MILITARY OCCUPATION OF HAITI

Watch the U.S. media and its coverage of the crisis in Haiti, and you get the impression that Washington is a benevolent power doing its utmost to help with emergency relief in the Caribbean island nation. But tune into al-Jazeera English or South American news network Telesur and you come away with a very different view. I was particularly struck by one hard hitting al-Jazeera report posted on You Tube which serves as a fitting antidote to the usual mainstream fare. The report is highly critical of the U.S., which according to the reporter has focused most of its energy on fostering stability and putting boots on the ground as opposed to rebuilding Haitian society.

The crucial test for Telesur was Honduras in 2009. Adriana Sivori, Telesur's correspondent in Tegucigalpa, was in her hotel room speaking on the telephone to her network when 10 soldiers arrived with rifles drawn. Sivori, along with producer María José Díaz and cameraman Larry Sánchez were taken to an immigration office, the authorities beat them...

Telesur went into Haiti and took a no-holds-barred approach. According to station manager Aram Aharonian. Telesur's Haiti coverage proved controversial with the Chilean, Argentine, and Uruguayan governments.

One of the first stories that Telesur broadcast, MINUSTAH, the United Nations' Stabilization Mission in Haiti. Latin American peace keeping soldiers were repressing the people. Now, in the wake of the earthquake Telesur has joined al-Jazeera

Telesur has focused on United States' misplaced priorities. Telesur focused on U.S. policy towards Haitian migrants, US to house the migrants at
Guantánamo. USS Carl Vinson to intercept Haitian boats

Telesur reported on European Union unhappiness. U.S. relief effort in Haiti,
more relief coordination and less of a foreign military presence

Reed Lindsay, Telesur's correspondent in Haiti, it is the U.S. military which decides who goes in and out of the Port-au-Prince airport and what kinds of humanitarian aid gets through

many who fear that the U.S. is using the crisis in Haiti to launch a military occupation. A report by Cuba's Prensa Latina, U.S. marines recently barred Venezolana de Televisión journalists from entering Haitian hospitals
Haitians seeking to help their loved ones inside were reportedly mistreated
marines stopped them from entering the facilities