Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA) asks Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez to consider withdrawing volunteers from Haiti to protect their safety amid increasing violence and a shortage of international peace-keeping forces there



Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA) asks Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez to consider withdrawing volunteers from Haiti to protect their safety amid increasing violence and a shortage of international peace-keeping forces there

Lantos Calls on Peace Corps to Consider Withdrawing from Violence-Wracked Haiti


October 19, 2004

Washington, DC – Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA) today asked Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez to consider withdrawing volunteers from Haiti to protect their safety amid increasing violence and a shortage of international peace-keeping forces there.

"While removing volunteers from worthwhile and much-needed projects is always somewhat disruptive to the volunteers and the communities in which they serve, the safety and well-being of our volunteers should be our top priority," Lantos wrote in a letter to Vasquez.

Lantos pointed out that within the past two weeks, 46 people have been killed in politically-motivated attacks, including five policemen. He noted that vigilantes have chased the Haitian National Police out of at least one city within 40 miles of where Peace Corps volunteers work. Such incidents prompted the U.S. State Department recently to issue a travel warning advising U.S. citizens to consider leaving Haiti until the situation is stabilized.

"I understand that well-established and battle-seasoned international aid organzations have also temporarily suspended humanitarian relief operations in and to the hurricane-devastated areas because of the surge in violence and the insufficient number of U.N. peace-keeping forces," Lantos wrote. "Mr. Vasquez, I strongly recommend that you immediately re-evaluate the appropriateness of maintaining Peace Corps volunteers in Haiti at this time."

Lantos is the ranking Democrat on the House International Relations Committee and is the co-founder and co-chairman of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus.

When this story was posted in October 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:

Kerry reaches out to Returned Volunteers The Kerry campaign wants the RPCV vote. Read our interview with Dave Magnani, Massachusetts State Senator and Founder of "RPCVs for Kerry," and his answers to our questions about Kerry's plan to triple the size of the Peace Corps, should the next PC Director be an RPCV, and Safety and Security issues. Then read the "RPCVs for Kerry" statement of support and statements by Dr. Robert Pastor, Ambassador Parker Borg, and Paul Oostburg Sanz made at the "RPCVs for Kerry" Press Conference. RPCV Carl Pope says the key to winning this election is not swaying undecided voters, but persuading those already willing to vote for your candidate to actually go to the polls. Take our poll and tell us what you are doing to support your candidate. Finally read our wrap-up of the eight RPCVs in Senate and House races around the country and where the candidates are in their races.

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