Supporters of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide took to
the streets of Haiti's capital for a second day, shooting wildly,
smashing cars and blocking roads with burning tires. Authorities
recovered the decapitated bodies of three policemen, among at least
seven people killed in the violence. Tensions have erupted in
Port-au-Prince as Haiti struggles to recover from catastrophic flooding
caused by Tropical Storm Jeanne two weeks ago. Supporters of
Aristide, who is now in exile in South Africa seven months after his
ouster, demanded more demonstrations to commemorate the 1991 army coup
that toppled his first government. Aristide loyalists want an end
to "the occupation" and "the invasion" by foreign troops -- referring
to the U.S.-led force that followed Aristide's ouster and the U.N.
peacekeepers who took over in June. Interim Prime Minister Gerard
Latortue appealed for calm, reaffirming his promise to hold elections
in 2005. "We will not use violence and all of our problems must be
solved through elections, which will take place next year," Latortue
said during a visit to Coral Gables, Fla. [more ]
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