Route du Canapé Vert will now be called Nelson Mandela Avenue an executive order dated December 13, 2013 announced. It should be noted that the road was given the name of Haitian hero, Jean Price-Mars, a leader of Haiti’s Negritude movement, when it was first paved under previous administrations. Signs were never placed and citizens continued to call it Canapé Vert.
The Office of Communication of the National Palace announced the new name following the death of the anti-apartheid leader and former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela who died on December 5, 2013.
The press note said plates bearing the inscription “Nelson Mandela Avenue” will they be placed at each intersection serving the route.
“This decision was made to honor the memory of the symbol of the anti-apartheid struggle who dedicated his life to the liberation of the black people of South Africa and offer it as an example to future generations. It is also justified by the fact that Haiti has always been associated with the anti-apartheid struggle and that, by all appropriate means, to keep the memory of this extraordinary leader, who thrilled the world until his death,” the note stated.
Source-Sentinel
