funeral

Here is a picture of the funeral of Haiti National police officer Jean-Richard Hertz Cayo who was shot and killed on Thursday, May 2, 2013, in the district of Savann Pistach, in Carrefour-Feuilles

There is a connection to a previous killing recently at The Haiti National Police. He was part of the patrol of another officer whao was also killed recently.

Officer Walky Calixte was assassinated recently and the killing is currently under investigation

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Here is a picture of the actual funeral of Max Beauvoir, the Leader of Haitian Voodoo Religion who passed away in September, 2015 in his home. He received a proper funeral according to the rules of the Voodoo religion

Haitians who adhere to Voodoo do not consider death to be the end of life-- there is an afterlife. When one dies, the soul essence hovers near the corpse for seven to nine days. During this period, the individual free soul can be captured and made into a "spiritual zombie" by a sorcerer. Thus, to avoid this capture, the voodoo priests perform a nine night ritual so that the soul may live in the dark waters for a year and a day. After that, the deceased's relatives perform the Rite of Reclamation to raise the deceased person's soul essence and put it in a clay jar known as a govi. When Max Gesner Beauvoir, the supreme leader of Haitian voodoo died on September 12, his body was kept until everyone paid a visit and made it home for the funeral. Prime Minister Paul Evans met with the daughter and step-son of the deceased, the couple Rachel and Didier Dominique. A 'national tribute was arranged on September 16, at the Champ de Mars. In a somber environment, the Government of the Republic of Haiti extended its sincere condolences to the relatives and friends of the deceased and to the members of the voodoo community. President Michel Martelly has described his death as a "great loss for the country".

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Here is a Voodoo Funeral Ceremony in Lakou Souvenance

Mass graves after the Haitian earthquake in January 2010 were an inevitable consequence of such a catastrophe. But, to a country so steeped in and quixotically dependent on the use of ceremony to assist their departed from this world to the next, ignorance of their loved one's final resting place is difficult for the living to bear. Almost a month from the earthquake, one funeral director revealed he'd handled less than ten funerals. Considering the hundreds of thousands who died, the sum of souls still linked to their earthly bodies is a terrifying concept.

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Funeral for Victims of Kanaval accident

The Haitian government held a funeral for 17 victims killed in a Carnival parade accident. President Martelly and Prime Minister Paul consoled the victims' families and friends.

Vocalist Fantom, atop a float, was struck in the head by a loosened overhead power cable, which flared, terrifying the crowd who stampeded killing many and injuring others.

Critics say Carnival needs to be planned more carefully and far in advance of its celebration.

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Here is a picture of the 17 caskets of the people who died in the Kanaval accident in Haiti in 2015

National Funeral held for 17 Carnival Victims

The government has vowed it would produce an inter-agency report concerning the deadly incident. The government's promises aside, outraged Haitians spilled into the streets to demonstrate against government negligence that created the conditions for the power line to explode, killing 17 and injuring 76.

Carnival entertainers and the deceased's family members attacked the Martelly-Paul government for its laxity in protecting the safety of thousands at the mammoth festival. The common practice of using a stick to clear overhead power lines during Carnival is stupid and dangerous, and the government needs to seriously consider installing underground power cables before the next Carnival.

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On Saturday, February 21, 2015, there was a national funeral fpr all 17 Victims of Kanaval accident.

Haitian Prime Minister Evans Paul officiated at a national funeral held for 17 people killed by being trampled to death during the 2015 Carnival. The deceased's caskets were each covered with the Haitian flag. The funeral took place at Champ de Mars Park, and was also attended by President Martelly and First Lady Sophia.

The incident that started the stampede occurred when singer Daniel Darinus, perched atop one of 16 parade floats, failed to clear a low-lying high-voltage cable. He mistakenly thought he had cleared all cables in the path of the float and became distracted by the crowd of parade watchers. It was reported his head hit the power line, which shocked him, generating a loud explosion along with a bright flash. The crowd panicked, causing a stampede. Darinus sustained serious burns that he was treated for at the general hospital.

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Here is a listing of the 17 people who were killed in the 2015 Kanaval in Haiti

Government Negligence Contributed to Carnival Deaths

It would be more accurate to say the government's negligence regarding public safety set up the conditions causing the accident. By this is meant it is customary for a designated person atop a float to clear low-lying power lines, an obviously hazardous practice. In addition to the 17 confirmed dead, 78 other individuals were injured.

One can speculate on the reason for a national funeral and the government absorbing the cost of the caskets and flags: it is trying to assuage its conscience in front of a nation that knows it failed to protect the public safety by allowing a dangerous practice to continue.

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Here is a picture of Former Haitian First Lady Michele Bennett. She is seeing here in Port-au-Prince after a long time of absence. She was attending the wake of her former husband Jean Claude Duvalier

Former Haitian First Lady Michele, the Power behind the Throne

Jean-Claude Duvalier, Haiti's bloodthirsty tyrant, married high school sweetheart Michele Bennett, making her First Lady of Haiti. She ingratiated herself with the public initially, but later developed a reputation for greed and corruption. She also wielded political power beyond her husband's abilities to get things done.

Michele gave Duvalier two children, a boy and a girl. After a 15-year rule, Duvalier and she fled to France where they eventually divorced.

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President Michel Martelly outraged Amnesty International, when he considered holding a state funeral for deceased former Haitian president Duvalier. Duvalier was alleged to have committed atrocities upon Haitians, his network killing hundreds of thousands, causing a mass exodus of citizens in the past, as well as Human Rights violations

AI Director Erika Rosas said, ". . . President Martelly could have expressed compassion for the thousands of victims of Duvalierism . . . . This is a slap on the face for human rights and the victims' struggle to justice."

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Lascahobas, a small community resting on the Central Plateau, is an hour's drive from the Dominican Republic. A population of 7,574 residents occupies the hamlet, a market center for the agricultural region surrounding it.

Overwhelmingly Christian, it tolerates the practice of Voodoo. At the start of the new millennium, missionaries of the Episcopal Church have been providing spiritual sustenance to Lascahobas and the communities of Cohoroes, Rantamoulie, La Hoye, and Poulie. Its church, St. Esprit, also operates a school.

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