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Haiti earthquake - exclusive interview with President
Haiti will recover, says President René Préval
Article published on the 2010-01-20 Latest update 2010-01-20 20:51 TU
Haitian President René Préval
(Photo: AFP)
Three-thousand “bandits” escaped from prison after Haiti’s earthquake last week, President René Préval has told RFI. But he insists that the country can maintain law and order and recover from the disaster.
Préval says that escaped prisoners now outnumber police on what is left of Haiti’s streets.
“We have a police force of about 2,000 to 2,500 officers,” he says. “There are 3,000 bandits who have broken out of prison. Those people represent a danger because, for every gang leader, there are ten or 20 who will work with him.”
Police stations have been destroyed in the earthquake and police officers’ families have suffered like everyone else’s, Préval points out.
“The police’s ability to work has been affected,” he admits.
But the President believes that Haitian solidarity can isolate profiteers and criminals.
“There’s always someone who tries to profit from every disaster. If neighbourhoods get organised and report the bandits to the authorities, and restrain people who are likely to loot, I think that things will get better.”
The earthquake has hindered the day-to-day workings of the government. Ministers have had to ride mopeds to meet the President since the disaster, and ministries are still operating out of makeshift buildings.
“The palace collapsed, the ministries collapsed, the parliament collapsed - Yes, the state collapsed,” says Préval. “But, little by little, we’re rebuilding it.”
Haitians must respond in a spirit of solidarity, the President says. But the government has its responsibilities, too.
“We have to do everything necessary to deliver food and water to those who are suffering … We mustn’t leave corpses in the street because that will upset people. We must do what’s needed to put people who are on the street into shelters and take them food and water,” he says.
Préval has no complaints about the speed with which aid arrived.
“But, at the same time, that posed a problem because while the aid is getting here and we’re not ready to deal with it,” he points out. “What’s important is co-ordinating the aid effort.”
US military helicopters landed at the presidential palace Wednesday, sparking charges that they were behaving like invaders. Préval defends the US’s role.
“If the lawn of the presidential palace can be used to save lives, I think that ideological considerations must be set aside in favour of charity, to help us to aid the injured. If they can be treated on the presidential palace lawn, then let them be treated on the presidential palace lawn.”
And he insists that Washington’s controversial dominance of the aid effort and post-quake security is welcome, pointing out that the UN’s force, Minustah, was also badly hit by the disaster.
“We have a collaboration with several partners,” he comments. “The Americans, under Minustah’s leadership-- even though they are not part of it-- have offered help with reconstruction," he says.
"It [security provision] is still Minustah, with the police, helped by the Americans,” he adds.
The country is reeling not just from the earthquake but from last year's cyclones.
“In the last two years we have been through two historic disasters. Last year, for the first time ever, four cyclones, one after the other, hit the country. And the region has never experienced such a severe earthquake," says Préval.
But, if international help is maintained for the long-term, Haiti will recover, he insists.
“A country doesn’t die. A people doesn’t die,” says Préval.
Philippe Bolopion's full interview with President Préval in French can be found here.
