Massive Protests in Haiti Spark a New Kind of Political Crisis

Published: Feb. 13, 2019, 7:13 p.m.

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Thousands of Haitians have taken to the streets in anti-government protests that quickly turned violent. Several people have been killed and a great amount of property has been damaged in these protests.\\xa0

Haiti, of course, is no stranger to political crisis. But this crisis feels different, according to veteran reporter Jacqueline Charles.

Jacqueline Charles is the Haiti Caribbean reporter for the\\xa0Miami Herald\\xa0and in this conversation she explains the origins of this new protest movement and how it may play out over the coming weeks.\\xa0

As she explains, these protests began, in part, over allegations of corruption surrounding a Hugo Chavez-era Venezuelan oil subsidy program, known as Petro Carbibe. But what began as an anti-corruption protest movement has morphed into something much broader that now threatens to bring down the government of President\\xa0Jovenel Moise.\\xa0\\xa0

This crisis in Haiti has potential to unleash great instability in a very fragile country, which could have big international implications. This conversation does a very good job of giving you the background and context you need to understand events as they unfold.

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