Former priest losing followers' faith

Jean-Bertrand Aristide still claims to be a populist champion, the same man who rose from near-obscurity in the 1980s as a priest preaching liberation theology and denouncing capitalism as evil.

But to his growing number of detractors, the promises of his first campaign in 1990 - social justice, grassroots economic development and democracy - have turned into disappointments. Haiti's almost non-existent economy, making it the poorest country in the western hemisphere, has only stagnated further.

The country has an unemployment rate of more than 80 per cent, Aids is a serious problem, there is widespread malnutrition and many people get sick through contaminated water supplies and piles of rubbish left in the streets.

Aristide was overthrown in a military coup in 1991, but returned three years later escorted by 20,000 American troops in what seemed like a new beginning for Haiti. Instead, his rule has been marked by corruption. Rather than attacking the social and economic problems of Haiti's slums, he has empowered their inhabitants by giving gang leaders guns and money in exchange for their loyalty.

A watershed moment came after the elections of 2000, which observers said were seriously flawed. His new prime minister spent $2m of government funds on a luxury compound in the capital, Port-au-Prince.

Discontent has been mounting ever since, particularly among the elite. Loyalty to Aristide in the slums remains solid, but not unchallenged, as a new generation with no memories of his first incarnation seek someone to blame.