1994, October 15: (Aristide Returns: Two Planeloads of Dignitaries, the Airport Cordoned Off, Helicopters Whisk the President to the Palace, Crowds Massed Si…

1994, October 15: (Aristide Returns: Two Planeloads of Dignitaries, the Airport Cordoned Off, Helicopters Whisk the President to the Palace, Crowds Massed Since Dawn Strain for a Glimpse of Titid, the Diminutive President Behind a Bulletproof Shield Quotes Martin Luther King — Today the Dream of Democracy Has Become a Reality, Let All Weapons Be Silent, He Shakes Hands with General Duperval and Reviews an Honor Guard, the Palace Stripped of Telephones Toilet Bowls Air Conditioners and Light Fixtures, $1 Billion in Pledged Aid but $15 Million a Month Needed Now, 200,000 Small Arms Still in Macoute Hands, Smarck Michel Named Prime Minister, Leslie Delatour Returns as Central Bank Governor, and Aristide Preaches Reconciliation and Calm): In the U.S. Jean-Bertrand Aristide was preparing his return — accompanying him would be two planeloads of dignitaries, many of whom had sustained him in his three-year exile. Few Haitians saw Haiti’s president step onto Haitian soil at midday other than on television — the airport was cordoned off and in any case, helicopters quickly whisked the president off to the Palace. There, crowds had massed expectantly since dawn, straining for a glimpse of Titid. The diminutive president, surrounded by burly security men, walked across the lawn to the palace steps and there, from behind a bulletproof plastic shield, addressed Haiti and the world. After quoting Martin Luther King Jr., he said that today in their beloved Haiti the dream of democracy had become a reality, that this restoration of democracy brought reconciliation for all and respect for every single citizen, and that all wanted peace — let all weapons be silent. Then, shaking hands with General Duperval, he reviewed an honor guard, and the celebrations went on late into the night. The Haiti Jean-Bertrand Aristide returned to was even worse off than the one he had left — the Palace had been stripped of telephones, toilet bowls, air conditioners, and light fixtures, making an appropriate symbol for the plight of the entire government. In Aristide’s pocket were pledges of nearly one billion dollars in foreign aid over five years, but these loans would take three to six months to materialize — in the meantime it took approximately fifteen million dollars a month to run the government. Weapons — some estimated approximately 200,000 small arms of one kind or another — were still in the hands of the macoutes. To replace Malval, Smarck Michel was chosen as Prime Minister. Leslie Delatour, much seasoned since his brief stint under the Duvaliers thirteen years earlier, was chosen as Governor of the Central Bank. Other cabinet appointments were broad-based. Constantly, Aristide preached the need for reconciliation and calm. Civilian flights were restored and Haitians poured in from abroad — American Airlines had to shrink-wrap hand baggage at Miami and New York to prevent additional items being crammed into bags already bursting at the seams.