Little Haiti Calls for the Reinstatement of Fired Cultural Center Director Sandy Dorsainvil
Dozens of members and friends of the Little Haiti community poured into Miami City Hall to demand Sandy Dorsainvil’s reinstatement. They were led by Marleine Bastien, Executive Director of Haitian Women of Miami, the Miami Times reported.
“We will not give up. This is a call for our community to stick together,” Bastien said.
“It’s a sad day for Little Haiti,” said Commissioner Keon Hardemon, who represents Little Haiti, as he addressed the commission meeting.
The firing happened abruptly last Friday. Dorsainvil claims she was not given any notice and had only 30 minutes to clear her office. Her three years at the complex brought increased cultural programming for the community, which has recently become a target for developers.
“If the community is not vigilant and is passive, then the cultural center will evolve and turn the direction that many neighborhoods are going towards today,” says Dorsainvil.
Commissioners Francis Suarez, Frank Carollo, Willy Gort, Russell, and Hardemon voted unanimously to push City Manager Alfonso to reinstate Dorsainvil.
But Alfonso would not budge.
“The position is open for recruitment,” he said.
U.S. threatens to pull election financial support
Kenneth Merten, the Special Coordinator of the US State Department to Haiti, warned Haiti officials that the U.S. and international community may reconsider financial support of elections if authorities are “slow” in reinstating the electoral process.
“We look forward to continue to give our support to the Haitian people and we can not do it with a government that is not elected democratically,” Merten said. He warned there would be many problems, if the Verification Commission eliminated one or both candidates, who were the top candidates.”