité Soleil because they manifest a will
to vote, various acts of aggression perpetrated throughout the
country, in the context of land-grab or voter suppression,
convince the Haitian people that they are in a fight for their
very existence. We say NO, WE WILL NOT OBEY ILLEGITIMATE
OFFICIALS. Self-defense is a legitimate universal law.
Civil-Disobedience is an accepted universal right when a people
confronts an illegal regime. The right to elect a government is
universally accepted as a way for people to protect its existence.
Today, confronted by the danger presented by local and
international colonialists, the Haitian people have started a
RESISTANCE FOR EXISTENCE movement. They ask for people to people
solidarity from everywhere on the planet. The local and
international colonialists plan is not an earthquake, yet it has
caused far more damage to the country.</p>
<p>Our experience of the six years since the earthquake is no
different than the experience of other small countries with
natural and human resources. The internationals loot, have an
orgy, while the international media turns a blind eye to lies
spread by “their” ambassadors in their country’s name. The Haitian
army, now being rebuilt to oppress the people, is a gift to the
Haitian people by the Organization of American States (OAS). The
Cholera epidemic and the blood thirsty and corrupt Haitian Police,
were United Nations (UN) gifts to the Haitian people. The Media is
mute, as the country nears total collapse. We say NO, WE WILL NOT
OBEY. We will not dig our own graves. We’d rather tell the truth
and expose the conspiracy.</p>
<p>List of Signers</p>
<p>Action Nationale des Chauffeurs (ANC)</p>
<p>Aide Humanitaire</p>
<p>Alternative Syndicale pour le</p>
<p>Transport Moderne (ASTM)</p>
<p>APMS: Action des Paysans de Masson Sion</p>
<p>APTN: Association pour le</p>
<p>Développement Terre Noire</p>
<p>Association Professionelle des</p>
<p>Enseignants Haitiens pour l’Avancement</p>
<p>de l’Education (APEAE)</p>
<p>APSAB: Association Planteur Savane Dubois</p>
<p>Asosiyasyon Fanm Senlwidisid (AFS)</p>
<p>Asosiyasyon Fanm Vanyan Okay (AFVO)</p>
<p>Asosiyasyon Machann Aken (AMA)</p>
<p>Asosiyasyon Peyizan Gwomaren (APG)</p>
<p>BPN (Baz Popile Nord)</p>
<p>Baz Fanmi Lavalas Aken</p>
<p>Baz Fanmi Lavalas Anike</p>
<p>CEGBD</p>
<p>CHANJE LESON</p>
<p>CURO: Comité Usager Rodaille</p>
<p>COSCOB</p>
<p>CRCSPFL (Cellule de Reflexions des Cadres</p>
<p>Socio Professionnels de Fanmi Lavalas)</p>
<p>CUREH (Cercle Universitaire pour</p>
<p>le Renouveau d’Haiti)</p>
<p>DEMELE FANM</p>
<p>G.R. (Gwoup Refleksyon)</p>
<p>FAJEP (Fanm an Aksyon</p>
<p>pou Jistis ak Pwogre)</p>
<p>FANM LENTO</p>
<p>FANM WOZO</p>
<p>FASA</p>
<p>Groupe Alternative pour Petites et</p>
<p>Moyennes Entreprises (GRAPME)</p>
<p>Gwoupman Plante Senlwidisid (GPS)</p>
<p>JOFAP</p>
<p>Baz Fanmi Lavalas Kanperen</p>
<p>Baz Fanmi Lavalas Kavayon</p>
<p>Kodinasyon Peyizan Sid (KPS)</p>
<p>KPDS (Konbit Planteur pou Devlopman Sanyago)</p>
<p>KORE MAP KORE W</p>
<p>Le PHARE</p>
<p>Baz Fanmi Lavalas Maniche</p>
<p>MOFUP</p>
<p>MOJIDMA: Mouvement des Jeunes Intègres</p>
<p>pour le Développement de Marigot</p>
<p>Mouvement d’Opposition Citoyenne (MOC)</p>
<p>Mouvman Tet Kole Kavayon (MTKK)</p>
<p>OBMP</p>
<p>Oganizasyon Devlopman Solon (ODS)</p>
<p>Oganizasyon Fanm Vanyan (OFAV)</p>
<p>OGANIZASYON LEVE KANPE</p>
<p>OJFS</p>
<p>Baz Fanmi Lavalas Okay</p>
<p>Organisation 30 Septembre</p>
<p>OPG: Organisation Paysan de Grande Rivière</p>
<p>Organisation Sans Bloff (OSB)</p>
<p>OPDPS: Òganizasyon Pou</p>
<p>Devlopman Peyizan Sarazin</p>
<p>OPPB: Organisation Paysan Platon Blan</p>
<p>Plateforme Nationale des Syndicats</p>
<p>de Transports Fidele (PNSTF)</p>
<p>POGRES (Oganizasyon Planteur</p>
<p>pou Devlopman Sanyago)</p>
<p>Baz Fanmi Lavalas Port Salut</p>
<p>Pou Solèy Leve</p>
<p>Regroupement des Enseignants</p>
<p>Normalien Haitien (RENOH)</p>
<p>RFDP (Rasanbleman Fanm pou</p>
<p>Devlopman Petitans)</p>
<p>Rasanbleman Militan Pwogresis (RMP)</p>
<p>RASSINE (Rasanbleman Sitwayen</p>
<p>NORD AK NORD EST)</p>
<p>SDDC (Societe d’Encadrement pour le</p>
<p>Developpement Communautaire)</p>
<p>Baz Fanmi Lavalas Senlwidisid</p>
<p>Solidarite Jenn Kavayon (SJK)</p>
<p>SOPU- FANM pou FANM</p>
<p>S.O.S Transport Federee</p>
<p>Baz Fanmi Lavalas Tibiron</p>
<p>Baz Fanmi Lavalas Torbec</p>
<p>Union du Mouvement Syndical de</p>
<p>Transport Public (UMSTP)</p>
<p>UJDSB:Union des Jeunes pour le</p>
<p>Developpement Savane du Bois.</p>
<p><a
href="http://www.haitisolidarity.net/downloads/Statement%20from%20Haitian%20popular%20movement.pdf"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.haitisolidarity.net/downloads/Statement%20from%20Haitian%20popular%20movement.pdf">http://www.haitisolidarity.net/downloads/Statement%20from%20Haitian%20popular%20movement.pdf</a></a></p>
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