Kevin Pina

"This Is a Cover-up and Paul Martin Knows It”: Kevin Pina on Canada's Role in Haiti

Derrick O'Keefe, Kevin Pina — 2005-11-12T03:23:00Z

A cross-Canada week of action in solidarity with Haiti will be kicked off by a November 12 demonstration on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Solidarity committees are springing up across the country, objecting to the central role that the Canadian government played, along with France and the United States, in overturning the democratically-elected government of Haiti.

In October, Kevin Pina completed a cross-Canada tour, screening his new film Haiti: The Untold Story in cities and towns across the country, from Halifax to Victoria. Pina, based in Port-au-Prince, is an independent journalist with the Haiti Information Project (HIP), a correspondent with Flashpoints Radio, and a documentary filmmaker. In September, he and Jean Ristil, another Haitian journalist, were jailed for several days for attempting to film the Haitian National Police entering the residence of Father Jean Juste, a prominent political prisoner jailed by the de facto regime installed after the 2004 coup against Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Pina also toured Canada in February of this year, screening his earlier film Harvest of Hope and his work-in-progress Haiti: The Betrayal of Democracy. Derrick O'Keefe caught up with Kevin Pina during his stop in Vancouver, where 150 people attended the premiere of his latest film.

- / MRZine.org

Haiti Massacre and the UN

Dennis Bernstein, Kevin Pina — 2005-03-01T02:15:00Z

Rush transcript by Anton

Dennis Bernstein: Kevin, before we get into the story that we're going to break here, remind people what happened Saturday.

Kevin Pina: Saturday [February 19th], apparently, a truckload with six masked gunmen came to the national penitentiary, there was apparently no resistance from the armed guards within. They began to release the prisoners, and as you heard Mr. Quigley say [see www.flashpoints.net, Feb. 25th, interview preceding this one], 490 prisoners still unaccounted for are loose. People within the prison, two of the gunmen within the prison had forced the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Interior, Yvon Neptune and Jocelerme Privert, out into the street, then, apparently, they turned their backs as two other people then took the two of them and forced them into a car. We now know that the man who forced them into the car was a man named Arnold Bellizere, who I spoke with briefly this afternoon to confirm his version of events. And basically what Mr. Bellizere is saying is that there was $150,000 that was paid to people within the Prime Ministers office to use this attack as cover to release certain individuals who were on drug charges within the penitentiary, but that also, part of this plot was to cover an assassination plot against the Prime Minister, because Arneld Bellizere is now saying that he was indeed hired to take the Prime Minister to that private residence that Bill Quigley referred to when he described what happened, and he was supposed to have shot the Prime Minister there. (...)

- / ZNet

Canada and the UN are fronting for US foreign policy in Haiti

Ken Rockburn, Kevin Pina — 2005-02-24T04:43:00Z

Rockburn: This report[1] is staggering in so many ways, and it has images in it as well - they warn you about it at the beginning - of what is taking place there, and they are almost unbearable to look at...How long have you been there? Just give us a little background on you.

Pina: I've lived there for five years; I've been covering the situation for fifteen years. (...)

- / ZNet

Haiti and Dominican Republic

Dennis Bernstein, Kevin Pina — 2005-01-30T04:58:00Z

Flashpoints Radio interviews Kevin Pina, Special Correspondent in Haiti January 24, 2005

Bernstein: Let's talk about the strange circumstances of the arrest, or kidnapping, of two pro-democracy leaders, Paul Raymond and René Civil. Tell us a little bit about what's going on here, give us some context.

Pina: What the Haitian government is saying is that Paul Raymond and René Civil were arrested three days ago in the Dominican Republic along with Clifford Larose (1), who was the head of the national penitentiary of Haiti. What is so ironic about this is that Guy Philippe was detained and arrested several times by the Dominican authorities and then subsequently released citing 'lack of evidence,' especially after the attacks in July, 2003 against the largest hydroelectric facility in the country, Peligre. Philippe was detained by the Dominican authorities... (...)

- / ZNet

Extermination of Lavalas

Dennis Bernstein, Kevin Pina — 2004-12-08T05:23:00Z

Bernstein: I'm looking at a very troubling photograph and it represents the level and intensity of violence taking place on the ground in Haiti. First of all, describe this photograph, tell us if we know who this is, and what does it signify?

Pina: This is a resident of Cite Soleil. There's evidence of gunshots, obviously this person was shot several times, the body appears to have then been doused with gasoline and set afire, and then it appears as if someone had taken a brick and thrown it at the body afterwards as well, opening up the chest. (...)

- / ZNet

Right-wing thugs revel in Bush's Victory

Dennis Bernstein, Kevin Pina — 2004-11-10T05:56:00Z

Bernstein: We continue our reporting on the situation in Haiti, a situation that the mainstream, just about every reporting agency in this world has chosen not to report on. Most recently, Brazil moves to expand the 'coalition of the killing' in Haiti.by expanding and sending in more troops. This appears to be a very interesting [back room] collaboration between Brazil and the United States. A significant story, unprecedented, I believe, in this region about collaboration between the UN really, an illegitimate police force and in some cases convicted death squad activists. The attacks against the pro-democracy, pro-Aristide communities continued unabated, including two massacres by the Haitian police just last week. Yesterday and today reports continue of Haitian national police backed by units of the UN, carrying out massive sweeps, continuing the murders, arbitrary arrests and detentions, aimed at eliminating Lavalas.President Aristide's political party. The regime, the U.S. disinformation structure is definitely gearing up to support the continued repression and the continued isolation of the duly elected President of Haiti, President Aristide. The isolation, the separation between him and his people, and of course the demonization. (...)

- / ZNet

Haiti Emergency

Dennis Bernstein, Kevin Pina, Pierre Labossiere — 2004-11-02T18:00:43Z

Bernstein: Repressive forces acting on behalf of puppet Prime Minister Latortue continued their attacks on the pro-democracy movement. On [last] Tuesday U.S. backed Haitian police reportedly entered the neighbourhood of Fort Nationalle, forced 13 people to the ground, and executed them one by one. The UN special envoy to Haiti has called for the U.S. installed puppet government to investigate the killings. Some question whether this is only pro forma because the United Nations forces have in fact been collaborating with the government police and former death squad activists in purging the pro-democracy movement. As we go to air there are protests in San Francisco against the U.S. installed government in Haiti and its violent actions. (...)

- / ZNet

Repression in Haiti

Dennis Bernstein, Kevin Pina — 2004-10-27T04:33:00Z

Bernstein: Today we continue our drumbeat coverage of the situation on the ground in Haiti. While it's difficult to get a clear picture of the extent of the killings, arrests, kidnappings, torture and general intimidation, we know that the death toll is rising for members of the pro-democracy movement and many more Haitians are going into exile or at least trying. There's clearly a plan afoot on the part of the U.S. installed puppet government to purge the Lavalas movement - the majority party that elected President Jean Bertrand Aristide in the last election in a landslide. Aristide, in exile in South Africa, denied accusations that he was fomenting the violence from South Africa and implored the puppet government of Latortue to “stop the lying, stop the killing.” (...)

- / ZNet

Tearing up the UN Charter

Brian Concannon Jr., Dennis Bernstein, Kevin Pina — 2004-10-21T04:11:00Z

Bernstein: UN peacekeepers are now collaborating with the Haitian police and death squads, in a bloody purge of thousands of pro-democracy supporters of President Jean Bertrand Aristide. A spokesperson for the puppet government of Gerard Latortue stated after a raid on the Bel Air neighbourhood, "when we stormed the slum the bandits apparently had time to transport the weapons in[to] another slum." In other words, they didn't find anything. The characterization of pre-democracy activists as "bandits" and "terrorists" has been a mainstay of the U.S.- installed government after Aristide was overthrown by the U.S. [,Canada, and France]. The presence of battalions of former soldiers, including convicted death squad activists in the country only add to the bloody nature of the ongoing purge of the pro-democracy movement. This is a serious situation. (...)

- / ZNet

Death squads rampage in Haiti

Dennis Bernstein, Kevin Pina — 2004-10-19T03:59:00Z

Bernstein: The situation in Haiti is getting worse, as the U.S. installed coup government continues to intimidate, round up, arrest, beat and kill members of Lavalas, Aristide's major democracy party, that's the majority democracy party. We have been reporting now for several days on the kidnapping of several pro-democracy priests who work with the poor in Haiti. Among those rounded up and dragged out in front of the kids they were feeding is Father Gerard Jean-Juste, a legendary figure within the Haitian pro-democracy movement, and a close friend of the duly elected President of Haiti, Jean Bertrand Aristide, who, you remember, was kidnapped by the U.S. government. As we go to air Jean-Juste is still in custody and the pro-democracy movement is poised to carry out massive protests despite threats from the U.S. installed government. (...)

- / ZNet

Haiti Violence

Dennis Bernstein, Kevin Pina — 2004-10-12T03:03:00Z

Bernstein: A glittering example of U.S. foreign policy under George Bush is the kidnapping of the duly elected President of Haiti, Jean Bertrand Aristide, and the undermining of democracy. We now see the aftermath of that kidnapping and the hurricane and we now have a bloody nightmare on our hands based on U.S. foreign policy. Joining us for an update on the violence is our good friend and our special correspondent in Haiti, Kevin Pina. Kevin, welcome back to Flashpoints.

Pina: Thanks, Dennis, glad to be here. (...)

- / ZNet

Flood of Repression in Haiti Continues

Kevin Pina, Solange Echevarria — 2004-10-02T04:32:00Z

S.E.: The devastation of Hurricane Jeanne and a corrupt government has already reached biblical proportions in Haiti. With over 2000 reported dead and scores more missing, the Haitian people have much to do to reclaim their Republic. The Bush administration has been oddly silent on the destruction and [there is much] irony given the campaign speeches and promises of a 'compassionate conservatism' and 'peace-loving military missions.' John Kerry has also been strangely silent, given the outrageous cost of human life. With us once again is journalist, filmmaker, and special correspondent in Port au Prince, Kevin Pina. (...)

- / ZNet

The Tragedy of Gonaives

Kevin Pina — 2004-09-27T04:13:00Z

Port au Prince, Haiti - Interim Prime Minister Gerard Latortue flew into Gonaives, Haiti on March 20th where a huge and boisterous crowd of thousands heralded him. During the celebration Latortue embraced gang elements and the former military that helped overthrow the democratic government of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide as “freedom fighters.” Since then, Latortue and his government have done little to take control of Haiti's third largest city and has allowed gang leaders like Buteur Metayer and Wilfort Ferdinand to run it like a private fiefdom. (...)

- / ZNet

Haiti Floods

Kevin Pina, Solange Echevarria — 2004-09-24T04:31:00Z

Flashpoints interviews Kevin Pina

- / ZNet

Rolling Haiti Back to Colonialism

Charles Boylan, Kevin Pina — 2004-09-22T16:56:25Z

This interview was conducted on September 8, 2004. For more information, please go to Wake Up With Co-op.

Charles Boylan: I saw an e-mail yesterday and it said that the Haitian Army is re-establishing itself. I want you to tell us what you know about these facts, and to tell us a little bit about what this army is and its history.

Pina: Well it's the Forces, d'army Haiti Fad'h, which was the army created by the US back during the first occupation of Haiti, which lasted nineteen years, from1915 to 1934. The army, traditionally, was a tool of the ruling class of Haiti. It could be bought; it was responsible for more than thirty-three coup d'etats in Haiti's history. During the 1990's, after the coup d'etat against the first government of President Aristide, the army became very deeply involved in drug trafficking. (...) [September 21, 2004]

- / ZNet