Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's Amazing Speech as he Returns Home, Defying U.S. Demands

President Aristide (center) arrives in Port-au-Prince

The following speech was delivered by Jean-Bertrand Aristide from the VIP lounge of the Toussaint Louverture airport in Port-au-Prince, while his wife and two daughters cried tears of joy and thousands of supporters cheered and waived posters of welcome.

Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s First Speech on His Return From Seven Years of Exile

(Translated by Axis of Logic Columnist, Dady Chery)

Friday 18 March 2011

“My sisters and brothers, if you could place your hands on my heart, you would feel how it beats faster for telling you bravo, thank you, bravo, thank you!” Aristide said.

He urged all not to forget the victims of the Japan disaster.

“Honor-respect! Honor for you, and respect for the memory of our 300,000 earthquake victims”, he said.

He thanked South African President Zuma, former president Mbeki, Mandela, his brothers and sisters from central Africa, Jamaica, and South Africa.

“Although Haiti is far from Africa, we will never forget our cultural roots. We will always tell our children and grandchildren to remember where our ancestors come from.... In union there is strength, in division weakness.... My sisters, my brothers, as you know, the lovely rose of gratitude from our country will always bloom for our true friends from abroad, some who are here with us and others in many other places....”

He greeted his sisters and brothers from Cuba and especially the Cuban doctors who are battling the cholera epidemic.

“My sisters and brothers, if you could lean your heart against mine, you would hear how it beats faster, you would hear how it sings a consoling melody for Haiti. Haiti is our mother who needs to breathe the oxygen of dignity....”

“Since the earthquake, if I could transform the chambers of my heart into the rooms of a house, I already know how many rooms would be there for all the victims, to keep them from sleeping in the streets, from the mud... the humiliation.... Yes. The humiliation of one Haitian is the humiliation of all Haitians. When the dignity of one Haitian is wounded, it is the dignity of all Haitians that bleeds. Our blood is the blood of Toussaint Louverture. We cannot betray our blood. My sisters, my brothers, today the birthing of the return was done in the shadow of Toussaint Louverture. When he was kidnapped into exile in June 1802, he said that liberty has many roots, and they are deeply planted. To cut the trunk of liberty is one thing, but the roots can never be wiped out.”

“Today, in the shade of Toussaint Louverture, we are happy to come engage the youth, you the new generation, who want education in dignity and without exclusion...

The problem of exclusion, its solution is inclusion. The exclusion of Fanmi Lavalas is the exclusion of the majority. The esclusion of the majority is tantamount to cutting the branch on which we sit. The problem of exclusion, its solution is the inclusion of all Hatians without favoritism, because “Tout moun se moun!” (We all are human beings!)

“To honor Jean-Jacques Dessalines we come to bring you our little bit of help. With the little ball of education centered in the court of dignity, we will kick exclusion to the outside and this way, the new generation will begin to benefit from the wealth that slumbers deep within Haiti: gold, copper, uranium, bauxite, silver... The calcium carbonate to be found in Miragoane is valued at more than U.S. $23 billion. The petroleum reserves are no doubt larger than estimated... But we Haitians, we are the greatest wealth....”

“For seven years, we communicated from afar. Today we are here to sow peace everywhere, all the time.... You Haitians who love peace, we condemn all forms of violence, so that the education of our youth can be done with peace in the head and peace in the belly. Haiti is very sick. From February 29, 2004 till today the disease has worsened... The greatest hope for Haiti is Haitians. The strongest remedy for Haiti is love.... As the crocus’ bloom depends on sunlight, so Haiti’s bloom depends on our love.”

“My job is to serve you with love. Your job is to live so Haiti does not die. The job of a good patriot is to love his country.”

"The Welcoming Committee" (Photo: Etant Dupain)

Editor's Note: The transcript is included below the following video and then a second report by Amy Goodman.

- Axis of Logic

Defying U.S., Former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide Returns Home
Democracy Now!
March 18, 2011

In defiance of the Obama administration, former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide is headed back to Haiti today for the first time since being ousted in a 2004 U.S.-backed coup. Hours ago, Aristide, his family, and a delegation of supporters boarded a plane in South Africa bound for Port-au-Prince. Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman is with the Aristides to document their journey home. She filed this report. [includes rush transcript]

JUAN GONZALEZ: In defiance of the Obama administration, former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide is headed back to Haiti today for the first time since being ousted in a 2004 U.S.-backed coup. On Thursday, Aristide boarded a plane in South Africa bound for Port-au-Prince. Joining him on the flight is his wife, Mildred Aristide, attorney Ira Kurzban and actor Danny Glover. Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman is also on board. Before leaving, she filed this report from Johannesburg.

AMY GOODMAN: It’s been a long day in Johannesburg, South Africa, touch and go at the beginning. Would the Aristides be returning home to Haiti, ending their seven-year exile here in South Africa? President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the former First Lady Mildred Aristide and their two daughters are making their way back to Port-au-Prince, back to their home, back to where President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was president twice, and in both cases he was thrown out in a U.S.-backed coup, the first time in 1991, for three years, and then again in 2004.

As the word came down that it looked like this would be the day, everyone scrambled to get their equipment and their suitcases from the hotel, the delegation. And as we walked outside, I asked Danny Glover about his thoughts.

DANNY GLOVER: I always feel that everything we do in life prepares us for the moment that we’re in. And certainly, if I think back to all of us who had positioned theirselves in the struggle against apartheid and all those who have positioned themselves to working on behalf of Haitian refugees, to working on behalf of the restoration of democracy in Haiti and the return of Aristide the first time, and all of those who wish so much for the Haitian people, his return means so much to them. And I think that’s what I’m feeling.

I remember sitting in my car on February 29th, 2004, and hearing about the news of what had happened with his—the coup that took him from his country, and crying at the moment, sitting in my car outside of my office and crying. And I’ll never forget that moment, as I will never forget the moment that he is also returned to his beloved country.

AMY GOODMAN: The delegation then piled into a car and made their way across Johannesburg to an undisclosed location, where we were told there would be a private meeting with the Aristides. When we got there, President and Mildred Aristide and then their two children—Michaelle, 12, and Christine, 14—came into the room and greeted everyone.

JEAN-BERTRAND ARISTIDE: Hello, Amy.

AMY GOODMAN: Hello.

JEAN-BERTRAND ARISTIDE: How are you?

AMY GOODMAN: President Aristide was not making any formal statements at the time. He didn’t want us to have our video camera running, except when he sat down with Danny Glover and remembered the last time he was on a plane with the actor.

JEAN-BERTRAND ARISTIDE: One day I was in a plane, a long time ago. It was in the U.S. And suddenly, someone emerged: a tall man, a great actor. And when I realized it was Danny, you can imagine the joy, the happiness. So, we embraced each other. And then he changed his plane. Together, we went to a meeting with the Haitian community.

AMY GOODMAN: President Aristide has been in exile for seven years. They clearly were extremely excited, somewhat nervous. President Aristide was reserved, quiet, thinking about what he is going to say, when he lands tomorrow in Haiti, to the Haitian people.

We pulled into Lanseria Airport on Thursday evening around 7:00, 8:00. A scrum of reporters were waiting. Once inside, I asked Ira Kurzban, the attorney for the Aristides, about the pressure that’s been brought to bear on the South African government not to return the Aristides back to Haiti.

We’ve heard a lot about the pressure brought to bear on South African President Zuma. What do you know?

IRA KURZBAN: Well, we know that the State Department has issued several statements, of course, asking the South African government not to allow President Aristide to come back before the election. We know that President Obama directly called President Zuma, asking him again not to allow President Aristide out of the country. And we know that there’s been a sustained campaign over seven years to keep President Aristide here. Through documents that were leaked through WikiLeaks, we know that the United States government has really, in a very systematic way, tried to keep Jean-Bertrand Aristide, as they originally said, halfway around the world.

AMY GOODMAN: after a few hours of waiting at the airport, the press statements were read from the South African government and from the former president of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

SOUTH AFRICAN SPOKESPERSON: We’ve just had a very brief—a goodbye interaction between President Aristide, his family and President Zuma, who, on behalf of the government, with people of South Africa, had wished President Aristide a bon voyage and safe landing.

JEAN-BERTRAND ARISTIDE: [translated] One part feels very sad to leave our beloved friends, but on the other hand, our soul is resting because we are going back home after a period of seven years. Also, there in Haiti, they are very happy, and they are waiting for us. They wanted us to return home much faster. This has been their dream and wish, and this will soon come true.

AMY GOODMAN: The Aristides are about to get on the plane, but I’m supposed to go first. This promises to be a long night’s journey into a new day.

JUAN GONZALEZ: That was Amy Goodman reporting from Johannesburg, South Africa.

Aristide Lands in Haiti After Seven Years in Exile

President Aristide giving his first press conference after arriving in Haiti on March 18, 2011, 2 days prior to scheduled national elections.

Listen to this report here

I’m Amy Goodman, we just landed in Port au Prince. The former president of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide has landed. We made it through a mad crush of over a thousand journalists, videographers, supporters, dignitaries at the airport. I am now standing on the veranda of the airport where Pres. Aristide is addressing the crowd. He is saying we will not forget the victims of the earthquake. He is addressing what it means for him to be here. This is an historic day, a president who was twice ousted by U.S. backed coups in 1991 and 2004. He has returned both times, the first time after three years in exile he returned as president of Haiti. This time, after being ousted in 2004, he has returned as a resident of Haiti rather than the president. He says his aspirations are to be an educator, or to do what the people of Haiti want him to do.

I interviewed him on the plane, as well as his wife, former first lady Mildred Aristide. They talked about their dreams becoming a reality. President Aristide says he doesn’t know what today will bring. If people want to meet to talk about reforming the medical school he is there to do that. He says now he responds to the will of the Haitian people.

This is Amy Goodman broadcasting from Port Au Prince, Haiti, just off the flight that the Aristide’s have taken from Johannesburg, South Africa to Port Au Prince, Haiti. The jet was provided by the South African government under serious protest by the United States. President Obama personally called South African President Zuma earlier this week to tell him not to do this. But the statement of the South African government was simply, "we will not bow to pressure." They flew the Aristide’s home, which is where former President Aristide, his wife and his two daughters are today. Pres. Aristide addressing the crowd.

The security is very intense. I am inside the cordon so it is hard to know what is going on outside. It is is mainly journalists, videographers. The crush of the journalists was quite amazing. Aristide expressed concern that security would be used to keep people away, something he did not want. He said he left protocol to the Haitian government. It was Haitian president Preval in his last days in office who has given Aristide the diplomatic passport he needed to come back home.

I see people holding Haitian flags, people in military uniform, men in suits. He is now speaking in English. At the airport in Johannesburg he spoke only in African languages to say goodbye to the people of South Africa. Now he is speaking in English, after speaking in Creole and French. He is talking about languages, Africa’s connection to Haiti.

One of the things he said in the interview with me was that this trip only took only took us something like 16 to 18 hours. But you think of the Africans who were brought to this hemisphere who were enslaved, and he said the seven years he has been in exile do not compare to that. He is ready to work for the people of Haiti now, he says.

Speaking in English to reporters, he says in 1804 Haiti was born out of slavery. While he was in South Africa he got another doctorate, this one in African languages. He is a student of languages. He says, "Gracias."

Danny Glover is smiling. Aristide is surrounded by his daughters and his wife. It is pretty clear that they’ve only let journalists in. That is the extent of people here.

Reporting from Port Au Prince, I’m Amy Goodman.

Source: Democracy Now!