In 2004, Canada and the rest of the world's great defenders of democracy stood silent when Jean Bertrand Aristide, the duly-elected president of Haiti, the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation, was over-thrown in a bloodless coup d'Etat. As a candidate, vying for a third comeback term as the country's chief executive, the former priest Aristide committed the cardinal crime: He promised to represent and serve the people, and this betrayal of corporate and elite interests could not be allowed to pass.
On February 28th, in the dead of night, American and Canadian commandos stole into the presidential palace and made off with the only hope of salvation for Haiti's miserably impoverished majority. Aristide was bundled off to house arrest in the Central African Republic and replaced with a more pliable, puppet regime. In a publicity stunt meant to blunt criticism of the blatant regime change, an internationally recognized crime against the peace, the perpetrators loosed NGO's, national aid entities, and United Nations "peacekeepers" to ensure justice for the captive population. That promise has not been met. Last week, reports of unchecked starvation in Haiti embarrassed the basket-case nation's minders.
Kevin Pina is an American journalist and film maker who has live in and reported from Haiti. His documentary film titles include: 'El Salvador: In the Name of Democracy,' Berkely in the Sixties,' Amazonia: Voices from the Rainforest,' 'Haiti: The UNtold Story,' and his latest, 'HAITI: We Must Kill the Bandits.' Kevin Pina in the first segment.
And; Janine Bandcroft will be here at the bottom of the hour to bring us up to speed with some of the good going-ons in and around the south island in the coming week,and she'll report the latest in her continuing feature: State of the Shelter Emergency in Victoria and beyond. And I'll have a few comments about the state of Canada as the year winds down. But first up, Kevin Pina and Haitian promises of justice wearing thin.
Year: 2008
Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Jon Elmer, Janine Bandcroft Dec. 8, 2008
A coalition of the Liberals and New Democratic Party, bolstered by a letter of understanding issued by the Bloc Quebecois, promised they would form a new government following the release of Harper's faux, or mini-budget last week. Harper's announced intentions to scrap funding of poltical parties, and erase pay equity legislation for women were just two articles the opposition could not stomach, but what about those other abominable policies supported by both the Liberals and Tories?
Jon Elmer is a Canadian freelance photojournalist and the creator of the news websites, FromOccupiedPalestine.org and JonElmer.ca. Jon has lived in, and reported from Occupied Palestine, and he's the single-most often featured guest to Gorilla Radio. Jon Elmer and a look at the abyssmal Canadian government policies no-one would end the government to stop.
And; Janine Bandcroft will be here at the bottom of the hour to bring us up to speed with some of the good goings-on around the south island in the coming week, and to keep us posted on the State of the Shelter Emergency currently unfolding on Victoria's streets. Janine Bandcroft in the second segment.
And; I'll visit some of the past week's stories as posted on my website, Pacific Free Press.com. But first up, Jon Elmer and a greater lack of confidence in Canada's global policy positions.