In June of last summer I went up to Las Terrenas, on the crook of the left flipper of the Great Turtle here. It is a small international beach town where I lived when I first arrived here. My best friends are there and I consider it "home".
When I got there, I called my good friend Charlie Simon who is a Dominican Haitian artist and he came over -- looking like a skeleton of his former self. I was shocked. He must have lost 30 pounds and he was always thin. He had called me over the winter but -- as I had not had any money for another of his paintings-- he is one of the best artists in LT who routinely used to sell his paintings for $600 to $1000 each- I had not called him back. But I was ashamed of myself when I saw him. Because I had not known that a friend had actually not had enough to eat.
Within two days, I saw a Haitian with his hair turning red. This is kwashikoor, which is a protein deficiency. The hair turns red in a line, starting from one ear and going to another. Since Las Terrenas is one of the richest towns here in the DR, I was shocked. Again. Particularly since there were regular large tour buses bringing hordes of folks through town every day.
I went a bit nuts. Those of you who know me personally can attest to my capacity to go nuts.
I went screaming up at the tour buses... "would you like me to have some of my Haitian friends die for you on the street? Would you find that entertaining?"
I whipped out my American Express Card and started a few feeding station drop offs.. rice, beans, oil, peanut butter, cooking chocolate, oatmeal, sugar, condensed milk.
One day as I went passed the police station, there were over 50 Haitians assembled at the fence. A young Dominican had killed his Haitian girlfriend. He had confessed. He was in custody. The Haitians were afraid that he would be released.
I walked around the fence line.. addressed them in my few words of Kreyole.. I speak French and Spanish so the Haitians here in the DR can always understand me...and said that we should have a meeting.
So we had meetings.
We had meetings every week for six weeks, every Sunday. We even changed the venue a couple of times. We had no fliers. We did not make any calls. They all just talked to one another and every week 100 Haitians showed up.
It took them a while to understand that I was not an NGO nor did I have Bill Clinton's cell phone number.. All I said was that I was friends with their Minister of the Diaspora, Edwin Paraison, and that I knew the head of the Border foundation, Max Antoine and that they would .. at the very least... take my calls.
So what did these Haitians want?
They want to go home, they said.
There is no work for them here in the Dominican REpublic. They are homesick. And now they are beginning to starve. They are trained builders -- masons, electricians, finish carpenters, plumbers, assistants.. they speak Spanish ... they are ready to go home and help build Haiti.
We now have over 250 of them registered with the Association of Haitian Workers in Las Terrenas.
We are in the process of writing up a budget and a grant proposal.
Basically, we are hoping to send in the FIRST team -- of about 35 to 50 workers -- their World Cup Team-- with a work contract for one year and a tool bag full of tools. Every one of them has agreed that they will be very happy with that offer.
However, many of these men --we do have about a dozen women registered as well but it is mostly men- have children. Few of these children have any papers other than a registration of birth which has not been filed with any governmental authority.
Since this is a fragile population, we will have to proceed with care.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
George Clooney, please
I would like to invite George Clooney, Matt Damon, Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon, Andy Garcia and Martin Sheen down here to start the movie
the plot is unrolling here
the plot is unrolling here
Sunday, January 29, 2012
it has come to this!
Yes, it has now come to asking my readers to send me gifts!
I am broke. Up to my right nostril in debt.
But there is peanut butter and jelly
and chocolate
so how bad can life be?
Should you wish to say thanks for my witness
my wish list
from Amazon
is here
I am broke. Up to my right nostril in debt.
But there is peanut butter and jelly
and chocolate
so how bad can life be?
Should you wish to say thanks for my witness
my wish list
from Amazon
is here
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Earthquake and Cholera... the end of a bad year
I invite you all to join me in reflecting on the passage of what can truly be called
Haiti's Worst Year
Haiti's Worst Year
A Degree of comfort
I am settled in now. The dog, my Dominican street fluff.. who is the smartest dog I have ever met..insisted that we get a place by the beach.
So I said
"look here, Missy, I know that town and there is nothing there within walking distance of the beach that is less than $1000 a month."
And she said
"No - mommie-- I am sure.. We will keep looking"
And so we did. And so she found us the apartment on the beach, within walking distance of the best beach but totally protected from the weather by high stone buildings// but none that block out the palm trees or the clear shining stars in the black sky at night.
It is paradise.
And now that we are NOT going to make the island into a narcotrafficante paraiso, we have come up with a new plan
which is to turn the place into an ecotouristica paraiso
and teach you all how to live like Haitians
which is to say
in reverance to the ancestors
with respect for the Earth
with great faith in God
and amazing trust
and a smiling face
and a trusting heart
living on air and hope
and watching it all unfold
making art
welcome to
Quiskeya
So I said
"look here, Missy, I know that town and there is nothing there within walking distance of the beach that is less than $1000 a month."
And she said
"No - mommie-- I am sure.. We will keep looking"
And so we did. And so she found us the apartment on the beach, within walking distance of the best beach but totally protected from the weather by high stone buildings// but none that block out the palm trees or the clear shining stars in the black sky at night.
It is paradise.
And now that we are NOT going to make the island into a narcotrafficante paraiso, we have come up with a new plan
which is to turn the place into an ecotouristica paraiso
and teach you all how to live like Haitians
which is to say
in reverance to the ancestors
with respect for the Earth
with great faith in God
and amazing trust
and a smiling face
and a trusting heart
living on air and hope
and watching it all unfold
making art
welcome to
Quiskeya
It has been a month now since I got off the road with the team from Interpol.
I hooked up with them in June, when I popped up in the middle of a huge international drug bust up in Las Terrenas. I am a good journalist, well trained now after 5 years of field work,so I figured out a bit what was going on and who they were and offered them my services.
So, after they establish a HUGE security web around me, we went traveling together from LT down to Pedernales where the Colombians have their deep water port. Then across and up to Constanza where I had always been suspicious of the potato exporters since they would not let me into their warehouse when I was doing a story on agriculture.
I had always thought it odd, that as a foreign journalist, I was able to expose the cocaine transport route down on the southwest -- in about four days. It is well known when offshore drops are made and who is directing the pick ups.
But it seems now that -- with the help of an international team from France, England, Italy, Germany and the US-- one of the biggest links in the drug transport chain has been broken. \
The main arrest was of a Puerto Rican (not Augusto) who had been here in the DR running the drugs into PR over the last 10 years. He was on the FBIs top ten most wanted list. Along with him, there have been arrests of nationals from Colombia, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Lebenon.
It is believed that the connection here was being opened up for the inshipment of heroin from the Middle East.
Over 200 arrests have been made from within the Dominican Republic's own drug agency.
Until this time, only one Senator, from the southwest region of Previa, had had the courage to keep this topic alive within this country.
May he live long and prosper
I hooked up with them in June, when I popped up in the middle of a huge international drug bust up in Las Terrenas. I am a good journalist, well trained now after 5 years of field work,so I figured out a bit what was going on and who they were and offered them my services.
So, after they establish a HUGE security web around me, we went traveling together from LT down to Pedernales where the Colombians have their deep water port. Then across and up to Constanza where I had always been suspicious of the potato exporters since they would not let me into their warehouse when I was doing a story on agriculture.
I had always thought it odd, that as a foreign journalist, I was able to expose the cocaine transport route down on the southwest -- in about four days. It is well known when offshore drops are made and who is directing the pick ups.
But it seems now that -- with the help of an international team from France, England, Italy, Germany and the US-- one of the biggest links in the drug transport chain has been broken. \
The main arrest was of a Puerto Rican (not Augusto) who had been here in the DR running the drugs into PR over the last 10 years. He was on the FBIs top ten most wanted list. Along with him, there have been arrests of nationals from Colombia, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Lebenon.
It is believed that the connection here was being opened up for the inshipment of heroin from the Middle East.
Over 200 arrests have been made from within the Dominican Republic's own drug agency.
Until this time, only one Senator, from the southwest region of Previa, had had the courage to keep this topic alive within this country.
May he live long and prosper
Friday, December 2, 2011
Narcotrafficante Paraiso
I now feel clear to report the following
The government of the Dominican Republic, including the sitting president, Leonel Fernandez, and his selected successor, Danilo Medina, along with other presidential candidates - Hippollito Mejia, Ito Bisono, and Soto Jiminez,
Have entered into an agreement with the Columbian cocaine cartel to send the toll money from the new highway built to Samana, directly back to Columbia. Current toll is now at US $60 for a three hour drive.
I accuse the following companies of being implicit in this scheme to sell off the Samana Peninsula in square meter plots, in Euros and Dollars, over the Internet.. And additionally charge them with human trafficking, money laundering, and slavery.
What they have now planned for the entire island is a ring road highway with expensive hotels , privatized electricity, privatized water supply, and no public services to the dark skinned natives.- They are to be reduced to abject poverty so that any form of sex, particularly pedophilia, will be available for a few pesos.
This makes Auswiztch look like Springtime for Hitler in Germany.
So far, I seen signs for the following operators along the narco highway
All three major leagues of the USA ,, baseball, football, and basket ball
Orange Telephone ... from France
Claro Telephone... from Mexico
Mobil Oil
Texaco
Michelin Tires
Scotia Bank
Banco Popular
Banco BHD
Banco Progresso is under suspicion since they use Diebold cash machines which are Russian owned
Budwiser Beer
Presidente Beer
Brahma Beer
Ikea is under suspicion since it opened its premier Latin American store in a nation that only has a market of perhaps 2 million people. It is suspected that it did so in anticipation of future sales.
Also under suspicion are
Toshiba
Phillips Electronics
I ask that all journalists who were interested in the Haitian earthquake, to return to this island so that they might discover why no progress has been made on rebuilding Haiti.
I am the only English reporting journalist on this island for the last 7 years.
I ask that Friends hold me in the Light.
Checks in support of this witness may be sent to Asheville Friends Meeting, Asheville North Carolina with instructions that it is in support of the Haiti Witness.
The government of the Dominican Republic, including the sitting president, Leonel Fernandez, and his selected successor, Danilo Medina, along with other presidential candidates - Hippollito Mejia, Ito Bisono, and Soto Jiminez,
Have entered into an agreement with the Columbian cocaine cartel to send the toll money from the new highway built to Samana, directly back to Columbia. Current toll is now at US $60 for a three hour drive.
I accuse the following companies of being implicit in this scheme to sell off the Samana Peninsula in square meter plots, in Euros and Dollars, over the Internet.. And additionally charge them with human trafficking, money laundering, and slavery.
What they have now planned for the entire island is a ring road highway with expensive hotels , privatized electricity, privatized water supply, and no public services to the dark skinned natives.- They are to be reduced to abject poverty so that any form of sex, particularly pedophilia, will be available for a few pesos.
This makes Auswiztch look like Springtime for Hitler in Germany.
So far, I seen signs for the following operators along the narco highway
All three major leagues of the USA ,, baseball, football, and basket ball
Orange Telephone ... from France
Claro Telephone... from Mexico
Mobil Oil
Texaco
Michelin Tires
Scotia Bank
Banco Popular
Banco BHD
Banco Progresso is under suspicion since they use Diebold cash machines which are Russian owned
Budwiser Beer
Presidente Beer
Brahma Beer
Ikea is under suspicion since it opened its premier Latin American store in a nation that only has a market of perhaps 2 million people. It is suspected that it did so in anticipation of future sales.
Also under suspicion are
Toshiba
Phillips Electronics
I ask that all journalists who were interested in the Haitian earthquake, to return to this island so that they might discover why no progress has been made on rebuilding Haiti.
I am the only English reporting journalist on this island for the last 7 years.
I ask that Friends hold me in the Light.
Checks in support of this witness may be sent to Asheville Friends Meeting, Asheville North Carolina with instructions that it is in support of the Haiti Witness.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
PEACE ENCAMPMENT STARTING ON HISPANOLA
PRESS RE:EASE
SANTO DOMINGO
STARTING at SUNDOWN on SUNDAY< OCTOBER, First, 2011, a group of Haitian workers who are now in Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic, will formally launch their campaign to return to Haiti.
The group, which now numbers 158, has been meeting for two months now and is in the process of selecting their top team of 35 builders. These men, who are skilled in all phases of home construction, have worked under the finest engineers from all over the world and has made Las Terreanas the premier tourist destination in the Dominican Republic.
Since the bulk of the work there is completed,the workers understand that further work will be difficult to find. However, having worked under Dominican supervisors and engineers and being fluent in Spanish, they do not wish the knowledge that they have gained here to be lost to their nation.
They habe organized themselves into a HAITI CAPABLE CORPS and are asking that all international projects that are using Dominican builders, contact them through this blog.
We will be contacting the Dominican government directly
one hopes...
party on the beach
in front of casa blanca
sunday
sundown
bring yuour own
potato
SANTO DOMINGO
STARTING at SUNDOWN on SUNDAY< OCTOBER, First, 2011, a group of Haitian workers who are now in Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic, will formally launch their campaign to return to Haiti.
The group, which now numbers 158, has been meeting for two months now and is in the process of selecting their top team of 35 builders. These men, who are skilled in all phases of home construction, have worked under the finest engineers from all over the world and has made Las Terreanas the premier tourist destination in the Dominican Republic.
Since the bulk of the work there is completed,the workers understand that further work will be difficult to find. However, having worked under Dominican supervisors and engineers and being fluent in Spanish, they do not wish the knowledge that they have gained here to be lost to their nation.
They habe organized themselves into a HAITI CAPABLE CORPS and are asking that all international projects that are using Dominican builders, contact them through this blog.
We will be contacting the Dominican government directly
one hopes...
party on the beach
in front of casa blanca
sunday
sundown
bring yuour own
potato
There is a grave concern here in the DR about the rise in random, violent crime.
Back in the days of Aristide, the Cartels were running all the cocaine that came through the Carribbean, estimated at about 15% of the US and European market, through Haiti. When MINUSTAH came into Haiti, by mid term of Preval in 2008, prehaps, the nests of dealers had been cleared up. Now the product moves through the DR.
While the DR bought planes to intercept flights, much of the product is still dropped at sea and picked up by fishermen off the south coast. It is a fairly simple matter to find out who is in charge of the ring, as I was able to uncover it a couple of weekends.
However, the Dominicans have been in charge of the distribution of cocaine in NYC .. from NYC to Canada since the early 80s, since LALO from Santiago first discovered how to cut it into CRACK. Since that time, the Dominicans have distributed the cocaine but more importantly, they have laundered the money from this trade.
Twenty years ago, it was estimated that the profits from the sale of cocaine from the Columbia cartels was equal to annual US defense budget.
Since the demand for this product is inside the US and Europe, there is no way to stop this commerce.
It should be remembered that this is a TRADE WAR,
There are three extremely potent NATURAL medicines... coca, marijuana (hahish), and opium (morphine) .. nothing that the pharmaceutical companies have been able to manufacture and patent has ever come close to mimic the psychological and phsical effects of these drugs.
It is said, and I believe it to be true, that Coca Cola, which once contained Cocaine, still imports the coca leaves in their pure form for its secret formula. Here in the DR .. we still drink the orginal formula COCA COLA which is made with pure cane sugar, not the corn syrup.. and there is no contest between the effect of coca cola and pepsi. It is not just caffeine and sugar. There is something else.
This the global NORTH against the GLOBAL SOUTH.. because, if the money from the drug wars were to be acutally legalized and taxed, the color of the skin of the world's bankers would change from white to brown. Afghani, Bolivian, Jamaican....
However, the soft way out of this is simply to pull back the enforcement on any sort of criminial penalties on marijuana, which President Obama has already done. President Fernandez should follow his lead.
The plant, Cannabis Satvis, is native to this island. It was here before Columbus. There is a drawer in the medicine chest at the Museo de las Casas Reales which has it written on it.
Then President Fernadez should go after those who are opening up their product in the streets of the Dominican Republic.
This is a small island, heavily dependent on tourism. It cannot exist if there is an outbreak of crack induced violence.
A crack addict will sell his mother for a fix.
The Catholic Church and the drug educators here know nothing about drugs. They lump marijuana and crack into the same category as "the dark side " There are no good treat ment programs for crack.
The money laundering will and should continue. It is what will prevent this island from sinking into the sea. It will provide a safe haven from the impending crash that may come when the traders realize that they they are mostly crooks and decide to stop dealing with one another.
However, this Island, the FIRST ISLAND in the Western Hermisphere, can be a model for how we are to proceed into the next century.
Let us be clear.
Marijuana is a medicine.
Coca is a medicine.
Opium is a medicine.
Morphine is a medicine.
COCAINE IS A DRUG
CRACK IS A POISON
I trust the Senator Dodd is reading
Back in the days of Aristide, the Cartels were running all the cocaine that came through the Carribbean, estimated at about 15% of the US and European market, through Haiti. When MINUSTAH came into Haiti, by mid term of Preval in 2008, prehaps, the nests of dealers had been cleared up. Now the product moves through the DR.
While the DR bought planes to intercept flights, much of the product is still dropped at sea and picked up by fishermen off the south coast. It is a fairly simple matter to find out who is in charge of the ring, as I was able to uncover it a couple of weekends.
However, the Dominicans have been in charge of the distribution of cocaine in NYC .. from NYC to Canada since the early 80s, since LALO from Santiago first discovered how to cut it into CRACK. Since that time, the Dominicans have distributed the cocaine but more importantly, they have laundered the money from this trade.
Twenty years ago, it was estimated that the profits from the sale of cocaine from the Columbia cartels was equal to annual US defense budget.
Since the demand for this product is inside the US and Europe, there is no way to stop this commerce.
It should be remembered that this is a TRADE WAR,
There are three extremely potent NATURAL medicines... coca, marijuana (hahish), and opium (morphine) .. nothing that the pharmaceutical companies have been able to manufacture and patent has ever come close to mimic the psychological and phsical effects of these drugs.
It is said, and I believe it to be true, that Coca Cola, which once contained Cocaine, still imports the coca leaves in their pure form for its secret formula. Here in the DR .. we still drink the orginal formula COCA COLA which is made with pure cane sugar, not the corn syrup.. and there is no contest between the effect of coca cola and pepsi. It is not just caffeine and sugar. There is something else.
This the global NORTH against the GLOBAL SOUTH.. because, if the money from the drug wars were to be acutally legalized and taxed, the color of the skin of the world's bankers would change from white to brown. Afghani, Bolivian, Jamaican....
However, the soft way out of this is simply to pull back the enforcement on any sort of criminial penalties on marijuana, which President Obama has already done. President Fernandez should follow his lead.
The plant, Cannabis Satvis, is native to this island. It was here before Columbus. There is a drawer in the medicine chest at the Museo de las Casas Reales which has it written on it.
Then President Fernadez should go after those who are opening up their product in the streets of the Dominican Republic.
This is a small island, heavily dependent on tourism. It cannot exist if there is an outbreak of crack induced violence.
A crack addict will sell his mother for a fix.
The Catholic Church and the drug educators here know nothing about drugs. They lump marijuana and crack into the same category as "the dark side " There are no good treat ment programs for crack.
The money laundering will and should continue. It is what will prevent this island from sinking into the sea. It will provide a safe haven from the impending crash that may come when the traders realize that they they are mostly crooks and decide to stop dealing with one another.
However, this Island, the FIRST ISLAND in the Western Hermisphere, can be a model for how we are to proceed into the next century.
Let us be clear.
Marijuana is a medicine.
Coca is a medicine.
Opium is a medicine.
Morphine is a medicine.
COCAINE IS A DRUG
CRACK IS A POISON
I trust the Senator Dodd is reading
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
preparing for the Witch's Sabbath.. my favorite Holy Day
I am just turning this into my personal blogs to that my 25 follers and frinds and the
Watchers Can Watch
We are UNFOLDInt THE
Quiskeya Friends Project
I am very grateful for being so rich as to have been able to afford the following
upgrades to my life
In the last four yeas
I now have
A clothes washing machin
American
Whilopool
Hot water in my batyhroom shower and sink FIRST time in FIVE tears nn no follin
A FAN and spotlights in my dining room
And
Enough money to have THREE LOGHTS
On AT THE Same time
LIVING LARGE HERE ON
QUISKEYA
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