Uprising Against Aristide Spreads in Haiti
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 10:30 a.m. ET
ST. MARC, Haiti (AP) -- Rebels blocked streets and hundreds of Haitians looted shops in this port town as an uprising raged in several communities against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
Using felled trees, flaming tires and car chassis, residents blocked streets throughout St. Marc on Sunday, a day after militants drove out police in gunbattles that killed two people. Many residents have formed neighborhood groups to back insurgents in their push to expel the president.
``After Aristide leaves, the country will return to normal,'' said Axel Philippe, 34, among dozens massed on the highway leading to St. Marc, a city of about 100,000 located some 45 miles northwest of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
At least 18 people have been killed since armed opponents of Aristide began their assault Thursday, setting police stations on fire and driving officers from the northwestern city of Gonaives -- Haiti's fourth-largest city -- and several smaller nearby towns.
Anger has been brewing in Haiti since Aristide's party won flawed legislative elections in 2000. The opposition refuses to join in any new vote unless the president resigns; he insists on serving out his term, which ends in 2006.
Clashes between government opponents, police and Aristide supporters have killed at least 69 people since mid-September
I've written about this. IMO, Aristide is getting shafted by the Paris Club.
Posted by James R MacLean at February 9, 2004 05:23 PM