by CONGRESSWOMAN MAXINE WATERS
The plot to control Haiti has gone from the absurd to the ridiculous. The return of Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier to Haiti in the midst of a flawed election is truly shocking. The Duvalier dictatorship was absolutely brutal, and there is extensive documentation of the human rights violations suffered by the Haitian people during his reign. I was pleased to hear that the authorities had taken him into custody, and I urge that he be tried for his crimes. Nevertheless, Duvalier’s return raises serious questions about who in Haiti facilitated his return and what his supporters expect to gain by bringing him back.
Duvalier’s return comes in the midst of a desperate attempt by President Rene Préval to maintain control of Haiti by ensuring the election of Jude Celestin, his chosen successor. President Préval did this by appointing a Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) that was biased in his favor, which refused to allow candidates from over a dozen political parties to participate in the elections. Among those excluded was Lavalas, Haiti’s largest political party and the party most popular among Haiti’s poor. The result was a deeply flawed election that generated widespread and sometimes violent protests among the Haitian people.
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