[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 29, Number 11 (Monday, March 22, 1993)]
[Pages 437-440]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks With President Jean-Bertrand Aristide of Haiti and an Exchange 
With Reporters

 March 16, 1993

    President Clinton. I'd like to make a brief statement and then 
invite President Aristide to make a statement. And then we'll answer 
questions.
    It's been a great honor for all of us to have President Aristide and 
members of his government and the Ambassador from Haiti to the United 
States here in the Oval Office today. And we wanted to have the 
opportunity to speak to the American people and to the people of Haiti 
from the Oval Office to emphasize how important it is to me personally 
and to the United States to restore democracy in Haiti and to restore 
President Aristide as the elected leader of that country.
    To those who have blocked the restoration of democracy, I want to 
make it clear in the strongest possible terms that we will not now or 
ever support the continuation of an illegal government in Haiti and that 
we want to step up dramatically the pace of negotiations to restore 
President Aristide under conditions of national reconciliation and 
mutual respect for human rights with a program of genuine economic 
progress.
    The Secretary of State has named an experienced diplomat, Mr. 
Lawrence Pezzullo, who is here now, to be his special representative in 
Haiti, to work with the Caputo mission through the United Nations and 
the Organization of American States to push forward with a rapid 
settlement of these issues. I would urge the de facto government of 
Haiti and the military officials in that country and police officials to 
support this process. Any opposition, any delay will only result in 
stronger measures taken by the United States and more difficulty and 
hardship for the people of Haiti, who have been the innocent sufferers 
in this whole sad saga.
    I look forward to working with President Aristide. I look forward to 
the success of Mr. Pezzullo. And I want to make it clear that the United 
States is committed strongly to a much more aggressive effort to restore 
Mr. Aristide to his Presidency and to, over the long run, work with the 
people of Haiti to restore conditions of economic prosperity.
    I am prepared to commit the United States to its fair portion of a 
5-year, multinational $1 billion effort to rebuild the Haitian economy. 
And we are going to begin on this project in earnest now.
    I'd like to now invite President Aristide to make whatever remarks 
he would like to make, and then open the floor for your questions.
    President Aristide. Mr. President Clinton, we are delighted to be 
here with you, with the Vice President, Secretary of State, Ambassador 
Pezzullo. We want to thank you on behalf of the Haitian people for your 
support. We want to thank you for what you just said. That went directly 
to the heart of the Haitian people working peacefully for the 
restoration of democracy.
    I grasp this opportunity to thank the American people for their 
solidarity, because with

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our American brothers and sisters, since 18 months we realize how 
beautiful it is to work in a nonviolent way for the restoration of 
democracy. The Haitian people today hear your voice, and on behalf of 
them, I can say, in the past we wanted to be with you; we are with you; 
in the future, we will be with you, and you will be welcome in Haiti 
when I will be there after the restoration of democracy.
    We have a lot of people suffering since 18 months. And today I'm 
sure they are happy because they realize finally that day for the 
restoration of democracy will come, and since today they can continue to 
build but in a strongest way that democracy, always in a nonviolent way. 
The refugees can feel happy. Those who are in Guantanamo can feel happy. 
Those who are in Haiti working peacefully for that democracy can feel 
happy because that day is coming because of you, because of the American 
Government, because of the U.S., because of the OAS.
    Thanks once again for that, and you are welcome to our land.
    Q. Mr. President, in the past few days, President Aristide has 
called for a date certain for his return. He's called for tougher 
sanctions, a tougher enforcement of the embargo, a naval blockade, and 
for some action to relieve the suffering of those in Guantanamo. Are you 
prepared to take any of those steps?
    President Clinton. Let me respond, if I might, to each in turn. And 
let me start with the middle suggestion, the question of whether the 
United States would take tougher action on the embargo. I wouldn't rule 
that out, but I think you shouldn't underestimate the impact of this 
diplomatic initiative, sending Mr. Pezzullo to Haiti, making the 
statements we're making today, sending the clear and unambiguous signal 
we're sending.
    And I might note that just a few moments ago the person we had 
approved for refugee status who had been held illegally by the Haitian 
de facto Government was released to come to the United States as a 
refugee.
    I think that the message we're sending out there is clear. So I 
think what we would like to do is to give Mr. Pezzullo a chance to go to 
Haiti, communicate strongly and directly to the appropriate people there 
what our position is and where we're going before we take actions, which 
at least in the short run will make life even more difficult for the 
Haitians. I wouldn't rule them out, but I think we ought to have it in 
an appropriate sequence of events.
    As to the question of a date certain, I certainly think that we 
ought to return President Aristide in the near future. But I think that 
the date for the conclusion of the negotiations ought to come out of Mr. 
Caputo and his mission. And I think we ought to, in fairness, let him do 
that. It is a very grave thing for the United States alone to be setting 
a date certain in an endeavor that involves the United Nations and the 
Organization of the American States. So I think a date may well come out 
of the efforts of the Caputo mission, but we don't feel at this time it 
is the wisest thing for the long-term interests of President Aristide or 
Haiti for us to set the date on our own.
    With regard to the refugees in Guantanamo, I'm going to do the 
following things: First of all, I'm going to send someone from our White 
House staff to Guantanamo to review the situation personally. Secondly, 
I'm going to take up the legal and human conditions of the refugees with 
the Attorney General, who has jurisdiction in these areas, now that we 
have a new Attorney General confirmed. I wanted to wait and have the 
opportunity to discuss that with her.
    And then we will review the whole question and see whether or not 
there's anything else we should do. I expect all this would be done in 
the near future. I don't expect to take a good deal of time on this.
    Q. President Aristide, is that satisfactory to you?
    President Aristide. Totally.
    Q. Can we expect or can any Haitian in Cap Haitien or elsewhere 
expect the early return, constitutional return of the constitutional 
President of Haiti?
    President Aristide. Every Haitian should be extremely happy about 
what has happened today. I think that all Haitians can look with joy at 
the cooperation of myself and President Clinton, working hand in hand 
for all Haitians, looking forward to peace, to nonviolence, to economic 
development. I think

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everyone can feel great contentment and happy anticipation.
    Q. Is there going to be a real celebration of the Constitution, the 
anniversary of the Constitution of Haiti?
    President Aristide. Yes, with the help of President Clinton, all 
Haitians can feel comfortable and happy about celebrating March 29th as 
an anniversary for peace and respect of the law, the Constitution as a 
basis for the law, and for its respect for all Haitians.
    Q. Mr. Clinton, would it be acceptable to you if the coup leaders 
left without being punished?
    President Clinton. Well, it would be acceptable to me to restore 
President Aristide to power in Haiti under conditions which were safe 
for him and for all Haitians. He has spoken in the past about what his 
policies would be in that regard, and I presume that a lot of the 
details of this would be the subject of negotiations. And those are 
negotiations of which I do not believe I should engage, although I would 
say that I was very impressed with what President Aristide said today 
about the need for national reconciliation. And perhaps you'd want him 
to make a comment.
    Q. Mr. President, you criticized----
    President Clinton. Could we give him a chance to answer, please.
    President Aristide. In Haiti we don't have an institution giving 
justice to people but unfortunately selling that justice. After 200 
years, we realize we still have an army of 7,000 military and 40 percent 
of the national budget. So I used to ask the Haitians, do not go to any 
kind of violence or retaliation or vengeance. I will continue to do the 
same, because what we need is nonviolent reality, not violent.
    That's why I'm not saying we want to see the coup leaders in jail 
and then to feel happy because we punished them. I'm saying, asking to 
all the Haitians to not go to vengeance, to wait for justice instead of 
doing justice for themselves out of institution. We can work peacefully 
to remove the coup leaders from the army and that way to free the army 
and let justice be done; not then to feel happy because we put them in 
jail, no; happy because we can that way make a balance in a country 
where we don't have yet institutions who give justice.
    I would add this point: We want reconciliation. We want justice. We 
want peace. That's why through this process, by a dialog, we can reach 
that level where, finally, the Haitians will feel so happy to not go to 
vengeance and to not see the symbol of the coup in the same place, with 
the same weapons, doing the same repression. That's the way we are 
trying to go.

[At this point, President Aristide repeated his answer in French, and it 
was translated as follows.]

    President Aristide. There is no institution in Haiti which is in a 
position or able to give justice in Haiti at the present time. Justice 
is sold, and that has been the case for the last 200 years. We in Haiti 
are opting now for nonviolence, for peace for all the people of Haiti. 
Therefore, we must free the army from those who were responsible for the 
coup, asking at the same time all Haitians not to engage in vengeance, 
but rather to devote themselves to justice and to feel happy in the 
knowledge that justice will be done.

    It is in that sense that we have asked for the departure of the coup 
leaders, that they no longer be the heads of the army, not necessarily 
that they either be in jail or have to leave the country, but that a 
solution be found via dialog which will lead to a truly balanced 
situation so that all can work together in this nonviolent context which 
will bring about a feeling of deepest joy in the hearts of all Haitians.

    Q. Thank you.

    President Clinton. I know we have to go. Let me just reaffirm two 
points, and I'm glad you said it the second time because that's exactly 
what came out of our meetings. That sort of attitude on the part of 
President Aristide is the very thing that should enable us to resolve 
this in a peaceful way. If the people of Haiti can live in peace and 
security, subsequent to an agreement, and begin once again to work for 
their own prosperity instead of living in ever-deepening misery, then I 
think that we will be well on the road to alleviating literally 
centuries of oppression in

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that beautiful country that has been so misgoverned for so long.

    And I applaud his statement. It is in that spirit that I undertake 
this initiative. And I want to close by reaffirming the determination of 
the United States to restore democracy and President Aristide as soon as 
possible.

    Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 5 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House.