Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Haiti in Turmoil
Aired February 25, 2004 - 15:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: From bad to worse in Haiti. The security situation is said to be deteriorating in the capital. President Bush has warned that the U.S. Coast Guard will turn back any Haitian refugees who try to flee in boats.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders in Haiti have rejected the latest peace plan. And U.S. presidential candidate Al Sharpton is volunteering to go to Haiti to help mediate that crisis.
Our Lucia Newman is there and brings us the later.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Haiti's opposition is calling on the international community and particularly the United States to pressure President Aristide into what they call a peaceful and orderly departure.
They say that the president does not keep his word. They cannot agree to a power-sharing deal as presented by the international community. In fact, they say there is a popular uprising right now, a peaceful popular uprising, and that the citizens of Haiti would not accept any power-sharing deal of that kind.
They also blamed the president himself for the armed uprising and the violence in the country, saying that he had provided the fertile terrain for members of Haiti's former military to come back into this country and pick up arms to try and get the president out of the palace by force. They also say that it was the president's human rights violations and repressive policies that turned the people of Haiti against him.
Now, the only thing that all sides here seem to agree about is that time is running out for this country. The opposition has also called on the United States to be careful not to make this country a kind of ping-pong or a political ping-pong in the U.S. electoral process. They were referring specifically to statements made by Senator John Kerry when he asked that the United States bring in forces to help restore democracy and bring about a bartered agreement between the opposition and the president.
They say it's too late, that the president is not a democrat and that he has to go.
Lucia Newman, CNN, Port-au-Prince.
(END VIDEOTAPE) TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 25, 2004 - 15:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: From bad to worse in Haiti. The security situation is said to be deteriorating in the capital. President Bush has warned that the U.S. Coast Guard will turn back any Haitian refugees who try to flee in boats.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders in Haiti have rejected the latest peace plan. And U.S. presidential candidate Al Sharpton is volunteering to go to Haiti to help mediate that crisis.
Our Lucia Newman is there and brings us the later.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Haiti's opposition is calling on the international community and particularly the United States to pressure President Aristide into what they call a peaceful and orderly departure.
They say that the president does not keep his word. They cannot agree to a power-sharing deal as presented by the international community. In fact, they say there is a popular uprising right now, a peaceful popular uprising, and that the citizens of Haiti would not accept any power-sharing deal of that kind.
They also blamed the president himself for the armed uprising and the violence in the country, saying that he had provided the fertile terrain for members of Haiti's former military to come back into this country and pick up arms to try and get the president out of the palace by force. They also say that it was the president's human rights violations and repressive policies that turned the people of Haiti against him.
Now, the only thing that all sides here seem to agree about is that time is running out for this country. The opposition has also called on the United States to be careful not to make this country a kind of ping-pong or a political ping-pong in the U.S. electoral process. They were referring specifically to statements made by Senator John Kerry when he asked that the United States bring in forces to help restore democracy and bring about a bartered agreement between the opposition and the president.
They say it's too late, that the president is not a democrat and that he has to go.
Lucia Newman, CNN, Port-au-Prince.
(END VIDEOTAPE) TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
