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PILOTS WEREN’T RATED TO FLY DOOMED PLANE
‘PERSONAL MATTERS’ SEE DNA’S NO.2 RESIGN
Questions mount over fatal crash as police confirm jet had been reported stolen By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net TWO Bahamian pilots who died in a fiery plane crash in Abaco on Monday were not qualified to fly the jet, perplexing investigators who have since opened a stolen aircraft inquiry into the matter. Investigators are trying to piece together the suspicious circumstances that prompted the former Royal Bahamas Defence Force marines to fly the plane. Captain Delvin Major, chief investigator of the Air Accident Investigation
Authority, said yesterday that Jason Allen was a student pilot and that while Lavan Paul had an airline transport licence, he did not have a type rating to fly the aircraft. Pilots of such planes require a type rating certification, which involves additional training beyond their initial instruction. In a statement yesterday, police also said officers of the Marsh Harbour Police Station on Tuesday received a report that the plane was stolen from the Treasure Cay Airport.
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
THE Democratic National Alliance has announced that the party’s Deputy Leader Buscheme Armbrister stepped down effective June 30 in order to attend to “personal matters”. “After much thought and prayers, I have made a decision to leave frontline politics and step down as Deputy Leader effective June 30, 2021 in order to attend to personal matters,” Mr Armbrister said at a press conference yesterday. SEE PAGE TWO
SEE PAGE THREE
DIONISIO TARGETS 1M STOPOVER VISITORS By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
TOURISM Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar yesterday said he is targeting one million stopover tourist arrivals for 2021 but acknowledged COVID19 vaccination hesitancy remains “the elephant in the room” for this ambition. Mr D’Aguilar said the Government will have to be more aggressive in
‘MOTHER’ PRATT ‘IS GETTING BETTER’
persuading Bahamians to become inoculated so this nation can avoid infection “spikes” such as the one that dampened Bimini’s US Independence holiday business. Suggesting the Government will “have to take the vaccine to the people, if the people do not come to the vaccine”, he argued The Bahamas “doesn’t have that much time” to improve inoculation rates. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis pictured previously with Haiti President Jovenel Moise, who has been assassinated at his home. The Bahamas embassy in Haiti has been ordered closed in the wake of the killing.
BORDER ALERT AFTER HAITI PRESIDENT KILLED By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas has closed its embassy in Haiti and will beef up border security at
home as precautionary measures after Haitian President Jovenel Moise was assassinated at his home yesterday. Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield said the embassy will remain
shut until a way forward is determined. “In any event, we were operating sparsely because of the pandemic,” he said.
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
SEE PAGE TEN
By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net CYNTHIA “Mother” Pratt, former Deputy Prime Minister, is said to be responding well to treatment for COVID-19 in hospital, Dr Lynwood Brown said yesterday. “We’ll keep her in for observation to get her where we need to get her,” Dr Brown said of the former St Cecelia MP. “Surprisingly, she is getting better sooner than we anticipated. So yeah, she is doing well. Steady as she goes and solid as a rock.” Mrs Pratt was taken to hospital in an ambulance on Tuesday after being diagnosed with COVID-19 more than a week ago. SEE PAGE FOUR
PAGE 2, Thursday, July 8, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
‘PERSONAL MATTERS’ SEE DNA’S NO.2 RESIGN
BUSCHEME Armbrister resigns as deputy leader of the DNA party. Photos: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff from page one DNA Leader Arinthia Komolafe said Steven Michael Nesbitt and Derek Smith are the new duly elected deputy leader and chairman respectively. They were elected at a special congress meeting held on
July 1 in accordance with the constitution of the DNA. She added Omar Smith, the previous chairman, had to step down to contest the position of Deputy Leader. However, he lost to Mr Nesbitt. Mrs Komolafe said: “There were 41 eligible voters in this election based on the number of the congress members as at June 30, 2021. It was a very close race with a margin of victory of 1; Mr Smith secured 20 votes while Mr Nesbitt received 21 votes.” Mr Armbrister did not go into details about why he stepped down, but he made it clear he is still with the DNA. “I have committed to assist to ensure a smooth transition. I have communicated to the central congress that I will continue to serve and support the party in my new role as national strategic advisor to the party’s central congress to ensure that the DNA wins the next general election.” Mrs Komolafe thanked Mr Armbrister for his contributions. “Mr Armbrister stepped down amidst personal challenges and we continue to keep him in our prayers. Mr Armbrister has made it abundantly clear that he will continue to support and assist the party and the leadership team. In this regard, we are thankful that
DNA leader Arinthia Komolafe. Mr Armbrister will be transitioning to the position of national strategic advisor to the central congress. “So we just made the necessary adjustments. Additionally as Mr Armbrister has said, he is still with the organisation – he is just not going to be able to give the time and the effort that is needed to run a full-fledged campaign and be the deputy leader and so we respect and so with that, that is why we would’ve come to this decision today to give him the space that he needs and also position the party as best possible.” Mrs Komolafe also criticised Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis for keeping the nation “in suspense” about when the next general election will be held.
STEVEN Michael Nesbitt is the new deputy chairman of the DNA
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, July 8, 2021, PAGE 3
Pilots weren’t rated to fly doomed plane from page one “Initially,” police said in a statement, “the plane was reported arriving in Treasure Cay, Abaco on Friday, July 2, 2021 and was scheduled to depart on Monday, 5 July 2021 when the airplane was said to be stolen. Further, police along with agencies are investigating an apparent plane crash in Treasure Cay, Abaco, where two pilots lost their lives. The airplane is estimated at $300,000.” The Tribune understands two foreign pilots who flew the plane into Treasure Cay from the Dominican Republic on Friday filed the stolen plane report on Tuesday. Immigration officers had taken the men into custody but subsequently released them. Why they were detained has not been explained. Yesterday, a senior police officer said he was informed the two men have already left the country. It is not clear when Allen and Paul arrived in Treasure Cay or why they sought out the Westwind jet. However, sources in Treasure Cay said the pair went through the normal procedures to board the jet, including presenting a required document to customs officials. The jet crashed shortly after 3.30pm on Monday. According to eyewitnesses, the aircraft appeared to not be making enough power and seemed to struggle to get off the ground. “The aircraft used the entire runway and ended in bushes approximately 2,000
feet beyond the end of the usable runway after hitting several trees along the debris path,” Captain Major said earlier this week. Yesterday, he said air accident investigators have ended their investigation into the matter in view of the stolen aircraft report. “Our investigation only covers the matter from an investigation aspect,” he said. “When there is an unlawful interference, we immediately have to turn it over to the authorities for them to investigate. We take a supporting role, helping them with technical aspects they would need. Our investigation only covers what we were able to determine from the point we were told the plane was stolen because now it’s no longer a safety matter. The crash may have happened as a result of a crime so this is no longer our investigation.” Nonetheless, Captain Major said even if their investigation was not halted, his team would have little more to do after realising the pilots were not qualified. “If you’re not qualified to fly an airplane, usually the investigation stops at that point when we determine that you should not have been there,” he said. “At that point, how can we know the engine failed? You could’ve done something that you should not have done or you could have done, but didn’t. There is no reason to go further down that road because everything we find could be because of pilot error. “Having an airline
THE CRASHED plane, above, and pilots Jason Allen and Lavan Paul. transport licence is like being a general practitioner. If you want to then be a heart surgeon, you have to do additional training. “This aircraft, you must have a type rating. If you don’t have a type rating you are not considered qualified and you should not be in that aircraft. Legally, you cannot jump in and fly that plane. You should go through the training to be type-rated, which involves certain amount of hours and certain amount of practical training,” he said. “If the investigation continued, we would have examined his training and saw if he started the process but we have no way of knowing that now. “I see this kind of thing all the time. It just saddens me that pilots would make themselves vulnerable to getting behind the
wheel of an aircraft that they are not comfortable with.” The two pilots who flew the plane into Treasure Cay told police they never authorised Allen and Paul to take the plane. Police are consequently trying to understand how the Bahamian men gained access to the aircraft. “That’s the million-dollar question that the police is
trying to figure out,” Captain Major said. “As far as we’re concerned, we have no idea how they got in. Police will have to find out how these guys had access to this aircraft. It’s not for us to comment on because it’s outside of our purview.” The episode has left Treasure Cay residents perplexed. “First of all, what are you coming here for from the
Dominican Republic?” one resident asked yesterday. “Why are you here? There is nothing in Treasure Cay. Furthermore, you have to have access to the plane to fly it, a key or something. This story doesn’t add up and everybody has the sense that the pilots didn’t know what they were doing in trying to fly the plane and this goes deeper than them stealing it.”
MAN DIES FROM ELECTROCUTION AT DOCK By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was fatally electrocuted yesterday morning while working on air conditioning repairs on a small yacht docked at the Joseph Alfred Dock in the Bay Street area. Relatives and friends have identified the victim as Shervin Brennen. He is believed to be in his late 20s. Police said they were alerted to the accident after 10am. “Sometime after 10, police were called to the Joseph Alfred Dock situated on Bay Street,” Assistant Superintendent of Police Audley Peters told reporters at the scene. “On their arrival, they were directed to a small yacht where they went to the engine room of that yacht and found the unresponsive body of a male lying over an engine bay. “The information is that while he was doing some repairs, he complained of being electrocuted and moments later, his
colleagues went into the engine room and examined him and he was unresponsive. “The Emergency Medical Services visited the scene and following their examinations, they pronounced the body lifeless.” According to the victim’s boss, Anthony E Knowles, Brennen was inside the yacht working on the vessel’s air conditioning system with another colleague before the incident happened. Mr Knowles, who also owns the yacht in question, said he was not present during the accident, but was notified by another employee shortly after it happened. Mr Knowles said when he found Brennen, he no shirt or shoes on, something he said was quite unusual as Brennen often reminded others about the importance of wearing proper safety gear at work. “We went down in the hold in the boat and he was laid across and apparently, he had no shoes on, no shirt on and I don’t know why because he always
preached to everyone else about wearing the proper footwear and this morning, he ain’t had no footwear on,” he told reporters at the scene. “He was still getting shocked. The body was still getting shocked. You couldn’t touch him. No power was on. So, it’s apparently batteries… that’s a lot of energy and with him not having no shirt on, not having no shoes on, he became a conductor for electricity. “When we grabbed the body, he was still having electrical charge coming through him. No power was on, just the batteries.” The businessman added he tried everything in his power to save him, but his efforts still proved fruitless. “I began doing CPR until the paramedics showed up. I worked so hard to try to save him,” Mr Knowles said. “I had the AED (automatic external defibrillator), but it wouldn’t go off. They came and they said it’s because he had no pulse so that’s why the AED wouldn’t go off so they (said) you need a pulse
and I figured it’s about seven maybe eight minutes before I got here and called Doctors Hospital. “No ambulance was there. I Called 911. I (was) racing to get here. They called the paramedic from PMH and they got here about 15 minutes later. They actually pulled me off of him trying to do the CPR.” Having known Brennen for over 13 years, Mr Knowles said he is saddened by his loss and will miss him. Similar sentiments were shared by the victim’s aunt, Kadisha Saunders, who described him as a loving and quiet person who loved to work. She said: “You don’t get much from him. He was always to work. He worked here on the ‘pirate ship’ for a long time because his mom is employed with them also. He worked every day and he liked to dress up so it’s really sad and I mean especially just now when his body been taken away.” She said his death has affected the closeknit family, who is still
ATTORNEY SWORN IN AS MAGISTRATE By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net GRAND Bahama attorney Simone Brown was sworn in as a stipendiary and circuit magistrate for the Eight Mile Rock Magistrate’s Court this week. Justice Petra HannaAdderley presided over Monday’s swearing-in ceremony on behalf of the chief justice. Ms Brown has been a practising attorney at Brown Law Chambers from December 2014 through July 2021. While there, she managed a caseload of approximately 50 active cases and was responsible for all aspects of client cases, including analysing case documents
and evidence, developing case strategy, conducting legal research and writing, and interviewing clients and witnesses, providing legal advice to clients, and representing clients at all court hearings. Ms Brown also researched relevant case law and applied relevant law to write and argue applications. She has successfully represented clients at jury trials. This comes after four stipendiary and circuit magistrates were sworn in before Chief Justice Sir Brian Moree in New Providence in June. Algernon Allen Jr, Kendra Kelly, Shaka Serville and Ian-Marie Darville-Miller were sworn in at courtroom two of the
Supreme Court on Bank Lane. At that ceremony, Sir Brian told the new judges there was a busy court calendar waiting for them. “The Magistrate’s Courts are the busiest courts in the country and interact with more people than any other court,” Sir Brian said in June. “For many of the persons who have cases in the Magistrate’s Court, their view of the administration of justice is based primarily, if not solely, on their dealings with those courts. This only underscores the importance of the work which is carried out in the Magistrate’s Courts. “As a group of four new magistrates, with a fifth
magistrate scheduled to be sworn in early next month, you have the potential to make a significant impact on the magistracy and it is my hope – I might say even my expectation – that individually and collectively, you will make an enduring contribution to the advancement of that institution. “I know that you will bring to the magistracy your energy, your alacrity, your scholarship, your work ethic, your competence and your integrity as you settle into the high calling of a judicial officer in The Bahamas. You are joining the judiciary at an exciting time as we are engaged in a programme of modernisation and reform in the courts.”
POLICE on the scene where a man was electricuted at Joseph Alfred Dock on Bay Street. Photo: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff recovering from the loss of another relative. “I was heartbroken because I know what it is for a mother to lose her child and we are a close-knitted family,” Ms Saunders told reporters. “I pick his mom up and drop her to work so when it comes to them... we have that family bond. If
you cut one, all of us bleed. So, I know what it is she’s going through. “This is a second experience with death in our family but younger nephews and stuff and it’s hard. We’re just recently trying to get over my son’s death and we still isn’t over that as yet but for this, it’s like a shocker.”
PAGE 4, Thursday, July 8, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
PHYSICIANS PRESIDENT’S ALARM AT LACK OF HEALTH RESOURCES By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net CONSULTANT Physicians Staff Association president Dr Sabriquet Pinder-Butler says it’s “alarming” that Princess Margaret Hospital is at full capacity due to increased COVID-19 cases, but a compounding challenge remains – the lack of human resources in public health. On Tuesday, PMH Administrator Mary Walker revealed that an increase in COVID-19 cases had left the facility operating at full capacity. She said the vast majority of patients there and those receiving care at the South Beach Health Centre were not vaccinated.
Responding, Dr PinderButler said this situation is one that should alarm all Bahamians. She said: “It would mean that there will be challenges with Bahamians needing healthcare in general whether that is emergency care or care for other chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and the like. All of those things are impacted once we’re at this stage as we’ve had happen before. “So, I think certainly this has to be concerning to all of us and should indicate to us that we are at a critical state in the country as it relates to healthcare and the services that we are able to provide.” She also referred to a lack of proper resources at
healthcare facilities. This led her to criticise a newly signed $90m contract for infrastructure expansion at PMH and the Rand Memorial Hospital in Grand Bahama. The agreement was signed between the BECK Group and the government. It includes $55m for a maternal and child health tower at PMH and four level tower at the Rand valued at $30.6m. “…We appreciate the expansions of infrastructure and (are) looking to see how we could improve the hospital in terms of new expansion, but at this point in time I don’t see how we can use funds to do that when we need funds to also keep staff employed,” the senior doctor said.
“What are we doing? We are in this crisis now and at a time when we need more staff. You would think that the resources would go there (to staffing) first to make sure we are able to care for the persons before we talk about anything else. “So, things are also very concerning for us now as we look to see what can be done in this situation.” She said stakeholders have been highlighting these issues before the pandemic began. “This is something that we have been speaking to even before COVID and so certainly COVID and any other challenge that could be at a global level would further bring those things out. “I don’t know that we
have put things in place to remedy that particular situation. We heard yesterday that we had to reallocate staff again in part to it being with the numbers of cases. “This is also related to the fact that we don’t have additional staffing and so if you don’t have additional staffing, but still having to provide all those services then we’re having a challenge. “We made those recommendations last year looking at how we could support staff and provide contracts for persons that have been released from the system. “We are concerned again because we have the time again where interns are completing internships and we are hoping
that the government will not let those physicians go so we don’t have gaps and having another shortage on top of a shortage already because certainly we can’t afford that – If the persons working now are already stretched and have been in this situation for a long time.” On Tuesday, PHA said in a statement that due to PMH reaching capacity officials were forced to reallocate clinic personnel to strengthen hospital operations. Additionally, PHA advised that Accident and Emergency is only accepting emergency cases. Officials have said getting vaccinated is the best way to avoid a severe COVID19 case.
PAHO CONFIRMS VACCINE PRODUCTION DELAYS By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net
PAN American Health Organization officials have revealed that the deployment of COVAX issued vaccines was delayed in June due to a myriad of issues experienced by the group with Oxford-AstraZeneca production sites. Dr Jarbas Barbosa, PAHO assistant director, made the announcement yesterday at the organisation’s weekly webinar designed to update the region on the fight against COVID-19. “Seventeen countries in our region are expecting to complete the third wave of deployments (of vaccines) from COVAX,” he said. “COVAX faced many very serious limitations during the month of June due to different problems. The main problem is the government of India that is not allowing the Institute of India to export the AstraZeneca vaccines. We also had a problem with another AstraZeneca production site that had applied to
receive the emergency use authorisation from WHO and it was delayed more than expected. “So, June (had) a very serious problem with supply sites. Now there are some countries that PAHO is in negotiations with, vaccine producers, to know when the vaccines will be available to deploy in July. We expect to receive this information next week and we will share it.” On Friday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said the country is expected to receive more than 30,000 doses from COVAX before the end of the month. Dr Barbosa also said PAHO is currently in negotiations to distribute donations from the United States government to countries in the Caribbean. He said the US donated some three million doses which will be issued through the COVAX facilitator. Yesterday, PAHO’s director, Dr Carissa Etienne gave an update on COVID19 inoculations throughout the region. “One in four people in our region have been fully immunised and over 600
million doses have been administered in the Americas,” she said. “However, over half of these doses have been applied in just one country, the United States. We must celebrate that a nation that has been so heavily impacted by the pandemic was able to turn the tide, but we can’t close our eyes to the stark inequities on vaccine access. “Several other countries have done a remarkable job in vaccinating their people, Chile and Uruguay have around 50 percent of their population fully immunized and Canada has covered over 30 percent.” While updating regional press partners on COVID19, Dr Etienne diverted to pay homage to fallen Haitian President Jovenel Moise. President Moise was killed during an attack on his private residence early yesterday. According to the country’s acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph, a group of unidentified individuals stormed President Moise’s home at around 1am yesterday and fatally wounded him. Mr Joseph described the assassination as a “heinous, inhumane and barbaric act”. “I must acknowledge the event that unfolded this morning in Haiti leading to the untimely death of President Jovenel Moise,” Dr Etienne said. “PAHO wishes to extend its condolences to his family. We also want to express solidarity with the Haitian people in these uncertain times and reiterate our commitment to advance the country’s health and development. “Our organisation has a long history of working in Haiti, hand-in-hand with local authorities, health professionals and communities through our local office in Port-au-Prince. We continue to stand with them now and will redouble our efforts. “One of PAHO’s top priorities over the past few
weeks has been to support Haiti to start vaccinations and control transmission of COVID-19. We will continue working toward this goal with global and local partners.” She said she is hopeful that the imminent arrival of vaccines in that country can start to turn the tide of the pandemic and bring some relief to the Haitian people during these very difficult times. This past week, the region saw 1.1 million new cases which represents a small decline in relation to the previous week. Dr Etienne said while mortality has also been reduced in this period, the region is still reporting over half of the deaths registered globally. “This is a clear sign that the toll of the pandemic in the Americas continues to devastate families and communities, even as parts of our region are experiencing some relief,” she said. “In North America, while the overall trends are declining, there are areas in which transmission is still rising, such as Baja California del Sur in Mexico and Yukon Province in Canada. “In the Caribbean, Cuba is reporting the highest number of new cases per week since the beginning of the pandemic, and Trinidad and Tobago is facing increased mortality due to COVID. We continue to be concerned about Haiti. There has been a slight decline in new cases, but the situation is still very difficult, with episodes of violence challenging the response to the pandemic.” Dr Etienne said the 24 million doses of COVAX deployed in the region have been quickly put to use, and countries are eager for the additional allocations to ship as soon as supplies are available. She said regional countries know how to deploy vaccines and are ready, but they need more doses, and they need them now.
CYNTHIA “MOTHER” PRATT
‘MOTHER’ PRATT ‘IS GETTING BETTER’ from page one At the time Dr Brown said she was taken for observation on his advice out of an abundance of caution. “Truthfully, it was me that wanted her to be admitted out of an abundance of caution for monitoring, hopefully for just overnight,” he said on Tuesday. Following her admission for observation,
Progressive Liberal Party leader Philip “Brave” Davis issued a brief statement. The statement read in part: “My thoughts and prayers are with her and the Pratt family during this delicate and trying period. I ask that Bahamians respect her privacy and to pray for her full recovery.” Last Thursday, Mrs Pratt, 75, told The Tribune she suspected having the virus after experiencing nausea and fatigue the previous week.
“That’s why PAHO has urged nations with enough vaccines to share them with countries in the Americas that are still struggling,” she said. “That call is starting to resonate. “PAHO is leading the logistics for the delivery of the COVAX doses. And we’ve been working with the US government, the COVAX Facility and recipient countries to make sure all requirements are met, and vaccines can quickly and safely arrive at their destinations. “We also applaud Mexico’s donations to several countries in Central America and Jamaica. Regional solidarity will help pave our way out of this pandemic. In fact, dose donations are helping COVAX substantially expand the availability of vaccines in the next round, with some 60 million doses coming from the United States and over 11 million from Japan, contributing to the expected allocation of some 143 million doses.”
• The country’s COVID19 death toll has increased by one after a 61-year-old New Providence man died from the disease on July 5. There are now 252 confirmed COVID-19 deaths. Officials also said 53 new cases of the virus were recorded on July 5 while 23 new cases were recorded on July 6. Of those 23 cases, 18 are in New Providence, two are in Grand Bahama, two are in Eleuthera and one is in Abaco. In a report released yesterday, officials said two of the newly confirmed cases reported for New Providence have been reallocated. One newly confirmed case has been added to the confirmed cases for Grand Bahama and the other has been added to the confirmed cases for the island of Eleuthera, officials said. The country now has 12,965 confirmed cases. At last report, 52 people were in hospital with the disease.
NINE CUBANS FOUND ON CAY SAL BANK By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
NINE Cuban migrants discovered on a cay in the Cay Sal Bank in the southern Bahamas were charged
in the Freeport Magistrate’s Court with illegal landing. Immigration official Napthali Cooper reported that six men and three women were discovered by US Coast Guard officials on Saturday, July 3. The USCG Robert Yared arrived with the migrants at Freeport Harbour around 8am on Tuesday. They were turned over to immigration officers and taken to the Department of Immigration for processing. Mr Cooper said that the migrants told officials that they had left Cuba on Monday, June 28, on a 16ft rustic vessel destined for the United States. They said after two days at sea, they ended up beaching the vessel in the Cay Sal Bank area. He said the migrants were examined by staff at the Disease and Surveillance Unit of the Public Hospitals Authority. On Wednesday, the nine migrants were charged with illegal landing. They appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Debbye Ferguson and pleaded guilty to the charge. They were convicted and
ordered to be deported to their country of origin. In other court matters, Cuban national Raul Sanchez Castellanos, 35, was charged with overstaying his time in The Bahamas. He pleaded guilty. Castellanos was found in Freeport on July 3, after the expiration of seven days granted to him by the Director of Immigration on June 7. The magistrate ordered Castellanos to be deported to his country of origin. Haitian national Jermaine Dezilien, 45, was charged with illegal landing. On July 5, the accused was found at Grand Bahama having landed from a place outside of The Bahamas without leave of an immigration officer. Dezilien pleaded guilty to the charge and was convicted. Deputy Chief Magistrate Ferguson ordered that he be deported to his country of origin. The 11 migrants will be flown to New Providence where they will be detained at the Detention Centre to await deportation to their respective countries.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, July 8, 2021, PAGE 5
Police officers commended after arrest that went viral By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net
TWO POLICE officers involved in a much publicised arrest have been commended and rewarded by Commissioner Paul Rolle. The commendation followed an incident on Tonique Williams Highway where Constable 4233 Tyrese Smith tried to stop a young man who became belligerent and assaulted him. Videos of the incident went viral on social media showing the young man being disrespectful and violent towards the officer who was trying to calm him down. The altercation went on for some time until video footage showed another officer, now confirmed as Sergeant Travis Strachan, run to the aid of Constable Smith. Sergeant Strachan ran from some distance to the scene, drew his weapon and assisted Constable Smith in subduing the suspect, bringing calm to the
COMMISSIONER Paul Rolle with Sergeant Travis Strachan, left, and Constable Tyrese Smith, right. situation and then arresting “We in law enforcement, to stop a motorcyclist that the man. this is what we talk about was riding along Tonique Many videos circulated when we say police offic- Williams-Darling Highway, on social media show- ers put their life on the line in and out of traffic causing ing various angles of the each and every day to keep mayhem on the street. scene with commentary the public safe,” he said at “Eventually he was able from those recording the the ceremony for the offic- to bring the individual to incident. ers. “I thought it was in a stop and in the process The incident had traffic poor taste for individuals effected an arrest. In his backed up on the highway, rather than to assist (they attempt to effect the arrest, but with all the onlookers decided) to make a joke of there were persons who, present, no one came to the it as if they were watching a rather than come to the aid aid of Constable Smith. movie. and assistance of the officer, Commissioner Rolle, “I want to commend decided that they will take while rewarding the offic- Constable Tyrese Smith. out their cell phones and ers on Tuesday, expressed He is a young officer who begin (to) record like they extreme displeasure and just completed two years were making a movie.” disappointment with the of service within the Royal Sergeant Strachan public seemingly making a Bahamas Police Force. received a commendation mockery of the officers. (Monday), he had occasion from the commissioner
and both he and Constable Smith were rewarded monetarily for their efforts. “Sergeant Travis Strachan on July 5, 2021 you exemplified the statement I am my brother’s keeper,” Commissioner Rolle continued. “You saw colleague, 4233 Tyrese Smith in need of assistance and without hesitation you rendered aid which resulted in a successful arrest. “Due to your dedication and willingness to assist, you went above and beyond your duty and the superb manner in which you have performed is in keeping
with the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s highest traditions. “I commend you for your professional conduct and courage. For this, it is with great pleasure I present to you my commendation. I also wish to present to each of these officers a monetary gift of $1,000 each.” Constable Smith has been on the force for two years and Sergeant Strachan has a 12-year tenure. “When we say that police officers put their lives on the line each and every day to keep the public safe, this is what we are talking about,” Commissioner Rolle said. “We make the sacrifice and I would expect members of the public to treat their police officers, their sons and daughters better than as if they are watching some movie. “This is not a movie, this is a real life situation. I thought it was in poor taste that they want to make a social event out of it.” The suspect was charged with dangerous and reckless driving, assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest, police said.
BUSINESSES ABLE TO RAISE $5M THROUGH CROWDFUNDING By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net ELIGIBLE Bahamian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will now be able to raise up to $5m in equity capital to fund their business ventures via crowdfunding, State Minister of Finance Kwasi Thompson said yesterday. Speaking during a virtual press conference, Mr Thompson said new regulations released by the Securities Commission – which allow SMEs, start-ups and entrepreneurs to raise capital via crowdfunding – were recently approved by Cabinet and have since been brought into effect. According to the state minister, the initiative is a part of the government’s many efforts to support SMEs and aspiring entrepreneurs, which, he said, are “critical sectors” to the nation’s economy. Hailing the financing platform as a “ game changer”, Mr Thompson said that no other administration has been able to do what this current government has done for Bahamian entrepreneurs. He said since being in
office, the Minnis administration has directly invested over $60 million into small businesses across the country by way of grants and loan guarantees. “It is a track record that we are immensely proud of,” Mr Thompson said at yesterday’s press conference. “Today, we make another evolutionary step in the development of entrepreneurs and small business opportunities right here in the Bahamas. “The economic recovery committee established by the prime minister provided a number of recommendations to support more and more Bahamians getting into business so we could have a more dynamic and inclusive economic growth. “One of these recommendations is that the government implement legislation to facilitate and support crowdfunding and the junior stock market to expand access to capital and Bahamian businesses. So today, I am pleased to support that the government has heeded the recommendation. “As such, the Cabinet of the Bahamas recently approved new regulations from the Securities Commission that establishes a
legal framework to allow SMEs or small businesses to participate in what is commonly referred to as crowdfunding. These regulations have been gazetted, released to the public and are now in effect.” Crowdfunding involves financing a project or business venture by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via an Internet-based electronic platform such as ArawakX. It pools money from friends, family and investors. Besides crowdfunders earning a higher return on their investment, via dividends and share price appreciation if the business prospers, this financing method also enables startups and entrepreneurs to avoid having to take on a heavy debt financing burden that can often cause their idea to fail. “This reform represents a game changer for business ownership and entrepreneurship in our country,” Mr Thompson added yesterday. “With these new and innovative crowdfunding regulations, we are furthering the potential of small businesses to raise more investment money on
12-YEAR-OLD TO MAKE SPELLING BEE HISTORY ROY Seligman, a 12-year-old, eighth grade student of Lyford Cay International School, will make history as the first Bahamian to appear in the Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals tonight. The event will be aired at 8pm. Roy is a three-time BAISS Spelling Bee champion who has participated in competitive spelling since the 4th grade. He has already made history this year by being the first Bahamian to make it past the quarter-final round since the event’s inception in 1925. He said he feels honoured to represent both his school and country on a global stage. “It’s a privilege and an honour,” Roy said. “The Scripps National Spelling Bee is very popular in The Bahamas. Advancing to the highest levels of the competition has been my dream since I started spelling competitively. “I’m proud of how the competition has gone so far and happy that I have been able to put a smile on the faces of many people in our country. I will continue to do my best to make them proud.” O’Niel Bain, marketing and communications director for Lyford Cay International School, hailed
Roy’s accomplishments. “The entire Lyford Cay International School community is so proud of Roy for his historic accomplishments. We are excited that many more Bahamians will be able to support him by tuning in to the finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee thanks to REV.” Two hundred and nine contestants from countries, including The Bahamas, Ghana, United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Japan Canada and Europe have competed thus far, but Roy has distinguished himself as the only international contestant to make it to the finals. While this is Roy’s second year competing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, it is his third time qualifying for the event. Due to COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 he was unable to travel to Washington, and was naturally a bit disappointed. He decided to use the additional time to refine his spelling skills even further. Roy intensified his quest and ramped-up his training by participating in online competitions, networking with international spellers, feasting on the myriad of word banks developed on Quizlets, posting hundreds of sticky notes around his room, reading books to expand his vocabulary, setting his own personal study
time and remaining motivated throughout. Roy’s spelling coach Katina Seymour credits his tenacity and personal initiative with much of his success thus far. “Roy wants to do well, so he set personal goals that we all supported,” she said. “It did my heart well to know that this young man continues to love learning... The result you see today is a young man who loves what he does. He enjoys learning about new words. We have rich conversations about where words come from, ways we can synthesize them, connect them and we even compete against each other - this is what makes the training sessions rewarding for both of us.” The Scripps National Spelling Bee is being held at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort today from 8pm to 10pm. The event is scheduled to air on ESPNU REVTV Channel 732, part of one of REV’s premium packages. In a press release, REV said it chose to air the spelling bee on REVTV Channel 205 to ensure that all REVTV subscribers throughout The Bahamas would be able to support Roy as he takes the stage. Roy is the son of Mr and Mrs Arthur Seligman.
the private capital market. We are breaking down the walls that were once able to be traversed by big, corporate players. A new wave of possibilities for Bahamian ownership and entrepreneurship is now here. “Eligible entrepreneurs can raise up to $5 million to put towards the development of their start-ups or existing small businesses and better, the platforms allow them to raise money from citizens and residents across the
country who are interested in investing in promising businesses,” he also said. Finance officials said the guidelines will also include protections against hostile takeovers of SMEs and cybercrime among other things. Mr Thompson continued: “The rules also provide for how the initiatives are going to be vetted and what information and so on that has to be provided to investors (in order) for investors
to be able to gain the necessary information but it also provides for mechanisms that protect the investors so there are certain time periods that they will be able to request their funding back but… it provides a balance in allowing persons to be able to access the funding, but also how do we best protect the investor in making sure the investor has the right mechanism in place to protect their investments as well.”
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What really went on in Treasure Cay? THERE are very obviously missing pieces in the story of what happened that led to the plane crash in Abaco that killed two pilots. From what we know so far, two foreign pilots flew the plane into Treasure Cay from the Dominican Republic on Friday. The plane was due to depart on Monday – but then it is reported that the plane was stolen, in a journey that ended in flames. The plane used the entire runway and ended in bushes beyond the runway’s end, with eyewitnesses saying the plane looked like it was struggling to get off the ground or to get enough power. It has been claimed that the two pilots who were killed, Jason Allen and Lavan Paul, did not have a sufficient pilot rating to fly the aircraft. More curiously, the two pilots who had flown the plane into the country were reportedly taken into custody by Immigration officers. They were later released – but no explanation has been given for their detention. Those pilots filed a report on Tuesday, the day after the crash, that the plane had been stolen. Yesterday, police said those pilots have already left the country. Questions were being raised all around. Why was a flight coming to Treasure Cay from the Dominican Republic in the first place? What happened that prompted Immigration to detain the original pilots? When did Allen and Paul arrive in Treasure Cay and what drew their attention to a jet that had only just arrived the preceding Friday? And why would they try to take a plane they didn’t even know how to fly? Will items such as the flight log and the manifest help investigators work out what was going on here? Curiouser still, Allen and Paul seemed to be prepared for this ahead of time. This was no spontaneous theft, if theft it was, as they presented a required document to officials and went through the normal procedures to board the jet. Captain Delvin Major, of the Air Accident Investigation Authority, suggested there might not be much more of an investigation for his organisation to carry out, as once they have seen the pilots weren’t authorised to fly the plane, that’s that. If you’re not supposed to be flying the plane, there’s little further need to work out if it was an engine problem or anything else. You weren’t trained, you shouldn’t have flown. But there is clearly a broader investigation that needs to be done here. What were all these people doing here in Treasure Cay? And what was going
on that this particular plane was such a focus of interest, with two sets of pilots and one set being detained by authorities? Here’s another question to add to the list – how many other flights like this are there?
Haiti crisis
The assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise at his home has shocked the world. It is, of course, horrific. Leaders around the world have been sending their sympathies, and President Moise’s wife has been rushed to Florida for treatment for her own gunshot wounds suffered in the attack. It would be an understatement to say that Haiti has been suffering from political turmoil for some considerable time. Elections have failed to be held, parliament has been dissolved, and disputes over when Moise was supposed to have reached the end of his term – his opponents say he was due to go on February 7, but he said his term would end next year because the 2016 elections were postponed. He planned to change the Haitian Constitution to strengthen the powers of the presidency and prolong his administration, and the result had been thousands of Haitians taking to the street in protest. It has ended with his assassination, an action that can never be justified regardless of the political problems rocking the nation. For once, the eyes of the world are on Haiti, for all the wrong reasons. The truth is the eyes of the world should have been on Haiti for a long time. It has struggled to establish a fairly elected leadership, it has struggled economically, it has struggled with the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, we reported how a photojournalist in Haiti was shot and injured when a Haitian senator pulled a gun outside the country’s parliament and opened fire. Last year, police officers were in a gun battle with the country’s armed forces. Offers of help and support are not easy to give either – with many Haitians suspicious of US influence in the past in the country, and the country badly hit by cholera after an outbreak linked to United Nations peacekeepers sent there after the 2010 earthquake. But clearly Haiti is in need. It shouldn’t take this for things to change, but change it must.
Court cases controversy EDITOR, The Tribune. UNDER the heading, “Hundreds of court cases could be reheard” a local media recently made a news release that referenced the fact that voluntary bills of indictment (VBI) were signed by persons who were rejected by the Bahamas Bar Association (BBA). It further inferred that this has been going on for some time and has been known and accepted by the powers that be and that the validity of these actions will now be questioned and challenged by a local attorney. To my understanding and their published statements, the BBA established in 1971, is the largest professional organisation in the country and is a regulatory organisation providing oversight to and governing all lawyers practising law in the Bahamas. Membership is mandatory for attorneys but limited to Bahamian citizens… The other printed proclamation is that with over 1,000 attorneys, the BBA works to provide oversight to the legal
profession and educate the public about their rights in terms of legal representation. Recognising and accepting this, what is concerning and a bit confusing to a layman like myself, is that based on the aforementioned legal mandates of the BBA, the country’s prosecuting attorneys, defence attorneys, judges and magistrates and even the attorneys general are all members and are therefore should be knowledgeable of these facts. Therefore the pending ruling, whatever it is, will either confirm the mandate of the BBA or contradict it by establish that the government through the office of the attorney general can circumvent the mandate. In my layman’s view, whatever the ruling is, it will have a far reaching affect. If the ruling goes one way and it is ruled that the VBI’s were illegally signed shouldn’t the BBA, as per their statement, have either informed the public of a known injustice or informed the government of its illegal actions? Alternatively, if
the VBI’s are ruled to have been legally signed, then they would need to amend their mandate because obviously in certain situations attorneys are able to practice without their approval. In any event, if so, why was this situation allowed to go on for so long? Finally, there is no secret that a most significant number of past presidents of the BBA at the expiration of their tenure, went into politics and that there is a significant opinion that the office is often used to jumpstart political careers, but I now give some unsolicited advice to the present membership and to those aspiring members looking on, that the country is sorely in need of attorneys that are unafraid to love the law and country above self promotion. That the public is patiently waiting for the most prominent professional organisation in the country to “step up to the plate”. Just saying. ARNOLD F BAIN Nassau, July 6, 2021.
Officer’s security concerns EDITOR, The Tribune. (Mr Falcon Clarke, an officer of the Department of Corrections, says he sent the following letter “first to the Commissioner then to Minister Marvin Dames. Nothing has been done therefore I am now sending it to the news media”). Dear Minister, I am an officer at The Bahamas Department of Corrections and have been on the job a little over a year now. I am writing because I and other officers are very concerned about some of the things we see taking place but do not believe that the leadership here will make any changes. I will briefly outline the main points of concern. 1) Drugs on the compound. Sir, we have had many instances in which inmates were found with contraband and strongly punished, while at the same time others were found with very serious items and only given a slap on the wrist. For example, in Medium Security L-Dorm last year pounds of marijuana was found and while a single inmate took the fall and was sent to Maximum Security, the majority of officers and all the inmates know that the operation in the dorm was run by former gang leader (name withheld). What is more surprising is that this dorm is again a hot spot for drug sales and distribution, but it has not been searched in over a year. (The same name withheld) is said to have some senior officers on his pay roll who, it is claimed, give the dorm a free pass. I dorm is another hotspot for drugs, but our superiors seem to not want to have it searched.
office complain that Mr X is running his personal business from the internet on the laptop. Mr (Y) is also letters@tribunemedia.net seen entering the this office 2) Early Release pro- and using the internet on gramme. Sir, I do agree the laptop behind locked that people can change and doors and unsupervised deserve a second chance for hours on the weekend however there are sev- along with Mr Z. This is a eral inmates convicted of huge breach of security that some of the most horrific is being ignored. 4) Medium Security crimes in our nation’s history who have not been kitchen. Sir, for the year properly vetted and are that I have been stationed now about to be released. I in MSU I have personally was there on one occasion witnessed thousands of dola few months ago in which lars of food that should be a large number of lifetime prepared for the general inmates were sent to see population instead sepathe psychiatrist for a report. rated, specially prepared I was extremely disturbed and sold for phone minutes to listen to these men brag and weed. One Sunday I about how this was the first personally witnessed 30 time they saw any psych plates of specially prepared doctor in over a decade (for BBQ chicken, peas ‘n rice, some never before) and coleslaw sold to inmates for that the doctor gave them minutes more than an hour a free pass after only a few before the food cooked for minutes of evaluation. I everyone else was ready can attest to many of these and served. This food that men bragging about how is in fact being stolen and they will kill again. A few sold could have been kept like (three names withheld) in the general rations so seem almost bipolar to us that portions being served officers – are they trying to could be larger. I am bringing these issues mask their true emotions which sometimes slip out. to your attention as they are I ask that more be done in our opinion very serious before these men return to and need to be addressed. Thank you. society and, God forbid, kill again. FALCON CLARKE 3) Sir, several inmates Nassau, have advised officers that July 6, 2021. many of the letters written in the newspapers by former inmates are in fact being written by an inmate (name withheld as is the name of the office in which he allegedly writes the letters). Mr X writes documents on the computer for the Chief however he also has unrestricted access to the internet and numerous officers have seen him on Facebook, email, shopping sites, etc. Other inmates who also work in the this
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THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, July 8, 2021, PAGE 7
15-year sentence for robbery is quashed By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A MAN who was convicted of robbing a gas station of $1,500 over five years ago had his 15-year sentence quashed by the Court of Appeal after the panel ruled the “misrepresentation” of the evidence by the judge during her summation of the case was “fatal” to him receiving a fair trial. On December 19, 2015, an armed individual, disguised in dreadlocks, camouflage and sunglasses, entered Esso gas station’s East Street location and robbed the cashier of $1,500.
A short time after the crime was committed, Antwoin Johnson turned himself in to authorities and was subsequently charged with the robbery. During trial, the prosecution contended Johnson was the robber, while the case for the defence relied on the argument of mistaken identity. His counsel argued that although he did not give evidence, in his record of interview, he admitted to being at the establishment earlier on the day of the robbery. Over the course of the proceedings, Johnson also called an alibi witness in his defence while the Crown called three eyewitnesses. According to court
SUSPECT CHARGED WITH JUNE MURDER By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was charged with murder in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Jason Nottage appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney accused of killing Marvin Rolle on June 30. According to reports, shortly after 1am that morning, police were alerted to gunshots in the Shirley Street area. When a patrolling unit responded, they found a white Nissan Cube in the middle of the street at the T-junction of St Margaret and Lyon Road, with the engine still running. “An inspection of the vehicle revealed a dark male slumped forward in the driver’s seat,” police reported. “He was unresponsive when checked by the officers. Emergency Medical Services were summoned and following their
examination of the male he was pronounced lifeless.” During the hearing, Nottage was also accused of causing nearly $2,000 worth of damage to another man’s car before threatening and assaulting the man with a knife on June 29. Prosecutors allege the accused was also found with an unlicensed Taurus pistol and eight live rounds of 9mm ammunition on July 1. Nottage was not required to enter a plea to the murder charge and that matter was adjourned to August 1. However, he pleaded not guilty to one count each of damage, threats of harm and possession of an unlicenced firearm and a quantity of ammunition. Nottage was denied bail and remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services in the interim. He has a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.
US MAN TOLD TO PAY $400 OR GO TO JAIL By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
AN American man who was found with a small bag of marijuana must pay $400 to avoid prison. Police arrested Elijah Guy after they found a half ounce of Indian hemp in his vehicle on July 3. He pleaded guilty to one count of simple possession during his arraignment before Magistrate Samuel McKinney. The court was told that around 12.40am on the morning in question, officers on mobile patrol in the Pinewood Gardens area observed Guy walking. The prosecution said at the time, the accused appeared to look in the direction of the officers before throwing a black bag into a vehicle. The officers then approached Guy and
informed him he would be searched in reference to dangerous drugs and firearms. The court was told that the officers did not find any contraband on the accused during their investigation; however, when they retrieved the bag from his car, they discovered a small quantity of marijuana. When they questioned Guy, he told them he had the drugs for his personal use. During the hearing, Guy’s attorney, Bernardo Ferguson, told the magistrate his client was extremely remorseful for his actions. He also said the accused pleaded guilty at his first opportunity because he did not want to waste the court’s time. As a result, Magistrate McKinney fined Guy $400. He warned him if he failed to pay the fine, he could risk spending one month in prison.
documents, one eyewitness was not able to identify the appellant at the identification parade nor in court. The other two eyewitnesses identified Johnson as the robber at an identification parade, but were unable to identify him in court. Nevertheless, the appellant was found guilty, convicted, and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. Johnson recently appealed his conviction on several grounds concerning the identification process. He also challenged the safety of his conviction after arguing there were several “misdirections and misstatements” of the evidence that affected and possibly prejudiced the likelihood of
him receiving a fair trial. After some deliberation, Justices Sir Michael Barnett, Roy Jones and Carolita Bethel quashed Johnson’s conviction and said both parties will be heard on the issue of retrial. In their judgement, delivered by Sir Michael, the panel noted the presiding judge appeared to give an explanation for the contradiction or inconsistency of the eyewitness testimonies which was not supported by the evidence. “During her summing up the judge below told the jury that the reason the two witnesses were unable to identify the appellant in court was due to the passage of time, that was not
the evidence,” Sir Michael explained. “The Crown’s case was dependent upon the identification by the two eyewitnesses of the appellant as the robber. Critical to the safety of the conviction was appropriate and clear directions by the judge to the jury as to how to treat the inconsistencies. The judge’s purported explanation of the inconsistency was not supported by the evidence and amounts to a fatal flaw affecting the safety of the verdict.” Sir Michael insisted Johnson was entitled to a fair trial and that the identification evidence was “critical”. “The direction to the jury as to how to assess that
evidence cannot include a summation of the evidence that was wrong. It must be fair and balanced,” he stated. “The summing-up has to reflect the whole of the evidence that has been presented to the jury. Not only did (the first two eyewitnesses) not identify the appellant at the trial, in addition, the cashier who was robbed did not identify the appellant as the robber at the identification parade nor at the trial. In my judgment, the misrepresentation of the evidence by the judge was fatal. For these reasons the appeal is allowed, and we will hear the parties on the issue of a retrial. The application for bail pending appeal is dismissed.”
PAGE 8, Thursday, July 8, 2021 AMERICAN journalist and author David Simon, better known as a writer and producer of The Wire, captures the role of curiosity in human endeavour: “The why is what makes journalism an adult game. The why is what makes policy coherent and useful. “The why is what transforms bureaucrats and foot soldiers and political leaders into viable instruments of rational and affirmative change. The why is everything and without it, the very suggestion of human progress becomes a cosmic joke.” A developing child learns by constantly asking, “Why?” “Why does the sun disappear at night?” “Why do guineps only appear in the summer?” “Why do I have ten toes?” And the older we become: “Why is there something rather than nothing?” Curiosity is insatiable, lasting a lifetime if we are fortunate. Alas, the older we grow, the more rigid we often become, afraid to grow, clinging desperately to our shibboleths, certainties and fundamentalisms of all stripes. Collectively, here at home, we are often consumed by a wasteland of incuriosity, an indifference and sometimes hostility to knowledge and facts, often little regard for greater insight and understanding, disinterest in an encyclopaedia of whys. This lack of curiosity permeates society, including, egregiously, politics, journalism and religion, whose leaders have a civic and ethical obligation to be thoughtful and informed, but who are just as often stuck in the wasteland. A recent study discussed on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation website noted the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine was higher in countries with a well-established public broadcasting network viewed by the majority of residents of a jurisdiction. The study concluded that in countries like the UK and Canada, residents were more likely to take the vaccines because of the
THE TRIBUNE
Curiosity and discernship in leadership
FORMER US President Donald Trump speaking to the media while in office - but the plethora of false information he produced is still having an effect now. BBC and CBC respectively, which did an excellent job of providing accurate and detailed information while countering fake news and false information. One can only imagine how better, sustained and more detailed coverage by media houses in The Bahamas and by ZNS and the Bahamas Information Services could have helped to improve vaccine uptake in the country. In countries like the United States the plethora of false information from Donald Trump and myriad right wing media outlets fuelled vaccine hesitancy and anti-vaccine conspiracies, which also affected much of the region, including The Bahamas. A good many of the journalism products we consume at home and on American cable television, is not “an adult game”. These products lack maturity, the insight of
experience and the wisdom of study. There are a number of informative American cable news programmes, including those of Christiane Amanpour and Fareed Zakaria on CNN, which few Bahamian journalists apparently watch.
These programmes are finally breaks his monotoenjoyable and informa- nous cycle. tive because their hosts are The best political jourexperienced and they seek nalism offers informed informed guests covering comparisons and deep fields such as the arts, ecol- perspective, including the ogy, business, archaeology, many whys of policy, perentertainment, politics, sonalities and parties. The fashion, cosmology and veteran journalist Christiother areas in which various ane Amanpour eschews the experts help to answer our false equivalence mindset, whys and further excite our noting her job is to be truthcuriosity streams. ful and to provide context, But most of the cable nuance and insight. fare on Fox News, MSNBC Referring to earlier and the domestic CNN media coverage on the are opinion entertainment global climate emergency, programmes offering little Amanpour stressed: “We insight or greater context cannot continue the old of the constantly “breaking paradigm – let’s say like news”, which is typically the over global warming, same news that a revolving where 99.9 percent of the panel of talkempirical ing heads pick scientific eviapart show ‘If a journalist dence is given is not better after show. equal play There are informed or wellwith the tiny differences minority of between and read, he or she deniers.” on the cable continues to cover Nuance is as news net- or to opine on necessary in works. CNN the developand MSNBC the very same ment of public do attempt to topics week after policy as it is give viewers week, the lowin good stothe facts, albeit rytelling and through cer- hanging fruits of journalism. It tain ideological which are certain is all too easy prisms. There crime stories, the to simplistiare also a few cally claim “a Fox News gotcha political pox on both programmes your houses”. stories and the which attempt Sometimes war of words to do likewise. this may Fox News between political be the case opinion shows combatants.’ depending are entirely difon the matter ferent beasts, at hand. But riddled with sensational- quite often it is not the ism and specious analysis case. that helped to fuel Donald The easy reach for Trump’s endless conspira- the false and unsustaincies on everything from able equivalence, such as race to the results of the last “Peter is no better than presidential election. Paul” or empty assertions Thankfully, Bloomb- about political cannibalism erg, Al Jazeera, the BBC, absent a greater appreciaPBS and the CBC offer tion of Bahamian history greater insight, balance and comparative politics and perspective. Again, internationally, makes for few Bahamian journalists sensational but non subappear interested in these stantive editorializing and sources, not to mention commentary. the many other excellent The UK magazine New print and podcast sites that Statesman once reported: would enrich journalism in “After taking breakfast The Bahamas. with Blair, visiting Brown If a journalist is not in Downing Street and better informed or well- meeting Cameron in parread, he or she continues liament, [Barack] Obama to cover or to opine on is said to have given the the very same topics week following verdict: Blair after week, the low-hanging was ‘sizzle and substance’; fruits of which are certain Brown was ‘substance’; crime stories, the gotcha Cameron was merely political stories and the war ‘sizzle’.” of words between political Obama, an excepcombatants. tional writer and thinker, Much of the news cov- appreciated nuance in erage feels like the film describing fellow politiGroundhog Day, minus the cians. He did not harbour upbeat ending when the the disingenuous and weatherman in the movie intellectually lazy false
equivalence of all or most politicians being the same. Here at home, there is a story that made the rounds in the Bahamian press which became mindnumbingly annoying and ridiculous. It was emblematic of certain stories which are reported absent greater perspective, context and facts. The story, which seemed to develop into a sort of meme with the retelling, was that of certain individuals in the medical profession who kept claiming that the Government did not consult them on the COVID-19 vaccines, as if the consultation of these particular individuals was necessary or important for the roll-out of the vaccines. Never mind that the National Vaccine Consultative Committee was headed by Dr Merceline DahlRegis, one of the leading regional experts in her field. The Committee included a representative from the Medical Association of The Bahamas, the Chief Medical Officer and a range of medical professionals. Moreover, there was widespread information on vaccines available online and at the fingertips of every medical professional in the world who wanted to read about the various vaccines. Some stories are so ridiculous and so unnewsworthy that they should not be reported. When certain stories are reported, context should be offered along with greater details that add perspective and balance. This requires discernment. Many stories require greater restraint. In 2019, CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin offered this mea culpa: “I got into the trap of false equivalence during the 2016 campaign. Comparing Donald Trump’s record of ethical problems with Hillary’s emails lent a misleading impression.” Toobin further declared: “I talked about the emails here at CNN, I wrote about it in The New Yorker. And I think I paid too much attention to them and I regret that.” It is easy to get caught in the pack and in a herd mentality. It is much more rewarding to think more broadly and with more curiosity about the whys others are incapable of or chose not to explore, which is as true for politicians, pastors and journalists.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, July 8, 2021, PAGE 9
An old warhorse rides into town with the same unchallenged message
STATESIDE
with Charlie Harper
CAL Thomas came to town the other day. Thomas, now 78 years old, is a reliably caustic and partisan old conservative Republican warhorse who retains a dogged following. He has written a number of books and articles and is a regular on conservative TV punditry shows. His most recent book is entitled “2020 - America’s Expiration Date: The Fall of Empires,” in which he reportedly blames liberals for America’s failure to remain great. Speaking to a largely but not uniformly sympathetic audience in New York this week, Thomas reminded listeners of an old, tried, true tenet of Republican rhetoric. “Keep it Simple!” Thomas derided the Biden administration’s more balanced approach to immigration as “cynical and diabolical”. There was no attempt to balance this outrageous generalisation with countervailing evidence, as many Democrats and even a few Republicans might have done. Thomas made no reference to the reality that America is built on successive waves of immigration, and that many of its most celebrated achievements have come from the efforts of new or recent citizens. Referring to the Biden administration’s attempts to reform civics education in the US, Thomas simply claimed most people don’t agree with Biden, nor do most approve of what universities teach their students about American history. That was it: no discussion, no evidence. And yet this man attracted a standing-roomonly audience in a big auditorium. Its eight-foot windows opened the session to a dedicated group of latecomers who were straining to hear every word Thomas said. They chuckled at his snide asides, nodded approvingly at his unsupported generalizations, and hooted down a
AND THEN THERE WERE THREE? IT LOOKS like The Bahamas might just be about to celebrate its third NBA champion. Fast-rising Phoenix Suns big man Deandre Ayton, who was born in Nassau just short of 23 years ago, has emerged in these 2021 NBA playoffs as a vital complement to the Suns’ high-scoring and playmaking guards Chris Paul and Devin Booker. The Suns scored a convincing victory in Tuesday’s first game of the NBA finals against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Suns were initially criticized for drafting Ayton first overall in the 2018 NBA draft which also featured all-stars Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks and Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks. It’s true that those two have notched better statistics than has Ayton in their three years in the league. But it’s also true that neither of those players has yet appeared in the NBA Finals. So, who might get the last laugh in this story? If Ayton and the Suns prevail in these finals as they are now favoured to do, Ayton will join two other Bahamian NBA champions. The first was Mychal Thompson, who in 1978 was also the top overall choice in that year’s NBA draft. Born in 1955 in Nassau, Thompson became the very first foreign-born player selected first overall in the basketball draft. Though originally drafted by the
CAL THOMAS few who voiced contrary views to the speaker’s. “Stand for what you know is objective truth,” Thomas brayed, speaking with a soft midwestern twang and the unchallengeable certainty that also characterized the late Rush Limbaugh. The overall sense was that this man was speaking to his audience as a stern but friendly patriarch might address his children and extended family. Thomas was dogmatic and resorted to bullying and mockery of those who questioned his shallow conclusions. “Why do we persist with programmes that aren’t working?” he asked the crowd, giving no examples.
And yet, later in his 30-minute diatribe, Thomas complained that “often my remarks are oversimplified or misquoted”. Perhaps in an attempt to avoid appearing too Trumpian, Thomas made no reference to the alleged corruption of last year’s presidential election. There was no appeal to antiabortion zealots. He did not touch on gun control and the current epidemic of mass shootings around the country. Nor was he asked about any of that. Most in the crowded hotel ballroom were apparently content to sip their drinks, bask in their conservative allegiance and shut out any who disagreed.
NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET WITH persistent attention being paid to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the United States by its President and chief medical officers, it looks like America has turned the corner in its fight against the coronavirus. But the social, cultural and political differences and disputes ignited and encouraged by the last President continue to complicate matters, with often fatal consequences. Health statistics recently released by the US government show a clear divide. In many urban and suburban communities, which are generally governed by liberals and Democrats, COVID rates have been in steady decline. The rate of new daily cases has fallen below three per 100,000 residents in large cities like Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington. Six months ago, the national rate of new daily cases peaked last winter above 75 per 100,000 people – 25 times the current infection rate in these large cities.
PHOENIX Suns centre Deandre Ayton during the second half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. Photo: Ross D Franklin/AP
Minnesota Timberwolves, Thompson after a few years made his way to Los Angeles where he played a pivotal role in Lakers’ championship seasons in 1987 and 1988. He proved capable of holding his own as a key member of the Magic Johnson-led Showtime Lakers, and many felt at the time that his addition to the team was the key to their titles. Mychal Thompson is also distinguished by having fathered current Golden State Warriors star and multiple-time NBA champion Klay Thompson. Next in the Bahamian titlist chain came Rick Fox, the movie star-handsome forward who was born to a Bahamian father and Canadian mother in Toronto in 1969. He was picked by the Boston Celtics in the 1991 draft, but after a few years he too joined the Lakers in Los Angeles and had even better fortune than Thompson had before him. Fox was a key cog in the relentless Lakers machine that ran off three consecutive titles from 2000-2002. He then parlayed his good looks and rich voice into a Hollywood entertainment career that spanned movies and TV and was punctuated by a long run that ended just short of a title on Dancing with The Stars. Even if you’re not a rabid NBA fan, you might want to take a glance at these NBA finals. One of our own may be ready to take his place in Bahamian sports history.
PAGE 10, Thursday, July 8, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
BORDER ALERT AFTER HAITI PRESIDENT KILLED from page one
Haiti’s First Lady Martine Moise was hospitalised after she was shot in the overnight attack. The Haitian President had ruled by decree for more than two years after the country failed to hold elections and the opposition demanded he step down in recent months, contributing to a precarious political situation in the country. Mr Henfield said The Bahamas’ four diplomats in Haiti are currently safe. “They are following
instructions of authorities to remain indoors and it’s calm in Haiti at the moment, but we don’t know what will take place later as the shock of this event wears off,” he said. “We are very cautious about how (to) treat this situation. Any civil disruption in Haiti has a tendency to impact negatively on The Bahamas because of our nearness geographically. We are going to beef up security on the borders to keep our borders safe. “Any Bahamian who is in Haiti – I’m advised it’s maybe five or six of
them – they are advised to follow instructions of the authorities. We are assured by Haitian authorities that things are calm and under control.” In a statement yesterday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said the government is “deeply saddened” by the developments in Haiti and “strongly condemns the actions of the perpetrators”. He said: “This morning, we awoke to the very sad and disturbing news of the death of Jovenel Moise, the President of the Republic of Haiti, who was killed at his residence at about 1am
today, Wednesday, 7 July 2021. “The Heads of Government of CARICOM at its 42nd meeting, which concluded on 6 July 2021, discussed the ongoing situation in Haiti and offered its assistance in finding a peaceful resolution to the political crises. “I have been in contact with the Honourable Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community. “The Ministry of Foreign
Affairs remains in contact with our embassy in Haiti. All staff are safe. The embassy is monitoring the situation. We pray for the people of Haiti and for a peaceful resolution to the political crises.” Progressive Liberal Party leader Philip “Brave” Davis noted the assassination with “shock and regret”. “We are shocked by this heinous act of violence and offer to the government and people of Haiti our prayers and support during this difficult time,” he said. According to the Associated Press, Bocchit
Edmond, the Haitian ambassador to the United States, said the attack “was carried out by foreign mercenaries and professional killers — well-orchestrated.” He also said they were masquerading as agents of the US Drug Enforcement Administration, which has an office in the Haitian capital to assist the government in counternarcotics programmes. The heavily armed gunmen reportedly spoke Spanish or English, AP reported, citing Haiti’s interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph.
A divisive and unstable presidency Instead, Moïse barely eked out a win in a November 2016 election that fewer than 12% of Haitians voted in. His meagre electoral victory came after two years of delayed votes and confirmed electoral fraud by Martelly’s government. In 2017, Moïse’s first year in office, the Haitian Senate issued a report accusing him of embezzling at least $700,000 of public money
from an infrastructure development fund called PetroCaribe to his banana business. Protesters flooded into the streets crying “Kot Kòb Petwo Karibe a?” – “where is the PetroCaribe money?” Lacking the trust of the Haitian people, Moïse relied on hard power to remain in office. He created a kind of police state in Haiti, reviving the national army two decades after it was disbanded and creating a domestic intelligence agency with surveillance powers. Since early last year, Moïse had been ruling by decree. He effectively shuttered the Haitian legislature by refusing to hold parliamentary elections scheduled for January 2020 and summarily dismissed all of the country’s elected mayors in July 2020, when their terms expired. Sustained protests – over gas shortages and blackouts, fiscal austerity that has caused rapid inflation and deteriorating living conditions, and gang attacks that have killed several hundred, among other issues – were a hallmark of Moïse’s tenure. Existing street protests exploded in early 2021 after Moïse refused to hold a presidential election and step down when his four-year term ended in February. Instead, he claimed his term would end one year later, in February 2022, because Haiti’s 2016 election was postponed. Before his death, Moïse planned to change the
Haitian Constitution to strengthen the powers of the presidency and prolong his administration.
In March, the US State Department announced that it supported Moïse’s decision to remain in office until 2022, to give the crisis-stricken country time to “elect their leaders and restore Haiti’s democratic institutions.” That stance – which echoes that of Westerndominated international organizations that hold substantial sway in Haiti, such as the Organization of American States – sustained what was left of Moïse’s legitimacy to remain President. Haitians unhappy with continued American support for their embattled president held numerous demonstrations outside the US embassy in Portau-Prince, while Haitian Americans in the US protested outside the Haitian Embassy in Washington, D.C. From its invasion and military occupation of Haiti from 1915 to 1934 to its support of the Duvalier regime, the US has played a major role in destabilizing Haiti. Ever since the devastating Haitian earthquake of 2010, international organizations like the United Nations and non-profits like the American Red Cross have also had an outsize presence in the country. Now, the unpopular president that foreign powers supported in hopes of achieving some measure of political stability in Haiti has been killed.
Assassination adds to the turmoil of Haitian life By TAMANISHA JOHN Ph.D. Candidate of International Relations, Florida International University HAITIAN President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in the early morning hours yesterday in a brazen attack on his private home outside Port-au-Prince, the capital. Moïse’s wife was also shot in the assault that killed her husband. The assailants have not been identified, and Haiti’s prime minister reports he is running the country. Moïse’s assassination ended a four-and-a-half-year presidency that plunged the already troubled nation deeper into crisis. Jovenel Moïse, 53, was born in 1968, meaning that he grew up under the Duvalier dictatorship in Haiti. Like most Haitians today, he lived through turbulent times – not only dictators but also. coups and widespread violence, including political assassinations. Moïse, a businessman turned President, made his way into politics using
political connections that stemmed from the business world. Initially he invested in automobile-related businesses, primarily in the north of Haiti, where he was born. Eventually, he ultimately landed in the agricultural sector – a big piece of the economy in Haiti, where many people farm. In 2014, Moïse’s agricultural finance company Agritrans launched an organic banana plantation, in part with state loans. Its creation displaced hundreds of peasant farmers who received minimal compensation. But the business brought Moïse prominence. It was as a famed banana exporter that Moïse met then-Haitian President Michel Martelly in 2014. Though he had no political experience, Moïse became Martelly’s hand-picked successor in Haiti’s next election. Martelly was deeply unpopular by the end of his term, but party leaders assumed that Moïse would be more welcomed given his relatable background in farming.
Memories of a dictatorship For months before his assassination, Haitian protesters had been demanding Moïse’s resignation. For many Haitians, Moïse’s undemocratic power grabs recall the 30-year, U.S.-backed dictatorships of François Duvalier, known as “Papa Doc,” and his son, Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier. Both Papa Doc and Baby Doc relied on murdering and brutalizing Haitians to remain in power, with the unspoken approval of Western political interests in Haiti. Working with the Duvaliers, US manufacturers in Haiti ensured that their investments were profitable by pushing for wages to remain low and working conditions to remain poor. When mounting Haitian protests ended the regime in 1986, Baby Doc fled the country. The Duvaliers had enriched themselves, but Haiti was left in economic collapse and social ruin. The 1987 Haitian Constitution that Moïse sought to change was written soon after to ensure that Haiti would never slide back into dictatorship. Beyond Moïse’s use of state violence to suppress opposition, anti-Moïse protesters before his killing pointed out another similarity with the Duvalier era: the United States’ support.
• Originally published at www.theconversation.com.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, July 8, 2021, PAGE 11
HAITIAN LEADER’S KILLING DRAWS CONDEMNATION, CALLS FOR CALM (AP) – THE assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse has drawn shock and condemnation from leaders around the world, along with calls for calm and unity in Haiti. “We are shocked and saddened to hear of the horrific assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and the attack on first lady Martine Moïse of Haiti. “We condemn this heinous act,” U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement. “The United States offers condolences to the people of Haiti, and we stand ready to assist as we continue to work for a safe and secure Haiti.” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the assassination “in the strongest terms” and stressed that “the perpetrators of this crime must be brought to justice,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. “The secretary-general calls on all Haitians to preserve the constitutional order, remain united in the face of this abhorrent act and reject all violence,” Dujarric said. “The United Nations will continue to stand with the government and the people of Haiti.” Colombian President Iván Duque described the assassination as a “cowardly act” and also expressed solidarity with Haiti. He called for an urgent mission by the Organization of American States “to protect democratic order.” Marlene Bastien, the executive director of Family Action Network Movement, a group that assists residents in Miami’s Little Haiti community, said the “next few days are going to be very chaotic and contentious” as government supporters and opponents jostle for power. “There is definitely a constitutional crisis and political void right now,” said Bastien.
Elections Bastian called on the Biden administration to take an active role in efforts to hold free, fair and credible elections in Haiti, following the assassination of Moïse who had been ruling by decree for more than a year. “Here is a chance to do it right from the start,” said Bastien. “No more Band-aids. The Haitian people have been crying and suffering for too long.” In Boston, home to one of the largest Haitian communities in the U.S., a pastor who heads a Haitian advocacy group, Dieufort Fleurissaint, said he’s worried about reprisals and unrest. Fleurissaint said he’s been checking in with family, friends and fellow pastors in Haiti to make sure everyone stays at home for now. “To kill and assassinate a president in his home just shows the level of insecurity in the country and how no one is exempt from the violence,” said the 59-yearold Fleurissaint, who has lived in the U.S. since he was 18. “It’s unacceptable.” Leaders across the world voiced fears that the assassination could lead to more turmoil. The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, warned in a tweet that “this crime carries a risk of instability and (a) spiral of violence.” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for calm, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the assassination. “I’d like to make an appeal for political unity to get out of this terrible trauma that the country is going through,” Sánchez said during a visit to Latvia. France’s Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said he was stunned by “this despicable assassination” and urged those involved in Haiti’s political life to “show calm and restraint.” In written statement, Le Drian also advised French citizens in Haiti to exercise the utmost caution. Taiwanese President Tsai Ingwen offered her condolences via Twitter. “We wish the first lady a prompt recovery, & stand together with our ally Haiti in this difficult time,” Tsai wrote. Haiti is one of only a handful of countries that maintains formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which China claims as its own. Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, a New York Assembly member who represents a large Haitian enclave in Brooklyn said many of her constituents had called her. “People on the ground here are afraid because they have family back there,” said Bichotte Hermelyn, the first Haitian-American woman elected to office in New York City Their fears revolve around political stability, access to food and coronavirus vaccinations, as well as free elections, she said. “All of that is at risk because Haiti just lost its leader.”
A VEHICLE leaves the entrance to the residence of late Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, yesterday. Moïse (inset) was assassinated in an attack on his private residence early Wednesday, and first lady Martine Moïse was shot in the overnight attack and hospitalised, according to a statement from the country’s interim prime minister. (AP Photo/Joseph Odelyn)
Haiti in upheaval: President Moïse assassinated at home By EVENS SANON AND DÁNICA COTO Associated Press
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A squad of gunmen assassinated Haitian President Jovenel Moïse and wounded his wife in an overnight raid on their home Wednesday, inflicting more chaos on the Caribbean country that was already enduring gang violence, soaring inflation and protests of his increasingly authoritarian rule. Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph, who confirmed the killing, said the police and military were in control of security in Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas where a history of dictatorship and political upheaval have long stymied the consolidation of democratic rule. In an interview with The Associated Press, Joseph called for an international investigation into the assassination, said that elections scheduled for later this year should be held and pledged to work with Moïse’s allies and opponents alike. “We need every single one to move the country forward,” Joseph said. He alluded to enemies of the president, describing him as ‘’a man of courage’’ who had opposed ‘’some oligarchs in the country, and we believe those things are not without consequences.’’ Despite Joseph’s assurances that order would prevail, there was confusion about who should take control and widespread anxiety among Haitians. Authorities declared a “state of siege” in the country and closed the international airport.
Businesses The normally bustling streets of the capital, Port-au-Prince, were empty Wednesday. Sporadic gunshots were heard in the distance, public transportation was scarce, and some people searched for businesses that were open for food and water. Bocchit Edmond, the Haitian ambassador to the United States, said the attack on the 53-year-old Moïse “was carried out by foreign mercenaries and professional killers — well-orchestrated,” and that they were masquerading as agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The DEA has an office in the Haitian capital to assist the government in counternarcotics programmes, according to the U.S. Embassy. Joseph said the heavily armed gunmen spoke Spanish or English, but gave no further details. Moïse’s wife, Martine, was in stable but critical condition and was
SECURITY forces investigate the perimeters of the residence of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday. (AP Photo/Joseph Odelyn) being moved to Miami for treatment, Edmond said in Washington. Haiti has asked the U.S. government for assistance with the investigation, he said, adding that the assassins could have escaped over the land border to the Dominican Republic or by sea. The Dominican Republic said it was closing the border and reinforcing security in the area, describing the frontier as “completely calm.” Haiti appeared to be heading for fresh volatility ahead of general elections later this year. Moïse had been ruling by decree for more than a year after failing to hold elections, and the opposition demanded he step down in recent months, saying he was leading it toward yet another grim period of authoritarianism. It was a testament to Haiti’s fragile political situation that Joseph, a protege of Moïse who was only supposed to be prime minster temporarily, found himself in charge. But Haiti appears to have few other options. The Supreme Court’s chief justice, who might be expected to help provide stability in a crisis, died recently of COVID-19. The main opposition parties said they were greatly dismayed about the killing. “In this painful circumstance, the political forces of the opposition condemn with utmost rigour this heinous crime that is at odds with democratic principles,” their statement said. The parties added that they hope the National Police will take all necessary measures to protect lives and property, and they called on Haitians to be “extremely vigilant.” Joseph is likely to lead Haiti for now, though that could change in a
nation where constitutional provisions have been erratically observed, said Alex Dupuy, a Haiti-born sociologist at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. The best scenario would be for the acting prime minister and opposition parties to come together and hold elections, Dupuy said. “But, in Haiti, nothing can be taken for granted. It depends how the current balance of forces in Haiti plays out,” he said, describing the situation as dangerous and volatile. Haiti’s police force is already grappling with a recent spike in violence in Port-au-Prince that has displaced more than 14,700 people, he said.
Democracy Former President Michel Martelly, whom Moïse succeeded, called the assassination “a hard blow for our country and for Haitian democracy, which is struggling to find its way.” U.S. President Joe Biden said he was “shocked and saddened to hear of the horrific assassination,” and condemned “this heinous act.” “The United States offers condolences to the people of Haiti, and we stand ready to assist as we continue to work for a safe and secure Haiti,” Biden said in a statement. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the assassination and stressed that “the perpetrators of this crime must be brought to justice,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. The Security Council scheduled an emergency closed meeting on Haiti for Thursday. Governments in Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and elsewhere also expressed their concern at Haiti’s plight. A resident who lives near the president’s home said she heard the attack. “I thought there was an earthquake, there was so much shooting,” said the woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she fears for her life. “The president had problems with many people, but this is not how we expected him to die.” The U.S. Embassy in Haiti said it was restricting U.S. staff to its
JOURNALISTS gather near a mural featuring Haitian President Jovenel Moise, near the leader’s residence where he was killed by gunmen in the early morning hours, and his wife was wounded, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday. (AP Photo/Joseph Odelyn)
compounds and closed the embassy Wednesday. It’s too early to know exactly what will happen next, said Jonathan Katz, who previously covered Haiti for the AP and wrote a book about the country’s devastating earthquake. “We don’t know who did this, what their end game is, what else they have planned,” he said, noting that Moïse had a long list of enemies. “There were a lot of people who wanted him gone. And there were a lot of people whom he wanted gone.” “It seems to be a pretty wellfinanced operation,” he said, adding it could take days to piece together what happened. “That’s the question: Who’s behind it and what do they want?” Moïse was killed a day after he nominated Ariel Henry, a neurosurgeon, as the new prime minister. Joseph took over the job of interim prime minister in April following the resignation of the previous premier, Joseph Jouthe — the latest in a revolving door of prime ministers. In the AP interview, Joseph said he had spoken three times with Henry and that there was agreement he was in charge for now. “He was actually designated but never took office,” Joseph said of Henry. “I was the one who was a prime minister, who was in office. This is what the law and the constitution says.” However, in a separate AP interview, Henry appeared to contradict Joseph. “It’s an exceptional situation. There is a bit of confusion,” he said. “I am the prime minister in office.” Haiti’s economic, political and social woes have deepened recently, with gang violence spiking in Portau-Prince, inflation spiraling, and food and fuel becoming scarcer in a country where 60% of the population makes less than $2 a day. These troubles come as Haiti is still trying to recover from the devastating 2010 earthquake and Hurricane Matthew in 2016. Opposition leaders accused Moïse of seeking to increase his power, including by approving a decree that limited the powers of a court that audits government contracts and another that created an intelligence agency that answers only to the president. He had faced large protests in recent months that turned violent as opposition leaders and their supporters rejected his plans to hold a constitutional referendum with proposals that would strengthen the presidency. In recent months, opposition leaders demanded he step down, arguing that his term legally ended in February 2021. Moïse and supporters maintained that his term began when he took office in early 2017, following a chaotic election that forced the appointment of a provisional president to serve during a year-long gap. In May, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced an 18-month extension of temporary legal status for Haitians living in the U.S., citing “serious security concerns (in Haiti), social unrest, an increase in human rights abuses, crippling poverty, and lack of basic resources, which are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.” The reprieve benefited an estimated 100,000 people who came after the devastating 2010 earthquake and are eligible for Temporary Protected Status, which gives haven to people fleeing countries struggling with civil strife or natural disasters.