Josué Mérilien, coordinator of the Konbit platform (‘Working together’), criticized US interventionist policies towards the Caribbean country, since its occupation in 1915, and stressed that they are one of the main causes of this problem.

‘US governments have their responsibilities in this situation of chaos pushing Haitians to flee the country’, Mérilien said and announced demonstrations from Thursday morning against insecurity, as well as interference in the internal affairs of the nation.

Demonstrations will also denounce the inhumane treatment of US border officials against migrants, especially those from Haiti and, for this, Mérilien invited the population to stand before the US embassy in Port-au-Prince.

Last week at least 15,000 migrants, mostly born in Haiti, arrived in the city of Del Rio, Texas, to request political asylum, but some were confronted by agents on horseback with ropes in their hands.

These actions triggered criticism against the White House for the treatment to migrants that reminded the times of slavery.

Almost 4,000 of these migrants were expeditiously returned to Haiti, and the United Nations Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Haiti announced that they are mobilizing to meet their basic needs.

pgh/lcr