In the spotlight: the anti-sanitary measures movement is gaining momentum in Canada

Protesters from the "Freedom Convoy" show their support for the protest movement against sanitary measures in Canada, in Windsor, Ontario, on February 8, 2022. © AFP/Geoff Robins

Text by: Marie Normand Follow

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For more than 10 days, protesters have been demanding their freedom of choice in the face of health restrictions in Canada.

Between 400 and 500 trucks are still blocking downtown Ottawa, the federal capital.

Would the sling start to pay, wonders the Canadian press.

Several provinces are announcing relaxations, explains the

Toronto Star

.

In the West, governments are acting quickly

 ," the newspaper noted, likely " 

politically

motivated"  at the scale of anger that is unfolding nationwide.

The government of the province of

“Alberta has announced that it will lift the requirements for the vaccine passport

 ” as of this morning.

The one in Saskatchewan said " 

it will remove its vaccine requirements on February 14

 ".

“ 

In Quebec, where public health measures are among the strictest in the country, Prime Minister François Legault has presented a plan which provides for the lifting of most restrictions by March 14

 ”, adds the daily.

“ 

Public support does not appear to be in favor of the protesters

 ” participating in these “ 

freedom convoys

 ,” notes the

Toronto Star

.

A poll released Tuesday indicates nearly two-thirds of Canadians oppose the Ottawa protest

 ."

“ 

However

, nuance the daily

, it is obvious that the calls for the end of the restrictions have found an echo

 ”: “ 

out of 1,546 Canadians questioned, 44% declare that they understand the frustrations expressed by the demonstrators

 ”.

A good part of Canadians therefore seems to agree on the substance, but not necessarily on the form that the movement is taking.

Tensions within Justin Trudeau's party

This question obviously takes a political turn.

Some Conservative politicians have shown their support for the protesters, including the interim leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Candice Bergen.

Even within the Liberals, that is to say in the ranks of the party of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, dissonant voices are heard.

In particular that of Joël Lightbound, whose remarks are taken up by the

National Post

.

This Liberal MP strongly criticizes his own government, accused " 

of having used the pandemic '

to sow discord, divide and stigmatize

".

“ 

We have never been so divided 

 :

this is the quote from the deputy which appears on the front page of the newspaper this Wednesday.

Le Devoir

questions at length the silence of Justin Trudeau.

The choice to remain so erased is perhaps the least politically risky

 ," writes the newspaper's parliamentary correspondent, but this silence was used against him.

Could he have done otherwise?

He " 

cannot announce much concrete that is within the purview of the federal government

 ", she admits, "

 and any exit from him rekindles tensions, since he himself is extremely polarizing

 ".

But we will have to find a way out of the crisis, and quickly, in particular because the debate “ 

makes more than one dissatisfied with the government

 ”.

“ 

Their leader can only hope that they are careful not to display it in the public square while he prefers to fade away

 ".

There is also an urgent need to find a way out of the crisis, thinks the newspaper

La Presse

, because these " 

freedom convoys

 " are making children abroad.

The daily notes that “ 

the Canadian flag, generally discreet on the international scene, has become, for two weeks, the symbol of demonstrations around the world “

for freedom”

, or “

against protective measures against Covid-19”. ".

Haiti: CNN broadcasts a recording implicating Ariel Henry

In Haiti, it's a supposed recording by Garry Orélien that makes the headlines.

Garry Orélien was, until recently, the judge in charge of the investigation into the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.

CNN

maintains that in the audio document it released on Tuesday, it is he who speaks.

The American channel says it has " 

verified the recording by comparing it to other known recordings of Garry Orélien and thanks to the many conversations

 " that CNN says it had with him directly.

The media points out that in this audio extract, the magistrate “ 

did not know that it was recorded

 ”.

He talks about Prime Minister Ariel Henry's relationship with the "

 engine, the initiator of the assassination who is his friend and who planned with him, the day of the assassination 

".

Ayibopost

also publishes this extract while specifying that it could not independently confirm the date of the recording;

the Haitian media claims that Garry Orélien, who has since been removed from the investigation due to corruption charges, has

"neither denied nor confirmed

 ".

At

CNN

, the magistrate maintains that he does not remember having " 

spoken to anyone about the case in every detail

 ".

“ 

A lot of people are trying to influence the case

, he adds

, and I will not play their game

 ”.

For its part,

Alterpresse

also quotes the

CNN

article and recalls for its part that the American newspaper

The New York Times

had already revealed " 

that there are close links between Ariel Henry and a key suspect in the assassination

 ".

“ 

Seven months after the assassination of Jovenel Moïse

, continues

Alterpresse

,

the suspect Joseph Félix Badio is still on the run

 ”.

Peru: the press disappointed with the new government

Direction Peru, to finish: fourth government in six months for President Pedro Castillo.

It is Anibal Torres, the former Minister of Justice, who takes the head of the Council of Ministers.

He replaces Hector Valer, accused of domestic violence, who only remained in office for three days.

In this

new cabinet

of 19 members: only six new heads, including one already pointed out by

El Comercio

: the new Minister of Health, Hernán Condori Machado, is according to the newspaper " 

the subject of an investigation by the anti-corruption prosecutor's office

 " .

Pedro Castillo had promised a “ 

more participatory and broader-based

” cabinet  .

El Comercio

doubts that he kept his promise, it's even his front page this Wednesday.

The “ 

parade of meetings

 ” he has organized at the Palace in recent days “ 

suggested that the president could surprise the country with a new multiparty ministerial team

 ”.

In the end

, according to the conservative daily,

neither happened

 ."

“ 

The president has decided to close ranks with loyal officials

 ” and has “

 not learned from his mistakes

 ”.

An opinion shared by

La Republica

, a center-left daily, which speaks of a " 

survival government

 ".

A cabinet used " 

like a float 

"

,

by President Castillo, " 

to dribble and to save time

 ", " 

a simple short-term political stratagem

 ".

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