HAITI: A Shock to the System

She won international praise for faithfully steering Haiti to its first free and honest elections. But last week former Supreme Court judge and interim President Ertha Pascal-Trouillot was arrested and charged with complicity in a foiled coup against her own 10-month-old government in January.

The surprise arrest stemmed from a takeover attempt led by former Duvalierist strongman Dr. Roger Lafontant after the populist Roman Catholic priest Jean-Bertrand Aristide won the presidency in the Dec. 16 vote. Pascal- Trouillot has said that she was kidnapped from her home and held hostage for 10 hours before loyalist troops stormed the National Palace and ended the siege. But Lafontant contends he is not guilty of trying to oust the government, because Trouillot willingly handed power over to him. Many Haitians believe that Trouillot and other members of her government stole millions from the national treasury during her administration, but no charges have been leveled to date.