<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
</head>
<body>
<i>Haiti Action Committee is honored to share this recent statement
from Fanmi Lavalas, the people’s party of Haiti. The statement
commemorates the anniversary of Haiti’s first democratic election,
on December 16th, 1990, which resulted in the victory of President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide and the Lavalas movement. Seven months
later, President Aristide was overthrown in a U.S.-organized coup
d’etat. Reelected overwhelmingly in 2000, Aristide was again
ousted by yet another U.S.-sponsored coup in 2004. </i><br>
<div class="moz-forward-container">
<div dir="ltr">
<div><i><br>
</i></div>
<div><i>In the wake of these coups, Haitians have faced years of
repression, insecurity, economic misery and corruption
inflicted by U.S.-imposed governments selected through
stolen elections. These are the conditions that have forced
so many thousands of Haitians to flee the country.</i></div>
<div><i><br>
</i></div>
<div><i>Over thirty years after December 16, 1990, the people of
Haiti are still mobilizing to end dictatorship and build a
new popular democratic government. This statement highlights
the continuity and determination of that struggle.</i><i> We
invite you to read it and share it widely.</i><br>
</div>
<br>
<br>
<div style="text-align:center"><b>Fanmi Lavalas Declaration<br>
(unofficial translation from Kreyol by Haiti Action
Committee) </b><br>
</div>
<div style="text-align:center"><b>December 16, 2021 </b><br>
</div>
<br>
December 16, 1990 will never be erased in the memory of the
people of Haiti. It is a symbol of victory, a symbol of hope.
The victory of December 16, 1990 was about democracy developing
roots in the country, it was about improving the lives of all
the people in the country. Fanmi Lavalas presents its warmest
greetings to the activists, sympathizers, everyone who
understands what December 16, 1990 represents in the political
history of Haiti.<br>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>After consulting with members of the organization in the 10
departments of the country, Fanmi Lavalas decided to
commemorate the day through various Ti Fanmi activities all
over the country. In the west department on December 15, we
organized a mass meeting at the Dr. Aristide Foundation with
hundreds of members of the organization in attendance. We
decided to provide healthcare to the population beginning on
December 16 in the school "Union College" in Maren. We will be
announcing other locations where we will be providing
healthcare services. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>On December 16, 1990, the population made clear its demands
to implement these three pillars of democracy: Justice,
Participation and Transparency. With ballots in hand, people
voted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide into office to move
their demands forward: food for all, healthcare for all,
schools for all, housing for all, employment for all, justice
for all. This was the first free, honest and democratic
election that the country had known, where more than 2 million
Haitians had chosen President Aristide to govern the country.
As the Haitian people started to breathe the air of democracy,
seeing the light of justice, the 1991 coup d'etat produced a
huge setback to implementing the people's program. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Since that time, coup d'etat after coup d'etat have caused
more misery, more hunger, more exclusion, more insecurity,
more banditry, corruption, violence, repression, massacres,
and impunity. These are the trademarks of the dreadful foreign
“democracy” that the anti-change forces and their
international allies want to impose on the country. The will
of the people is not respected when it is foreigners who pick
individuals to govern the country. As all of us can attest,
GNBists* and PHTKists* have condemned the population to be
under the table, not at the table. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Today, while the minimum wage has remained unchanged with
no respect for the dignity of working men and women, the price
of gasoline has skyrocketed on the backs of a population
already dealing with unemployment and misery. No consideration
is given for the high cost of living that will increase
steadily for fathers and mothers who are already struggling to
put food on the table. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>December 16, 1990 - December 16, 2021: After thirty-one
years, the struggle to change the system of corruption has
seen many betrayals, but it will not be stopped. Thirty-one
years later, even though the de facto authorities are using
gangsters to terrorize the population and prevent people from
exercising their rights, this righteous struggle must give
birth to Justice, Transparency and Participation. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>December 16, 2021 is a reminder to all of us that it was
conviction and unity that brought about December 16, 1990.
These times demand that we again create the unity that brought
us to victory. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>The Montana Accord that we, Fanmi Lavalas, have signed and
support, must lead us to a transition that completely breaks
with this system of exploitation, as demanded by the Haitian
population. The people hunger for a government of "Sali
Piblik" or public safety, and they must have it in order to be
on the road to progress and security, with fair and free
elections. </div>
Every human being is somebody. Everyone's vote must be counted.
This is the road to liberation and democracy. We did it on
December 16, 1990, we must do it again for all to have peace in
our minds and peace in our stomachs.<br>
<br>
<div style="text-align:center"><b><font size="4">Alone we are
weak, Together we are strong, Altogether we are LAVALAS</font></b><br>
</div>
<div><b><br>
</b></div>
<div><b>Fanmi Lavalas Executive Committee </b></div>
Dr. Maryse Narcisse <br>
M. Joël Edouard Vorbe <br>
Dr. Jean Myrto Julien <br>
Agr. Anthony Dessources<br>
<br>
* GNB refers to a right-wing coalition that helped organize the
2004 coup.<br>
* PHTK refers to the ruling dictatorial PHTK party<br
clear="all">
<br>
-- <br>
<div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"
data-smartmail="gmail_signature">
<div dir="ltr">
<div>
<div dir="ltr">
<div>
<div dir="ltr">
<div>
<div dir="ltr">
<div>
<div dir="ltr">
<div>
<div dir="ltr">
<div>
<div dir="ltr">
<div>
<div><span
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">
<div>
<div>Haiti Action Committee</div>
<div>PO Box 2040</div>
<div>Berkeley,CA <span>94702</span></div>
<div><span><a
href="https://haitisolidarity.net"
target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true"
class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://haitisolidarity.net</a><br>
</span></div>
<div><a
href="https://haitisolidarity.net/donate/"
target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true"><br>
</a></div>
</div>
<span><i>Please direct your
donation for Haiti
earthquake relief to the
Haiti Emergency Relief
Fund <a
href="http://www.haitiemergencyrelief.org"
target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true">www.haitiemergencyrelief.org</a>.Thank
you.<br>
</i></span></span></div>
<br>
<div dir="ltr"><span
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><span><span
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><span><i>Contributions to Haiti
Action Committee are
not tax deductible for
IRS purposes</i></span></span></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr"><span><br>
</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>