Legendary Haitian Political Leader Father Gerard Jean-Juste passes away

MIAMI – Legendary activist, Father Gerard Jean-Juste passed away at Jackson Memorial Hospital (Miami) at approximately 5:00 p.m. Wednesday (May 27) from complications of a prolonged illness.

Father Jean-Juste was the executive director of Miami’s Haitian Refugee Center and a fierce advocate for the rights of Haitian refugees, often in opposition to U.S. policies towards Haiti.

After his return to Haiti, following the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship, Jean-Juste became a outspoken advocate for Haiti’s poor and downtrodden masses. He organized an ongoing program to feed the poor, including hundreds of children. Over a decade later, that program continues to play a vital role in the lives of many.

A leading supporter of President Jean Bertrand Aristide and Haitian democracy, he braved two coup d’etats while continuing his work under both the Cedras military junta and later the Latortue regime. Father Jean-Juste became a symbol of the struggle for Haitian democracy, when he was beaten and jailed in 2004 on trumped charges by the Latortue dictatorship. He was declared a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International and was released only after an international campaign for his freedom.

While imprisoned, Father Jean-Juste first became ill and was diagnosed with leukemia.

Over the past four years, while battling this disease, he has remained active in his parish, travelled internationally proclaiming Haiti’s cause and fighting for social justice.

Funeral arrangements are being planned by the family.