Latinoamérica

Tres muertos, 23 heridos en manifestaciones contra el gobierno en Haiti

Autor: Agencia EFE

Fecha: 8/1/2004

Traductor: Celeste Murillo, especial para P.I.

Fuente: Hati Info

Three killed, 23 wounded in anti-gov’t protests in Haiti

Three people were killed and 23 were injured on Wednesday in clashes between Haitian government supporters, opponents and police during protests against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Local media reported the name of one of the casualties as Maxime Desulmond, who was killed on John Brown Ave., in downtown Port-au Prince, by a bullet apparently fired by members of Aristide’s Lavalas Family Party.

Another unidentified victim was killed in a shootout with police in Delmas, in the northeastern part of the capital, local media added.
Also, a young man was found dead on Christophe Ave., in the city’s downtown area, a reporter said.

The press indicated that the unidentified victims might have been supporters of the Lavalas Family regime killed in clashes with police.
Shooting began as soon as the opposition march began Wednesday in Petionville, located 15 kilometers (9 miles) east of the capital.
Government opponents and supporters also hurled stones at each other along the marchers’ route.

Several policemen stood in front of the marchers to quell the Aristide partisans, who repeatedly tried to prevent the march from proceeding.
Police fired warning shots into the air to keep the government partisans from attacking demonstrators.

Hundreds of students joined the march - which was called by the opposition last Monday to press for Aristide’s resignation - as it passed by the state university in southeastern Port-au-Prince.

Aristide sympathizers built barricades out of burning tires and placed vehicles in the way of opposition marchers, as they chanted : "If Aristide goes, heads will roll and houses will burn."

Eyewitnesses said that regime supporters were backed by presidential guards, while police kept an eye on opposition marchers.

At one point during the march - because of the clashes with Aristide’s supporters - opposition Group 184 leader Andy Aped urged marchers to go home to avert more killings.

Regime supporters riding in government vehicles continued to harass marchers and also to fire their weapons at several radio stations, but no other deaths or injuries were reported.