HLLN Regarding OPL and Batay Ouvriye

central america / caribbean | the left | non-anarchist press Sunday April 16, 2006 08:24 by From HLLN

HLLN Regarding OPL and Batay Ouvriye
By Marguerite Laurent, June 15, 2005

The primary complaints of the OPL Party and Batay Ouvriye against President Aristide is that he sold out to the neoliberalist. Yet, out of 11 state owned enterprises only 2 of the smallest enterprises (cement & flour mill) were privatized and said privatization occured under President Preval, not President Aristide and, most importantly were passed by an OPL controlled legislature, not a Fanmi Lavalas-controlled legislature.

It is time for pro-democracy peace and justice activists to confront these so-called "leftist" in Haiti, with international reach, for they are desperate to regain some legitimacy. For us, at HLLN, this CPUSA resolution brings into sharp focus how the Batay Ouvriyes, OPL, MPP's et al. are continuing to stand against the people of Haiti while projecting, in the international community, this idea that they speak for the people. They don't.

Cha

mille Charles of PAPDA talks about how bad neoliberalism is but it is just that: TALK. PAPDA's second in command, Yve Andre Wainwright is the current Minister of the Environment under the illegal and discredited Latortue government! - and we know definitely Latortue was not elected by any Haitian voter or worker.

What progressives in the U.S. may define as "leftist" or "worker" has an altogether different meaning also in Haiti as applied to OPL, Batay Ouvriye, et al in Haiti. For instance, no one in the U.S. would say Jesse Helms or Roger Noreiga his protégé are "leftist" concerned with "workers rights." Yet, one of the key contacts for Jesse Helms in Haiti was Gérard Pierre-Charles of OPL, known as a so-called "leftist". And we also saw how they had done a job on this sector in Venezuela. A quick look at the money trail, at the who funds Batay Ouvriye, PABDA and you will discover that many of these so-called anti-neoliberalism groups, (perhaps because they pushed the "anti-Aristide" line of the neocons), were funded by mainstream organizations who are on the right of right.

What US progressive may not understand is that Haiti is a country filled with "non-workers." With an "informal sector" that is the economic backbone of Ti Pèp La - the masses in Haiti. As high as 70% under the Constitutional government and up to over 90% unemployment right now because of the Coup D'etat these "leftist" help sponsor. Who then, do these progressive unions represent? And do their file and rank numbers not want the return of President Aristide? Where's their proof of membership. If most Haitians work in the informal sector and are labelled "non-workers" and unrepresented by unions such as Ouvriye, then aren't they representing the select few to the detriment of the masses of "non-workers" pressing for a representative government instead of this foreign imposed cabal, that would recognize their right to jobs, health care, schooling, housing, clean drinking water, safe working conditions, living wages, et al.

HLLN and other pro-democracy groups, such as Haiti Action Committee, and Veye Yo, can show almost on a daily basis thousands upon thousands of Haitians - the majority in Haiti, requesting for the return to Constitutional rule. It would seem these petti bourgeois "leftist" leaders? speak to their own interest and not FOR the people of Haiti and never have.

OPL has strong family links with Batay Ouvriye. These theorists talk
left but walk right. What they project on the international scene and
how they are viewed in Haiti are vastly different.

Their role in the bicentennial Coup D'etat is undisputed. Thus, these people, can by no stretch of the imagination, be labeled "progressives." What the unions and workers-advocacy groups in the U.S. may not understand is that most of these unionist and progressives in Haiti, spent a lot of time undermining Haiti's national sovereignty, not because they had worker proposals that weren't passed by the Lavalas governments, but because they personally wanted higher positions in that government and felt rejected. PAPDA, Batay Ouvriye, SOFA, KAYFANM, et al, with the
help of international "progressives" like Charles Authur of England, so
maligned the Aristide government it is not an exaggeration to say they
actively participated in bringing on the Coup D'etat. And are
responsible and should be made accountable for the great suffering of
the Haitian people today under this Bush's death regime. Fact is, like
the former Duvalierist who where re-imaged as "Civil Society" and
funded by IRI, USAID "democracy enhancement programs" so where these
so-called progressives. They were bought. Their constituencies are mainly
foreigners, not Haitians - workers or non-workers.

They are still playing to their foreign constituency.

HLLN is in touch with many Haitians on the ground in Haiti,
with first hand knowledge of these groups, who could provide a
different view of these groups than they are projecting to the
international workers unions and groups.

If I can be of any help with this let me know. Below is a piece I wrote
not too long ago on this subject of "workers rights vs. national
sovereignty." It concerns Batay Ouvrye. I've removed the names in the
original but the substance is below and might shed further light on how
phony and irresponsible these so-called leftist groups from Haiti are.
Thanks for your continued support.

Marguerite Laurent, Esq.
Founder and Chair, Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network
(Dedicated to protecting the human, civil and cultural rights of Haitians living at home and abroad)
June 15, 2005
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