7 Years After Ouster in U.S.-Backed Coup, Former Haitian President Aristide Prepares to Return Home
Former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide is preparing to return to Haiti after seven years in exile. Aristide has lived in South Africa since his ouster in a 2004 U.S.-backed coup. Reporting from Johannesburg, Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman speaks with Aristide’s attorney Ira Kurzban and actor Danny Glover as they prepare to accompany Aristide back to his country.
Amy Goodman, Democracy Now! Host
Danny Glover, actor, activist and TransAfrica Forum chair.
Not knowing Aristide's history in Haiti or about his exile in South Africa, I was confused by the mainstream media's announcements of his plan to return home before the election. His decision was painted as a manuever to sway the vote. I couldn't tell from the reports if Aristide's intentions were self-serving or not. Thanks to this Democracy Now broadcast, I now believe that his return could help alleviate the suffering of so many in Haiti.
In contrast, here is what the NY Times has to say about Aristide's return home: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/16/opinion/16wilentz.html?_r=1&hp