We are not the states of the United States. We are not provinces of the United States. We are a country. We are a republic. They cannot give us orders. This time we do not need them.

The country is in crisis. Violent gangs have grown in number and power over the last few years. They have recently been blocking humanitarian aid and the country's main fuel terminal. Hospitals have closed their doors or reduced capacity during a cholera outbreak. The cost of basic goods like food and gas have skyrocketed and at least half the country is facing acute hunger.

Acting Prime Minister Ariel Enrey has requested international aid and special forces from the UN, but many Haitians oppose for an intervention, especially by the US.

According to the Washington Post, the US recently drafted a United Nations Security Council resolution encouraging, quote,

the immediate deployment of a multinational rapid action force to Haiti. We asked the US ambassador to the UN to participate in this conversation. We also reached out to the State Department. They declined, but both the mutations still stand.

So how does Haiti move forward? After the break, we get into just that and more. I'm Jen White. You're listening to the OneA podcast where we get to the heart of the story.

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Let's jump into our conversation on the latest in Haiti, where a political and economic crisis has left the country at a standstill. Thousands have taken to the streets to protest. Joining me to talk about this is Whitlow Marincourt. He's the editor in chief of the IEBO post as a Haitian newspaper. Whitlow, welcome to the program.

Thank you for having me.

Also with us is Marlena Dowd, a professor of French and African diaspora studies at Yale University. Marlena, it's great to have you back.

Oh, thanks for having me, Jen. Now with Lord again, you're the editor in chief of the IEBO post. What have the last few weeks been like for you and your colleagues?

Well, it's a, we are living an extremely difficult period. I have this bad habit as a journalist to wake up every morning and check my Twitter feed. And this morning, actually, this very morning when I checked my Twitter feed, the first thing that I received is that one of my friends and journalist in Haiti,

who was a person, Alphonse was shot. And his car, the car that he was in was riddled by bullets. And he was on his way to make his radio show, which is one of the most popular in Haiti.

Actually, the month before two of my colleagues, journalists, working for order outlets were killed in cities, which is a slum, and battled in, you know, gang violence. And earlier this year, two orders were also killed up in the capital in a place called Laboultou.

So according to one organization, working with journalists in the Caribbean, actually Haiti is one of the most dangerous place for journalists in the Western Hemisphere this year.

So it is a context that is extremely difficult to operate because like I always say, it's my journalist, the folks working for us at Ibu Post are not only professionals telling a story that, you know, they think deserves to be heard. They are also telling their story.

They are also, you know, bringing forward information that they are implicated in. And when you are in this context where gangs have control of all but everything actually in in Haiti, it is extremely difficult to operate in it is extremely difficult to wake up in the morning.

And do your job professionally when your your your family, when your friends, when you yourself, you know, in danger.

And with Lord just want want to be clear, your friend who was shot, was it a fatal shooting?

I don't think so according to the newspaper where he works, his condition is table and we are still waiting, you know, for for more news from him, but he's the one now, but his car was riddled by bullets and he's among the fiercest journalists we have right now in Haiti, he's independent, which is something extremely refreshing, you know, on radio in Haiti.

How has life changed and Porter print since the assassination of former president Joe Biden, we last year.

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