Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 1 June 2017

US homeland security chief meets with Haitian leaders

their affairs in order, includ- of various sites in Haiti, in-
ing acquiring travel docu- cluding camps filled with
ments. people left homeless by
Robert Maguire, a Haiti ex- the quake.
pert who is an international People who say he could
affairs professor at George not get an accurate as-
Washington University, said sessment of Haiti’s condi-
he believed that Moise tions “don’t really know
had very little space to ma- what they’re talking
neuver on the protected about,” Kelly said.
status issue, especially as A group of U.S. lawmakers
post-earthquake funding who oppose deportations
from a variety of sources of the Haitians had called
has diminished. for Kelly to join them on
“If Moise pushes back on a future tour of the strug-
the deportation of Hai- gling southwest region
tians, he may not be con- slammed by last year’s
sidered a friend of the U.S. Hurricane Matthew and
and therefore put devel- hit hard by flooding from
opment assistance in jeop- torrential spring rains.
ardy,” Maguire said. “I sincerely doubt that
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, left, talks with Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise during But Maguire added that such a cursory trip will
a press conference in the National Palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday May 31, 2017. Kelly failing to be seen publicly provide Secretary Kelly
traveled to Haiti for a brief visit less than two weeks after the Trump administration suggested that pushing back on mass de- with enough substantive
58,000 Haitians in the U.S. should get ready to return home. portations — a sensitive knowledge to truly un-
(AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)
topic in Haiti — “is bound derstand the conditions
By DAVID McFADDEN Kelly said he told Moise that the U.S. without fear of de- to make his already weak on the ground and prop-
Associated Press the two countries could portation since the 2010 young presidency appear erly inform his decision on
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) “work together as we move quake. even weaker.” whether to extend Tem-
— The U.S. homeland secu- forward on any future ex- U.S. officials say conditions A number of humanitarian porary Protected Status
rity chief made a brief visit tensions” for Haitians facing in Haiti have significantly im- and development groups in six months,” said Rep.
to Haiti on Wednesday less repatriation from the U.S. proved since the disaster. working in Haiti called this Yvette Clarke, a Demo-
than two weeks after the But he stressed that the But advocates for Haitians week for Kelly to see Haiti’s crat from New York.
Trump administration sug- United States’ humanitar- say conditions have not im- vulnerability firsthand, in- While Haiti has made
gested that 58,000 Haitians ian program for Haitians proved nearly enough for cluding the vast unregu- advances spurred by in-
in the U.S. should get ready was never meant to be Haitians to be deported, lated sprawl just outside ternational aid since the
to return home. permanent. and the Caribbean coun- Port-au-Prince where at quake, it remains one
Homeland Security Secre- “The operative word in the try’s government has been least 250,000 people have of the poorest and most
tary John Kelly met private- law is ‘temporary.’ It’s not seeking another 18-month settled since the quake unequal countries in the
ly with President Jovenel meant to be an open-end- extension for its nationals in devastated much of Port- world. There’s growing
Moise and other officials ed law, but a temporary the “temporary protected au-Prince and surrounding worry that if nearly 60,000
on the grounds that used law,” he said. status” program. areas. Haitians are deported,
to house Haiti’s domed Washington recently ex- A final decision is expected Kelly rejected criticism that the loss of remittances
National Palace before it tended until January the later this year, but a recent his quick stop in Haiti in- from the U.S. that sustain
pancaked in a devastating temporary humanitarian statement from the Home- volved only meetings at vulnerable families will
2010 earthquake. program that has allowed land Security Department the National Palace. He cause suffering.q
After an approximately tens of thousands of Hai- suggested Haitian immi- said that over the years, he
90-minute meeting, tians to live and work in grants should start getting has made about 15 tours

Brazilian meatpacker to pay fine over $3 billion

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil- Office says the agreement a secret recording Batista revelation of kickbacks to
ian meatpacking giant was reached Tuesday made in March, more than 1,800 politicians
JBS has agreed to pay a night and that the fine will Temer appears to be con- are part of the plea bar-
fine of more than $3 billion be paid over 25 years. doning the payment of gain signed by the Joes-
for its role in a corruption JBS executive Joesley Ba- hush money to the impris- ley Batista and his brother
scheme involving pension tista is at the center of the oned former Speaker of Wesley, also a top execu-
funds. political crisis engulfing the House Eduardo Cunha. tive at JBS. q
The Federal Prosecutor’s President Michel Temer. In The recording and the