Haiti Carnival of Flowers in 2012, A Success

December 22, 2012 4:43 PM

The colorful Caribbean country of Haiti held one of its most important festivals for the year, the Carnival of Flowers, during the last weekend of July. It was generally a success for the Martelly administration in its effort to have a less violent and safer, more secure festival.

In the first day of the festival, thousands and thousands of people crowded the streets of the capital Port-au-Prince to participate in the celebration. It was marked lively colors of costume and festive sounds of music. About 1,500 singers, dancers, and band members made the streets come to life, including the parade of queens in cars and thirteen music floats. The first day of the Carnival of Flowers lasted until three o'clock in the morning when most of the organizers and participants are preparing for the second day of the carnival.

Haitian President Michel Martelly expressed his joy and satisfaction on how the carnival took shape. In addition, the Minister of Tourism Stéphanie Balmir Villedrouin announced that flights to Haiti and hotels were fully booked by thousands of foreigners in the mood to be festive with Haitians in one of their grandest celebrations throughout the year.

The security of the whole three-day carnival improved compared to the previous years, as only a few casualties have been reported. There have been three deaths, a hundred injured, and 25 arrests on violent offenders. The Haitian government provided tighter security personnel and installed medical care centers to immediately care for the injured nearby. It would still have to further improve and ensure the carnival's safety next year, but the government's efforts are a working progress.

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