PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – Prime Minister Dr. Arie Henry has described journalist Liliane Pierre Paul as an “icon” as tributes poured in both here and from overseas following her death on Monday.
The 70-year-old award-winning Haitian journalist and radio station owner, who survived dictatorship and death threats, died from a heart attack.
“I learned, with sadness and emotion, of the death of journalist and presenter Liliane Pierre Paul. Liliane was an icon, a committed voice, a significant figure in the press, and one of the most famous and popular in the country.
“To her family, her loved ones, her colleagues and sisters, in particular her collaborators at Radio Kiskeya, which she co-founded, I send my heartfelt condolences,” Henry said in a message.
Former prime minister Laurent Lamothe said Haitian journalism mourns the loss of a legend and that her “boldness in the face of the truth and unwavering commitment to the country left an indelible mark.
He said her passing leaves “a huge void, but her legacy will continue to inspire future generations. Our hearts are heavy; our thoughts are with her family and those she touched.”
The French Embassy extended condolences to her family, friends, collaborators, and the press in a statement.
“A career journalist, Liliane Pierre-Paul was an activist for freedom of expression. Her death is a huge loss for the Haitian press,” it said, while the US Embassy saluted “the memory of the famous journalist Liliane Pierre-Paul.
“A great loss for the press and the country. With the departure of Liliane, a page in the history of the Haitian press and the fight for democracy has just been turned,” it added.
Pierre-Paul received a Courage in Journalism Award 1990 from the International Women’s Media Foundation. She also received the le prix Roc Cadet de SOS Liberte in 2014.
Former president and musician Michel Martelly once sang a carnival tune entitled “Bal Bannan nan” (Give Her the Banana), and she appeared in the film Molloch Tropical.
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