Haiti's popular sector is building its resistance to the US/UN military occupation of Haiti and to the Aristide government's concomitant policies of neo-liberal reform and reconciliation with Duvalierism. A new high water mark of this resistance came with the Third National Congress of the National Popular Assembly (APN) from May 25 to 28 in Port-au-Prince.
The APN, one of Haiti's foremost popular organizations, was
born 8 years ago. During its founding congress on March 7-8,
1987, which was hosted by then Father Aristide at his parish
St. Jean Bosco, the APN dedicated itself to become an
independent and combative popular organization which would
challenge the opportunism and treachery of Haiti's
democratic
bourgeoisie and petty bourgeoisie, who
advocated, even then, collaboration with imperialism and
accommodation with Duvalierism.
These reactionary policies are now championed by the
Aristide/Michel government, and APN's Third Congress
focussed on re-squaring
the struggle for the demands of
the December 16, 1990 election, which promised participatory
democracy, nationalism, and justice.
The Congress was dedicated to Charlemagne Peralte, the
leader who led the Haitian Caco
resistance to the 1915 US
Marine invasion. The 500 delegates -- peasants, workers,
small merchants, artisans, students, and unemployed -- all
wore white T-shirts emblazoned with a photo of Peralte and
the slogan: For a Haiti which is its own master.
The themes of the Congress were Justice, Privatization,
Occupation, and Elections. The delegates addressed these
themes in two days of workshops which were consummated in 15
final resolutions. The return of President Aristide on
October 15, 1994 under the banner of the American military
occupation and the policy of reconciliation are betrayals of
the demands of the December 16, 1990 election and the three
years of the people's resistance and sacrifice,
the first
resolution read. Another resolution noted that the people
had placed their trust in President Aristide to help advance
their demands, but he has today become a puppet in the hands
of the occupation forces, which do with him whatever they
want.
The delegates also resolved that the APN rejects the
American military occupation which is using the United
Nations as a cover to protect the criminals of the September
30th coup d'etat, to destroy the country's economy, and to
steal all the resources of the country.
The APN denounced as demagogy
various Aristide government
actions such as token distribution of money and food and the
establishment of Complaint Bureaus,
where coup victims are
supposed to individually register their lawsuits against
coup criminals, and of the Truth Commission,
which is
supposed to be investigating coup crimes although it
recently declared that its inquiry had come to a standstill
due to lack of funding. Faced with the government's lack of
will and imagination in pursuing justice, the APN announced
that it will form a Commission of Popular Inquiry
to
assist coup victims in finding justice for repression they
endured.
Several resolutions also condemned the neo-liberal death
plan
of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank,
which has as a center-piece the privatization of Haiti's
state industries. The death plan continues to plunge Haiti
into an abyss and will bring poverty, hunger, unemployment,
censorship, and repression,
the APN said.
However, APN's rejection of the occupation elections
scheduled for June 25 and July 19 was what generated the
most press coverage and national attention. The APN
declares that honest, democratic, and secure elections are
not possible under the US military occupation,
said the
resolutions. Instead, the APN called for disarmament,
justice, and disoccupation before elections.
Popular choirs, balladeers, film showings, photo displays, and literature tables all lent to the festive yet thoughtful atmosphere of the Congress. Over a dozen foreign delegates from organizations in the United States, Canada, and Argentina addressed the morning plenary sessions, carrying words of encouragement and solidarity. Several other Haitian popular organizations also sent observers.
In short, the Charlemagne Peralte Congress was a reaffirmation of the principles of popular movement and demonstrated the resolve of the APN and the Haitian people to continue their struggle for real democracy, not the variant concocted by the US strategists sponsoring the upcoming elections.
They make us believe that our cries are worthless,
sang
the delegates in the APN anthem. But history always shows
them what we can do, and the clubs, guns, and schemes of the
exploiters do not frighten us.
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