Poor, Poor Haiti

When will Haiti’s suffering end? A country which has been independent for 200 years is the poorest country in the Americas, beset by hunger, violence and lawlessness whether living under dictators or so-called democrats. In the words of a commentator on the BBC yesterday, as a panel of experts discussed the latest in the unfolding drama — the fleeing of its elected leader President Jean-Bertrand Aristide — how did it really come to this? For the umpteenth time in its history as the world’s first black independent state, we have seen Haiti degenerate into anarchy, killing, looting, burning and now armed rebels in control of more than half the country. For weeks before President Aristide fled his grand white palace in a jet to a country unknown, he had been a virtual prisoner, defiant in the face of armed rebellion and calls from many of his people and international circles to leave the country. Aristide’s appeals for help were disregarded and it is only now that he has fled that such help is forthcoming with the arrival of peacekeeping forces.

Was it truly destined to come to this? Looking at today’s chaos it seems hard to believe that Aristide was once a popular hero — a Roman Catholic priest — to whom a desperate people turned to escape the hunger and evil of the Duvaliers and their friends. But did the Duvaliers ever leave Haiti, except perhaps physically? Their supporters, Haiti’s elite and the army supporters remained and Aristide was deposed months after his election. He was only able to return to power with the support of the international community. But the elite were still there and made it virtually impossible for Aristide to govern and deliver his people out of the poverty of their existence. In fact, under his watch Haiti had to live with IMF conditions which in turn led to armed uprisings to which Aristide responded by introducing repressions of his own. With pressure on him to go and as he himself said yesterday to avoid a bloodbath, he finally boarded a white aircraft to take him into exile. God alone knows what future is in store for the people of Haiti.

No Caricom initiative could have worked to help Aristide at this stage, which is perhaps the saddest part of the story. It is instructive to note that the “Rebels” advance on the capital halted a few days ago as a number of influential international countries asked for time to work out a plan that clearly demanded Aristide’s departure. On the other hand, the Caricom heads could not and would not have supported the dispossession of an elected leader. Now there is a power vacuum in Haiti, its economy in tatters, people killing and looting, and in total disarray. True, Haiti’s Chief Justice Boniface Alexandre has been sworn in as interim president. But as a known supporter of Aristide, will the rebels support him as leader? If the people of Haiti are frightened today, they have every reason to be for their country is in a dangerous state.