Haitian Opponents Call for Closing of Public Institutions

Opposition sectors in Haiti urged protesters to shut the doors of ministries and public institutions as the Caribbean country enters its fourth week of anti-government strikes, after Oct. 4 mass protests against Haitian President Jovenel Moise and the foreign interference in the country’s affairs.

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"On Monday, people will begin to seal all state institutions in the country," André Michel, spokesman for the Democratic and Popular Sector platform opposition, wrote on his Twitter account.

Thousands of protesters demonstrated on Oct. 4 in front of the headquarters of the United Nations Mission for the support of Justice (Minujusth) and denounced the interference of the international community in internal affairs, after the Core Group, which is comprised of the United Nation secretary-general’s Special Representative for Haiti and the ambassadors of the United States, the European Union, and the Special Representative of the Organization of American States, met with the president last week and called for dialogue and negotiations.

"The mission stands ready to support peaceful solutions, which only Haitian actors can devise, to resolve the current situation and alleviate the suffering of the population, in accordance with democratic standards and human rights principles," the Minujusth said Sunday.

But the opponents do not see it from this point of view, as for them, only the departure of Moise can help calm down the situation.

The mobilization, one of the largest since the beginning of the protests against Moise in July 2018, also reached several other cities in the country. The demonstrations have been fueled by outrage over rampant corruption, increasing inflation and the dwindling of basic supplies like food and gasoline.

The president is also accused of having exacerbated the socioeconomic crisis in his more than two years of management and only worked to guarantee and secure the interests of the favored classes.

Moreover, the crisis has led to the closure of schools, several hospitals, and has impeded the delivering of humanitarian aid to vulnerable sectors.

At least 17 people were killed in the ongoing protests and some 200 wounded, including the son of Dominique Grillon; the young man is currently hospitalized after a car hit him last week as he set up a barricade.

"There will never be any change in Haiti," Grillon said, adding that protests occurred in the past and that they don't necessarily lead to better things.