Voodoo priest warns of bloodshed

Press, 25 February 1986, Page 8

Voodoo priest warns of bloodshed

NZPA-Reuter Port-au-Prince Haiti’s most prominent voodoo priest, just released from police detention, warned yesterday that Haiti risked a religious war and “the worst bloodshed the island has known.”

The police had detained Max Beauvoir and eight other voodoo priests and priestesses for defying a ban on public demonstrations which was imposed by Haiti’s new provisional Government on February 8, a day after the fall of the dictator, Jean-Claude Duvalier. Those detained, the police said, included Carole Demesmine, one of popular folksingers 7 and a leading exponent of voodoo.

Mr Beauvoir, aged 49, a United States-educated biochemist, said the ninehour detention was part of a Government campaign to wipe out voodoo — a mixture of Catholicism, animism and witchcraft practised by the majority of Haitians often with Roman Catholicism. “The Government is favouring the Roman Catholic church. They ignore attacks against us (voodoo adhereiis). They want a religious war between us and the Catholics,” Mr Beauvoir said.

“If this happens, it would mean the worst bloodshed the country has ever known,” he said. Mr Beauvoir, who iws a flourishing voodoo tfefihple in the capital, said the

Government was turning a blind eye on Catholicled violence against voodoo and claimed 11 priests were beaten to death by mobs last week.

“Ten of our houmfors (temples) were invaded in Cap Haitien on Tuesday. Ten houngans (priests) were beaten to death. Another was killed on Wednesday. Those responsible were hoodlums led by Catholic priests,” he said.

No independent confirmation of Mr Beauvoir’s claim was available and no Government authorities were available for comment. The Church has denied any role in anti-voodoo violence.

Diplomats saw Mr Beauvoir’s detention and

his angry charges against the new leadership as evidence of growing friction between the Roman Catholic hierarchy, supported by the Government, and adherents of voodoo. Voodoo-Christian frictions, foreign residents say, stem partly from attempts by both sides to claim credit for ousting Jean-Claude Duvalier, whose departure ended 28 years of dictatorial rule by the Duvalier family.

“One of the aims of our demonstration yesterday,” Mr Beauvoir said, “was to go to Haiti television to make our words heard, just $s the voice of the Cath&cs is heard.” Vckkloo priests insist that the new Government

is trying to suggest the bulk of the Tontons Macoutes, the Duvalier dreaded private militia, were recruited from secret voodoo societies.

. “This is wrong,” one voodoo priest-said. “There were probably quite a number of Tontons who belong to voodbo societies. But there were also many Roman Catholic Tontons.”

In the days of near chaos after Duvalier’s departure to temporary exile in . France, scores of Tontons Macoutes throughout the country were killed by angry crowds.

Voodoo was brought to Haiti from Africa by the black slaves whose desgt cendanis make up th® majority of the island’s w million people. Y. ..