riots.

*FYI: i meant to post this last week, but time got away from me. i pulled it out of the trash and tweeked it a bit. it's a little soggy, but mostly still edible.
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the streets last week were abuzz with the news of the protests in Cap Haitian. you have probably seen or read the news stories yourselves about the riots. or maybe you haven't. interestingly as the events unfolded last week, we watched the mainstream news' version of them unfold as well, and after doing so i might just never trust the media machine again.  

from the start of the protests in Cap Haitian, the motivations were clear and consistent among the people we asked here, all of whom were Haitian. coincidentally, by and large, the press's coverage has not coincided with the answers our friends have given us. strange.

we've watched as the media has quoted twitter feeds and blog posts again and again. even if these sources are from the 'front lines,' which makes sense, 140 characters is a difficult, if not impossible way to extend full and robust coverage to the masses. we've watched as the same news story gets shuffled through all the big sources, oft with the same narrative i've mentioned before.

another twitter fumble occurred this week, mis-locating another outbreak of cholera and causing quite a ruckus. is this the kind of reporting upon which we're basing our perceptions of the rest the world?

as for the protests, or manifestations, it was really no surprise that they finally erupted. UN bases seem to be all over the place. the closest base to us is only about 5 miles away and it seems like we live in the middle of nowhere. since we've been here, we've seen the UN's MINISTUH in action only after the flood hit. they were seen hovering briefly over the delivery of aid to the displaced peoples at the school in town and shuttling groups of people to dry land by motor boat for an afternoon.  far more often than that we've seen tanks driving down peaceful, unpaved, torn-to-pieces roads, at other times driving through town in huge trucks filled with 20-something armed soldiers, and without fail guarding their compounds with armed villigance everytime we pass one.

How would the public feel toward MINISTUH had things have been different? if there had not been an alleged murder within the gates of a UN compound in Cap recently? if they had spent even half of their time building roads or hospitals, water distribution systems, or public schools? or what if they hadn't brought along cholera and then refused to acknowledge this even after having been proven? 

who is telling those stories? who is honoring those tragedies? who is holding MINISTUH accountable?

if you're interested in what's really going on here, watch this  Democracy Now piece. of course, it's not perfect, but it's one of only pieces that seems to align with the explanations our friends have shared with us here. 

it's also no surprise that many people are also upset at the exorbitant amount of money being drained into the campaign trails rather than addressing the cholera outbreak that has affected at least 23,377 lives (with the possibility of an additional 400% having never been officially reported). But the UN wants to pin this all on the count that the 'ungrateful hatian population they are so dutifully serving' is simply 'taking out their election frustrations on the innocent, benevolent, peace-keeping MINISTUH forces'. Come on.

as for the homefront, we're safe and sound. somehow. the technicians have been tirelessly giving cholera prevention sessions in all the schools and churches. we've been accompanying them and we're all hoping cholera will stay at bay.  

over and out. for now.