Press Release from PAPDA

December 21 2001

No to the Return of Fascism

The Haitian Platform of Advocacy for an Alternative Development (PAPDA in French) expresses its indignation regarding the painful events that took place on December 17, 2001. Early that morning, fascist bands ransacked and burned down centers of culture such as The Center of Research in Social Studies and Economic Training towards Development (CRESFED in French) and the French Institute in Haiti. They set ablaze the headquarters of political parties and hurled death threats at certain reporters and media organizations, which were forced to suspend their activities temporarily.

PAPDA protests with vigor the destruction carried out during that nightmarish day. PAPDA condemns the destruction of opposition party buildings. PAPDA condemns the attacks and threats on certain reporters and media organizations. PAPDA condemns the destruction of the private residences of political leaders, notably those of Gérard Pierre Charles, Suzy Castor, Victor Benoît and Jessie Ewald Benoît.

The savage rabble was blind to the fact that CRESFED constitutes a lofty center of culture, which, since the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship, contributed to the training of Haitian youth through its seminars, conferences, research and publications of unquestioned academic caliber. CRESFED played a pioneering role in opening up a space for democratic debate essential to the construction of our future.

Who has a vested interest in silencing CRESFED? Does CRESFED's destruction not signal the will to close down any democratic space by muzzling free speech? Who will repay the Haitian people for the irreparable losses associated with CRESFED's destruction that has turned into ashes a significant part of the memory of our resistance? What lessons do they want to teach our children as they witness the burning down with impunity of libraries and centers of documentation and reflection? Today CRESFED, but what will the next targets be tomorrow?

These murderous and destructive acts sadly bring to mind the era of the bayonets and the recent past under the Duvalier dictatorship, which used the weapon of terror and destruction to silence any and all opposition and any velleity of critical speech.

PAPDA raises the alarm regarding the slide of our country towards a chaotic, ungovernable state. We swear to stop this drift and we will achieve this through the mobilization of all of our energies towards a unifying project of national reconstruction.

For PAPDA

Marc-Arthur Fils-Aimé

Marie Frantz Joachim

Camille Chalmers
Camille.sec-exec@PAPDA.org