VZCZCXRO9585
PP RUEHQU
DE RUEHPU #1148/01 1801233
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 291233Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6415
INFO RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 1574
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA PRIORITY 1393
RUEHQU/AMCONSUL QUEBEC PRIORITY 0836
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1247

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 001148 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR 
S/CRS 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR 
INR/IAA 
WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL HA
SUBJECT: THE POLITICAL BASIS FOR VIOLENCE IN GONAIVES - 
PART 2 OF 3 
 
REF: PORT-AU-PRINCE 966 
 
PORT AU PR 00001148  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR JANET A. SANDERSON, REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D). 
 
¶1.  (C)  Summary.  Like their local political leaders, civil 
society leaders in Gonaives believe that insecurity in 
Gonaives results from the political rivalry between Prime 
Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis and Senator Youri Latortue. 
According to post's interlocutors, gang leaders, who are 
linked to Senator Youri Latortue, prey on the local populace 
and foment unrest to discredit the government.  At the same 
time, residents resent the government and the Haitian police 
(HNP) for their inability to deliver services and protect the 
citizenry.  While leaders express hope that recent changes in 
HNP leadership will improve the security climate, they report 
that many residents believe that the re-establishment of the 
army would be more effective in combating gangs and restoring 
order.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (C)  Poloff on May 30-31 conducted nine interviews in 
Gonaives, of which two were with politicians, two with law 
enforcement, and five with civil society.  This second cable 
reports on the interviews with Catholic XXXXXXXXXXXX, the national XXXXXXXXXXXX leader XXXXXXXXXXXX, 
civil society XXXXXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXXXXX proprietor XXXXXXXXXXXX, and XXXXXXXXXXXX. 
 
¶3.  (C)  XXXXXXXXXXXX representative organization, claimed that 
Gonaives was dangerous because the authorities tolerated the 
gangs that were aligned with Latortue's political party, The 
Artibonite in Action (LAA).  Because of the authorities' 
acquiesence, no one protected members of civil society who 
spoke out against the gangs.  For example, XXXXXXXXXXXX asserted 
that gang members on April 13 at 3:00 AM murdered Zantray's 
former secretary general, Edouard Johnson.  The HNP arrested 
the alleged perpetrator only under pressure from Zantray. 
Separately, XXXXXXXXXXXX claimed that before the change in 
leadership at the HNP, Senator Latortue would go to the local 
police station at midnight and secure the release of arrested 
gang members.  When asked how he obtained this information, 
he replied that HNP officers told him.  He allowed that the 
HNP in Gonaives changed for the better under its new 
leadership that arrived in May. 
 
¶4.  (C)  Catholic XXXXXXXXXXXX noted that until the 
recent HNP crackdown on gangs, Gonaives was the victim of a 
''culture of impunity.''  Since the GoH did not have 
effective law enforcement in the city, residents felt 
unprotected from the gangs if they were to speak out against 
them.  Everyone understood that the gangs in Raboteau did not 
make idle threats, as the murder of journalist Alix Joseph 
reinforced (Note. Joseph, a noted grass-roots democracy 
activist, reportedly received death threats from gang members 
after speaking out against gang violence.  See reftel.) 
XXXXXXXXXXXX, who denounced the violence, placed security guards in 
his residential compound, even though he did not feel 
directly threatened by the gangs.  While XXXXXXXXXXXX assiduously 
avoided any mention of politicians or political factions, he 
opined that residents were asking for the return of the army 
because in the past, the army ''kept the situation under 
control.'' 
 
¶5.  (C)  XXXXXXXXXXXX believed that Gonaives suffered from 
insecurity ''that was a form of opposition to the GoH'' 
caused by politically ambitious persons, ''some of whom 
should be behind bars, but are seeking office.  You know who 
I am talking about.''  XXXXXXXXXXXX claimed that Latortue was 
not as popular as some may believe, but that because of his 
long established ties with the gangs, Latortue is part of a 
strong minority able to disrupt events that support Prime 
Minister Alexis, as seen when demonstrators threw rocks at 
Alexis during Judge Hugues St. Pierre's funeral.  XXXXXXXXXXXX 
claimed to know definitely that Latortue is stockpiling arms 
and that the local longshoremen were aligned with Latortue. 
(Comment:  Longshoremen initially made up the bulk of the 
notorious ''Cannibal Army'' gang in Gonaives.  End comment.) 
Conversely, according to XXXXXXXXXXXX, though Latortue's 
popularity may be exaggerated, many Gonaives residents oppose 
President Rene Preval because they view his administration as 
a continuation of Lavalas rule. 
 
¶6.  (C)  XXXXXXXXXXXX, a local businessman and XXXXXXXXXXXX also maintained that the insecurity in Gonaives is 
politically driven by the Alexis-Latortue rivalry.  XXXXXXXXXXXX 
believes that because Aristide's return to Haiti is more 
likely to occur with a Democratic U.S. presidential victory 
in 2008, Latortue is determined to provide an inhospitable 
environment for Aristide in the event that he returns with 
the ascension of a Democrat to the White House.  XXXXXXXXXXXX is 
unclear where Alexis stands in this scenario.  He believes 
that Latortue is continually adding to his base of supporters 
by manipulating the students with his call for the 
re-establishment of the army and the establishment of a 
university in Gonaives. 
 
¶7.  (C)  XXXXXXXXXXXX, who assumed the directorship of 
the School of XXXXXXXXXXXX after XXXXXXXXXXXX's death,  claimed that the basis for Gonaives' 
insecurity was political, but declined to elaborate further. 
He noted that the students were especially upset about the 
manner in which journalist Alix Joseph was murdered. 
Jean-Louis did not know if Latortue was providing financial 
assistance to the students, but he claimed that the students 
would rather live in a police state than with insecurity. 
Consequently, the students who understand that the 
constitution explicitly calls for an army and police, believe 
that an HNP under the army would have eliminated the gangs 
long ago. 
 
¶8.  (C)  Comment.  According to post's civil society 
interlocutors, residents of Gonaives see themselves as 
helpless bystanders in a partisan political war conducted by 
armed factions, and civil society leaders are unable to 
address their concerns through the democratic process. 
Though residents credit MINUSTAH with some improvement in the 
overall climate, many believe that the re-establishment of 
the army is the only real solution to gang impunity.   Both 
anti-gang and pro-army sentiment seems to contribute to 
Senator Latortue's political strength, even if many identify 
him as the gang's political patron.  Whether or not Latortue 
enjoys genuine popularity among Gonaives residents, he has 
become a formidable adversary of Alexis and the government 
because he actively recruits allies and champions popular 
positions, actions which residents of Gonaives do not see the 
GoH doing.  Latortue is re-branding himself as a man of 
action, which resonates with the populace. 
SANDERSON