The sufferings of the Haitian people are legion. Their troubles ﾖ paradoxically ﾖ are rooted in their successful attempt to shake off the shackles of slavery. Their erstwhile masters never forgave them. Indeed, as the historical record attests, France exacted $21.7 billion as reparations after independence was won in 1804. That initial outrage was compounded by any number of other damage to the Republic of Haiti. This included a pattern of egregiously bad government, led by a succession of tyrants, demagogues and gangsters. Most of them found ready support from the United States of America. The most extreme example here was the monstrously fiendish Dr. Francois ﾑPapa Docﾴ Duvalier.
The Haitian people are today trying their best to get out from under this legacy of brutality and shame. Regrettably, – but also realistically ﾖ this is not going to come easily. Currently Haitiﾴs political elites are mired in confusion. Its democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide is under intense pressure to succeed, where many others have failed. And, for sure, in a work where the United States of America is the supreme power, the Haitian people must call on that great nation to do the right thing by them.
As we have repeatedly advised, there is something dreadfully wrong with a policy against terrorism, which does not include a focus on poverty and violence on Americaﾴs doorsteps. Haiti is the pre-eminent example of this in the Americas. That country needs Americaﾴs help. That assistance must work to help the Haitian people grow their fledgling democracy.
As one observer notes: ﾓHaiti is at the heart of the Americas. In 1789 in St. Domingue, 500,000 slaves produced vast wealth in sugar, coffee and indigo, making French Hispaniola the world’s premier colony. Europe, Africa and the New World were joined there as nowhere else, and only there did slaves gain freedom by their own hands. On Jan. 1, 1804, Haiti became the second American republic. This past New Year’s Day, Haitians marked the bicentennial with little to celebrate except the steadfast valor of their foundersﾔ.
Today, as Haiti goes from bad to worse, its neighbours are being obliged to pitch in to help. Themselves struggling to survive against the odds, most of them can only offer moral advice. Haiti needs real help soon. If this does not happen its already failing institutions will collapse. Our view is that the United States can and should do more to help Haiti find its feet.
As one observer notes: ﾓThe situation requires urgent action by all concerned. Mediation has been offered by the Organization of American States, the Caribbean Community, the Haitian Catholic Bishops’ Conference and possibly Mexico. France has created a commission to improve relations with Haiti, which should include an offer to deal with the $21.7 billion in today’s money that France exacted as reparations after independence. Washington is engaged elsewhere but needs to focus a bit on Haiti.
Without a brake, the crisis will spin further out of control. A new wave of refugees and even greater passage of drugs to the U.S. mainland are certain to follow. Famine would not be far behind. Escalating factional violence would likely prompt a peacekeeping intervention. Haitian and international actors should feel compelled to embrace nation-building in earnest before it is irretrievably late.
The first step away from the abyss is for Aristide and the opposition to call a truce so that international mediation can come into play. If Aristide and his opponents do not muster the requisite political will, then he will have become a Caribbean Robert Mugabe and Haiti, Zimbabwe. Then all without exception would be the losers.ﾔ
This would, for sure, include The Bahamas, itself home to so many Haitians. Against the odds, many of these people have become builders of the modern Bahamas.
Editor, The Bahama Journal
