Haitian Protesters Decry US Backing for Embattled President

Hundreds of protesters marched from downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, to the U.S. Embassy on Friday to demand the Trump administration stop supporting President Jovenel Moise, who is named in the latest corruption report issued by Haiti's Superior Court of Account and Administrative Disputes.

Protests were also held in the northern city of Cap-Haitien.

"America is a country of institutions, America is a country of laws, so Americans should understand that Haiti is facing a crisis — they should stop giving us handouts and teach us instead, accompany us and help us organize so we can lift ourselves out of this situation," one protester told VOA's Creole Service.

The march came as two senior U.S. State Department officials visited the country.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Cynthia Kierscht arrived Thursday to meet with government officials and business leaders.

Ongoing protests

Haiti has been roiled by protests, initially sparked by a fuel price hike, for more than a year. Outrage grew after an anti-corruption report accused the current and former presidents and members of their governments of misusing oil revenue earned under the PetroCaribe accord that Haiti signed with Venezuela in 2006.

Since then, protests have turned into larger anti-government and anti-corruption movements sweeping the country's major cities. Protesters, opposition leaders and anti-corruption activists say they have no faith in Moise's ability to fix the country's woes.

Although protests waned in November, they returned this week and are now targeting the United States and France. Protesters reject calls for a national dialogue and insist the only conversation they are willing to have is about Moise's departure. They vow to keep protesting in front of the U.S. Embassy until their demands are met.