Life is difficult, more than we can imagine.

 

We had planned on going Gonaives today. Like so many plans in Haiti, not meant to be. The price of gas and diesel here has not followed the world market prices.

In response people took to the streets of the major cities by erecting barricades and burning tires. The following is a news article published Reuters yesterday evening:

Reuters

February 02, 2015 7:07 PM

PORT-AU-PRINCE—

Traffic was minimal in the normally clogged streets of Haiti\’s capital on Monday, after a key minibus drivers union called a two-day general strike to protest high fuel prices.

“The price of gasoline has fallen on the world market, but in Haiti, the poorest country in the world, the authorities do not follow this trend,” said Fritzner Jean, who drives a colorful pickup-turned-minibus, known locally as “tap-tap,” the Caribbean nation\’s main form of public transport.

“We want the state to really lower prices because it\’s too expensive for us. Look at the hunger that prevails in the country. We cannot tolerate that,” Jean said.

In an effort to avoid the strike, the government announced  lower fuel prices on Friday, with gasoline dropping to 200 gourdes ($4.30) per gallon from 215 ($4.62), and diesel down to 167 ($3.59) from 177 ($3.80) gourdes.

Those prices, however, were deemed insufficient by the tap-tap drivers union.

Prime Minister Evans Paul, without further comment, wrote on his Twitter account at midday: “I say no to those who want to smash the Republic.”

Protesters put up barricades of burning tires at several key intersections in the capital.

“We are blocking every tap-tap driver who wants to work,” said a man who was pulling a car over. He would identify himself only as “Rodney.”

“We are getting the passengers out, without violence. For sure it annoys people but the population understand. We have to be united, otherwise we are dead,” he said.

The cash is badly needed to pay off Haiti\’s mounting fuel debt of more than $1.5 billion with Venezuela\’s preferential PetroCaribe program, which allows countries to receive oil while deferring payment over 25 years at an interest rate as low as 1 percent.

Haiti is also in the midst of a political crisis after the prime minister was forced to resign and parliament was dissolved over the failure to hold municipal and legislative elections.

The strike was being observed in provincial towns, making access to the north of the country particularly difficult.

Without public transportation, the capital\’s industrial park, home to several textile factories, authorized employees to stay home from work. The Ministry of Communication put out assurances that school busses would be circulating as usual on Monday, but many parents kept their children at home.

Yesterday protesters allowed private vehicles to pass without problems.  This morning Johnny called his cousin in Gonaives and was told that there was no traffic on the roads and barricades had been erected. Fr. Gracia sent us a message that it was not safe for us to travel today, and that we would have to see how things played out to reschedule our trip.

One of the purposes of the trip was for Fr. Gracia to open a bank account at one of the national banks.  There have been serious problems with wire transfers from the U.S. to the small peasant bank, Fonkose. In fact he still has not received the wire transfer from St. Thomas church in Cookeville that was sent last September.  Theresa Patterson, director of the Parish Twinning Program has instructed us to have our partner parishes here in Haiti to open accounts in one of the national banks to resolve this issue.

The problem with wire transfers to  Fonkose is attributed to their lack of internal controls and the U.S. government’s concern about money laundering.  But this solution is only causing untold suffering by withholding relief to the poorest of the poor.  Perhaps those making these decisions from their position of comfort and power would think differently if they understood the consequences of their decisions.  Perhaps not.

Later this morning a moto driver came by and told us that Gonaives and been closed and no one was allowed in. Some protesters attacked police and the police the police responded by using billy clubs to beat everyone in the crowd. We have not heard of causalities.

I understand the frustration of the people, with no power over their own lives, protesting over fuel prices but I also think that there is a lot of frustration simmering below the surface with the government’s lack of elections and the occupation by the U.N. troops.

As the day has progressed we have heard reports of private cars being stopped, the windows smashed and anything of value taken. I am very thankful that we are not on the road today.  Once this blow over, things will return to the uneasy peace that always hangs over the country.

After hearing this report, I called Elwood,  Anita’s husband, the nurse who was with Denise aiding the pregnant lady who died,  and  a friend of mine, who is in Port au Prince picking up two young ladies from the airport.  I did not reach him, but he returned my phone call a while later and told me he was just getting ready to leave Port au Prince. He told me that he had just heard that the roads were open all the way here and was heading up. I asked him to call me when he has arrived safely.

As I publish this, please pray for safe travels for Elwood and his passengers. I hope that all of you will pray for the peace for the people here and especially thanksgiving for the peace we all take for granted in the first world.

Bob