Referring to Barbecue as a revolutionary is an insult

Referring to Barbecue as a revolutionary is an insult to progressives especially those of us who are Haitians.

By Jessie C. Legros and Lionel Legros —

It was disappointing and shocking to hear Kim Ives describing Barbecue as a Mao Zedong, Lenin or a Charlemagne Peralte on the airwaves of WBAI on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, on Democracy now.

Referring to Barbecue as a revolutionary is an insult to progressives especially those of us who are Haitians.

Revolutionaries are individuals who clearly identify their enemies, develop a plan of attack and eventually take power to benefit the majority.

Barbecue and his G9 coalition are terrorists who rape, kill, steal, destroy properties such as schools, hospitals, pharmacies and libraries. The poor masses and the middle class are his primary victims. Last week, he circulated a video to gang members where he pretended to be Jean Jacques Dessalines, leader of the Haitian revolution. He told his G9 members to go on the streets of Port-au-Prince to “cut off heads and burn down homes”. The first 27 victims of Barbecue’s well-orchestrated massacre were poor folks seating outdoors and trying to breathe some fresh air before going to bed.

Jean Jacques Dessalines’s scorched earth policy of destroying everything in the path of his army was to deprive a well identified enemy of resources and the ability to retreat.

Barbecue has claimed in the past that the guns given to him by the elites would be turned against them. We have yet to see that. Thus far, only the defenseless people, victims of the system are the one being killed, raped, made homeless by Barbecue and his federated gangs. Let us not forget that Ms. Helen Meagher La Lime of BINUH (United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti), encouraged the federation of the Haitian gangs. Now it is Kim Ives and Pamela White, former US ambassador to Haiti who are proposing that those shameless individuals of G9 be part of the negotiating table.

If Amy and Juan are appalled by the perpetrators of destruction of hospitals, churches, universities and homes in Gaza, Kim Ives cannot be permitted to come on WBAI to praise a Gang leader who yesterday was attempting to destroy the only National public library in Port-au-Prince. The gangs occupied the main hospital in Port-au-Prince. They then entered a long-standing Catholic School for boys, Petit Seminaire College Saint Martial established by the Holy Ghost Fathers. They destroyed the computer room. A timely intervention by the police prevented the burning of the school library.

Petit Seminaire College Saint Martial is the only school in the Caribbean with a unique library recognized and financially supported by UNESCO.

Kim Ives is trying to revise history. He should not be allowed to speak unchallenged.

For the record, Kim Ives is completely isolated in the Haitian community. If one were to take a survey in most Haitian restaurants, Barbershops and Beauty salons in NYC, his views would be unpopular.

There is no doubt that the United States, Canada and France have and continue to play a destructive role in the life of Haitians and Haiti. However, Haitians must also acknowledge that some opportunistic leaders helped bring Haiti to its knees.

Rather than constantly have intellectuals produce their own analysis of what is going on in Haiti, it would be good for WBAI to speak to victims of gang rape, dispossessions; professionals who have become refugees and are hiding in hospitals and churches in their own land.

Haitians in the country and abroad will continue to resist the PHTK political party and its allies.

The priority now is to end gun violence, support women’s groups, organize, rebuild and find new friends that can help develop a progressive nationalist agenda for the country.

There cannot be revolution or revolutionaries without a revolutionary theory and revolutionary practices.

Sincerely,
Jessie C. Legros and Lionel Legros