PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Haiti’s President Michel Martelly is defending his record since taking office of the impoverished Caribbean nation two years ago.The former pop star points to his introduction of a tuition-free school project and social protection programs. Martelly also says his government has brought tourists back to the one-time tropical getaway. Martelly was an [...]
UN Pressures Haiti to Hold Long Delayed Elections
March 21, 2013 | Posted by
Haiti is under pressure from the United Nations to hold its long delayed elections as specified in a U.N. Security Council hearing Wednesday. The country was expected to hold legislative elections more than a year ago, but has failed to create an electoral commission despite a new agreement signed in December. Nigel Fisher, the recently [...]
UN Refuses to Compensate Cholera Victims in Haiti
February 22, 2013 | Posted by
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says that the United Nations will not compensate families affected by the 2010 cholera outbreak that has claimed thousands of lives, despite evidence that the organization was responsible for the outbreak. U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said that the UN cannot be held accountable due to an international agreement that grants [...]
Haiti Hosts First Caricom Meeting of 2013 For Caribbean Leaders
February 18, 2013 | Posted by
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder will attend a conference for the leaders of the 15-member Caribbean Community (Caricom) regional bloc this week in Haiti. Haitian President Michel Martelly, the chairman of the group, has made Haiti’s participation in regional and international affairs a priority, despite years of diminished involvement. It has been just over a [...]
Haitian President Accused of Censoring Carnival Performances
February 11, 2013 | Posted by
Some Haitian musicians are accusing President Michel Martelly of censoring their music due to its anti-government message. Members of one of the bands, scheduled to perform during the country’s carnival, claim that they were dis-invited because of several songs attacking Martelly’s administration. Once known as “Sweet Micky,” Martelly made a name for himself as one [...]
Under New Leaders China-Caribbean Trade Relationship Could Blossom in 2013
January 6, 2013 | Posted by
Under new leader Xi Jinping, China looks to continue the expansion of its international trade network. The communist republic’s relationships with Latin America and the Caribbean are central to that expansion, with bilateral trade between China and the region bringing in more than $15 billion per year on average, according to statistics from the state-authorized [...]
Haiti’s Michel Martelly Takes Top Post at Caribbean Group Caricom
January 4, 2013 | Posted by
Haiti President Michel Martelly will lead the Caribbean Community (Caricom) as its chairman for the next six months. It is the first time Haiti held the top spot since the state joined the organization in 2002. Haiti is the shortest-tenured of the 15 full-member states in Caricom, which rotates the top spot between the heads of [...]
Haitian, Brazilian Presidents Meet While in Spain, Agree to Increased Cooperation
November 18, 2012 | Posted by
Haiti President Michel Martelly met with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff during his trip to the Ibero-American Summit in Cadiz, Spain this week. The two sides discussed agricultural development and democracy in Haiti, with Martelly reportedly assuring Rousseff of his efforts to hold elections in the country, according to “democratic standards.” He also stressed the need [...]
Caribbean Nations Still Recovering From Hurricane Sandy
October 30, 2012 | Posted by
What figures to be a lengthy cleanup process began along the United States eastern seaboard on Tuesday morning, just hours after Hurricane Sandy slammed into the nation’s most densely populated areas and wreaked havoc. Sandy featured sustained winds as high as 80 miles per hour and higher-than-expected storm surges that led to major flooding in [...]
New Haitian Prime Minister Outlines His Plans To Rebuild Haiti – Will It Work?
May 17, 2012 | Posted by
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti’s latest prime minister is a tech-savvy, driven decision-maker who is determined to drag this pen-and-paper society into modernity as he strives to break the cycle of misery. But Laurent Lamothe, a close friend and former business associate of President Michel Martelly, also is a political novice who officially took over the second [...]
