This is day 19 of a rebellion in Haiti that has the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation stumbling toward political anarchy. Armed thugs are battling other armed thugs, some are defending President Jean-Bertrand Aristide; others are fighting to force him from power. The latter are gaining momentum and numbers.
As Haiti’s capital city Port-au-Prince, braces for the rebels who are reportedly ready to seize it, diplomats from Washington, France and the Organization of American States are bracing, too, hoping that a proposed power sharing agreement will help slow the violence. They’re also hoping to prevent desperate Haitians from seeking safer ground elsewhere, like Florida. Optimism is in short supply. So are good alternatives. Placing blame, and searching for Plan B in Haiti.
Guests:
David Rothkopf, deputy undersecretary of Commerce during the Clinton administration and Haiti economic reconstruction coordinator from 1995-96
Timothy Carney, former U.S. Ambassador to Haiti
Paul Knox, Haiti correspondent, The Toronto Globe and Mail
Frandley Denis Julien, coordinator of The Group of 184