Posted on 04/05/2008 11:07:59 AM PDT by blam
Food riots turn deadly in Haiti
At least four people were killed and 20 wounded when demonstrations against rising food prices turned into riots in southern Haiti, officials say.
Reports say scores of people went on the rampage in the town of Les Cayes, blocking roads, looting shops and shooting at UN peacekeepers.
The UN said its personnel had opened fire at some of the armed protesters.
For two days running, parts of Haiti have been erupting into violence triggered by the soaring cost of food.
The prices of rice, beans and fruit have gone up by 50% in the last year.
Earlier this week, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon issued a report saying that the food crisis threatened the Caribbean nation's fragile security.
Government food aid
The demonstrations against the high cost of living began on Thursday in a number of towns, but in some areas they turned into riots.
On Friday, thousands took to the streets again, with some blocking roads, burning cars and looting shops. A small group of protesters also broke into the UN compound in Les Cayes and damaged its gate.
Some also fired shots at peacekeepers deployed in the town in an attempt to maintain public order. The UN troops fired back in response.
The ensuing unrest left three dead in Les Cayes, including one young man who demonstrators said was fatally shot in the head by the UN peacekeepers. The UN said it was investigating the death.
Haiti's Prime Minister, Jacques Edouard Alexis, condemned the violence, but said the mass demonstrations had been manipulated.
"We know that these demonstrations have been infiltrated by individuals linked to drug dealers and other smugglers," he said.
Mr Alexis said he had made $10m (£5m) available for schemes to help fight the rising cost of food, including food aid and half-price fertiliser. He also announced job creation and credit programmes.
Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the Americas. Around 80% of the population lives on less than $2 (£1) a day.
time to send in bill (clinton)
"Asian countries have been struggling to cope as the cost of rice has reached record levels."
"The price of the staple crop has risen by as much as 70% during the last year, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
here is an idea... Plant some $#%&*! food!
Better yet, grab a friggin fishing pole and use it, you’re on an island!
L0L! yup!
Apparently the fishing sucks there:
Fishing in Haiti
Are there any good places to fish in Haiti? What kind of fish are found there, and what flies would be needed?
Apr 25, 2005
By Lefty Kreh (More articles by this author)
Question:
Are there any good places to fish in Haiti? What kind of fish are found there, and what flies would be needed?
Bruce Pomeroy
Esko, Minnesota
Answer:
Over the years a few of my friends have tried fly-fishing in Haiti and found it to be very unproductive. Also, Haiti is politically unstable, and I consider it to be a rather dangerous place for fly-fishermen. I would go somewhere else to fish.
The UN is doing such a good job there so far. This is similar to the EUs handling of Bosnia. In both countries little seems to have been done except keeping people from shooting at one another, and they have been there for years.
If the pioneers of yesterday sat around smoking ganje and waiting for the food to appear they would all be dead! You have soil, you have water, get off your lazy a##es and plant some food. Waiting for the government to supply the goods, sounds like the world Hillary, Obama and the rest of these liberal skunks in America would like to see here! The sad thing is they have many of these idiots hooked on government entitlements with more coming each day.
CIA Factbook:
Definition Field Listing
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with 80% of the population living under the poverty line and 54% in abject poverty. Two-thirds of all Haitians depend on the agricultural sector, mainly small-scale subsistence farming, and remain vulnerable to damage from frequent natural disasters, exacerbated by the country’s widespread deforestation. A macroeconomic program developed in 2005 with the help of the International Monetary Fund helped the economy grow 3.5% in 2007, the highest growth rate since 1999. US economic engagement under the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act, passed in December 2006, has boosted the garment and automotive parts exports and investment by providing tariff-free access to the US. Haiti suffers from higher inflation than similar low-income countries, a lack of investment due to insecurity and limited infrastructure, and a severe trade deficit. In 2005, Haiti paid its arrears to the World Bank, paving the way for reengagement with the Bank. The government relies on formal international economic assistance for fiscal sustainability. Remittances are the primary source of foreign exchange, equaling nearly a quarter of GDP and over double the total for exports.
http://tinyurl.com/4zqndc
I have a Haitian friend and he wants to go back to his country eventually, sit on the beach, drink beer, eat fruit and fish.
The stories he tells about the place are hair-raising. Corruption, near universal distrust, poison, voodoo curses that work, thug rule, corruption, revenge, superstition, ignorance, destructive jealousy.
But it’s mellow - when it’s not killing you.
Problem in Haiti is, you build up a little something, and someone takes it from you, unless you’re big enough or connected enough to have thugs protecting you. And nobody trusts another enough to work effectively together.
You would think: A community could dig a well, plant saplings on the hillsides, herd the goats, guard the gardens, send the children to school, have them vaccinated...doesn’t seem to happen.
Here come the inner tube rafts.
“time to send in bill (clinton)”
I withdraw that statement!
This is the time to Keep hil & bill away from them. Why add to their corruption and chaos - (we have enought of our own)
You’re exaclty right. I spent a week down there on a mission trip last year and it’s not a pretty sight. I didn’t see any place arount Cap-Haitien that I would feel comfortable fishing.
geez, why did you do that... I started looking at some of those old posts and came across more reasons the clintons don’t belong in the White House ...
Just think how bad a return engagement would be- the lies, the spin, the sleaze... the revenge on all enemies, real or imagined...
The Friday night data dumps, the daily lecture from the White House with all the Oh! So! PC bobble-heads nodding at The Received Wisdom from their Betters...
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