Aristide Supporters March in Haiti

Source: Associated Press

Sunday July 15, 2007 10:16 PM

By STEVENSON JACOBS

Associated Press Writer

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) - Supporters of exiled former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide marched through Haiti's capital on Sunday, demanding the ousted leader's return and accusing President Rene Preval of turning his back on his one-time ally.

Chants of ``Preval is a traitor!'' and ``Bring Aristide home!'' rose up as more than 1,000 protesters marched from the Port-au-Prince slum of Bel-Air to the heavily guarded National Palace, Preval's official residence.

``We helped Preval get in power and now he has turned his back on us. We still love Aristide and we want him home,'' Erick LeBon said during the march, which was called to mark Aristide's 54th birthday.

A former slum priest-turned-president, Aristide was toppled during a 2004 rebel uprising. He was flown out of the country aboard a U.S.-supplied jet and later accused the United States of kidnapping him in a coup - a charge Washington denies. ~snip~

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6781299,00.html

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The forgotten coup ...