The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), American Jewish World Service (AJWS) and Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) held a reception in honor of Haitian human rights defenders and anticorruption activists.

Haiti has been mired in crisis for much of the last year as a youth-led anticorruption movement threatens the political status quo. High-level government officials, including the current president, have been implicated in a massive $2 billion scandal involving the Venezuela-led Petrocaribe initiative. In this context, Haiti has experienced a worrying increase in human rights violations.

The delegates provided brief remarks on the current situation at the start of the event. 

Speakers

Pierre Esperance, Executive Director, National Human Rights Defense Network

Rosy Auguste, Program Director, National Human Rights Defense Network

Emmanuela Douyon, Economist, Nou pap dòmi

Milostène Castin, Coordinator of Action, Reforestation and Environmental Defense