People’s organizations, OP, of Raboteau headed by Amiot Metayer are once again out on the streets of Gonaives demonstrating against the Lavalas government. Following a calm day yesterday, OPs are shouting antigovernment slogans, saying they want to uproot the government. Pro-Convergence demonstrators are blocking the National Road in L’Estere. They say they are acting in solidarity with the OPs of Gonaives. Jean Robert Francois reports that tires are burning in various spots around Raboteau and demonstrators are calling for the departure of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. OPs reject the international community’s demand for the arrests of Metayer and Jean Pierre, known as Tatoune. They said that they will continue their movement until they get rid of the Lavalas government. One demonstrator said, “Jose Ulysse [government representative] said he came to negotiate with us. I was ready to kill him when he came. I did not do so only because a lot of people told me not to. I could have killed him right away because those people are bad. The police are trying to take hold of us, and we are trying to do the same to them too. Aristide must leave the government.”
Guy Louis-Jacques known as Guy Poupoute, one of the people’s organization, OP, leaders in Descahos, has begun to withdraw from the movement aimed at overthrowing Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Louis-Jacques says they voted for Aristide for five years and that the people must wait for the end of his term. Asked about the participation of the Descahos people in the movement to overthrow Lavalas, Louis-Jacques said: “It is not the Descahos people who were shouting down with Aristide…they are Convergence members.” Some people are wondering whether the Descahos people were paid to change their position. In the meantime, members of the Raboteau Revolutionary Forces announce that they will demonstrate again this morning against Lavalas and call their movement “hurricane.”
–Radio Signal