Jean-bertrand aristide biography of martin

Publications [ edit ]. Notes [ edit ]. The Boston Globe. International Journal of Refugee Law. June Archived from the original on 4 September The Huffington Post. S2CID Archived from the original on 22 July Retrieved 22 July Retrieved 6 May The New York Times. Retrieved 25 May Miami Herald. Archived from the original on 22 August The New York Review.

Archived from the original on 9 May Retrieved 20 May Associated Press. Archived from the original on 21 February Retrieved 30 January Archived from the original on 8 September Retrieved 27 April Fall An interview with Jean-Bertrand Aristide". Touchstone Magazine. Retrieved 10 May New Left Review. The Uses of Haiti, 3rd edition. Common Courage Press.

ISBN Simon and Schuster. Christopher 1 June Critique of Anthropology. CiteSeerX Archived from the original on 7 July Retrieved 17 February Online Encyclopedia of Mass Violence. ISSN Retrieved 23 May Archived from the original on 29 May New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 June Retrieved 20 February Archived from the original on 20 January Retrieved 13 January Aristide ".

Retrieved 1 June Port-au-Prince: Imprimeur II. OCLC Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the jean-bertrand aristide biography of martin reprint on 10 November Los Angeles Times. The Independent. The Nation. Archived from the original on 17 January The Seattle Times. Freedberg, Rachel L. Swarns 3 November Embargo of Haiti". Retrieved 22 April London Review of Books.

New York Review of Books. Retrieved 14 February Boston Globe. Retrieved 25 January The Guardian. Time Magazine. Archived from the original on 8 March BBC News. Retrieved 24 July Role In His Ouster". Tampa Bay Times. Radio Kiskeya. Archived from the original on 28 September Retrieved 3 June Archived from the original on 5 March Retrieved 21 February Retrieved 29 January CNN International.

Democracy Now. Retrieved 19 April Inter Press Service. The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January Independent Online IOL. London: Guardian News and Media. Maryse Narcisse — a member of the National Commission of the Fanmi Lavalas Party — was kidnapped in Octoberand later freed after a ransom was paid. Press release. Toronto Haiti Action Committee.

Archived from the original on 24 February San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on 20 May Archived from the original on 24 March IOL News. Huffington Post. Woodson, Drexel " Aristide, Jean-Bertrand. Woodson, Drexel "Aristide, Jean-Bertrand. Jean-Bertrand Aristidethe former president of Haiti, has had a political history as troubled as that of his country.

At one time the priest-turned-politician was considered to be the savior of Haiti's poorest citizens. By many people felt that, despite his good intentions, Aristide had become a corrupt leader who was no longer capable of running his country. Aristide has twice served as president of Haiti. Inless than a year after becoming the country's first democratically elected president, he was overthrown by opposition groups.

He was again elected president inbut in February of he left office amid controversy. While in exile in the Central African RepublicAristide stated that he believed he was still the legal and true president of Haiti. I cannot betray them. Jean-Bertrand Aristide was born on July 15,in the fishing village of Port-Salut, Haiti, to parents who were farmers.

The occupation of his parents was not uncommon, since the majority of Haitians make a small living by farming.

Jean-bertrand aristide biography of martin: Bio: Jean-Bertrand Aristide was

The unique thing was that Joseph and Marie Solanges Aristide, although poor, were educated. According to statistics released by the United Nations UN infifty percent of the people in Haiti cannot read or write. Joseph died when Jean-Bertrand was only three months old. Marie Solanges then packed up her young son and his older sister and moved to Haiti's capital, Port-au-Princewhere her children would have a better chance of receiving an education.

An education, she knew, would help them rise out of poverty. When he was six years old Aristide began studying at a primary school run by the Society of St. Francis de Sales, an order of Roman Catholic priests known as the Salesians. The main mission of the Salesians is to serve the poor. Aristide proved to be an exceptional student. He then traveled to the Dominican Republic to study for the priesthood at the Salesian Seminary.

Jean-bertrand aristide biography of martin: Haiti's former president, Jean-Bertrand

As a result of his travels, Aristide learned to speak six languages Spanish, English, Hebrew, Italian, German, and Portuguesein addition to Creole, the native language of Haiti, and French, the official language of the country. He also studied music and learned to play several instruments, including guitar, piano, and saxophone. After he became a priest inAristide was assigned to a small parish just outside Port-au-Prince called St.

He was soon transferred to St. Jean Bosco, a larger parish in the heart of the Port-au-Prince slums. Aristide quickly earned a reputation as a champion of the poor. He spent countless hours working at orphanages and youth centers in the poorest and roughest neighborhoods of the capital city. He was also known as a fiery speaker who used the pulpit to spread his political message.

Although small in size he is only five-foot four inches tallhis words were powerful. Aristide, lovingly nicknamed "Titide" Tiny Aristide by his followers, spoke out against the military government that had oppressed the Haitian people for most of the twentieth century. Haiti is a tiny country located to the south of the United Statesin the Caribbean Sea.

It occupies the western portion of the island of Hispaniola; the Dominican Republic occupies the eastern portion. Haiti is small, about the size of Marylandbut it is densely populated.

Jean-bertrand aristide biography of martin: Now, former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide

About 95 percent of the people who live there are black; they are descendants of the African slaves who worked on the French sugar plantations early in Haiti's history. Induring his exploration of the Americas, Christopher Columbus discovered the island of Hispaniola and established a Spanish settlement near the present city of Cap-Haitien.

By the s, more and more Spanish planters were drawn to the region and slaves from Africa were imported to work the large plantations. In Spain ceded, or transferred, the western third of the island now Haiti to the French. Under French rule, Haiti became one of the wealthiest communities in the Caribbean, and one of the largest producers of sugar and coffee.

By the late s nearly half a million jean-bertrand aristide biography of martin slaves were living in Haiti. Although they comprised the majority of the population, they were at the bottom of the ethnic hierarchy. The political power was concentrated in the hands of mulattos people of mixed black and white background and light-skinned descendants of French landowners.

This created a tension between the various groups, which simmered throughout Haiti's history. From through the country was rocked by a slave rebellion, led by General Toussaint L'Ouverture c. By General L'Ouverture controlled the entire island. That same year he established a constitution that abolished slavery. In former slave Jean-Jacques Dessalines — declared Haiti an independent state, free from France 's rule.

Dessalines called himself emperor and seized all white-owned land. The remainder of the nineteenth century was marked by frequent and often violent shifts in political power, with twenty-two changes of government between and Inbecause there seemed no end to the constant conflict, the United States stepped in and occupied Haiti until Following the departure of U.

One of them was Dumarsais Estime, the first black president of the republic, who took office in InDuvalier proclaimed himself president for life. When he died inhe was succeeded by his nineteen-year-old son, Jean-Claude. In particular, Aristide denounced the Duvaliers, a family of Haitians who had been in power since the late s. Anyone suspected of opposing the Duvaliers was bullied, kidnapped, or murdered.

The army also swept the streets, robbing and killing at random. The people of Haiti lived in constant terror. The majority of them also lived in squalor, since the Duvaliers and their followers, who made up about ten percent of the population, controlled all the wealth. The Duvaliers, and the military governments that came after them, felt threatened by Aristide.

He was a charismatic man, whose kind heart was apparent to the hundreds of people who crowded his church services. He was also being heard across the country, since his sermons were broadcast on the Roman Catholic station, Radio Soleil. As a result, the number of Aristide's followers was growing by the thousands. In addition, Aristide's sermons were starting to become more radical, as he called for the masses to rise up and claim their rights.

Although the tiny priest did not condone violence as a means for change, he did not discourage it, either. As a matter of fact, Aristide was known for quoting a certain passage from the Bible : "And he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one" Luke The military rulers demanded that the Catholic Church stop Aristide from stirring up the Haitian people.

When church leaders were unable to do so, the Tontons stepped in. Several attempts were made on Aristide's life, and on September 11,his church was attacked while he was saying mass.

Jean-bertrand aristide biography of martin: The populist priest, known

More than a dozen people were killed, over seventy were seriously wounded, and St. Jean Bosco was burned to the ground. Following the attacks, Aristide's followers became more loyal than ever. They viewed him as a true holy man, a prophet who would lead them out of their misery. And because he had escaped death over and over, they called him "Mister Miracles.

They physically blocked access to the airport, forcing Aristide to remain in the country. Aristide stayed and continued to help the poor, even though he had no official church. He helped create a medical center, ran a halfway house for young runaways, and established workshops so that people could become skilled craftsmen. By the end of the s the military force in Haiti had escalated out of control.

World peacekeeping organizations such as the UN and the Organization of American States finally stepped in and demanded that a free election take place. At first Aristide was reluctant to become a presidential candidate. His followers, fearful that the Tontons would take control, begged him to run. On October 18,Aristide entered the race and called his campaign the Lavalas cleansing flood.

A record number of Haitians flocked to the polls, eager to vote in the country's first free election. Aristide won by a landslide, taking almost 68 percent of the popular vote. Aristide supporters danced in the streets, sure that their nightmare was over. Aristide's opposition, composed of the wealthy and the military, viewed him as a threat to their way of life.

Aristide took office on February 7,determined to focus on social reform. One of his goals was to launch a national literacy program so that even the poorest Haitians could learn how to support themselves. He was also determined to purge the government of corrupt officials from former administrations. Many leaders were asked to retire; some army officers, judges, and police suspected of past violence were jailed.

There was an uneasy peace in Haiti, but it did not last long. It soon became obvious that Aristide, suspicious of the past, could not work with opposition leaders who remained in office. In addition, he formed his own personal army of street gangs who were encouraged to avenge past wrongs. Such eye-for-an-eye justice disturbed many outside of Haiti.

The country's military opposition resurfaced, and on September 30,just seven months into his term, Aristide was overthrown by Raoul Cedras —a general in the Haitian military. Anyone aligned with Aristide was silenced, which resulted in public executions and widespread torture. Aristide, who had fled to Venezuela and then to the United Statespleaded with world leaders for help.

International peacekeeping groups, including the UN and the United States, responded. For almost three years they exerted pressure, both economic and military, to reinstate Aristide. Over and over again their efforts stalled. In September ofmore than twenty thousand U. According to the constitution of Haiti, a president's term lasts five years.

When Aristide's term ended in February ofhe was not allowed to run again, since the constitution of Haiti does not allow for consecutive terms. In Aristide resigned from the priesthood. Not because he had lost his faith, he explained to Patrick Samway in America, but "because it gave me the free space in which to work. After leaving office and resigning from the priesthood, Aristide continued to fight for the underprivileged, in Haiti as well as around the world.

For example, he founded the Aristide Foundation for Democracy, an organization that worked to find solutions to problems facing developing nations. Aristide also began work on a campaign to become the president of Haiti for a second time. The FL swept the Senate elections in May of Haiti's legislative body, like the U. Congress, is divided into two houses: the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.

Parties who opposed Aristide merged to form the Convergence Democratique CD and claimed that the elections were fixed. The CD boycotted the November of presidential elections, and when Aristide walked away with almost 92 percent of the popular vote, they cried foul. Since Aristide had run virtually unopposed, they did not accept him as the true president.

When Aristide took over the presidency on February 7,the CD named Gerard Gourgue as the head of its own government. The Haiti that Aristide inherited in was utterly in ruins. The unemployment rate was at an all-time high, roads were impassable, education and health care were in short supply, and drug trafficking was widespread. Once considered the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti had become one of the poorest countries in the world.

Aristide promised to create jobs and to provide basic necessities, including safe housing and access to clean water. Because of constant conflict with the CD, however, Aristide had little time to make good on his campaign slogan of "Peace in the mind, peace in the belly. In December ofopposition forces attempted to overthrow Aristide. Aristide supporters responded by setting fire to CD headquarters.

The jean-bertrand aristide biography of martin was a continuing jean-bertrand aristide biography of martin between political forces. As a result Haiti continued its downward spiral, and by the country was in worse shape than ever. In April the UN declared Haiti to be in a state of emergency. According to UN reports, 56 percent of Haitians suffered from malnutrition and only 46 percent had access to clean drinking water.

By the end of many groups in Haiti, including labor unions and human rights organizations, were calling for Aristide to resign. Even some of his most loyal supporters felt betrayed. In February of a rebel group calling itself the Revolutionary Artibonite Resistance Front seized Gonaives, Haiti's fourth largest city. The group was led by Guy Philippe, a former police chief.

By late February the rebels controlled Haiti's second largest city, Cap-Haitien, which caused Haiti to be split directly in half, with Aristide in control in the south and rebel groups controlling the north. Aristide's security forces, known as the chimeres, battled the rebel army, but they also clashed with any group that opposed the president.

They attacked student protesters with machetes, pistols, and rocks, and roamed the streets looting stores, burning cars, and sometimes killing innocent people. Hundreds of Haitians were killed or wounded in the crossfire. During peace negotiations that ensued, the rebel leaders would accept nothing but Aristide's resignation. Aristide held fast and refused to step down until the end of his term in By late February, the international community was again poised to intervene.

I hope that he will examine [the decision to resign] carefully considering the interests of the Haitian people. On February 29,Aristide reportedly took the plea to heart. In the early hours of the morning he signed documents to officially resign, and then boarded a plane and flew to the Central African Republic. At first the press reported that Aristide had resigned of his own free willbut Aristide began to give interviews that suggested otherwise.

They were Americans and Haitians together, acting to surround the airport, my house, the palace. Agents were telling me that if I don't leave they would start shooting and killing in a matter of time. Aristide was not kidnapped. We did not force him on the airplane. He went on the plane willingly It was Mr. Aristide's decision to resign.

He also insisted that he was not a man of violence, but a man of peace. In a March 8,interview on the CNN Web site, he commented, "Before the elections of the yearwhich led me for the second time to the National Palace in Haiti, I had talked about peace. And throughout in the National Palace, throughout my tenure, I talked about peace.

And today I continue to talk about peace. Inhowever, Haiti was not a peaceful country. By April, nearly four thousand troops from the United States, Canada, France, and Chile were stationed there trying to keep the peace. It was hoped that elections would result in a new democratic government, but considering the country's history, the outlook was grim.

One thing was certain: Aristide would not be returning home. In March of Aristide received temporary asylum in Jamaica, and in June he and his family took up residence in South Africa. Many in South Africa were not eager to accept him, but government officials agreed to open its doors, seeing the situation as a temporary one. In a press conference on May 31, as quoted on AllAfrica.

Volume 6. DetroitMI: Gale Group, Padgett, Tim, and Kathie Klarreich. Samway, Patrick H. Bowman, Jo. Goodman, Amy. Miller, Steve, and Joseph Curl. Novak, Robert. Born: July 15, Douyon, Haiti Haitian president. Aman of the people and loved by many in his home country, Jean-Bertrand Aristide was first elected president of Haiti by a large margin in He was removed from power in a military takeover inhowever.

Aristide lived abroad untilthen a U. In his hand-picked successor was elected president. In Aristide won his second term. When Aristide was just three months old, his father passed away. His mother, who wanted to provide Jean and his sister with a better life, moved the family to Port-au-PrinceHaiti. Jean studied under the priests of the Society of St.

The Salesian Order, with European and American houses and members, focused on the religious instruction of Haiti's poor and orphaned children. Aristide received his early education in their schools and later attended their seminary an institute for training priests in Haiti. In he earned a bachelor's degree in psychology at the State University of Haiti.

He was later sent to Israel, EgyptBritainand Canada for biblical studies. He learned to read and speak French, Spanish, English, Hebrew, Italian, German, and Portuguese in addition to his native Creole, which is spoken by 90 percent of Haitians. Aristide became a priest in Inhowever, he was expelled from the Salesian Order for preaching too politically and for what Aristide called his "fidelity [faithfulness] to the poor.

From the time he became a priest, Aristide had condemned Haiti's lack of democracy. At the Church of St. Jean Bosco in the poorest part of Port-au-Prince he argued that only a religious and political cleansing could save the country. Human rights violations were common. Add a New Bio. Powered by CITE. Notify me of new comments via email.

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