NewsWhore
09-19-2007, 06:10 PM
Haiti's former Prime Minister Gerard Latortue has spoken out against what he called an international campaign to discredit the DR, which includes false claims about Haitian immigrants supposedly living in conditions of slavery in the DR, as reported in El Nacional.
"We will not allow people with bad intentions to attempt to sabotage the excellent relations between our two countries," said Latortue, who was taking part in a conference organized by the University of Miami's Center for Hemispheric Policy, also attended by President Leonel Fernandez on Monday as part of his US tour. "These people have not caught on that times have changed and you can't talk about a future for Haiti but rather of a future for both countries. I know President Fernandez and know he loves Haiti and wants to see its problems resolved," he added.
Latortue, who served as prime minister from 12 March 2004 to 9 June 2006, explained that, "decisive international cooperation is needed to create more jobs in Haiti and so keep Haitians in their own country. When that happens, Haitian tourists will visit the DR, not immigrants looking for work."
During the same conference, a journalist asked President Leonel Fernandez to comment on Haitian migration to the DR. He turned the question over to Latortue who responded that could be expected when on the same island you had a growth rate of 6-8% and another of 0%.
Latortue expressed confidence in the good relationship between President Fernandez and President Rene Preval, saying that this would be decisive in pushing ahead agreements to secure international cooperation for the development of the island.
Since the start of the year, films highlighting supposed slavery-like conditions experienced by Haitian workers in the DR have been shown in major cities abroad. The DR government has denied that Haitian workers are smuggled into the country to work in the cane fields, and says that of the estimated one million Haitian migrants in the DR, less than 1% works in the sugar industry.
According to a World Bank funded study carried out by Inter-American Dialogue and released yesterday, Haiti's economy depends on remittances, and US$200-US$300 million come from the DR each year. The study shows that 76% of the Haitians who live in the DR visit Haiti at least once a year, staying for a week to two months.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)
"We will not allow people with bad intentions to attempt to sabotage the excellent relations between our two countries," said Latortue, who was taking part in a conference organized by the University of Miami's Center for Hemispheric Policy, also attended by President Leonel Fernandez on Monday as part of his US tour. "These people have not caught on that times have changed and you can't talk about a future for Haiti but rather of a future for both countries. I know President Fernandez and know he loves Haiti and wants to see its problems resolved," he added.
Latortue, who served as prime minister from 12 March 2004 to 9 June 2006, explained that, "decisive international cooperation is needed to create more jobs in Haiti and so keep Haitians in their own country. When that happens, Haitian tourists will visit the DR, not immigrants looking for work."
During the same conference, a journalist asked President Leonel Fernandez to comment on Haitian migration to the DR. He turned the question over to Latortue who responded that could be expected when on the same island you had a growth rate of 6-8% and another of 0%.
Latortue expressed confidence in the good relationship between President Fernandez and President Rene Preval, saying that this would be decisive in pushing ahead agreements to secure international cooperation for the development of the island.
Since the start of the year, films highlighting supposed slavery-like conditions experienced by Haitian workers in the DR have been shown in major cities abroad. The DR government has denied that Haitian workers are smuggled into the country to work in the cane fields, and says that of the estimated one million Haitian migrants in the DR, less than 1% works in the sugar industry.
According to a World Bank funded study carried out by Inter-American Dialogue and released yesterday, Haiti's economy depends on remittances, and US$200-US$300 million come from the DR each year. The study shows that 76% of the Haitians who live in the DR visit Haiti at least once a year, staying for a week to two months.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)