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France - Haiti

The fall of Francois Hollande in Haiti

The fall of Francois Hollande in Haiti

Here is a picture of French President Francois Hollande during a visit in Haiti on May, 12, 2015. He actually fall in a stairway as he was going up to speak

France won't pay Haiti Reparations: Martelly says it's Time to Move On

President Francois Hollande arrived in Port-au-Prince with a commitment to invest $145 million into Haiti's economy. Although government and business sectors welcome Hollande's largesse, protestors with long memories about France's extorting $20 billion from Haiti as payment for its independence, are fuming.

One protestor shared how many feel about France's wresting $20 billion in reparations for plantation owners' losses: "We Haitians know . . . a big reason why we are suffering today is because we were forced to pay France for our freedom . . ." An event coercing Haiti to pay ". . . ten times the country's annual revenues . . ." was a world-wide embargo led by the French in 1825. French warships threatened to bomb Port-au-Prince harbor if Haiti didn't pay up.

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Dany Laferrière received traditional Academician sword

Dany Laferrière received traditional Academician sword

Here is a picture of Haitian-Canadian Dany Laferrière as he received the traditional Academician sword in the French Academy

This took place during a ceremony in the town hall of Paris. This particular traditional Academician sword was created by the Haitian sculptor Patrick Vilaire.

Recently, in an induction ceremony at the Academie Francaise, French Academy, in Paris, Thursday May 28, 2015, the Haitian-born Canadian writer Dany Laferriere was enrolled as the newest member of l'Academie Francaise in the presence of 300 guests including the former Quebec premiers Jean Charest, Pauline Marois and Bernard Landry. Pierre Karl Péladeau, the leader of Parti Québécois was also present. The Académie française is a 40-member council, founded by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII, in 1635, and that is responsible to maintain the standards of the French language. Laferrière had received his "Academician Sword" from the French novelist and French Academy member Jean d'Ormesson (C) at City Hall in Paris on May 26, 2015. He was elected to the council in December 2013, but the formal induction ceremony, loyal to a 400 year old protocol, was held on Thursday.

Dany Laferrière was born (13 April 1953) in Port-au-Prince and raised in Petit Goâve. He worked as a journalist in Haïti before moving to Canada in 1976 and hosting television programming for the TQS network. His first novel (How to Make Love to a Negro Without Getting Tired) was published in 1985, it was later adapted into a screenplay and won 11th Genie Awards in 1990. He has so far authored about 20 novels, including the award-winning "L'enigme du retour". He is the first Quebec writer to join the "immortals category"-- the term is referred for people named to the council to join the 39 other members, called immortals; they are elected to the institution for life. His introduction speech at the Academy touched on a theme that is often present in most of his works-- "exile".

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We have a moral not financial debt to Haiti, François Hollande

We have a moral not financial debt to Haiti, François Hollande

Look at this picture. French government has a big load hanging on top of country. It is the Haiti debt that it owes and it involves restitution for the money the young nation was obligated to pay to France after they fought for their independence. Ironically, French president François Hollande who visited Haiti in May, 2015 stated that We have a moral not financial debt to Haiti".

Two hundred years ago, when Haiti became the first independent black republic after defeating the army of then French Monarchy, it vowed to pay the French ruler, King Charles X an "independence debt of 90 million gold coins". The extorted bounty was distributed among the white slave owners for the loss of "property" they claim to have suffered as a result of the abolitionist Haitian Revolution. Thus, the country was forced to pay most of its national wealth to the French for own freedom. This barbaric ransom was collected between 1825 and 1947 through a French ordinance that threatened to re-enslave self-liberated Africans. This could be a good reason for present suffering of the country. As per 2003 estimate, the Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide demanded $22 billion from France as the cost of restitution. On Saturday, May 9th, during the inauguration of the Caribbean Centre of Expressions and Memory of Trafficking and Slavery (ACTE) in Pointe-à- Pitre, Guadeloupe, the French President François Hollande had said that "in Haiti, I will pay the debt we have." Although his announcement received a rousing applause from the audience, but according to the French National Palace, nowhere he had mentioned that France would be repaying the Haitian independence ransom of $23 billion (at present value). His statement indicating moral debt only without mentioning any monetary value was criticized in Haiti because the collection of the ransom for independence is undoubtedly an act of immoral and illegal turpitude.

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Michel Martelly driving France President Francois Hollande to airport

Michel Martelly driving France President Francois Hollande to airport

Here is a picture where President Michel Martelly was personally driving France President Francois Hollande to airport following his visit to Haiti

Martelly says its okay France doesn't pay Haiti Reparations

President Martelly has been under fire for agreeing with French President Hollande France need not repay $21 billion, extorted from Haiti as penance for claiming its independence in 1804.

Hollande will, though, invest in projects, especially the Free and Compulsory Education program, with funding of 50 million Euros.

Martelly said "such repairs . . . can . . . open the way for development for Haitians, who have never had the same educational opportunity

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Francois Hollande Haiti and restitution for independence debt

Francois Hollande Haiti and restitution for independence debt

Here is a view of a group of Haitians who were not so happy with the visit of Francois Hollande in Haiti in May, 2015.

French President says No to Reparations for Haiti

French President Hollande made a visit to Haiti recently. President Martelly glossed over France's unwillingness to pay reparations, readily accepting the $145 million in infrastructure projects from them.

Protestors are frustrated Hollande, like other presidents of France, say it owes ". . . only . . . a moral debt . . . not financial compensation."

France forced Haiti to pay $21 billion for an "independence debt" to guarantee its freedom in 1804.

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Francois Hollande in Haiti protesters demand reparations

Francois Hollande in Haiti protesters demand reparations

Here is a picture of some group of Haitian protesters demanding reparations during a visit of Francois Hollande in in Haiti.

When Hollande and Martelly arrived at Champ de Mars to honor heroes of the Haitian revolution with a wreath-laying, 200 demonstrators came to voice their opinions on France's part in ruining Haiti's economy. Until the mid-20th century Haiti labored to retire the debt, but $77 million was still owing. France forgave the balance after Haiti's 2010 earthquake.

Haiti is not France's only victim of blackmail. But Martelly understands if France pays reparations to Haiti, France would be pressured to recompense other countries it has stolen from. Martelly told Hollande ". . . no compensation can repair the wounds of history . . . . Haiti has not forgotten, but Haiti is not stubborn."

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Francois Hollande to handle debt to Haiti without financial reparations

Francois Hollande to handle debt to Haiti without financial reparations

French President Francois Hollande made a surprising statement n regard to the debt to Haiti on his way to Haiti. At the inauguration of a memorial for slavery in Guadeloupe on Sunday, May 10, 2015, he evokes France's 'Debt' To Haiti, but refused to admit that France will pay back the money owed.

Pressure has been mounting on France to pay back the money it has asked Haiti to pay after Haiti's independence. Some believe that this obligation on the new republic after its independence is a major factor in the poverty of te island. In 2013, Francois Hollande evoked France's "debt" toward Africa. In 2010, President Nicolas Sarkozy became the first French seating president to visit Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake.

Over 200 years ago, when Haiti became the first black independent Republic of the world after defeating the army of then French Monarchy, it agreed to pay France an "independence debt. In 1825, the French ruler, King Charles X agreed to recognize Haiti's independence after 14 years of bloody battles on condition that the new Black Republic will pay 150 million gold francs in ransom. It was later reduced to 90 million gold coins and the extorted bounty was distributed to the white slave holders for the loss of "property" they claim to have suffered as a result of the abolitionist Haitian Revolution. Haitians believe that it could be a big reason for Haiti's present suffering because the country was forced to pay most of its wealth to France for own freedom. Between the years 1825 and 1947 (140 years after the abolition of the slave trade), this barbaric and illegal ransom was collected through violent means with an official French ordinance which threatened to re-enslave the self-liberated Africans. On April 7, 2003, the value of the infamous Charles X ransom was estimated at around $22 billion by the Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and he demanded its restitution. For most Haitians, the recent visit of the French President François Hollande to encourage investment is reminding them how their ancestors were punished by the French and forced to pay a big price for country's successful slave revolt for independence.

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French man Fritz-Joly Joachin with links to Paris attackers has Haitian root

French man Fritz-Joly Joachin with links to Paris attackers has Haitian root

The 29 year old Fritz-Joly Joachin is a suspect in the Paris attackers. He was arrested in Bulgaria. Fritz-Joly Joachin is a French citizen with Haitian origin. he is converted Muslim. Authorities traced him as having several contacts with one of the two brothers (Cherif Kouachi) before traveling to Turkey on September 30

French Citizen in Police Custody knew Charlie Hebdo Attacker

Bulgarian police arrested Fritz-Joly Joachin, alleging he was involved in a terrorist organization. They discovered he had been in contact with Cherif Kouachi, one of the brothers who slew 12 people at Charlie Hebdo in Paris.

Joachin's wife reported to French authorities Joachin had kidnapped their son. She said Joachin was an Islam convert, radicalized two years ago.

Joachin insisted he was not a terrorist and had nothing to with Kouachi's assault on French citizens.

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France New Ambassador to Haiti, Patrick Nicoloso

France New Ambassador to Haiti, Patrick Nicoloso

A French Presidential Decree of May 24 appointed Patrick Nicoloso as the new French Ambassador to Haiti. 61 years old Patrick has been into French diplomacy since 1976 and he is the 22nd French Ambassador to Haiti since 1943. Nicoloso is the successor of the previous Ambassador Didier Le Bret, who was removed from his post and appointed as director of Crisis Centre of French's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Patrick Nicoloso has a long and successful diplomatic career and has served as a French diplomat in Sudan, Libya, Brazil, Jordan and Italy.

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French President Nicolas Sarkozy visits Haiti

French President Nicolas Sarkozy visits Haiti

In February 201, French president Nicolas Sarkozy made history by visiting Haiti. He was greeted on his arrival by Haitian President Rene Preval

Haiti become the first independent black republic by fighting the French army and winning its independence in 1804

Following Haiti independence, the country was obligated to pay France for its independence and many peple are pushing so that France return the money

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