This 1st of January 2019, National Independence Day, after the traditional mass and the "Te Deum" at the Cathedral St. Charles Borromeo of Gonaïves with Mgr Yves-Marie Pean; On the Place d'Armes in Gonaïves, President Jovenel Moïse delivered a speech to the Nation on the occasion of the 215th anniversary of Haiti's independence, which we invite you to read :

Message from President Jovenel Moïse :

"[...] it was through their struggle, deep sacrifices and endless alliances between the blacks and the mulattoes, between the slaves of the fields and the freedmen of St. Domingue that our liberation of people came, since then forever responsible for his destiny.

The cause that brings us to Gonaïves on January 1, 2019 is noble and just, it reminds us from where we come from, who we are and our responsibilities to ourselves, to history, to the country and to posterity.

Let us remember, slave we were in a racist and ruthless world, by the will to be free, the surpassing of oneself, of men to whom all seemed to divide at the base found the capacity necessary to venture on the way of unity which was the only effective option against the slave enemy who mistook the belief that some men are inferior because of the color of their skin.

This historical reminder is not part of a rhetoric that interminably praises the past, they are a pleasant memory that challenges us in the face of the collective failure of which we are all responsible, a country with such a great past, with such a beautiful history, with such a will to conquer can not afford today to be the reference in terms of political instability, poverty, misery and successive crisis.

Today I want to ask you, what do I say to ask us : what have we done since 1804 ? Since the proclamation of independence, Haiti our country has not only broken the chains of servitude, it has opened the way for many oppressed peoples, thirsty for freedom, justice and freedom, determine.

We have made history, we must continue to hold our place in this world that so badly needs us.

On January 1, 2019, I came to tell you that we must give back our true meaning to the national project initiated by our ancestors, build another Haiti at the height of our history, we can, we must.

[...]"

Full speech by President Moses :

HL/ HaitiLibre