The Ministry of Haitians Living Abroad has expressed its concern on Wednesday about the “discriminatory statements” of several American politicians, including former president and current candidate for the White House Donald Trump, as well as the candidate for Vice President, JD Vance, who have echoed a hoax spread on social networks in which it is claimed that Haitian migrants are “eating” the pets of residents of the city of Springfield (Ohio).
“Unfortunately, this is not the first time that compatriots abroad are victims of disinformation campaigns, they are stigmatized and dehumanized to serve political and electoral interests. Once again, it is up to us Haitians to rise up and proclaim, together and with one voice, our humanity,” reads the statement from the ministry on its Facebook account.
In this regard, she reported that she is currently exploring “strategies” to have the US authorities provide them with protection against “acts of intimidation or stigmatization,” and has shown her support for any legal initiative that defends the rights of Haitian migrants.
She also asserted that she will deploy a “support and assistance device” through her diplomatic and consular missions for Haitians in the diaspora.
In addition, the head of the Ministry, Dominique Dupuy, and the Prime Minister, Garry Conille, have met this week online with fifty community, social and religious leaders who are both in the state of Ohio and in the rest of the country to show their solidarity and their rejection of this type of statements that “attack the dignity of our compatriots and could endanger their lives.”