Former Rebel Leader Guy Philippe Stirs up Haitian Crisis with call for “Revolution”
Former Haitian rebel leader Guy Philippe, deported from the United States after serving a sentence for drug trafficking, has proposed carrying out a “revolution” to “change the system” through demonstrations throughout the country.
Guy Philippe Calls for Civil Disobedience
“This is a movement that we are making to change the system in the country. We know, we can see and everyone can see, that in Haiti, since the assassination of the father of the nation, Jean Jacques Dessalines, we have a system in which There is a group that monopolizes all the wealth of the country,” Philippe told a local radio station on Tuesday.
According to Philippe, a former police director, that group controls the country’s political power and economy, “often selling the country’s sovereignty to foreigners.”
“So, to change this system, it is essential and necessary to change things,” he insisted during his speech.
While some expected an armed revolt, as occurred in 2004 when he led the overthrow of President Jean Bertrand Aristide, Guy Philippe now calls for civil disobedience and massive and intense demonstrations throughout the country to overthrow the Government of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
Demands of the Protesters and Response of the Population
Demonstrations, statements in the media, and visits to popular sectors have so far been the various actions undertaken by Philippe since the United States returned him to Haiti after serving a sentence for drug trafficking.
Protesters in favor of the former Haitian senator also demand the departure of Ariel Henry, who heads a Government that has proven incapable of facing the serious problems that afflict the country.
“The population has responded and has shown what they want,” he added during this interview with the local press.
He highlights that Philippe has been protected since his return to the country by agents of the Protected Areas Security Brigade (BSAP), which was demobilized by the Ministry of the Environment.
Despite his demobilization, the BSAP continues to act far from the control of the country’s authorities. The agency has taken on the responsibility of supervising the construction of the Ouanaminthe canal, in the northeast, which will take water from the Masacre or Dajabón River, a work that has created a conflict with the border Dominican Republic, which describes the canal as “illegal.”
For several days, several hundred people have been demonstrating in Les Cayes (south), Ouanaminthe (northeast), and Petit-Goave (west), demanding Henry’s departure.
Political Challenges and Absence of Elections
February 7 is a very important date in the political history of Haiti because it is the day on which a president elected at the polls must assume power every five years.
At the moment, there are no indications that there will be elections in Haiti this year. The Electoral Council has not yet been launched. And before the elections, a constitutional review is planned.
On the most popular social networks among Haitians, such as Facebook and Twitter, many mock this announcement of revolution by Guy Philippe, who does not enjoy a good reputation because of his latest conviction.
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Elected senator of the Republic in the 2016 elections, Guy Philippe was arrested in January 2017 by the Anti-Drug Trafficking Brigade (BLTS) and extradited to the United States. He was arrested without having had time to take the oath of office.
Philippe led an armed revolt between 2003 and early 2004 that, combined with pressure from internal forces and the international community, forced President Aristide to abandon power and take the path of exile that took him to Africa.
