Haiti Under Occupation: What happened to Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine?

July 28 marks the 94th anniversary of the US occupation of Haiti. The US occupied Haiti for 19 years, from 1915 to 1934. During that time Haitians were brutally repressed, thousands who resisted the occupation were killed, Haiti's constitution was re-written in Washington and its forest, resources and lands were plundered.

The current UN occupation of Haiti is also being resisted by Haitians. Many have rallied peacefully in the streets to protest the occupation. Thousands have died since the US financed coup against the Democratically elected government of Jean Bertrand Aristide. One leading human rights activist was Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine. August 12th will mark the second anniversary of the disappearance of Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine.

Vinco, as he is known to his friends was a tireless advocate and political activist who was committed to sovereignty and justice for Haiti.

"Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine is the coordinator of the Fondasyon Trant Septanm (September 30th Foundation) that works with the victims of the coup d'états of 1991 and 2004. As a young man, Pierre-Antoine worked on literacy projects with street children in his hometown of Port de Paix. After moving to Port au Prince and completing his training as a psychologist, he began creating organizations such as: Fondsayon Kore Timoun Yo (Foundation for the Support of Children) for young street children in Port au Prince ; FAM (Foyer pour Adolescentes Mère), a centre for teenage mothers ; and Map Vivre ("I Live"), a program designed to give psychological and medical aid to the victims of the first coup against Aristide in 1991."

In 2007, a few days before he was disappeared in UN-occupied Haiti, Lovinsky Pierre Antoine wrote a declaration remembering the first occupation on the occasion of this current second Western occupation of Haiti.

I've attempted a translation of some of his statement below, it's very rough, so if anyone wants to correct me, they are welcome to.

Commémoration du 28 Juillet Texte de la déclaration de la FTS
28 Jiyè 2007 DEKLARASYON

28 July 1915 - 28 July 2007, 92 years since the Yankee's army, which represents the imperialist force of America embarked on catastrophe for our country. This began 19 years of humiliation, 19 years of shame, 19 years of hardship, 19 years of darkness, 19 years of crisis, 19 years of hurt pride. What happened on July 28 is a curse on our nation's history.

We remember the way they slaughtered our peasants

We remember the way they slaughtered Charlemagne Péralte

We remember Rosalvo Bobo

We remember Pierre Sully

We remember all the rest...

We remember the Cacos

We remember all who fell with their guns in their hands

Yesterday's times are the same as today's times...

Honor to all...

Respect to all...

They sacrificed their lives

to save our honor, to save the dignity of our flag.

Shout 92.000 times for them

Anthony Phelps, a great Haitian intellectual, and writer wrote:

"And one morning when fresh blood filled the great mast and crushed the Chorus

The solidly incorruptible were moved to action

And it was Pierre Sully

And it was the strong Capois

And it was the Marchaterre

In vain on a door was Charlemagne Péralte sacrificed and the five thousand Cacos gave their blood and all their wounds, in vain.

The green god of the Yankees was more powerful than the loas

Read the full text here (in Kreyol)

Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine was disappeared in UN-occupied Haiti on August 12, 2007. He has never been found. No investigation of his disappearance has ever been formally announced or publicized by either the Preval government or the UN/US-occupiers, both of whom he had denounced.

___________

FONDASYON TRANT SEPTANM ("FTS")
Boite Postale 19042, #3, 2e Impasse Lavaud Port-au-Prince, HAITI
Tél: 509 – 706 – 9177 / 509 – 244 – 7987 / 88,
Couriel: fondasyontrantseptanm@yahoo.fr

BACKSTORY:

Rights Advocate Missing In Haiti: Lovinsky Pierre Antoine

Di yo nou vle jwen Lovinsky VIVAN!

We are urging for the safe return of Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine

To Better understand who would best benefit from the silencing and elimination of Lovinsky's activism, read:

The July 28, 2007 declaration of Lovinsky Pierre Antoine's Fondasyon Trant Septanm (in http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifKreyol, by Lovinsky Pierre Antoine, Haitian Perspective, July 31, 2007

Lovinsky Pierre Antoine on the Visit of Ban Ki Moun to Haiti (in French), by Lovinsky Pierre Antoine, Haitian Perspective, August 7, 2007

Sovereignty and Justice in Haiti - An exclusive Haiti Information, interview with Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine by Darren Ell | This is the first of a two-part interview, February 18, 2007

Sovereignty and Justice in Haiti by Darren Ell, Part two of a two-part interview
Haiti Information Project, March 4, 2007