Today on Sojourner Truth, The Truth About Haiti: Voices of Resistance.
The Sojourner Truth team is on the ground in Haiti. We are in the country's capital city, Port-au-Prince. We are hoping to speak with as many people as possible about the reality of what is going on in Haiti. Those of you who follow our show know that we cover Haiti quite a bit. This is our third trip this year alone. Previously, we covered massacres in the Lasalin neighborhood of Port-au-Prince and spoke directly with victims and survivors of those massacres.
Now, we're back in Haiti. The situation has deteriorated, if one would believe that is possible. People are in constant protest mode, demanding that the President of Haiti, Jovenel Moise, who is backed by the United States, step down. There have been massive protests; not only in Port-au-Prince, but in other parts of Haiti. A couple of days ago, the airport was closed for a little bit because of a fire that took place there. The United States government has placed a Level 3 warning to visitors in Haiti. It's not yet reached a Level 4, where they tell people not to go, but they are asking all personnel of the U.S. Embassy to stay close to its grounds. They're asking those who are planning to visit Haiti to reassess if they would like to go. We have also heard that schools, banks and supermarkets have been closed.
The present government and the previous government, headed by Michel Martelly, are both from the same political party. The party is said to have been connected to the disappearance of over $4 billion loaned to Haiti from Venezuela as part of the PetroCaribe program. Now, the Haitian people are demanding accountability and are raising concerns about security, given ongoing crackdowns by people said to be associated with the government.
Today, we find out exactly what is happening from people who live here and who experience this day in and day out. We speak with Maria Pierre, a campaigner, educator and mother, as well as other people on the ground in Port-au-Prince.
