Haiti Must Solve Its Own Problems

Slain Haitian President Jovenel Moise was buried on Friday July 23, 2021 in his hometown of Cap-Haitien. This unfortunate situation came as a result of years of turmoil and chaos within the island Nation; a Nation that has a rich and exemplary social history.

The Haitian Revolution of 1804 was the first that established a Black Republic; it had tremendous impact across the world especially in the slaveholding States of the US and the Caribbean. Subsequent Haitian society has been characterized with pillage, corruption and mass murder by government forces and armed thugs, lumpen elements. Haiti has seen a constant deterioration of the economy and social institutions and services; exacerbated by ‘reparation’ payments to France; destruction of farming and intervention by said France, United States and Canada.

The imperialists and neocolonial powers have constantly worked to destroy the building of a qualitative Haitian society as envisioned and fought for by Toussaint Louverture, Dutty Boukman and Jean-Jaques Dessalines. The imperialists propped up and supported Francois ‘papa doc’ Duvalier and later his son Jean-Claude ‘baby doc’ Duvalier in their reign of repression, mass murder of Haitian men , women and children and; corruption. The world knows about the atrocities carried out against the Haitian people by the Tonton Macoute; the paramilitary, extra judicial special forces unit of the Duvaliers.

Now this sudden concern about the current status of Haiti and the outlook for its future, is nothing more than self-serving hypocricy, especially by the US. They instigated the disruption and erosion of Haitian civil society including; the overthrow and direct removal of the democratically elected President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The assassination of Jovenel Moise unfortunate as it may be is a case of “chickens coming home to roost.” Moise was propped up and supported by the US, France and Canada; he was becoming an embarrassment, a liability. Some Black leaders and politicians are also not ‘off the hook’ in their treatment and response to the atrocities in Haiti. Their attitude and approach can be described as lukewarm at best. Enormous credit must be give to Dr. Ron Daniels and actor Danny Glover, who have consistently exposed the atrocities in Haiti, the perpetrators and, their supporters and; place Haiti in its correct historical context.

The Commission To Find a Haitian Solution although commendable is viewed with skepticism unless it is based on the Haitian people solving their own problems. This means an end to the US, Canada and France’s involvement in Haiti’s internal affairs. The Haitian people themselves have asked the international community to end their involvement in the affairs of their country including, supporting corrupt and repressive regimes who are nothing but puppets, of the imperialist and neocolonial powers. The Haitian Solution must be built on self-determination; working-class democracy; a peoples economy and, the restoration of civil society and institutions. Haiti must stop the ridiculous payment to France for being occupied and enslaved; this is one of the root causes of Haiti’s financial ruin. A free and just society cannot be realized any other way; anything less is a betrayal to the revolution and the resilient freedom loving people of Haiti.