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1990, January 15–22

1990, January 15–22: (The Welcome-Home Demonstration at Three Dollars a Head, Avril Denounces the Taiwan Telex Senders as Vile and Unpatriotic, Ambassador Be…

Haitian

1990, January 15–22: (The Welcome-Home Demonstration at Three Dollars a Head, Avril Denounces the Taiwan Telex Senders as Vile and Unpatriotic, Ambassador Benoit Resigns Saying Free Elections Are Impossible with Avril, Colonel André Neptune Murdered, Power Outages and a News Blackout, the State of Siege Declared January 22, Louis Roy and Hubert de Ronceray Expatriated to Miami, Antoine Izméry Arrested, Censorship Imposed on All Media, Non-Government Stations Cease Broadcasting, Bishop Romélus’s Angry Denunciation Unheard, and Lucky Number 22 Doesn’t Carry Through): Showing its ideological roots, the regime mustered a welcome-home demonstration at the airport by forking out three dollars a head to everyone who showed up — in a hungry Port-au-Prince, many took the bait. Home, Avril denounced the senders of the Taiwan telex as vile and unpatriotic. Other signs of fraying were appearing: in Washington, Ambassador Benoit announced his resignation, saying he had come to the conclusion that free elections were impossible with Avril — his disillusionment stemmed from the November arrests and beatings of opposition leaders. Within two days of Avril’s return, unknown assailants murdered a Colonel in the Garde Présidentielle, André Neptune. After a chaotic weekend that included power outages and a blackout of news, the government declared a state of siege on January 22. In Miami, two of the more prominent opposition leaders — Louis Roy, one of the 1987 constituents, and Hubert de Ronceray — related to the press corps the details of their sudden expatriation. Also picked up in government sweeps was Antoine Izméry, a prominent Haitian merchant of Palestinian origins and a known critic of the regime. A Ministry of Information decree imposed censorship on all radio and television stations, whereupon most non-government stations ceased broadcasting — the protest may have played into the government’s hands, for Haitians were unable to hear an angry denunciation of the state of siege issued by Bishop Romélus in Jérémie. This time, though, the lucky number 22 did not carry through — by the beginning of February the state of siege was ended, with sources whispering of some tightening of the screws by Ambassador Adams.

Source HT-WIB-000706, 000707