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18 images Created 11 Dec 2011

Haiti After the Coup

In January 2006, Haiti was preparing for elections but living under a regime installed shortly after US Special Forces removed Jean-Bertrand Aristide from power in 2004. For the second time in 15 years, Haitians had seen their elected government overthrown and thousands of their country's most talented people murdered or driven into exile. In Port-au-Prince where the violence following the coup had been the worst, I encountered an impoverished, tired and angry population, exhausted after years of instability and violence. The country's infrastructure had been neglected and its poorest citizens abandoned. The most popular political party in the country, Lavalas, was boycotting the elections but had given its support to René Préval's Espwa Party. For security reasons, Préval made few public appearances, unlike his unpopular rivals from the wealthy business class who staged carefully managed rallies in the streets of Port-au-Prince. As preparations for the elections went ahead, killings continued in Haiti's largest slum, Cité Soleil, where repression during the coup was most intense. The security apparatus of the country was in disarray. The Haitian National Police had been involved in numerous political killings during the coup, and the commander of the UN forces, MINUSTAH, had just committed suicide. What's more, MINUSTAH had been involved in numerous killings and unlawful arrests of civilians.

In 2007 and 2008, it was clear that the election of Préval had restored calm in Haiti. For the average Haitian, however, little else had changed: the country's economy was still dependent on foreign aid, unemployment hovered at 70%, 4% of children finished high school, families lived off a few dollars a day, food riots were erupting, foreign troops still patrolled the streets and investment in policing seemed to be the primary concern of the international community.
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  • A public transport truck passes under an election banner of the Lespwa party of René Préval. Port-au-Prince, Haiti, January 14, 2006.
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  • Influential Haitian businessman Andy Apaid, accused of supporting the 2004 coup d’état, speaks at a campaign event organized by the Group 184, a coalition of right-wing business interests. Port-au-Prince, Haiti, January 16, 2006.
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  • A bodyguard accompanies wealthy Haitian businessman and Haitian presidential candidate Charles Henry Baker, during a campaign event organized by the Group 184. Port-au-Prince, Haiti, January 16, 2006.
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  • Haitian security forces, backed by United Nations peacekeepers, stand guard during a presidential campaign event organized by Haiti’s wealthy business elite. Port-au-Prince, Haiti, January 16, 2006.
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  • Disgruntled members of the public listen to Haitian business elites make speeches at a presidential campaign event organized by the Group 184. Port-au-Prince, Haiti, January 16, 2006.
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  • A UN spokesman speaks to media after the body of UN commander General Bacellar is found in the Montana Hotel. Port-au-Prince, Haiti, January 7, 2006.
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  • A simple sign made by a resident of Cité Soleil, laid out for journalists. Port-au-Prince, Haiti, February 22, 2007.
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  • A Haitian boy in Cité Soleil during the UN occupation of the neighbourhood in 2006, two years after the overthrow of Haitian President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Port-au-Prince, January 8. 2006.
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  • Residents of Cité Soleil, victims of a UN assault on their neighborhood in July 2005, describe the events of the attack which left 22 people dead. Port-au-Prince, Haiti, January 9, 2006.
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  • Residents of Cité Soleil accused UN security forces, MINUSTAH, of using heavy weapons in their community. A woman holds up a 50mm shell casing she found in the street. Dozens of civilians were killed during UN incursions into Cité Soleil in 2005 and 2006. Port-au-Prince, Haiti, January 9, 2006.
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  • A cadavre lies in the streets of Cité Soleil. Residents claimed UN forces would not allow them to retrieve the body, letting it rot in the streets. Port-au-Prince, Haiti, January 8, 2006.
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  • Mercius Lubin, a resident of Cité Soleil, weeps during a press conference in which he describes how a UN attack on his community left his two young daughters dead. Port-au-Prince, February 26, 2007.
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  • Faced with an imminent assault by the Haitian National Police, protesters discuss among themselves during a demonstration against the high cost of living in Haiti. Port-au-Prince, February 2, 2008.
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  • Members of the Haitian National Police charge student protesters during a protest against the high cost of living. Port-au-Prince, February 2, 2008.
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  • A UN-led arrest operation in the Cité-de-Dieu neighbourhood, deemed illegal by human rights organizations. Port-au-Prince, February 1, 2008.
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  • A woman in the Cité-de-Dieu neighborhood weeps as UN and Haitian security forces arrest her son, an  operation criticized by human rights organizations as illegal. Port-au-Prince, Haiti, February 1, 2008.
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  • Newly trained Haitian security forces march through the streets during Mardi-Gras. Port-au-Prince, February 2, 2008.
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  • A Brazilian UN peacekeeper, facing wary community members, stands guard over a UN-led arrest operation in the Cité-de-Dieu neighborhood. Port-au-Prince, February 2, 2008.
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