The socio-political organization called “Force Artibonite 2020” expresses its deep concerns about the resurgence of acts of banditry in the Artibonite Valley. The General Coordinator of the structure, Mackendy Pierre-Louis, who says he is fed up with human rights violations in the Department caused by the negligence of state authorities, writes to Prime Minister Garry Conille to draw his attention to the deterioration of the security climate in the Artibonite region.
THE HAITI FACTOR, August 7, 2024._Read in full the content of the letter that the socio-political organization “Force Artibonite 2020” addressed to the Head of the Haitian Government Garry Conille.
Open letter to Prime Minister Garry Conille
Subject: Neglect, violations and abuses of human rights in Haiti.
August 07, 2024 / FROM THE SOCIO-POLITICAL ORGANIZATION FORCE ARTIBONITE 2020
We, the leaders of the socio-political organization FORCE ARTIBONITE 2020 ( FA20 )we take the patriotic liberty of greeting you and telling you the following:
Mr. Minister, for many years, lives and property have been subject to the goodwill of heavily armed bandits in disregard of human rights, and the data (figures) relating to this are constantly growing. Justice, which is the greatest good of a society, is almost non-existent and constitutes a shame for the Haitian nation.
Violations and abuses of human rights are recurrent and revolting. The population is resigned under the weight of facts that surpass its capacity to act quickly and rationally. Heinous crimes, the failure of the State, impunity, the failure of our republican institutions and the carelessness of leaders are, among others, the true characteristics of Haiti in this twenty-first century.
However, in a democratic society, the first duty of the State is to guarantee the right to security of citizens, according to the spirit of article 7.1 of the American Convention on Human Rights, ratified by Haiti.
Furthermore, Mr. Head of the Prime Minister’s Office, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR) are seriously neglected, contrary to the wishes of Article 6.3 and 8 of the United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development. We would like to remind you that respect for and protection of economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR) are a responsibility of the State under Article 26 of the American Convention on Human Rights. Denying the application and protection of all these human rights is proof that the State does not care about the dignity of the people for whom it is intended to work.
What is worse, the lack of an adequate standard of living; the lack of access to the right to education and food, to health for all, to suitable work, to decent housing and to leisure; the exaggerated rate of inflation; all this in contempt of the Haitian Constitution of March 29, 1987 amended in its articles 19, 35 and following; of articles 22, 25 and following of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR); of the Protocol of San Salvador ratified by the Haitian parliament; of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights still ratified by the Haitian parliament as well as all the other conventions ratified by Haiti.
Added to these are heavily armed bandits proliferating and sowing terror, looting, killing, kidnapping, raping, imposing their laws in complicity with certain political and economic elites of the country. However, these are appalling denials and clear consequences of systematic and systemic violations of human rights.
As stated in the main international texts, human rights refer first of all to the dignity and universal identity of the human person. They are rights that reflect the existence of a current in favour of the recognition of a human right to subsistence specific to every human being, enforceable against the State in national laws and in the international law of States, hence the justiciable nature of ESCR.
To be considered, despite the efforts made by the socio-political organization *FORCE ARTIBONITE 2020* in the face of the tragedies that are taking place, particularly within the framework of its mission to promote and defend the interests of the popular masses, through training, public debates, peaceful marches, interventions in the press, denunciation notes, national forum on human rights. We note that these efforts do not really constitute a barrier to the systematic violations of human rights in Haiti, to this point, the State must absolutely fulfill its sovereign mission.
It is obvious that certain responsibilities must be assumed by state authorities in order to eradicate the scourge linked to human rights violations. It is therefore with this objective that we do our civic duty to alert you to the critical situation of human rights in Haiti, because it is urgent. It is also noted that the lack of access to basic social services, abject poverty and the high cost of living are felt throughout the national territory.
Finally, Mr. Prime Minister, given that all the indicators concerning human rights are in red, the socio-political organization *FORCE ARTIBONITE 2020* is taking the formal route of sending you this correspondence with a view to demanding efforts from you as the de facto holder of the three powers of the State with a view to a return to constitutional order, aimed at restoring the country’s democratic institutions; establishing order; implementing effective public policies; making the three powers of the State functional with a view to preventing continued violations of human rights as well as the constant trivialization of lives and property in Haiti.
There is an urgent need to act in favor of human dignity and especially in favor of human rights in Haiti! This goes without saying and for humanitarian reasons.
Hoping that you will take note and act accordingly, given the urgency which is required, at our request which is founded both on substance and on form, please accept, Mr. Prime Minister, the expression of our best greetings and our highest considerations.
Done in Gonaïves, August 7, 2024
Mackendy Pierre-Louis general coordinator FORCE ARTIBONITE 2020
Cc: To the Presidential Council
THE HAITI FACTOR (LFH)
