In Haiti, Two Sides and Bloodshed Between

[KingofSwords]

But in Haiti, nothing is as it seems. In this poor country of about 8 million people, where voodoo is considered a national religion and some people believe in mermaids and that the dead walk the streets, the political situation is mired in complexities. There are shades of meaning in a simple handshake and twists of the truth in the flash of a smile. Even those killed in the violence are sometimes claimed by both sides in the crisis.

What is clear is that tension has been mounting between those who support Aristide and those who oppose him. The political crisis has deepened as a coalition of opposition parties and businessmen has called for the ouster of Aristide, who returned to office in 1994 with U.S. government backing following a 1991 military coup. He was reelected president in 2000.

At the palace, Aristide, wearing a black suit and his trademark gold wire-framed glasses, defended his administration. He said he will not resign and will serve the last two years of his term.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6882-2004Feb2.html