Former Haitian president will be joined by Hollywood actor on return to homeland from seven-year exile in South Africa. Guardian UK:
Actor and campaigner Danny Glover has arrived in South Africa to escort former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide home, the politician’s lawyer said.
American lawyer Ira Kurzban has flown to Johannesburg to accompany Aristide back to Haiti. She has been joined by the star of the Lethal Weapon action movies, who is board chair of the human rights and social advocacy organisation TransAfrica Forum. The United States has called for Aristide to delay his departure until Sunday’s disputed presidential run-off in his homeland, saying his return would distract voters.
Aristide, who emerged as a leading voice for Haiti’s poor in a popular revolt that forced an end to the Duvalier family’s 29-year dictatorship, remains Haiti’s most popular politician despite being in exile for seven years.
He has said he will not be involved in politics in Haiti and wants to lead his foundation’s efforts to improve education in the impoverished Caribbean nation, which was devastated by last year’s catastrophic earthquake. Aides say he fears the winner of the presidential elections might reverse the long-awaited decision to allow his return. Both candidates in the the run-off have long opposed Aristide.
Glover is among several high profile US figures who have been pushing for Aristide’s speedy return, including politician Jesse Jackson, the US envoy to Haiti Paul Farmer, and singer Harry Belafonte.
“I am going to South Africa to show our solidarity with the people of Haiti by standing at the side of the leader they elected twice with overwhelming support,” Glover wrote on the TransAfrica Forum website.
“People of good conscience cannot be idle while a former dictator is able to return unhindered while a democratic leader who peacefully handed over power to another elected president is restricted from returning to his country by external forces,” Glover said.
Kurzban blamed Aristide’s delayed trip on arranging an aircraft. Air charter companies in South Africa said a private jet would cost more than half a million dollars.
South African officials said they are consulting “interested parties” on the logistics of moving Aristide, his wife and two daughters.
Glover and nine others recently wrote to the South African president, Jacob Zuma, urging him to “assist the Aristides in making their transition as soon as possible” because “all the last remaining obstacles to the Aristides’ return have been removed”.
All of these moves are show business.What will be next?
NOTHING.
I think he made a mistake only because his action has snuffed out some of Haiti’s last breath in its efforts to stand on its feet again. It very clear that there is problem with Aristide because he has been kicked out of power twice already. Maybe its time to move on to a new page. There would nothing wrong with his eventual coming back since Jean Claude Duvalier is allowed to also come home, its the timing and the motivation that sickens people. We dont want violence, we dont want division or killings, we want a chance to move on beyon this crisis. We want shelter and food for the poor not politics and violence that always follows Aristide where ever he goes for what ever reason.
@Ferry Paul- I agree completely. Perhaps Aristide is here to clean our toilets in these camps. Why are we still living in tents??? What the heck are we supposed to do with the disgusting outhouses that we have to use to go to the bathroom??
Politics mean nothing when we are living like animals- even worse than animals