17351: (Chamberlain) Haiti vows war on poverty 200 years after slavery (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

     By Amy Bracken

    CAP-HAITIEN, Haiti, Nov. 18 (Reuters) - Thousands of Haitians marked on
Tuesday the 200th anniversary of the major battle in the country's fight to
end slavery with a vow to fight "economic violence" against one of the
world's neediest nations.
     Crowds in the northern city of Cap-Haitien commemorated  the Battle of
Vertieres on Nov. 18, 1803, which resulted in the withdrawal of Napoleon's
troops from one of the last French strongholds in the country, and
ultimately to Haiti's declaration of independence on Jan. 1, 1804.
     The theme of the commemoration was spelled out on banners, in songs
and in President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's speech at the Vertieres
battlefield: "The fight continues."
     The Caribbean nation began its independence indebted to France and
other countries, and continued to suffer slavery's after-effects, such as
illiteracy, poverty and difficulty establishing a democratic political
system.
     Aristide called for restitution from France for the money France
demanded and received from Haiti in the mid-1800s as compensation for the
loss of its slaves. The crowd cheered when he said that the French will get
what is coming to them.
     Two hundred years after Haiti gained independence, it is the Western
Hemisphere's poorest country and the nation it defeated is one of the
world's wealthiest.
     Aristide called Vertieres "a victory against exclusion and racism, a
victory for the black race," but he said that for 200 years the country has
been the victim of "economic violence."
     Aristide said it is not the fault of Haitians that unemployment is so
high -- estimated at 70 percent -- or that other countries have held back
economic aid.
     "So let's declare a peaceful war against poverty," he said.
     The town of Cap-Haitien was decorated with the Haitian flag and with
banners that read, "Honor for the Battle of Vertieres; restitution for
Haiti," and "The battle continues, 1803, 2003."
     There had been much concern that the event could turn violent. In
fact, the war commemoration was the first major public gathering in Haiti
in months that was peaceful from beginning to end.
     Several protests in recent months have been marred by clashes between
pro- and anti-government demonstrators.