At Least 17 Dead in Sailboat Wreck Near Saint Louis
More than 17 passengers died when an overloaded sailboat was wrecked on Wednesday, a government official has said.
Eric Prévost, Haiti’s Maritime and Navigation Service (SEMANAH)’s general director, told Le Nouvelliste the dead included 10 women and two children. SEMANAH’s crew was still searching for bodies early Thursday.
The sailboat, Ancelita, was traveling between Saint-Louis-du-Nord and Île de la Tortue in northern Haiti when it encountered strong winds that caused the wreck, Prévost said. It carried more than 30 passengers and was traveling despite SEMANAH’s refusal of a permit to travel. Continue reading
Oil Companies Made $94 Million From Haitian Government
Several oil companies operating in Haiti made $94 million in profit during the last fiscal year, even while the government recorded losses, Haiti’s Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe said.
The oil companies started to make this profit after the government gave them more authority, said Jouthe, in releasing the findings of government task forces looking into the funds. Between March 2019 and May 2020, the government liberated the oil companies at their request, but still granting them money. Soon after, irregularities and anomalies appeared.
“While the oil companies were prospering, without caring about our well-being, the government kept recording losses,” Jouthe said. Continue reading
Coronavirus Dampens Cap-Haïtien’s 350th Anniversary Celebrations
Celebrations to commemorate the 350th anniversary of Cap-Haïtien, Haiti’s second largest city, were not as exciting as in prior years, many residents said. The celebrations were quieter than the previous years’ festivities because of the novel coronavirus.
Some residents were not even aware of some of the events held along Northern Boulevard. And many people who did know about the festivities opted not to attend, according to Le Nouvelliste. Continue reading