Two payèt pieces that Fritz-Gérald Beltrey worked on with Marie Ketty Paul. Photos courtesy of Coordination of Artists and Artisans of Bel Air (CAABEL)

In La Vallée-de-Jacmel last week, residents physically assaulted an artist because he looked unfamiliar in the commune, then handed him over to the police to lock him up, fellow artists said. Now, they want Fritz-Gérald Beltrey to be set free.

Members of the Coordination of Artists and Artisans of Bel Air (CAABEL) and Bel Art, both based in Bel Air, where Beltrey lives, began demanding his immediate release last week. Beltrey, 43, makes art using sequined discs or payèt in Kreyòl.

Overview:

Residents of the town beat Fritz-Gérald Beltrey, then handed him over to the police because they believed he was in a gang.

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Email me at onz@haitiantimes.com
Onz Chery is a Haiti correspondent for The Haitian Times. Chery started his journalism career as a City College of New York student with The Campus. He later wrote for First Touch, local soccer leagues in New York and Elite Sports New York before joining The Haitian Times in 2019.