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Haiti: Anti-government protests growing throughout the country
- Thursday, September 13, 2012 10:36 AM
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Written by The Sentinel Staff |
CAP-HAITIEN, Haiti (defend.ht) - Hundreds took to the streets of the northern city of Cap-Haitien on Wednesday to protest against the Haitian government for the high cost of basic necessities, deterioration of living conditions and a series of empty promises.
Audio
Series of protests as covered on Vision 2000 Radio
The city of Okap had been a stronghold of the former singer-turned-president "Sweet Micky" but now with parliamentarians, including Senator Jean-Charles Moïse (Nord/Inite), local authorities and thousands of disappointed former supporters of President Martelly, have denounced a continuing propaganda campaign surrounding a variety of assistance programs that have not met the needs of many citizens.
A similar protest is scheduled for Thursday in the southern city of Les Cayes. Senator Francky Exius (Sud/Inite) called it a "general strike".
On Wednesday evening an impromptu protest had taken place at radio station, Radio-Tele Caramel, in the city of Les Cayes where a live debate was taking place between the former Departmental Delegate of the South, Jean Gabriel Fortune and the State Secretary of Communication for the Martelly/Lamothe administration, Guyler Delva.
The director of the radio station said he heard loud chanting outside and when he looked it was about two dozen individuals which he recalled as being organizers and supporters of candidate Michel Martelly during his run for the presidency.
When asked why they were protesting, the formerly pro-Martelly protesters said they came to receive money owed to them from State Secretary Delva. According to the crowd, they heard that the state secretary and others had been receiving money and living the "sweet life" and they came to collect theirs.
The director of the station was forced to call the police to secure the scene because of the fear that the situation could become hostile.
Source: Le Nouvelliste
