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la_marquise ([personal profile] la_marquise) wrote2011-01-17 05:31 pm
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Breaking news

According to the BBC, the former dictator Jean-Claude (Baby Doc) Duvalier has returned to Haiti. This won't mean much to those of you under about 40, but this is potentially really worrying. (Especially on top of recent reports taht aid is till not getting through to most of the earthquake victims.)
More here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-11943820
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Papa Doc

[identity profile] athgarvan.livejournal.com 2011-01-17 05:39 pm (UTC)(link)
God help that poor unfortunate country.
"It never rains but it pours" is probably not the right words under the circumstances.

[identity profile] lil-shepherd.livejournal.com 2011-01-17 05:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Most of the Haitian pundits they talked to on the World Service this morning seemed relatively sanguine about this. As one of them said, "He has a Haitian passport so he has a right to come here."

[identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/ 2011-01-17 07:12 pm (UTC)(link)
That's very true. We can hope it all goes well.

[identity profile] stevegreen.livejournal.com 2011-01-17 10:01 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm surprised he hasn't been hauled up in front of the International Court.

[identity profile] desperance.livejournal.com 2011-01-17 06:03 pm (UTC)(link)
(Some) voices are asserting that he has no interest in re-entering politics - but at the same time his supporters are starting to ooze out of the woodwork. Scary times. Tho' I can't remember when times in Haiti were not scary, actually. Granted that we only ever hear the bad news, but even so...

[identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/ 2011-01-17 07:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Indeed. And at least one commentator says that he intends to involve himself with the reconstruction. It may be that that is from good motives. I hope so.

[identity profile] ginmar.livejournal.com 2011-01-17 06:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Jeez. I didn't know he was still alive.

[identity profile] stevegreen.livejournal.com 2011-01-17 10:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Papa Doc is. Sadly, Baby Doc isn't.

[identity profile] skaldic.livejournal.com 2011-01-17 06:45 pm (UTC)(link)
precisely my reaction. Yet another opportunity squandered by the West -- if we'd only stepped in and actually delivered the help we so blythely promised, then it'd be a lot less likely that the Haitians might turn back to someone like Duvalier. But I think there's a good chance they'll do just that when they're desperate and don't have any good choices.

[identity profile] caffeine-fairy.livejournal.com 2011-01-17 08:20 pm (UTC)(link)
*shudder*
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