[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 122 (Wednesday, July 26, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H7706]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 HAITI

  (Mr. BALLENGER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, I was approached by a 
group of Haitians requesting aid for their ailing nation. The group 
included Duly Brutus, a member of the opposition party, and also 
Josette Bouto, the mayor of a small town in northern Haiti. They 
painted a graphic picture of devastating conditions in Haiti.
  The mayor had a special request of pencils and paper for the poor 
school in her town of Limbe. With the help of pencil and paper 
manufacturers, I secured the contribution of 800,000 sheets of paper 
and 5,500 pencils that were shipped on July 14 by the AID. The 
educational materials will be distributed in towns and schools in dire 
need of them, particularly the small town of Limbe.
  This week, I learned of the arrest of Mr. Brutus. He is charged with 
allegedly committing arson, although many believe that because Mr. 
Brutus was active in opposing President Jean Paul Aristide, he may be a 
political prisoner. This arrest has added validity to election 
observers' statements that fraud and abuse in Haiti's political system 
is widespread. Furthermore, I have learned that the school in Limbe 
that was to receive the small contributions was burned to the ground.
  These incidents illustrate how far from democracy Haiti is and how 
long a journey it must make. Although I fear an increased United States 
presence there, we must continue to support peace and democracy in 
Haiti and in our hemisphere.

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