Group of 184
Encyclopedia
The Group of 184 is a group of Haiti
an individuals and organizations in a variety of sectors, ranging from business and the economy to media and education, who are united in opposition to Jean-Bertrand Aristide
and his Fanmi Lavalas
party. The name springs from the number of organizations in this group, and is frequently shortened to G184. It was created with the specific intent to oppose the government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide in Haiti. It is led by André Apaid
, a Haitian businessman.
It has been alleged repeatedly that G184 was developed by the American International Republican Institute
to engineer an anti-Aristide coup.
worked with the ISC from 2001 to 2003 on a Human Rights and Democracy project, and donated 773,000 Euros annually during that period of time. The EC donation was dispersed among groups in Haiti that the ISC designated "human rights groups". Of the fourteen groups that received donations, seven were members of G184.
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
an individuals and organizations in a variety of sectors, ranging from business and the economy to media and education, who are united in opposition to Jean-Bertrand Aristide
Jean-Bertrand Aristide
Jean-Bertrand Aristide is a Haitian former Catholic priest and politician who served as Haiti's first democratically elected president. A proponent of liberation theology, Aristide was appointed to a parish in Port-au-Prince in 1982 after completing his studies...
and his Fanmi Lavalas
Fanmi Lavalas
Fanmi Lavalas is a leftist political party in Haiti. Its leader is former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. It has been a powerful force in Haitian politics since 1991. Fanmi Lavalas governments supported a policy of "growth with equity" based on Caribbean and Western European social...
party. The name springs from the number of organizations in this group, and is frequently shortened to G184. It was created with the specific intent to oppose the government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide in Haiti. It is led by André Apaid
André Apaid
André Apaid, Junior, the leader of the Group of 184 in Haiti, the civil society movement which forced Jean-Bertrand Aristide from power in 2004 through a coup d'état. He is the head of Alpha Industries, one of the largest assembly factories in Haiti, and of Fondation Nouvelle Haiti, a member of the...
, a Haitian businessman.
Origins
The Washington, D.C. organization Haiti Democracy Project (HDP) is a nonprofit thinktank created by Haitian-Americans to create "more proactive and effective U.S. policy toward Haiti." It views the government of Aristide as corrupt and ineffective.http://www.haitipolicy.org/main/precis.htm This view has resulted in allegations that the HDP created G184, which have been refuted by the HDP director, James R. Morrell.It has been alleged repeatedly that G184 was developed by the American International Republican Institute
International Republican Institute
Founded in 1983, the International Republican Institute is an organization, funded by the United States government, that conducts international political programs, sometimes labeled 'democratization programs'....
to engineer an anti-Aristide coup.
Associated Groups
All members of Haiti's Initiative de la Societe Civile (ISC) group are members of the Group of 184. The European CommissionEuropean Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
worked with the ISC from 2001 to 2003 on a Human Rights and Democracy project, and donated 773,000 Euros annually during that period of time. The EC donation was dispersed among groups in Haiti that the ISC designated "human rights groups". Of the fourteen groups that received donations, seven were members of G184.
Actions
- 2002, December - date of the alleged creation of G184 by the HDP.
- 2003, January 23 - Port-au-Prince - G184 calls a general strike, however only upper and middle class businesses participate in the strike.
- 2003, November 14 - Port-au-Prince - G184 led an anti-Aristide demonstration outside the national palace but were outnumbered by Aristide supporters. Tear gas was used by Haitian police to disperse the groups, and two Group of 184 members were arrested for weapons possession. The actions of the Haitian police cause the event to be portrayed internationally as evidence of Aristide's tyrannical rule.
- 2003, December 11 - Port-au-Prince - G184 and the Democratic ConvergenceConvergence DémocratiqueConvergence Démocratique was a Haitian political movement created in summer 2000 in opposition to Jean-Bertrand Aristide and his Fanmi Lavalas party. A group of disparate opposition parties and social organizations, it was crafted and built by the International Republican Institute...
opposition front led a march to the capital. Aristide supporters feared a coup attempt and gathered at the palace. The marchers did try to break through the palace barriers but were repulsed by teargas. This was also viewed in the US as repression of the right to protest in Haiti, and on December 12 the US Embassy withdrew from Haiti. - 2004, January 16 - Port-au-Prince - G184 led a demonstration outside the UN headquarters, urging the UN to increase security measures in the capital.
- 2004, February 29 - Port-au-Prince - Aristide is removed from power in Haiti, accomplishing G184's primary objective.
- 2005, July 6 - Port-au-Prince - Due to continued G184 pressure on the UN to increase its police actions, a raid is carried out on the neighborhood of Cité Soleil and 23 civilians are killed.
External links
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Resource Information Center. Subject: Haiti: Information on Members of the Group of 184 February 13, 2004.