Democracy Now covered Aristide’s return to Haiti after seven years in exile in South Africa. Amy Goodman is reporting from inside the plane that brought Aristide and his entourage back to his home country and stays with the presidential company until arriving (with great difficulties due to the massive crowd) at their residence. Impressive piece of journalism on a historic day for Haiti.
When I was still in Haiti I couldn’t make much of Aristide, former president who had been removed by power by the US, France and Canada. As a president however, he gave the Haitian people for the first time in their history real hope for a better future. Opinions were nevertheless divided all those years after his turbulent departure, and I had more or less come to accept that he must have been a bit of a demagogue, having had such a wide popular support. The accusations of stirring up violence among his supporters were also very serious.
But when you now look and listen to the man, you see an at first sight articulate, thoughtful and intelligent person. And it’s not unimportant: he’s black. The majority Haitian rulers were mostly members of a more well-off mulatto class. It is also where he drew and draws his popularity from among the people: he is really one of them.
He’s now taking a prudent line, but it wouldn’t surprise me if, after the next president finishes his or her term, he is in for it again. The US were crying wolf about his return, and the wiki cables revealed that over the years French and American diplomats had threatened several countries in order to keep him in exile. But seeing the festive scenes and overwhelming joy, the country clearly wanted and deserved his return. Moreover, how can a country move on if it has not dealt with the past, especially such a traumatic event as the abduction of your president.
The way Aristide was removed was deplorable, and his return is nothing less than a setback for the usual morally corrupted politicians and politics of countries such as the US, France and Canada.
The video’s:
Arrival at the airport:
Arriving at his home from the airport:
Interview with Aristide and his wife Mildred on the plane approaching Port-au-Prince:
