Thursday, October 7, former President Donal Trump asked about Covid testing protocols for refugees in Sean Hannity's Fox News program, then blasted asylum seekers in the United States, this time saying that Haitians "Probably have AIDS" and qualifying their arrival as a "death wish" for the United States, without providing any proof of his remarks denigrating the Haitian people.

Following the discriminatory and baseless accusations made by former President Donald Trump, Ambassador of Haiti to Washington, Bocchit Edmond issued the following statement :

Statement by Ambassador Bocchit Edmond :

"The Embassy of the Republic of Haiti, on behalf of the Haitian Government, strongly condemns the racist and baseless statement about Haitian migrants, i11 particular, and the Haitian population, in general, of Donald J. Trump on Fox News Network, on Thursday, October 7, during Sean Hannity's program. These vile comments aim only to sow hatred and discord against immigrants.

The Embassy of Haiti in Washington believes that civilized people, the media, especially television, and human rights organizations should not remain indifferent to this umpteenth denigration of the Haitian people by former President Trump.

The Embassy would like to point out that the Republic of Haiti, the second independent country in the Western Hemisphere, since 1804, has always been a staunch ally of the United States. As a historical reminder, to cite just two references, from September 16 to October 18, 1779, a contingent of 800 soldiers from the French West Indies, mainly Haitians, fought as reinforcements to the federal troops to preserve the independence of the United States during the Battle of Savannah, Georgia, against British colonialist forces. Also, in 1943, the Haitian people contributed one million ($1,000,000.00) dollars to the United States' war efforts against the Nazi allies.

Today, many Haitian nationals and their offspring, who, like the Trump family, coincidentally, immigrated to the United States of America, contribute to the prosperity and defense of the American people. These historical and human ties must not be undermined by such unacceptable declaration."

According to available information, the rate of HIV-positive people in Haiti was down in 2019 to 2% ( https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-28526-icihaiti-health-fight-against-hiv-aids-the-ministry-not-really-satisfied.html ). The American rate was 0.30% in 2016

HL/ HaitiLibre