Editorial Comment

English | French

A move is under way by rich foreigners and diaspora Haitians to appropriate every beachfront, lakefront and waterway in Haiti. Northern Haiti’s beachfront communities are the areas most vulnerable to land grabs. Prices have skyrocketed along with the expectation that American and Canadian mining executives will soon want the best island scenery money can buy.

Not all land grabs are executed the same way.  In places like La Visite and Martissant, which are principally populated by the poor, people are beaten, imprisoned without trial, or killed. In other spots where there is a substantial Haitian middle class to be reckoned with, the strategy is to cut all government services. Electricity, municipal water, and road repairs are becoming a thing of the past in some of the most beautiful cities.

There is no recourse. The central government has replaced all the popular elected municipal administrators with presidential appointees, some of whom are actively wanted criminals.

The article below about ongoing protests in Port Margot — a town of 46,000 people about 35 km (22 miles) from Cap Haitien — is followed by a telling description of the town’s assets by its own excellent development organization founded in 2007.

By Dady Chery, Editor
Haiti Chery

Tension in Port Margot for a week

By staff (srh kft rc)
AlterPresse

Translated from the French by Dady Chery, Haiti Chery

Port-au-Prince, Haiti – Residents of Port-Margot (North), including, in the village of  ‘’Fauché’’ continue to demand the paving of the road section linking Limbe with Port-Margot (9 km) and to denounce the finding that the rehabilitation of the road between Port Margot and Borgne began in Borgne and not in their municipality.

“All government offices in the area are closed,”

former city government member Gary Beliard told AlterPresse on August 13.

Borgne / Port-Margot Member of Parliament Jude Charles Faustin believes that the situation is getting increasingly violent. He deplores the fact that no Port-Margot organization or citizens’ group has been contacted to discuss the problem.

The Port-Margot / Borgne road is blocked with vehicles, tire barricades and felled trees. People continue to believe that this method is the best way to be heard.

Port-Margot is between Limbe and Borgne, in the north of the country.

On one hand, the protesters demand the paving of the 9-kilometer (5.6 miles) road that connects Port-Margot to Limbe.

On the other hand, they want the rehabilitation of the 16-kilometer (10 miles) Borgne / Port-Margot road (currently underway with funding from the Interamerican Development Bank) to starts from their municipality in Port-Margot.

MP Faustin claims to have already reported the problem to the government and says that Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe responded that the government lacks sufficient means to pave the 9 kilometers of roads.

The head of government estimates that the work would cost US $ 9 million (U.S. $ 1.00 = 43.00 gourdes gourds 1 euro = 58.00 today), according to MP Faustin.

The Port-Margot residents’ discontent started when the authorities decided to put the beach,”Chouchou Bay” under the jurisdiction of Borgne, although it was previously under Port-Margot.

Beach “Chouchou Bay” is in the fifth communal section of Port Margot, neighboring Borgne.

Borgne / Port-Margot MP Jude Charles Faustin is fingered in the case by the protesters and demonstrators.

MP Faustin believes that since the last parliamentary elections in 2011, his opponents have tried to maintain pressure on him with this issue.

He says he informed the Ministry of Interior and Local Authorities, who promised to send a delegation to meet with the population.

However, no date is set for the meeting.

Port-Margot past and present

By Staff
Organization for the Development of Port-Margot (ODEP)

Origin

The origin of the name “Port-Margot” is unknown to us. Port-Margot was the first French settlement in Saint Domingue and it already bore this name when the buccaneers came to settle in. As of 1630, the French, chased out of the island of Saint Christophe, had joined forces with the Pirates from Ile de la Tortue to venture toward the coast of Port-Margot to establish dins, i.e. temporary establishments where they roasted meats or preserved them by smoking them.

Limits

The boundaries of the town of Port-Margot are: in the Northern side the sea, in the Eastern side the town of Limbé, in the South the town of Pilate, and in the West the town of Borgne.

A few hundred meters from the eastern side of Port-Margot’s cove, towards the North-West side is the refuge aka. The islet is located a few cables’ length away from the Rocher d’Orgeron, which the pirates had used as a prison.

The municipality of Port-Margot is divided into six sections, the last five of which are only slopes of mountains or just mountains, they are:

Bas-Quartier – Grande Plaine – Bas Petit-Borgne – Corail – Haut Petit Borgne – Bras gauche

River

The Port-Margot River traverses the commune vertically. It begins from the hills of Margot, then snakes its way through Petit Bourg, Grand Bourg and ends up at the sea just East of Bayeux.

On its way to the sea, it connects with several other brooks that add to its strength. They are the river of Petit Bourg on the left; the river of Corail connected on the right by that of Corneille, and the river of Petit Borgne that merges upstream from that of Bayeux.

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Major roads

The municipality of Port-Margot is located along the northern coasts of Haiti approximately 35 km (22 miles) from the city of the Cap-Haitian via a road that goes through the town of Limbé, then national highway No. 1. It is connected to the town of Borgne,  20 km (12 miles) away, via a road that passes through Bayeux and connects with the town of Port-de-Paix.

Fertility of the municipality

The municipality is one of the most fertile in the northern region of Haiti due to its many rivers. Approximately a quarter of its mountains is still green and wet and produces several precious commodities like coffee beans, cocoa and other food plants. The rainy season starts in August up to including January.

Economic situation

Around 1900-1980 unemployment was almost nonexistent. The fields were green and production had increased considerably. Each parcel of land was cultivated according to the needs of the community, and the surplus sold to the big cities. Unfortunately, what seemed to be the terrestrial paradise gradually and completely changed. The lands were devalued due to deforestation; the agrarian layer was diminishing daily and moving towards the sea, thus reducing cultivable space. Moreover, the river frequent changes of its bed caused enormous losses to the population. Adding insult to injury, the migration towards the metropolitan cities, unemployment, and lack of healthcare had contributed even more to the economic recession of the area.

Entertainment

In spite of these difficulties, Port-Margot still keeps its charm and abounds in activities that satisfy almost everyone. Its beaches are among the most beautiful ones in the country: Chouchou Bay with gilded white sand, Coup de Sable or Cabaret, Pas Kannot, Coco. It’s also worth mentioning Basen Waka in Novion on the Thibaud residence. One can also enjoy a romantic sunset at Morne Coplan, a camping site, and action-packed family picnics at l’Ilet.

Sources: AlterPresse (French) | Haiti Chery (English) | Organization for the Development of Port-Margot, Inc. (ODEP) | Featured image: Chouchou Bay

Related:
– Haiti’s Elected Mayors Dismissed, Illegally Replaced by Presidential Appointees
– Massacre at La VisiteCommentaire

anglais | français

Un mouvement est en cours pour que des étrangers riches et de la diaspora s’approprient de toutes les côtes et rivières d’Haïti. Les communautés du bord de mer au Nord d’Haïti sont les zones les plus vulnérables à l’accaparement des terres. Les prix augmentent avec l’espoir que des dirigeants de sociétés minières canadiennes et américaines bientôt offriront tout l’argent qu’il faudra pour acheter les meilleures paysages de l’île.

Touts les accaparements de terres ne sont pas exécutés de la même manière. Dans des lieus comme La Visite et Martissant, qui sont principalement peuplés par les pauvres, les gens sont battus, emprisonnés sans procès, ou tués. Dans d’autres endroits où il ya une classe sociale haïtienne à laquelle il faut répondre, la stratégie est de couper tous les services gouvernementaux. L’électricité, l’eau municipale, et la réparation des routes deviennent des choses du passé dans certaines des plus belles villes du pays.

Il n’y a aucun recours. Le gouvernement central a remplacé tous les administrateurs municipaux élus avec des gens nommés par le Président, dont certains sont activement recherchés pour des crimes.

L’article ci-dessous sur les manifestations en cours à Port Margot – une ville de 46.000 personnes à environ 35 km (22 miles) de Cap-Haïtien – est suivie (voir la version en anglais) par une description des richesses de la ville par sa propre organisation assez excellente de développement, fondée en 2007.

Dady Chery, Editeur en chef
Haiti Chery

 

Port-Margot sous tension depuis une semaine

Par le personnel (srh kft rc)
AlterPresse

Port-au-Prince, Haiti — Les habitantes et les habitants de Port-Margot (Nord), notamment, dans la localité de ‘’Fauché’’ continuent de manifester pour réclamer l’asphaltage du tronçon de route reliant Limbé à Port-Margot (9 kilomètres) et dénoncer le fait que les travaux de réhabilitation de la voie Port-Margot / Borgne ont commencé à Borgne et non dans leur municipalité.

« Tous les bureaux de l’État sont fermés dans la zone »,

a déclaré à AlterPresse, le 13 août, un ancien membre du cartel municipal, Gary Béliard.

Le député de la circonscription Borgne/Port-Margot, Jude Charles Faustin, estime que la situation devient de plus en plus violente. Il déplore le fait qu’aucune organisation ou regroupement de citoyennes et de citoyens de Port-Margot ne l’ait contacté pour parler du problème.

La route de Port-Margot / Borgne est bloquée avec des véhicules, des barricades de pneus et d’arbres abattus. Ces gens continuent de croire que cette méthode constitue la meilleure pour se faire entendre.

Port-Margot se trouve entre Limbé et Borgne, dans le Nord du pays.

D’une part, les protestataires réclament, l’asphaltage de la route (9 kilomètres) reliant Port-Margot à Limbé.

D’autre part, elles et ils souhaitent que la réhabilitation de la route (16 kilomètres) Borgne/Port-Margot (en cours actuellement grâce à un financement de la Banque interaméricaine de développement) commence à partir de leur municipalité à Port-Margot.

Le gouvernement n’a pas de moyens suffisants pour asphalter ces 9 kilomètres de routes, aurait répondu le premier ministre Laurent Lamothe au député Faustin qui affirme avoir déjà fait part du problème au gouvernement.

Le chef du gouvernement aurait évalués de tels travaux à un coût de 9 millions de dollars américains (US $ 1.00 = 43.00 gourdes ; 1 euro = 58.00 gourdes aujourd’hui) , toujours selon le parlementaire Faustin.

La grogne des habitantes et habitants de Port-Margot a commencé, lorsque des autorités ont décidé de placer une plage, “Chouchou Bay”, sous la juridiction de Borgne, alors qu’elle se trouvait auparavant sous celle de Port-Margot.

La plage “Chouchou Bay” se trouve à la cinquième section communale de Port Margot, au voisinage de Borgne.

Le député de la circonscription Borgne/Port-Margot, Jude Charles Faustin, est pointé dans l’affaire par les manifestantes et manifestants.

Issu des dernières élections législatives de 2011, le député Faustin croit que ce sont ses adversaires qui veulent maintenir la pression contre lui avec ce dossier.

Il déclare avoir informé le ministère de l’intérieur et des collectivités territoriales qui lui a promis d’envoyer une délégation rencontrer la population.

Aucune date n’est toutefois fixée pour cette rencontre.

Source: AlterPresse | Image de Chouchou Bay

Lisez aussi:
– La ruée vers le Nord