Haiti’s foreign minister is an apologist for Jovenel’s failed administration | Opinion

I recently read the Oct. 4 letter by H.E. Bocchit Edmond, Haiti’s foreign minister, responding to the Miami Herald’s Oct. 1 editorial urging President Jovenel Moïse to lead despite having failed to deliver. I have seen audacity in action before, but Edmond’s was particularly impudent.

Edmond said that the Herald’s assertion that Moïse has failed to keep his promises was an exaggeration, yet he admitted little has been accomplished and, in an unusual show of honesty, said, “In fact, we’ve been set back.”

Then, Edmond claimed Moïse’s government was not to blame for this lapse because, “Nothing can be delivered without Parliament ‘s approval.” What he neglected to say was that Moïse’s party not only holds the majority in Parliament, but that Parliament consistently has delivered for him in the past despite opposition. For instance, when Moïse wanted his first prime minister, and then of his second, to leave, parliamentarians rallied to his cause in record numbers in record time and censured both men.

Only the cozy relationship Moïse has with Parliament can explain what Haitians’ imagination cannot comprehend — government’s 2017-2018 proposed budget had allocated more money for salaries and perks of parliamentarians than for the health budget of the country’s 11 million people. The cynicism revealed by that budget was evident simply by connecting the dots: Only half — 52 percent — of Haiti’s population has access to health services.

Edmond’s blaming the opposition is a classic from Moïse’s playbook: He consistently blames others for what he does. He did it again recently during a press conference, in which he blamed “the system” for what he did not deliver.

I don’t know why Edmond’s asserted Moïse “empowered the judiciary to investigate corruption and political violence.” The president himself, in a 2017 speech given in Paris, admitted having named 50 corrupt judges. No Haitian believes these judges will investigate corruption, of which Moïse is a leading culprit, according to the government auditors June 2019 report.

However, Edmond’s singular most audacious assertion is: “We have an elected president, obstructed by an opposition unwilling to submit to the democratic process.” How fearful Moïse must be not to admit that all ages, all social classes, all sectors of Haiti’s society, in addition to the opposition, have demanded his resignation. That includes Catholic, Protestant and Vaudou religious leaders, the private sector, intellectuals and civil society organizations. Music artists were the last to join the chorus with a massive protest on Oct. 13. No one wants to dialogue with the president.

That is why he has become a pariah. He is hunted by protesters as if he were a stalked animal. He is a prisoner unable to travel. He has no credibility, having given the country only corruption, chaos, suffering and death. He even has blood on his hands as a result of the La Saline massacre, for which his government’s delegates have been indicted.

Each death of a Haitian during the protests, or at dawn from shots fired from an unmarked car, or in a hospital chained to a bed, kills us all little by little.

Edmond’s attempt to normalize Moise’s government blatantly shows the level of deceit this regime will adopt to retain power. And this goes to the essence of the problem: Haitians are tired of their political leaders’ lies. They are tired of their leaders stealing from them. They are tired of the wealthy and powerful getting the lion’s share of the country’s resources. Over the past 15 months of massive protests throughout the country, they have said so eloquently.

Haiti is a drastically altered landscape characterized by total paralysis of businesses and institutions, and shortages of food, fuel and medicines. I do not give in to despair, for this is our second war of independence. There is hope in this defiance, for Haitians have found their power. They are clearly articulating an ambitious social-justice agenda — they want healthcare, quality education, decent jobs, housing, potable water. They are demanding justice, the end of corruption and inequality and transparent governance.

They are taking to the streets to claim their basic human rights. They are rising up to say they want to live in dignity and equality.

Monique Clesca, a journalist and writer, is a retired United Nations official.