Kay Kok,_Ile,a Vache, Haiti

Stop the colonial intimidation, denounce Venezuela $27 million in tourist project to take Haiti lands from poor and vulnerable Haitians

(Kreyòl transcription of Jean Lamy Matulnes and Louis Jean Gardi from KOPI on 4 Je Kontre– February 26, 2014 interview, the day Matulnes was jailed without charge. English translation to come.)

The Haitian government is unlawfully appropriating land from residents of Ile a Vache. The imperialists ruling Haiti are in the process of taking Haiti riches, dispossessing the people of their lands at Ile a Vache, despite no reconstruction done after the earthquake and the collection of $9billion dollars by the international community. It is most disappointing that Venezuela is ignoring that Haiti is under U.S. occupation behind UN proxy guns and investing $27 million in the Haiti puppet governments Ile a Vache tourist project which is brutally displacing the vulnerable inhabitants. (See, Impoverished Haiti hopes $160 million to develop high-end tourism industry pays off; Free Île à Vache: Pursued by government hound dogs; Tourism is not development: Haiti, Liberate Yourself!;Gaye toupatou: Koukouwouj Pou Nou Bloke Masak Mateli-Lamòt sou Popilasyon Ilavach La, and US occupiers in Haiti privatizing Île à Vache – Chronicles of a coming massacre.)

Haiti gov raise only Ile a Vache forest to ground to build tourists an airport; has already evicted 20 families without giving them loss jobs or homes. Photo source: Facebook

If Haiti history teaches us anything, it is that “development” projects for mainland Haiti and its off-shore islands must be carefully scrutinized. (Vision of Plantation Haiti – A White Pearl, Again!)

The mainstream media is not reporting on the arrest and jailing of Jean Lamy Matulnes or the bloodhound dogs set on the people or their recent March 11th pubic protest.

This Trenton Daniels, Associated Press fluff piece , titled -“Haiti prime minister says resort project will help economy, won”€™t involve evictions” – paints an innocent face on the Martelly/Lamothe activities on Ile a Vache.

So, the 20 families the Lamothe government have kicked off fertile lands are not “people”?

The only forest on Ile a Vache the U.S. puppet Martelly-Lamothe government have raised to the ground in order to build an airport for the foreign tourists to come, was not environmental lost for Haiti in favor of foreign leisure and pleasure?

To get an understanding of Ile a Vache concerns, go to: US occupiers in Haiti
privatizing Île à Vache – Chronicles of a coming massacre, part 1 and 2 at
and Tourism is not development: Haiti, Liberate Yourself! The people at Ile a Vache are not against progress, their against oppression.

The mainstream media is not reporting on the arrest and jailing of journalist Jean Lamy Matulnesor the bloodhound dogs set on Ile a Vache vulnerable people, their recent March 11, 2014 pubic protest against the apartheid and gentrification plans of the US puppets for Ile a Vache locals. Trenton Daniels of the mainstream media, is as usual, releasing the colonial narrative. Fluff pieces about how there has been no evictions and that the Ile a Vache resort projects will bring jobs for the locals, essentially saying the 20-families already evicted are “non-people.”

“Lamothe said the protests are being led by a small group of people with ties to organized crime networks who are trying to smuggle marijuana through the area, and have an interest in crushing development.”

Demonizing the islanders is par for the course. It is the standard imperialism blueprint. Yet, Jean Lamy Matulnes remains in prison while the US puppets silences a community radio leader with their own government “community radio.” (Listen to Jean Lamy Matulnes on the matter, before the government silenced him with jail.)

Venezuela helping to displace people at Île à Vache without inclusion or sustainable alternatives provided . Photo Source- Caribbean Journal

The Martelly-Lamothe overseers rule Haiti for the benefit of foreigners in Haiti. Haiti is under a US occupation since 2004. Taking prime lands for foreigners while oppressing the people, exploiting Haiti vast riches, continues.

The voiceless people of Ile a Vache ask international solidarity to: – stop the Martelly/Lamothe government propaganda that says they agree with the tourist plans that has already evicted 20 families with no alternative homes or way to eat now that their lands and access to a living are taken from them; The people want a stop to the bullying and environmental destruction – already the Lamothe government has destroyed the ecosystem with asphalt plans.

Ile a Vache ask 1). for the release of community radio station owner, Jean Lamy Matulnes ; 2). that the Martelly-Lamothe immediately RESCIND the May 10, 2013 presidential decree declaring their Island a tourist zone and subjecting their properties to government confiscation at will; demand the decree be voided and 3) the militarization of the island by more than 115 government special forces be stopped. Ask for this terrorizing force to leave Ile a vache.–For more, go to, Île à Vache is not for sale! Release Matulnes, Free Haiti:

“The Washington colonists are back in Haiti, re-enslaving. Bloodhounds have been set loose by the Washington puppet Haiti government on free Haitians at Île à Vache (Ile a Vache/Ilavach) who are fighting back.” Stand on the right side of history. Support the poor and vulnerable people of Ile a Vache.

The foreign investors and tourist companies should know how the people on Ile a Vache are brutally oppressed in this project their investing in. The people want sustainable development and to welcome vacationers, but not at the expense of their exclusion, oppression, jailings and land confiscation without justice. Venezuela activists cannot be ask for people-to-people solidarity against the US imperialist efforts to take down Maduro, while Maduro is working with the US in Haiti in its colonial oppression of our earthquake ravaged peoples. (Venezuela, Haiti: It’s the Opposition That’s Anti-Democratic.)

The dark-side of tourism employers is well known in the Caribbean. Haitians women are not looking for further state-sponsored oppression in this arena – low wages, more sexual abuse of female workers, Haiti children, importation of foreign workers to displace local workers, disease, pollution, et al. A job does not create wealth. Haitians own land and wish to locally produce and sell in an expanded Haiti market.

HELP STOP THE COLONIAL intimidation, silencing terror and divide and conquer at Ile a Vache. Ile a Vache must not fall. Call out Venezuela and the other investors. Let them know about the illegal jailing of Matulnes, the peoples demand for inclusion in sustainable development, and their three demands to the Martelly-Lamothe oppressive regime. Please circulate to your Venezuelan activists friends, the Venezuelan embassy, and widely everywhere.
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(Check back frequently for updates and the English translation and Kreyol transcription of the Jean LamyMatulnes and Louis Jean Gardi from KOPI on 4 Je Kontre- February 26, 2014 interview, the dayMatulnes was jailed without charge.)

Stop the land grab at Ile a Vache

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Île à Vache is not for sale! Release Matulnes, Free Haiti

Venezuela supporting ultra right-wing & fascism in Haiti:
Quake victims without homes, cholera ravages, Clorox hunger, no sustainable, long-term local investment in Haiti people. People excluded from participatory democracy. BUT:

-Marthelly-Lamothe Justice Ministry using budget to fund tourism safety instead of getting rid of overcrowding, unhealthy situation at National Penitentiary or to stop indefinite detentions of Haitians never charged with a crime, but in jail without trial, conviction, indefinitely like Maltunes

“the government is making use of a little-known “investment code” that was revised in 2002. The law enables tourism investors to receive a 15-year tax break and import supplies without paying taxes.”

“the government is also building a force of 53 “tourism police officers” who will learn Spanish and English, first aid skills, customer service and work in the outposts where officials want to bring tourists. Funding comes from the Justice Ministry.”

“Haiti’s tourism ministry had about $2 million in its budget under the previous administration, and received another $1 million from a Venezuelan oil fund in the aftermath of a destructive storm season, according to the former tourism minister. Today, the department has a budget that’s $4.7 million, plus $27 million from Venezuela’s PetroCaribe fund.”—-Impoverished Haiti hopes $160 million to develop high-end tourism industry pays off, July 07, 2013, Associated Press http://fxn.ws/1gLXFOg)

Other plans include making use of a little-known “investment code” that gives 15-year tax breaks to the owners of new hotels, many of whom are from the country’s powerful and wealthy families. This law also allows hotel owners to ship supplies through customs without paying taxes.”

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