Caribbean Revolt

After rioting in the capital over food prices, Haiti’s Prime Minister has been thrown out by the country’s 27 senators.

In a country ranked poorest in Latin America and the Caribbean, prices have risen over 100% in the last year and with most of the population living on an average income of only $2 per day widespread discontent has finally turned to violence.

On 5th April four people were killed while clashing with security forces in the southern town of Les Cayes, and one United Nation peacekeeper has also been reported killed in recent unrest.

The Haitian president, Rene Preval, who has the power to remove the Prime Minister, has called on the population for calm:

"To those who are stirring up violence, I order you to stop because it is not going to solve the problem.”

Seeking to ease the problem, President Preval has promised to finance 15% reductions in the price of rice using international aid and revenue from the private sector.

Despite executive assurances, there are reports of shops shut, roving armed gangs on the streets and widespread looting. The airport has been closed to international flights and many families have locked themselves at home while the troubles continue.

Haiti, like many Caribbean nations, relies heavily on imported food in order to feed its population, and with already impoverished agricultural land and dense population, the rising price of rice in the last year has brought the country to economic breaking point.

Analysts suggest this could be the first of many problems in the world’s poorer countries as supply for staple food crops outstrips demand and global prices rise.

High Fever

Governor Sergio Cabral of Rio de Janeiro is to consider contracting foreign medics to deal with the current severe outbreak of dengue fever affecting the city and its environs.

With current medical resources stretched to the limit, more help is expected to arrive from other states from within Brazil, but Governor Cabral has not ruled out requesting the help of Cuban doctors who dealt with their own epidemic in the 1980s.

Cases in Rio state this year are currently close to 37,000, with 67 deaths reported so far, and with medical services currently overwhelmed by the number of people affected there has been much official finger pointing.

President Lula said on Monday night that all levels of government were to blame for the extent and impact of the health crisis while Health Minister Jose Gomes Temporao blamed Rio's municipal authorities, citing the failure to spray against mosquitoes early enough to control the outbreak.

Dengue fever, like malaria, is a tropical infection spread by infected mosquitoes that often breed near stagnant water. Symptoms include muscle cramps, headaches, weakness and fever. It is hemorrhagic in tendency, sometimes resulting in bruising and internal bleeding and in rare cases it can prove fatal.

From 630,000 reported cases in 2007 in Latin America, 183 resulted in death.

Bid for Freedom

As tensions continue to simmer between Ecuador and Colombia, French president Nicolas Sarkozy has meantime reconfirmed his commitment to the liberation of kidnapped former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt.

According to Bogota’s El Tiempo newspaper, Mr Sarkozy sent a message to FARC leader Manuel Marulanda – known in Colombia as ‘sureshot’ – requesting her immediate liberation. The French president referred to the reportedly frail state of Miss Betancourt and emphasized the responsibility of the rebel group for her ultimate safety:

“Don’t waste this opportunity which has presented itself, it would be a grave political error, a humanitarian tragedy, a crime. You would be responsible for the death of a woman.”

Mr Sarkozy’s Colombian counterpart, Alvaro Uribe, confirmed there would be a temporary suspension of the military effort against the rebel group, commenting, “A humanitarian medical mission is in progress for the kidnapped citizens.”

Miss Betancourt, who possesses dual French-Colombian nationality, was taken prisoner 6 years ago while campaigning near San Vicente de Saguan, Caqueta province, and is said to be suffering badly from Hepatitis B in an unknown jungle location.

For the Colombian government, the last few months have seen unprecedented progress in terms of hostage release and in the structural weakening of the FARC leadership. Mr Uribe, one of Colombia’s most popular presidents of recent years, has been credited with a growing improvement in national security and confidence although rural areas still suffer the effects of insurgency and in the cities high levels of crime make life difficult.