Members of Jacksonville's Haitian diaspora called on Northeast Florida Republican congressmen Aaron Bean and John Rutherford to craft legislation that was stem the exportation of weapons to Haiti. From left: Booz Paul, Roudy Duviver, Pologne Moise, Cheryl McCall, Pierre Paul, Sintalie Jean, Ceasar Paul-Murray and Lyned Jana. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
Published on March 19, 2024 at 9:27 pm
Pierre Paul says the gang violence that is destabilizing Haiti can only be quelled if the international community partners with anti-corruption leaders in his homeland.
Paul and other members of the Coalition of the Haitian Community in Jacksonville made pleas for state and federal help at a rally Tuesday in front of Jacksonville City Hall. The coalition was joined by a handful of members of Jacksonville civil rights and community organizations.
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The groups are calling on the federal government to allow Haitian refugees to enter the country. They also want Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to create and implement a plan for welcoming refugees to the state, at the same time DeSantis is stepping up patrols in the Florida Keys and is discussing flying Haitian migrants to Martha’s Vineyard. The Jacksonville coalition is also appealing to U.S. Rep. Aaron Bean, R-FL4, and Rep. John Rutherford, R-FL5, to push for stemming exports of weapons into Haiti.
On March 15, Florida Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott asked the Biden administration for answers on how it would handle a potential influx of Haitians coming to Florida as well as how it would ensure that criminals are not masking as refugees to enter the U.S.
“The failure is not only on Haitians. It’s upon the international organizations as well,” Paul said. “For so long, they participate and manipulate the Haitian political movement. And now, today, we have no government. It’s the time now for all Haitians around the world to get together and lead this country.”
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Haiti, one of the Western Hemisphere’s oldest democracies, does not have a leader since interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned earlier this month. Henry took over after Prime Minister Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in his residence in July 2021.
In February, Moïse’s widow, Martine, as well as former Prime Minister Claude Joseph and the former chief of Haiti’s National Police were indicted in connection with Moise’s death.
Despite the instability, Jacksonville resident Booz Paul believes democracy can succeed in Haiti. He ran for mayor of Sud Haiti in 2015.
Booz Paul says members of the Haitian diaspora, who now primarily live in South Florida and New York, would – like him – prefer to live in Haiti.
“We can visit (the U.S.). We can come for a few days or a few months,” Paul says, “but we are running away from something.”
Booz Paul says corruption is one of the factors that forces people to leave Haiti, and the leaders of other Western nations should support Haitian political leaders who are willing to stand up to corruption.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that out of 124,000 Duval County residents who were born in other countries, 5,900 are from Haiti.
Lead photo: (From left:) Booz Paul, Roudy Duviver, Pologne Moise, Cheryl McCall, Pierre Paul, Sintalie Jean, Ceasar Paul-Murray and Lyned Jana. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
