Broadcast United

Haiti: 30 years after the assassination of devoted priest Jean-Marie Vincent, justice remains silent

Broadcast United News Desk
Haiti: 30 years after the assassination of devoted priest Jean-Marie Vincent, justice remains silent

[ad_1]

P-au-P., August 27, 2024 (AlterPresse) – For 30 years, justice has remained silent on the assassination of Jean-Marie Vincent, a Catholic priest faithful to the Church of Montfortain, who was shot 48 years ago On the night of August 28, 1994, at the entrance of the residence of Father Montfortain in Port-au-Prince, AlterPresse observed.

For 30 years, organizations from all walks of life have been calling for severe punishment of this crime.

“We do not understand why the executive, legislative and judicial powers do not assume their responsibility to expose this assassination and punish the perpetrators,” wrote the Jean-Marie Vincent Foundation, the network of organizations in 2017, the West Region (Rozo), Asosyasyon militan alfa pou patisipasyon pèp la (Amapp) and the National Union of Teachers and Teachers of Haiti (Unnoh) in a press release.

They ask themselves, in which countries are those in power not interested in seeking justice for the victims?

In recent years, the judiciary has remained completely silent about the cases, and now they are buried in drawers, with new cases regularly emerging, some more sinister than others.

Commitment to farmers

Father Jean-Marie Vincent, ordained a priest on January 8, 1971, made many contributions to the formation of popular and social movements in Haiti, in particular the creation of the gwoupman Tèt ansanm (peasant community groups) and the constitution of very solid peasant movements in the northwest, such as Tèt ansanm, which later transformed into Tèt kole ti peyizan.

In 1986 and 1987, he escaped several assassination attempts by the Grandons (large North-West landowners).

On 23 July 1987, Jean-Marie Vincent suffered a broken arm and severe head injuries while returning from celebrations in Pontsonde (Bas-Artibonite) in memory of the victims of the Jean Labelle (North-West) massacre. On 23 August 1987, he was wounded in a military ambush in Fresino (about 3 km south of Saint-Marc).

Jean-Marie Vincent and Jean Labelle’s missionary teams (composed of Haitians and foreigners) made important contributions to improving the conditions of peasants in the cities of northwestern Haiti. He also worked in Cap-Haïtien with Caritas du Nord, an organization within the Roman Catholic Church that focuses on social action and evangelical action.

Jean-Marie Vincent also wants to implement alternative financing structures aimed at promoting sustainable investments in grassroots communities, especially farmers.

Jean-Marie Vincent was born on October 21, 1945 in Baradère (Niepce department, southwestern Haiti) into a family and was assassinated at the age of 48 by armed men in front of the Abbey of Monfortin. , located on rue Baussin in Port-au-Prince.

His funeral was held on September 2, 1994 at Montfortains Church.

Like many other cases of violence, state crimes and massacres, starting in 1986 (after the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship/François Duvalier September 22, 1957 – April 21, 1971, Jean-Claude Duvalier April 22, 1971 – February 7, 1986) the assassination of Roman Catholic priest Jean-Marie Vincent on August 28, 1994, has not yet been resolved by the courts and remains one of the typical examples of the widespread impunity in Haiti. (GP April 27, 2017 at 8:00 pm)

[ad_2]

Source link

Share This Article
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *