Americas press review

In the spotlight: in Haiti, a hospital in a rural area plagued by gangs

Location of Deschapelles, Haiti.

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Text by: Stefanie Schüler Follow

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“ 

The Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Deschapelles, which serves more than 700,000 people in the Artibonite Valley and the Central Plateau, has suspended its activities and put in place an emergency plan.

From now on the establishment only accepts cases of life-threatening emergencies

 ,” reports the

Miami Herald

.

" 

Over the past 67 years, our hospital has overcome many challenges

 ," said its director, Jean Marc de Matteis to the Florida newspaper.

“ 

We have never, ever had to close our doors.

But today we face a truly unprecedented challenge.

And without a security force, we may indeed have to close our doors permanently

 .”

Canada will send warships

In this context, the Heads of State and Government of the Caricom countries are meeting in the Bahamas.

And it is there that the guest of honor of this summit, the Canadian Prime Minister, announced this Thursday new measures to support the Haitian police in the face of armed gangs.

“ 

Today I am announcing that Canada will also be deploying Royal Canadian Navy ships to conduct surveillance, gather intelligence and maintain a maritime presence off the coast of Haiti over the coming weeks,” said

 Justin Trudeau.

“ 

Canada has also implemented strong sanctions against corrupt economic and political elites who have used their influence and resources to support criminal gangs and fuel instability.

To date, Canada has imposed targeted sanctions against 15 individuals.

Today, I am announcing a sixth round of sanctions against two more people

 ”.

This is the former interim president Jocelerme Privert, in power between the mandates of Michel Martelly and Jovenel Moïse, reports

Alterpresse

.

The other individual is lawyer Salim Succar who was chief of staff to former Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe, also under the presidency of Michel Martelly.

“ 

For its part, without mentioning names, the US State Department indicated that five additional people and seven members of their families are affected by visa restrictions

 ”.

Insufficient measures

" 

At the rate at which the allies of (Haitian Prime Minister) Ariel Henry are advancing, the end of the crisis is not for tomorrow ," notes the editorialist of Le

Nouvelliste

 tersely

.

Frantz Duval also believes that “ 

this Caricom summit promises to be a new meeting half fig half grape.

In fact, neither fig nor grape as the concrete fruits that will come out of it are likely to be indescribable.

And when communication takes precedence over action, the exit from the tunnel recedes

 ”.

“ 

Canada must stand up for Haiti

 ,” exclaimed an editorialist from the Quebec daily

Le Devoir

.

“ 

Canadians need to understand that things don't get better on their own: murders, kidnappings and rapes are increasing rapidly and gang-controlled territory is expanding.

Haiti is the most densely populated country in the Americas

 ”, underlines the Canadian newspaper before concluding: “ 

If Haiti implodes, it will also cause an explosion among its neighbors

 ”.

Nicaragua: the regime of President Daniel Ortega continues its offensive against opponents

" 

The Public Ministry stripped 94 Nicaraguans in exile of their nationality and citizenship rights in perpetuity

 ."

The reason given: an alleged " 

crime of treason

 ", announces

Confidencial

.

Lawyers approached by the news site say that “ 

this is a total aberration of the rule of law in Nicaragua.

No one can be deprived of their rights without first going through a trial in which all the parties intervene and present their arguments.

This decision is arbitrary and illegal

 ”, underline the lawyers.

Confidencial also believes that this decision “ 

definitively unmasks the Nicaraguan judiciary as a repressive body of the dictatorship

 ”. 

These 94 forfeitures of nationality are added to those of the 222 political prisoners released last week and deported to the United States.

But while the regime officially also stripped them of their nationality, each of the 222 ex-prisoners received a new Nicaraguan passport, valid for 10 years.

La Prensa

tells this Friday that the government of Daniel Ortega wanted to send them to the United States without identity documents.

But this option was categorically refused by the American authorities.

According to the daily

El Pais

, “ 

of the five main powers of the continent, all led by left-wing governments, only Chile strongly condemned Daniel Ortega's latest offensive.

The Chilean President, Gabriel Boric, had also repeatedly demanded the release of political prisoners in Nicaragua at international meetings.

Mexico, on the other hand, avoids criticizing the drift of the Sandinista regime, while Argentina, Colombia and Brazil opt for silence

 ,” regrets

El Pais

.

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