Haitians in Miami Upset Army Chiefs Won’t Leave Immediately

Hundreds of angry Haitian Americans blocked the streets in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood Sunday night and chanted in protest against the agreement reached between Haiti’s military leaders and the U.S. delegation.

While officials in Washington expressed happiness at Sunday’s agreement to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti, the initial reaction from Miami’s large Haitian exile community was anger at its terms.

As cars passed through the Little Haiti neighborhood north of downtown Miami during President Clinton’s news conference, many drivers honked their horns and cheered and waved.

But the crowd grew larger and more disappointed as the news spread that Cedras would not be leaving immediately.

Haitian exiles said they were angry because the agreement will allow their homeland’s military leaders to remain in power for up to another month and because it set no date for the return of democratically elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, ousted in a military coup three years ago.