Thousands of people have demonstrated in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, demanding the return of exiled former President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Supporters chanted “Aristide or death!” and “Aristide’s blood is our blood!” as they marched to the National Palace on the ex-leader’s 53rd birthday.

Mr Aristide fled an armed revolt two years ago and is in South Africa.

President Rene Preval had said during this year’s election campaign he would consider allowing him to return home.

However, the US has warned this could destabilise the country.
bbc.co.uk

‘Fled’? Nice piece of revisionist history there…

Massacre of Haiti innocents
The killings began before dawn. Men armed with automatic rifles walked through the hillside slum of Grand Ravine, warning of a fire and yelling for residents to come out of their cinder-block and sheet-metal shacks. Those who obeyed were gunned down.

Several hours later, Haitian morgue workers and UN peacekeepers from Sri Lanka piled bodies in one of the slum’s main thoroughfares, a rocky stream bed at the bottom of the ravine after which the neighbourhood is named. The body count totalled 21, including three women and four children. Most of the victims were killed with a bullet to the head.

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