Pierre Espérance, Executive Director of the National Human Rights Defense Network (RNDDH), delivered a damning assessment, this Wednesday, August 7, 2024, of the first months of the political transition under the leadership of the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT) and Prime Minister Garry Conille. Speaking on the program Le Rendez-Vous avec Volcy Assad, the human rights defender did not mince his words in declaring that the current authorities are engaged on a perilous path.
Four months after the start of this transition, marked by the absence of Ariel Henry, questions are already multiplying, and the time for the first assessments is approaching. The analyses drawn up are hardly flattering for the CPT teams as well as for the government led by Garry Conille. Pierre Espérance is one of those who believe that this political phase has started under bad auspices.
“In all countries in the world where we talk about the rule of law, there are indicators that can attest to it. Under Jovenel Moïse, these indicators were in red. Under Ariel Henry, they were still in red. With this new team formed by the CPT and Garry Conille, all the indicators in terms of the rule of law and governance remain in the red,” analyzes Pierre Espérance, emphasizing that the country “has already lost four months.”
The indicators mentioned by Pierre Espérance include, among others, justice and security, fundamental pillars of the rule of law. “What have we done for security since the beginning of this transition? What have we done for justice?” asks Mr. Espérance, while acknowledging the order issued concerning the La Saline massacre. He deplores, however, the lack of public communication from the authorities on this crucial issue.
“All the territories lost under Ariel Henry have become even more worrying lawless zones. Carrefour is now a lost territory,” says Espérance, recalling the transfer of prisoners from Carrefour to Petit-Goâve.
In addition, the Executive Director of the RNDDH announced that the institution he heads is documenting the first massacre perpetrated against the population under the transition regime led by the CPT and Prime Minister Garry Conille. This massacre he is talking about took place in Gressier. Mr. Espérance does not exclude that the Haitian National Police has managed to neutralize several armed bandits, but concerns remain.
By: Gazette Haiti News
