US Embassy's Tim Carney, formerly of HDP selectively and, in a racist manner, uses US federal power to undermine the institutionalization of Haitian laws, justice and democracy. Thus, it granted a US visa, used resources such as arranging a "special flight" out of Haiti and no jail cell awaited Bernard - the Department of Homeland Security did not put Bernard in indefinite detention or hold him at Krome when he got to Miami International Airport.
The Jacques Bernard case illustrates how US Embassy in Haiti, which oftentimes says it "cannot meddle in the domestic matters of a foreign" country when asked to put pressure to, for instance, get the release of the political prisoners, such as Prime Minister Yvon Neptune, So Ann, Jacques Mathelier, et al., just used its federal powers without these
concerns to fly Jacques Bernard out of Haiti.
Jacques Bernard has been accused of massive fraud in the Feb. 7, elections. But he is currently in Washington doing the bidding of HDP and the US State Department. At least one newspaper has already quoted Jacques Bernard as saying that, Preval, "the president-elect and others manipulated ballot counting changes." (See, "Top election official backs original count: The leader of Haiti's electoral council surfaced in Washington and said the president elect and others manipulated ballot counting changes" by Pablo Bachelet, The Miami Herald, February 23, 2006 )
Others in Washington are saying that Preval used street riots and demonstrations to force the international community to declare him President. Yet, anyone watching the Feb. 23, 2006 C-Span 2 appearance of Bernard would have heard him say that Preval was in Marmelade when the people took to the streets of Port-au-Prince. However, this doesn't stop the mainstream press from
issuing its negative mantras to undermine Preval's presidency before it even begins.
The Jacques Bernard case illustrates, how the US plays a corrupting, not democratic role in Haiti. How the US Embassy uses visas, tax-payer resources, and indefinite detention, whether in Haiti as with the US-supported Latortue government's warehousing of Lavalas officials and supporters, or, in Miami where the fleeing Haitian refugees are indefinitely detained at the Krome detention center, to undermine Haitian law, justice and democracy.
It appears the US Embassy in Haiti has no QUALMS about "interfering in Haiti's domestic affairs” if it will benefit and promote US interest in destroying the Lavalas peace and justice movement. Thus, a special granting of a US visa, resources such as arranging a "special flight" out of Haiti and no jail for Bernard - the Department of Homeland Security did not put Bernard in indefinite detention or hold him at Krome when he got to Miami International Airport
.
The granting, by Tim Carney's US Embassy, of either some exile status such as a visiting visa, asylum or Temporary Protected Status, by The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to Jacques Bernard gives evidence of how the US uses its resources (special flight arranged for Jacques Bernard when no such thing has ever been arranged say, for the ailing Yvon Neptune), jailing (homeland security did not put him at Krome pending Haitian justice investigation but allowed him some sort of a visa and exile status). Now he's in Washington to address a Haiti Democracy Project seminar and on C-Span panels replacing Roger Noreiga!
American Airlines stopped all their fights. MINUSTHA had control of the airport. But Jacques Bernard was able to get a "special flight" out of Haiti.
HLLN has always maintained that the US Embassy abuses federal power by using its visa granting abilities to deny Haitian justice and by using jail to undermine Haitian democracy. This case with Bernard underscores
and gives evidences to these US Embassy abuses. The wealthy, light-skinned and multi-passported Jacques Bernard, accused of massive fraud in the Feb. 7, 2006 elections was authorized to leave Haiti, his visa approved by the US Embassy and he was even put on a special US-arranged (Tim Carney of HDP) flight out of Haiti.
When he got to Miami, unlike, for instance, Joseph Dandica, the elderly and sick 81-year old Baptist Minister, whose Church roof top the UN had used to execute, reportedly 15 and wound 6 "gang" members , Homeland Security could not be bothered to give TPS to Dandica. On the other hand, the fleeing-from-Haitian-law-and-justice Jacques Bernard was welcomed to Miami by Homeland Security, was not sent to jail at Krome as most poor Haitian refugees are, to die there as was the case for Reverend Joseph Dantica on November 3, 2004. (See, U.S. Bias and Indefinite Detention Policy Increases Haitian Suffering & Grief by Marguerite Laurent, November 16, 2004
http://www.margueritelau
rent.com/pressclips/indefinite.html )
This illustrate the cavalier, callous and outrageous disdain the US Ambassador, Department Homeland Security and Washington holds the ordinarily poor and dark-skinned Haitians, who mostly are warehoused at Krome. Poor Haitians, who cannot be used by Haiti Democracy Project, DHS or Washington to further their Death Plan in Haiti are simply subject to lengthy detention in the US and singled out by the US government for harsh treatment. Poor Haitians without Jacques Bernard's powerful Washington friends don't get to circumvent the laws or even get to be afforded due process and equal application of the immigration laws. In fact, to be poor, dark-skinned and Haitian means you will have the lowest rate of approval on asylum applications to the US.
HLLN urges its entire network to formally write a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (copied to the US Embassy in Haiti, Condi Rice and the State Department) to demand a full investigation into the grantin
g of special visa privileges to Jacques Bernard, who stands accused of massive electoral fraud. HLLN rejects this use of US immigration laws to undermine the institutionalization of the rule of law in Haiti.
Marguerite Laurent, Esq.
Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network
(Dedicated to institutionalizing the rule of law and justice in Haiti and to protecting the civil, human and cultural rights of Haitians living at home and abroad)
Feb. 22, 2006
