AMERICA/HAITI - The bishops: "Violence has an origin ... No people should accept poverty"

Les Cayes (Agenzia Fides) - "This is no longer the moment to proclaim that we are all guilty. That is not the truth. Nor to say that we condemn violence from wherever come; it has an origin" stressed the Episcopal Conference of Haiti in a message addressed to the Haitian people. "The current leaders - underlined the Conference alluding to the current administration - despite our repeated appeals in the last two years, remain deaf, busy managing their power, privileges and petty interests". "Is there a violence more atrocious than constantly living in insecurity?", asks the Episcopal Conference of Haiti, recalling "the dark misery that takes away all hope". "No people should accept misery, poverty and violence in a defeatist way", say the Haitian bishops asking the highest officials of the state must assume their responsibilities to ensure the smooth running of the country and the institutions.
The energetic appeal of the Catholic Bishops of the poorest people of the continent wants to denounce a situation that has degenerated into street violence since last Wednesday: groups of protesters took to the streets in the capital protesting against the increase in the cost of petrol and the lack of water in many districts of the city.
"We are concerned about reports of violence and fires that have occurred over the past few days throughout the country", said Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for UN secretary general António Guterres, in New York. "The mission and the international partners are discussing with local stakeholders to find a peaceful way out of the crisis and alleviate the suffering of the population that has borne the brunt of this crisis".
As reported to Agenzia Fides by sources in the Episcopal Conference, violent protesters also attacked the headquarters of Caritas Haiti in the city of Les Cayes, where violent groups destroyed part of the premises, raiding the administrative offices and the largest warehouse for the supply of food and humanitarian aid on the island.
According to information sent to Fides, the Caritas office was closed last Friday because of the riots in the city. However, as project coordinator Caritas Les Cayes, Edrice Muscadin remarked, "the crowd of protesters took everything from the warehouse, stole the motorcycles, broke the windows and punctured the wheels of the vehicles. The looting lasted more than an hour and at no time did the police intervene. They stole everything. We are shocked". (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 1/10/2019)

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human rights

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poverty

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politics

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bishops

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violence

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hunger

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