August 1, 2012
Martelly’s Carnival of Flowers was still in full swing, well after midnight, when a blackout occurred. There was a near panic and the situation was extremely dangerous as chaos threatened. We will not know the true facts until later in the day but it is believed that this was one of the promised criminal attempts to really destroy Martelly’s carnival.
Also, another two PNH officers are reported to have been killed. A gun battle in Martissant, yesterday morning, is reported to have claimed the life of another policeman.
The power failure could have ruined an otherwise perfect project. Thousands could have been killed and injured if real panic had spread through the claustrophobically crowded people.
The power outage was an obvious attempt to embarrass Michel Martelly, on the last night of his Carnival of the Flowers. Pandemonium reigned, during the 5 or 10 minutes of blackout. When the lights came on, Roro Nelson was standing close to the President, ready to step in front of any threat. President Martelly was hustled off the stand and into a car for a quick trip home.
This was effectively the end of the Carnival as police shut down the music and told the crowd to disperse.
The PNH – police – were not really at their best. The crowd referred to their Batons Fer – Steel Batons…. That were used to beat people for little of no reason. Many of the police were very drunk and the security situation was really out of control.
The people will remember this.
During the night of July 29th police opened fire with automatic weapons, killing and injuring a number of people. Martelly managed to silence the press on this event and it was passed of as one policeman having a heart attack. A Juge de Paix was called, as were numerous ambulances, signaling a much worse and more critical situation.
How many died?
How many wounded?
We will never know.
So much for a responsible press. When Alexis was Prime Minister, Pierre-Raymond Dumas mad the thing simply clear. Each week he transited the media offices, with a bag of money, paying for their support. So much for a free press!! Martelly fallows the practice.
And then there was Olivier Martelly, Michel’s 22 year old son, with his team of heavily armed bodyguards. Seems as though someone said something to him and his bodyguards beat a man, almost to death…. Before Olivier said they had the wrong man. The guy may be dead now.
Olivier is the child Martelly has given $25,000,000 and authority over sports programs. He is also the guy who received a delegation from the American National League, willing to spend millions to bring baseball to Haiti. Olivier told the representative that he had 5 minutes… “The person said the subject was baseball…” Martelly said “I don’t like baseball…” and the meeting didn’t use the five minutes allotted….as though the young Martelly was President of the United States.
We are lucky that there was not a major loss of life at the three day celebrations. The security force, created by Police Chief Mario Andresol was really non-existent. Martelly and Andresol were seen fighting about the lack of security.
Andresol should fire all of the senior officers who were drunk at the Carnival…. Except this would leave the PNH without any senior staff…save a few who did not attend.
The PNH needs new leadership and Martelly must make a decision immediately, otherwise the Nation is in for more trouble.
Andresol must go.