OTTAWA — Haiti’s ambassador to Canada faced stiff questioning Wednesday over his country’s controversial request for a foreign military intervention, as the Liberals argue Ottawa must respond to a cascade of humanitarian crises.
“The violence orchestrated by armed gangs is blocking the country and plunging millions of Haitians into an acute humanitarian crisis,” ambassador Wien-Weibert Arthus told the House foreign-affairs committee in French.
“It is a desperate situation for which there must be a solution.”
Rampaging gangs have cut off access to Haiti’s primary fuel terminal, leading to power outages and unclean water that has worsened a cholera outbreak.
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has called for a foreign military intervention to restore order.
Henry’s government has been in charge since the assassination of former president Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, and has argued that the country cannot have an election during instability from COVID-19 outbreaks and now widespread organized crime.
Arthus noted children have been out of school since June, and urged Canada to help not only stabilize the country but provide aid for infrastructure, to stop a cycle of poverty.
He said his country has barely recovered from the 2010 earthquake, but putting Haitians to work could avoid future instability.
Liberal MP Emmanuel Dubourg challenged Arthus on rampant government corruption in Haiti, and asked whether the request for foreign intervention amounts to an admission of failure.
“Umm, next question,” Arthus responded in French.
“In the soul of any Haitian, a foreign force is never welcome in the country,” he said at another point in his testimony.
Dubourg, a Montreal MP who immigrated from Haiti, also asked whether Canada needs to hold accountable elements of Haiti’s current government that are contributing to the corruption and impunity for violence.
“Each person who finances gangs must be sanctioned,” Arthus said in French, noting he has lost some of his own relatives to violence.
Dubourg also argued there is “no credible plan” for getting Haiti out of its crises, and Arthus acknowledged a lack of political consensus in Haiti but said there is widespread support for Canada to help.
“I’m not a dreamer but I keep hope that we will end up finding an agreement between Haitians,” he said in French.
Bloc Québécois MP Stéphane Bergeron said in French that many in the Haitian diaspora have concerns about Canada working with “a government whose legitimacy is highly questioned” and barely controls its own territory.
Arthus responded that Henry has addressed international bodies and leaders such as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Earlier Wednesday, Trudeau told reporters he’s aware that many Haitians are uncomfortable with a foreign military intervention.
“At the same time, we look at the crisis, rapes, the violence, the poverty and the cholera and health crisis. And then we say to ourselves, we have to intervene in one way or another,” he told reporters in French.
Trudeau also convened a meeting Wednesday of cabinet ministers known as the Incident Response Group, which meets only when something has “major implications for Canada,” to discuss Haiti.
The group had a similar meeting two weeks ago. Since then, Canada dispatched a team to assess the beleaguered Caribbean nation, and it has returned and briefed senior officials in Ottawa.
On Monday, Canada’s ambassador to Haiti said Canada will be expected to take a leading role in assisting the country, as it’s among the most respected nations in Port-au-Prince.
Canada and the U.S. have already sent armoured vehicles to Haiti. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited Ottawa and Montreal, and hinted that Canada could play a key role in a military intervention.
The United Nations is currently contemplating a motion that would authorize a mission, which has been endorsed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
U.S. officials say the UN resolution is expected to pass by early November, and have mentioned Canada as a candidate to lead such a mission.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2022.
HOUSTON (AP) — Brian White scored in the second half to rally the Vancouver Whitecaps to a 1-1 draw with the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday night.
Houston (12-9-8) took a 1-0 lead into halftime after Ezequiel Ponce scored on a penalty kick in the seventh minute of stoppage time. Ponce’s third goal this season came after Amine Bassi drew a foul on Whitecaps midfielder Pedro Vite following a video review. It was Ponce’s sixth career appearance, all starts.
Vancouver (13-8-7) scored the equalizer in the 73rd minute when White, who entered in the 60th, used assists from Fafá Picault and Ryan Gauld to find the net for the 13th time this season. Picault’s assist was his fifth, matching his career high for a single season. Gauld’s assist gives him a career-best 13 on the season.
Yohei Takaoka, who had clean sheets in his last three starts, finished with one save in goal for the Whitecaps.
Steve Clark saved three shots for the Dynamo, who remain one point behind Vancouver in the Western Conference standings.
Houston, which was coming off a 4-1 victory over Real Salt Lake, has allowed just 33 goals this season.
Vancouver — 6-2-2 in its last 10 matches overall — leads the all-time series 10-9-6.
The Whitecaps remain on the road to play the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday. The Dynamo travel to play Austin FC on Saturday.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Pearce and Nathan Saliba scored in the second half — the first goals of their careers — and CF Montreal rallied for a 2-2 draw with the New England Revolution on Wednesday night.
“In the second half, the guys came out a little more ambitious and above all, more connected,” Montreal head coach Laurent Courtois said. “It was a great second half of resilience and fighting spirit. Nathan and Sam were impressive.
“Impressive in covering the gaps and compensating for the teammates, and the individual defending – yes it’s true, it is a lot of weight on their shoulders, but that’s the job.”
New England (8-16-4) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute on Bobby Wood’s third goal of the season. Teenage defender Peyton Miller notched his first assist in his fourth career start and sixth appearance and Carles Gil picked up his ninth of the season. Peyton, at 16 years, 315 days old, is the eighth youngest player in league history to record his first assist.
The Revolution took a two-goal lead in the 35th minute and held it through halftime when 19-year-old Esmir Bajraktarevic took a pass from Gil and scored his third goal of the season and career in his first full season in the league. It was the 73rd regular-season assist in Gil’s career, tying him with Steve Ralston for the most in club history.
Montreal (7-12-10) pulled within a goal in the 54th minute when Pearce scored off a free kick after defender George Campbell drew a foul on New England’s Mark-Anthony Kaye. It was the first goal for Pearce in his third career start and fourth appearance.
“Playoffs are the goal. Maybe it wasn’t in the best form, but in the end, we are picking up a point,” Pearce said. “We came into this game confident, ready to play our own game. Everyone tries their best, whenever the players are called on, we are always ready, and we are always giving it our best.”
Montreal scored the equalizer in the 68th minute on the first career goal by Saliba, a 20-year-old midfielder. Saliba has made 34 starts and 48 appearances with Montreal in his two seasons in the league. Campbell snagged his second assist of the season and the third of his career.
“It’s an incredible feeling, it’s a goal I’ve been waiting for a long time. I’m extremely happy that I was able to score it and that it can help the team take this important point on the road,” Saliba said. “Pearce’s first goal gave us really good momentum and we kept up the pressure to go for a second goal. We got more solid defensively, and we came back ready after halftime, to push for these 3 points.”
Aljaz Ivacic finished with four saves in goal for the Revolution.
Jonathan Sirois stopped four shots for Montreal.
New England beat Montreal 5-0 on the road on Aug. 24.
New England leads the all-time series 16-13-4. Montreal improves to 5-8-2 on the road against the Revs.
The Revolution travel to take on Charlotte FC on Saturday. Montreal returns home to host the Chicago Fire on Saturday.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Adolis García hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning, Cody Bradford pitched seven strong innings after the worst start of his career, and the Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0 on Wednesday night.
The win kept the defending World Series-champion Rangers alive in the AL West race, trailing first-place Houston by 10 games with 10 to play.
García launched an inside sinker over the left-field wall off Toronto starter Bowden Francis (8-5) after Wyatt Langford singled.
“He swings hard, he swings a lot,” Francis said of García. “I guess the velo was dropping during that time.”
Bradford (6-3) allowed five hits and no walks while striking out six.
The seven shutout innings are the most in a game during his two-year career. He was knocked out of his previous start after allowing career highs in hits (nine), runs (eight) and homers (three) in 3 2/3 innings in a 14-4 loss at Arizona.
“Throughout the week, you’ve got to try and digest what happened, see where I can make adjustments, whether it was just game plan went wrong or just poor execution, or a little bit of both,” Bradford said. “Then you flush it.”
Bradford was perfect through four innings before Alejandro Kirk opened the fifth with a smash back to the mound that caromed off Bradford’s left foot and rolled into right field for a single. It extended Kirk’s hitting streak to a career-high 12 games.
Spencer Horwitz’s double to left-center put runners on second and third with no outs before Bradford retired the next three batters.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider credited Bradford’s “deceptive fastball.”
“When you’re throwing 89, 92, you’ve got to have pretty good deception with that at this level,” Schneider said. “Kept us off balance.”
Kirby Yates pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 31st save in 32 opportunities.
Francis, who took no-hitters into the ninth inning in two of his previous four starts, allowed a double to Marcus Semien, the Rangers’ first hitter of the game. He gave up five hits and one walk in six innings.
Francis has a 1.96 ERA in nine starts with 54 strikeouts and seven walks since being moved back into the starting rotation in late July.
“I don’t even want to get complacent, on cruise control,” Francis said. “Just keep attacking.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: SS Bo Bichette was a late scratch with a right middle finger contusion suffered during infield practice. Schneider said the team will get back x-rays on Thursday. Bichette was activated Tuesday following a calf injury and played for the first time in two months, going 2 for 5 with one RBI at the plate. … INF Will Wagner (left knee inflammation) will have the knee scoped on Thursday. Schneider said Wagner should be ready to start spring training. Wagner, son of former major leaguer Billy Wagner, was acquired from Houston at the trade deadline.
UP NEXT
Rangers rookie RHP Kumar Rocker (0-0, 2.25 ERA) will make his home debut against Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman (12-11, 4.02) in the series finale. Rocker allowed one run in four innings at Seattle last Thursday in his major league debut.
