Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 15 mai 2024

Welcome to Port-à-l’Ecu International Airport, Northwest, Haiti

Regional chamber and civil society organization lead international airport construction

HAITIAN TIMES

by Guest Author May. 09, 2024

Overview:

The Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Northwest Department, in collaboration with civil society organizations, is taking the lead in initiating the construction of an international airport. These entities want to play a proactive role in driving significant infrastructure projects that can have a transformative impact on regional economies.

By Kervenson Martial
Haitian Times Contributor

PORT-DE-PAIX, Haiti — Traveling 19 miles west of Port-de-Paix, the primary city of Haiti’s Northwest department and about 135 miles of Port-au-Prince—-the capital, along the dusty paths of Routes 151/52, leads you to +Haiti/@19.9037023,-73.0987615,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x8eb66a5e65fc5dad:0x2b32e827a83d89ce!2m2!1d-73.0357313!2d19.9078761!1m5!1m1!1s0x8eb66694203c0919:0xd5a3cf67a8391d86!2m2!1d-72.8308692!2d19.9348887!3e0?entry=ttu">Port-à-L’Écu in just over an hour by car or motorcycle. As you near this serene and scenic coastal area, the soothing sounds of beach waves blend with the hum of heavy machinery from a construction site – the birthplace of an upcoming international airport.

Launched in early February by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry along with a consortium of Northwest civil society organizations, this project aims to stimulate tourism and ease travel for the Haitian diaspora. It particularly targets thousands hailing from the region.

For example, Florida, which is home to many Haitians from the Northwest, is approximately 600 miles away from Port-à-l’Ecu by airplane.

“It is necessary and urgent for the Northwest Department to have an international airport,” said Jordan Hérard Verdule, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Northwest (CCINW). “The work started thanks to the meager means that the CCINW has at the moment,” he added. 

The project initiators aim to secure ample funding for the airport’s construction, relying on the support from the Haitian government, the Diaspora, and foreign financial partners like the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), which is currently offering expert advice.

The total cost for building an airport with the necessary, reliable infrastructure remains uncertain at this stage. Jean Énold Télémaque, an engineer from TPTC, explains, “There is no definite budget for the ongoing work. We’re operating on a step-by-step plan.”

Wisly Lorfils, the secretary of the CCIDW and a member of the construction committee, further clarifies the situation to the Haitian Times: “We can’t determine the total cost of the project yet. We’re waiting for the expert’s report to accurately provide cost estimates to the public.”

The initial costs for preliminary activities are projected to be around 20 million gourdes, approximately $15,000, according to Lorfils.

“We initiated the construction with the resources we had available, compelling the Haitian government to fulfill its responsibilities,” Lorfils added. “It’s incumbent upon the State of Haiti to finance this project. It’s not a handout but an investment. The citizens of the Northwest Department, who pay taxes just like everyone else, deserve an international airport.”

The timeline for the project’s completion remains unannounced. “Our primary aim is to finish the first phase of the project, which includes cleaning and constructing the runway to start accommodating local Sunrise Airways flights by the end of May,” explained Guy Marcénard, a member of the civil society group.

Port-à-l’Ecu deemed safer, won the project bid over other areas in Northwest

Before the construction began, the National Civil Aviation Office (OFNAC) and the National Airport Authority (AAN)  directed the Public Works, Transport and Communications Ministry’s departmental division (TPTC) to dispatch technicians and topographers to the region. Their task was to evaluate the site and analyze all potential risks associated with building an international airport.

Following the study, it was determined that only Port-à-l’Ecu—located between the communes of Port-de-Paix and Jean-Rabel—satisfied 90% of the criteria for constructing an international airport that is 300m wide and 1600m long.

View of the space designed to build the airport runway. Port-à-l’Ecu, February 3, 2024. Photo by Kervenson Martial

According to specialists from OFNAC and AAN, studies conducted on various other locations within the Northwest Department revealed too many risks to accommodate an international airport. Despite their popularity, these locations failed to meet the majority of the standards required.

While small local planes usually land at two prominent specific sites evaluated – the circuits of Môle Saint- Nicolas and Port-de-Paix – these sites however were deemed unsuitable for constructing an international airport. High-risk factors, such as strong winds notably from the Windward Passage of the Atlantic Ocean that could cause an aircraft to crash at any time, were cited by the experts.

Construction began on February 3 after receiving the go-ahead. Several current and former government officials, entrepreneurs, and leaders of civil society organizations attended the event. Among the attendees were the TPTC’s director in the Northwest, Joseph Angelot Oracius, and Enex Jean-Charles, a former prime minister under Jocelerme Privert’s administration.

Port-à-l’Ecu has an aviation history

According to Andalasse Mertilus, a Haitian history and geography teacher who spoke with online reporter Stiven Michel during a Facebook live conversation, Port-à-l’Ecu has a history of accommodating flights. This began during the American occupation of Haiti from 1915 to 1934. However, the location was temporarily closed in 1946 under Elie Lescot’s government. It was indefinitely abandoned as an aviation space in 1957 by the order of former dictator Francois Duvalier for political reasons.

“Leslie wanted all major activities to be concentrated in Port-au-Prince, the capital city,” Mertilus explained. “Duvalier, on the other hand, saw a provincial airport as a threat to his power, as he was battling political adversaries, labeled as Camoquin.”

Northwesterners embrace the international airport construction project

Residents of the Northwest Department, especially those in Port-à-l’Ecu, are excited about the potential of having an international airport in their region. Both locals and members of the Diaspora believe that the construction should proceed without interruption, as the aviation industry could create job opportunities and stimulate economic growth in the area.

Known for its beautiful beaches, the region has the potential to attract local, national and international tourists. Wilfrid Mertilus, a local resident, expressed his long-standing desire for the project, saying, “Ever since I was a young boy, I’ve dreamed of seeing economic development and tourism thrive in Port-à-l’Écu. I hope all Haitian politicians will unite in support of this project.”

Bénoît Antoine, who left Haiti 29 years ago and has not returned since, shared his thoughts. “If this international airport is built in the Northwest, I would be delighted to visit my friends and family and bring many American friends to see the country,” he said. “It’s crucial for all of us [northwesterners] in the Diaspora to contribute to making this project a reality.”

Port-à-l’Écu, also known as Baie de Port-à-l’Écu or New Kiskeya, is considered a free zone. The idea to transform the area into a free zone to promote economic and social growth was proposed in 2006 by Robert Illusse, a well-known Haitian pastor and community leader. However, a project to build a tourist complex there was halted during the administration of former President René Garcia Préval.

A view of Port-à-l’Ecu Bay, February 13, 2024. Photo by Kervenson Martial

During a 2012 visit, former President Joseph Michel Martelly expressed his support for reviving the construction of the New Kiskeya touristic complex. He believed this project would enhance tourism and attract thousands of visitors to the region. In addition, he advocated for the construction of an international airport in the Northwest, a port and a wharf at Baie des Moustiques, a bay near Port-à-l’Ecu, and improvements to the 32.5-mile road section between Port-de-Paix and Jean Rabel.

The Northwest Department, one of Haiti’s ten departments, is rich in touristic potential. Many communities boast seas and beautiful beaches, such as “Reziyen” in Môle-Saint-Nicolas, La Basse Terre and Pointe West on Tortuga Island, La Plate Forme, “Gayak” and “Tilans” in Bombardopolis, and Energy Beach and Maigotte Beach in Saint Louis du Nord. Additionally, the Grotte “Twou Bon Dye” and “Twou Dyab” in Croix Saint Joseph, located about four miles from the Port-de-Paix seaport, are notable attractions. 

From Haitian Times

SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER (May 12, 2024)     

Acts 1:15-17, 20a, 20c-26; Ps 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20; 1 Jn 4:11-16; Jn 17:11b-19

This Sunday falls between two major events in Jesus’ life, the Ascension and Pentecost. The Ascension was celebrated this past Thursday. It marked the end of Jesus’s earthly ministry and the enthronization of his glorified Human Body at the right hand of the Father. The Church is born. Jesus solemnly entrusts to the Apostles the continuation of His Mission. They are officially sent to Teach and Baptize. They are summoned to always preserve an unbroken unity... so that the world may believe.

Ten days after the Ascension, another stupendous event took place: Pentecost: the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles gathered in prayer with Mary the mother of Jesus. The task of continuing the very mission of Jesus is beyond mere human capacity. The Holy Spirit, the very Spirit of the Father and the Son is given to the nascent Church. Through that gift from above, the Church is endowed with divine power to accomplish its Mission. The Spirit is the soul of the Church, her indispensable Gift. Without the Spirit of Love and Unity, the Mission is impossible.

As we celebrate these two Feasts we forcefully realize that:

1.     A Mission is entrusted to the Church to act with the authority and power of Jesus.

2.     The crucial importance of Love and Unity to achieve the goal of Saving Mankind.

These two feast Days come as two blooming flowers stemming out of Easter. Jesus rose from the dead, returns to His Father, and involves those who believe in Him to form One Body and act as distributors of his treasures to all mankind. May we pray that we will always preserve that Gift from Above, the Holy Spirit of love and Unity without which the Mission is jeopardized!

Today more than ever let us pray with extreme fervor for a New Pentecost on all Christians. Let all realize that without Love and Unity, we betray our God-given Mission!

Implications of President Ruto's US Visit on Kenya's-Led MSS Deployment in Haiti 

By Patrick Prézeau Stephenson  

Introduction

President William Ruto's upcoming state visit to the United States, although no longer featuring a joint session of Congress, remains a crucial diplomatic engagement with significant implications for international security, particularly regarding Kenya's Multinational Security Support (MSS) deployment in Haiti. The focused meetings with US leadership, including a one-on-one with House Speaker Mike Johnson, provide a valuable opportunity to discuss and solidify support for Kenya’s role in Haiti [1,2].

Strategic Bilateral Security Discussions

Without the broad platform of a Congressional address, President Ruto's engagements will likely delve into specific security and defense cooperation matters. These discussions are critical, especially considering Kenya's commitment to leading the MSS deployment in Haiti, a venture that requires substantial logistical, financial, and strategic backing from the United States. The meetings with US officials will be key to securing the necessary support and coordination.

Enhancing US Support for the MSS Deployment

The intimate setting of the meetings with US political leaders allows for a deeper conversation on the specifics of the MSS deployment. President Ruto can directly articulate Kenya’s needs and expectations and negotiate for enhanced logistical, intelligence, and financial support from the US. This support is essential for the success of the mission in Haiti, aiming to stabilize a nation grappling with multidimensional political turmoil and security challenges.

Potential Outcomes of Enhanced Cooperation

A successful negotiation during President Ruto’s visit could lead to increased US assistance for the MSS mission, possibly including access to advanced surveillance technologies, training for Kenyan forces, and direct financial aid to cover operational costs. Such support not only bolsters the mission's effectiveness but also enhances Kenya's capability to lead complex international security operations.

Broader Implications for Regional Stability

Strengthening Kenya’s role in international peacekeeping, supported by US resources, has broader implications for regional stability and security. Effective leadership in the Haiti MSS deployment could serve as a model for future peacekeeping missions, reinforcing Kenya's status as a key security partner in international affairs. Additionally, it could lead to further opportunities for collaboration between Kenya and the US in other regions facing similar challenges.

Conclusion

President Ruto’s state visit to the United States, characterized by focused bilateral meetings, holds profound implications for the MSS deployment in Haiti. These discussions are pivotal for securing the necessary backing and cooperation from the US, which is essential for the mission's success. By strengthening Kenya’s international security role and deepening US-Kenya ties, this visit could significantly impact Haiti's path to stability and showcase Kenya’s growing influence on the global stage.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 12 octobre 2014

86% du charbon de bois consommé en Haïti proviennent de la République Dominicaine. Ce qui équivaut à environ 22 170 tonnes par an, selon les données fournies par l'ingénieur Francisco Sang, de la commission du milieu ambiant de la Fondation Emergence de Leadership, a appris HPN. Lors d’une conférence donnée au siège de troisième cycle d'Aquin du campus de la Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), autour du thème « préjudices de l’'utilisation du charbon entre la République dominicaine et Haïti », le chercheur révèle que 16% de l'énergie consommée en Haïti vient de charbon de bois et que 70% de la population haïtienne l’utilise pour cuisiner. En abordant le problème du commerce illicite du charbon de bois, Sang l’a défini comme, comme « le cancer silencieux mais mortel », avec des problèmes complexes, impliquant une interaction complexe des droits économiques, sociaux, environnementaux et culturels. Il a expliqué que la contrebande est alimentée notamment par le besoin constant de survie en Haïti touchant des centaines de milliers d'Haïtiens. Plus de 150.000 personnes utilisent ce procédé, qui selon M. Sang est responsable annuellement de la déforestation d'environ 2.000 km2 du territoire dominicain.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 18 novembre 2016

 Haiti Earthquake

Saturday morning (Nov. 12), at 1:00:47 (local time) (06:00:47 UTC) a quake of moderate intensity 4.4 on the Richter scale occurred, its epicenter was located on land at a depth of 12.3 km, at 18.347°N 74.216°W, or 5 km north of Les Anglais (South), 51 km northwest of Les Cayes, 35 km southwest of Jérémie and 200km southwest of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

This quake was reported by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and in the metropolitan area on the seismograph of Catts Pressoir College.

No damage or injuries have been reported so far by the authorities. HL/ HaitiLibre 

Haiti-Japan: signature of two contracts for donation of more than $150,000 dollars

Last Thursday, within the framework of the Program " (APL) Help in the Form of Donations to Local Micro-Projects Contributing to Human Well-Being," two contracts were signed between Yoshiaki Hatta, the Ambassador of Japan in Haiti, and the representatives of two local organizations that will benefit from these funds: "The Farmers’ Union for the Development of Source Sable Santo and its Region" (UPDSSE) and the "Organization of Youth and Farmers for Progress in the Central (Department)  (OJPSAC).”

THE UPDSSE benefited in the amount of $80,836 US for its project to improve its BERACA Community Health Center in Thomazeau. Its goal is to increase the capacity of this Center which supplies health care to more than 10,000 inhabitants

THE OJPSAC benefited in the amount of $76,789 US for its project to expand the VIAH Community School of Sarrazin, which will allow the construction of 6 classrooms, a bathroom, as well as the installation of school equipment (tables, chairs and blackboards). This will allow more than 230 pupils to benefit from a quality education in an adequate environment.

Haiti - Canada: program of Municipal Cooperation

The Union of the Municipalities of Quebec, which has worked for more than a decade to improve the quality of life of communities in Haiti, had a workshop last week for about ten local elected officials and representatives of the National Municipal Federations of Haiti. This workshop was jointly organized by the UMQ and the Canadian Federation of Municipalities (FCM) within the framework of the Program of Municipal Cooperation Haiti-Canada, implemented by the UMQ, the FCM and the City of Montreal in 2011.

Michel Adrien, the mayor of Mount-Laurel who is a native of Haiti, declared at the end of the workshop, "I am very happy to have participated in this meeting. It highlighted the essential role of the UMQ, which exercises strong leadership for governments that are nearing autonomy and efficiency. All of those who participated agreed on the importance of strong leadership from the elected officials and the local elected representatives, and a solid and rigorous municipal governance to ensure the vitality of communities, whether they are in Haiti or in Quebec. "

Haiti - Republic-Dominican: list of the escapees from the prison of Arcahaie

The Ministry of Defense, the National police force and the Head of the Dominican Immigration Office, among others, confirm having received recently from Haitian authorities data, photos, names and other information about 162 prisoners who escaped from the prison of Arcahaie, on October 22^nd of this year. Nelson Rosario, the Spokesman of the Dominican National Police Force (PND) indicated intelligence services advised that none of the Haitian escapees have been seen in the Dominican territory. He added that the police distributed the information and the list, in all of its regional offices, which spread the word with other institutions, mainly in the various border posts of the country.

The Core Group encourages constructive participation of the protagonists in Haiti’s elections

The Core Group is calling upon all the protagonists to participate, in a constructive way, in the electoral process, according to a press release.

It is now up to the Provisional Electoral Council and the Haitian government to create the conditions (technical, political and security), necessary for a well-run election, on Sunday, November 20^th, 2016.

The Core Group also recommends to all the protagonists to use existing legal measures to solve disputes, and to abstain from any violence.

Meanwhile, a meeting between the president and the protagonists involved in the electoral process took place at the national palace, on Monday, November 7^th. At issue was the progress of the rehabilitation of polling stations following the passage of Hurricane Matthew, and the safety of the ballots for November 20^th, 2016.

Hurricane Matthew has either damaged or destroyed 300 polling stations out of the 328, which should be used in four departments (the South, Grande Anse, Nippes / Southwest, Northwest), that were most affected during its passage over Haiti, according to a report from the electoral institution.

Haiti-choléra-Post Matthew: vaccination drive against the cholera in the most affected areas

A big contingent of national supervisors, nurses, and other health professionals is being mobilized by the Ministry of Health and the Population of Haiti to inoculate 800,000 people who live in 16 municipalities of the departments of the South and Grande Anse, the zones most affected by Hurricane Matthew one month ago, according to the Minustah’s website. The campaign, which is counting on the support of the Pan-American Organization of the World Health / Organization of the Health (OPS / WHO) and other partners, will go on until November 14th.

The objective is to reduce the morbidity and the mortality caused by cholera and to prevent the spreading of the disease in other departments of the country. To insure a general protection, the vaccine will be administered to everyone who is more than one year old in the 16 selected municipalities. According to experts, this vaccine can help to avoid between 60 % and 70 % of the grave cases of cholera.

Within the framework of this vaccination drive, the OPS / WHO mobilized a group of epidemiologists and experts in vaccination for technical support of the operations. Vaccines supplied by the alliance GAVI have already been on site for several days. The international NGO (NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION) International Medical Corps (IMC), UNICEF and other partners of the vaccination already arranged numerous elements allowing them to begin the campaign, such as a reliable cold storage to protect the vaccines, social mobilization and the logistic support the vaccination teams.

Jacmel-Education-drogue: five students arrested at the Toussaint Louverture Square

The police arrested five students from various schools throughout the city out of approximately around 30, who were smoking marijuana. These pupils, who were in possession of a radio set, were involved in a debauchery, by dancing on the square during school hours.

The substitute Government Commissioner of Jacmel, Clément Jouloutte Gétho, who arrested these five pupils, explained that residents called for his assistance due to the strong smell of marijuana coming from the square.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 29 avril 2024

 
U.S. Restarts Deportation Flights to Haiti

The Biden administration had paused deportations of Haitian migrants in recent months as their home country was wracked by violence.

April 18, 2024

Immigration officials sent dozens of Haitians back to their home country on Thursday, according to three government officials, in the first deportation flight conducted by the United States government in months to the country, which has been gripped by widespread violence.

Deportation flights are generally viewed as a way to deter migrants from crossing the southern border without authorization. The United States has been concerned about migration from Haiti after a gang takeover of its capital, Port-au-Prince, this year led to the planned resignation of the prime minister, Ariel Henry.

The deportation flight, the first since January, comes as the Biden administration continues to turn toward tougher measures at the southern border as a way to bring down the number of migrants entering the country without authorization. President Biden has faced intense scrutiny from Republicans about the border, and immigration has become a key issue in the election campaign.

In recent months, however, migrants are crossing the border at lower rates than before.

Still, the deportation flight on Thursday caught many immigrant advocacy groups by surprise. The U.S. government itself advises Americans not to visit Haiti, citing “kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and poor health care infrastructure,” and has previously told family members of American officials in Haiti to leave.

“This is not only morally wrong and in violation of U.S. and international law, it is simply bad foreign policy,” said Guerline Jozef, the head of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, an advocacy group in San Diego.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that it had “conducted a repatriation flight of around 50 Haitian nationals to Haiti.”

Associated Press

The United States Welcomes Establishment of Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council

U.S. Department of State

Statement by Matthew Miller, Spokesperson

April 12, 2024

The United States welcomes today’s establishment of a Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) in Haiti. The result of months of discussion among diverse Haitian stakeholders, this Council helps pave the way for free and fair elections and the expedited deployment of a Multinational Security Support mission. We applaud Haitians for their commitment to move forward in a spirit of reconciliation and national dialogue. We remain committed to working with CARICOM and international partners to support the TPC’s mission to work for and improve the lives of all Haitians.

The security situation in Haiti remains untenable due to the violence caused by gangs that claim to represent the Haitian people but thrive on violence and misery. Gangs have shut down key infrastructure and economic sites that are lifelines for fuel, humanitarian aid, and other vital supplies, and continue to strip Haitians of their rights to food, education, and healthcare. The United States is surging support for the Haitian security forces to bolster their capabilities as they fight to defend their country.

We commend Haitian leaders for making tough compromises to move toward democratic governance via free and fair elections. Much work lies ahead, and the United States remains committed to supporting the people of Haiti.

National Center of Haitian Apostolate

FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER – YEAR B - April 21, 2024 

Acts 4, 8-12; Psalm 118; 1 John 3, 1-2; John 10, 11-18. 

Msgr. Pierre André Pierre

The fourth Sunday of Easter is traditionally called “Good Shepherd Sunday.” The entire Church dedicates this day to prayers for vocations. It is The World Day of Prayer for Vocations to the priesthood. In this time of joy for the resurrection, the Church reminds us that we all have a model in Christ. Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd who knows his sheep by name, gives his life for them, and holds fast to them so that they do not perish. They are like a treasure to Him. His authority over them comes from the Father. That of a shepherd is a mission of service to lead us, the sheep, to the owner of the flock: our Father God.

In the first reading, Peter, chosen shepherd by Christ to strengthen his brothers, filled with the Holy Spirit, testifies and speaks of Jesus, the good shepherd, who gives his life for his sheep. “Christ, whom you killed, rose again.” The stone they rejected has become the cornerstone of the building of faith. God’s plan moves forward. There is no salvation outside of Jesus Christ. There is no other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved."

The reference to shepherds, lambs, and sheep may sound strange nowadays. But in biblical times, they were very familiar. Sheep provided meat, milk, cheese, and wool. They were also used in the liturgy of the Temple. However, these precious animals cannot find their way to food and water and are helpless when attacked by predatory animals such as wolves. Therefore, sheep are known as animals that desperately need good shepherds in order to survive.

This is also our case when it comes to spiritual nourishment, words of wisdom, strength of character, and virtues. When it comes to God's grace, we desperately need Shepherds. Jesus is the Head Shepherd who guides us and nourishes us. He gave his life for us and granted eternal life to those who follow him. 

The second reading invites us to contemplate the image of our relationship with God in Christ. We have to live that relationship with confidence since those of us who are baptized are forever beloved children of God. Christ gave us an example in his life. If we are all brothers and sisters, we must be shepherds of each other, helping each other to live our faith authentically.

The Lord calls also shepherds to care for his people. The Church needs priests who act in the name of Jesus and with his same power; to guide the sheep along the path of eternal life through preaching, pastoral care, and the Sacraments, mainly the Eucharist and the forgiveness of sin: “Do this in memory of me.” The Sunday of the Good Shepherd reminds us that we must pray continually so that many young people may receive the call to the Priestly ministry and exercise it with humility, prayer, and zeal.

Jeffrey Sommers and Patrick Bellegarde-Smith | Haiti’s disorder is the result of elite malfeasance and US meddling

Social disorder. Prisons emptied of violent criminals by gangs looking to rebuild their ranks. Schools, hospitals, and pharmacies targeted for looting and frequently burned. Corpses left rotting in the streets for fear of succumbing to the same...

jamaica-gleaner.com

Amitabh Sharma

Opinion Editor

Editor - Arts and Education

The Gleaner Co. (Media) Ltd.

 Social disorder. Prisons emptied of violent criminals by gangs looking to rebuild their ranks. Schools, hospitals, and pharmacies targeted for looting and frequently burned. Corpses left rotting in the streets for fear of succumbing to the same fate by attempts to remove them. The capital’s port was captured and ransacked, with famine threatening. Meanwhile, on Haiti’s northern coast, cruise ships still disgorge foreign tourists to the protected (with no shortage of irony) “Columbus Cove Beach.”

There’s no sugarcoating it — the collapse of order in Haiti and the activities by gangs in recent months to capitalize on the situation is bad.

Just as with the Middle East, we hear the refrain that Haiti “has always been like this.” Except it hasn’t. Haiti’s history has been both storied and challenged. Reasonably educated persons often juxtapose Haiti to the comparatively thriving Dominican Republic (DR), the neighboring country with which Haiti shares an island. The comparison hints at a defect of the former relative to its better-off neighbor. Yet a long view of Haiti reveals its current poverty relative to the neighboring DR has been anything but constant — it only emerged in the past four decades.

No doubt a wide gap has opened up between the economic performance of Haiti and the DR. The latter’s per-capita GDP last year was roughly 700 percent larger than Haiti’s. But going back to 1960, the year where quality data on GDP for the two countries became available, Haiti’s per-capita GDP was (inflation-adjusted) $1,716, 25 percent more than the DR’s, then at $1,374.

Indeed, Haiti’s per-capita GDP in 1960 was even a hefty 67 percent larger than today’s rich South Korea, and far from the poorest country in the Americas. This was no one-off performance. The trend, which predated 1960, differed little up to 1980; the DR was then posting per-capita numbers 29 percent greater than Haiti’s, which still placed them in the same ballpark.

Rather than Haiti “always” being this way, it was 1981 that marked the start of its rapid decline. The DR maintained and even slightly accelerated its steady economic growth that had until then been at rough parity with neighboring Haiti. By contrast, Haiti’s precipitously dropped.

Why? One reason was the 1970s oil shock, which increased the price of black gold by tenfold that decade. Needing to recycle cash from windfall sales of oil deposited with them, banks extended loans to all comers. Haiti’s dictator, Jean-Claude (“Baby Doc”) Duvalier, gorged himself on loans, while investing too little of this cash to develop Haiti’s economy.

Meanwhile, the United States ended its inflation in 1980 with Federal Reserve chair Paul Volcker’s monetary shock. This cured America’s inflation problem, but massively drove up the repayment costs of those 1970s loans around the world that had to be paid back in the now-inflated dollar.

Duvalier then made a series of lazy and disastrous bets for Haiti’s economy. He went hat in hand collecting foreign aid as cheap foreign credit evaporated, but this tranche of cash did little for Haiti’s economy. Next, he slashed taxes on export earnings and invited foreign companies to employ Haiti’s cheap labor for assembly factories. The model earned plaudits from the United States — but it did not provide much benefit to Haiti, as nearly all inputs came from abroad, tax receipts from the foreign investment were negligible, and wages were kept at subsistence levels.

Then, fearing a new swine flu, in 1986 the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in 1986 instructed Duvalier to slaughter Haiti’s chief source of protein: pigs. A small, hearty variety, Haiti’s pigs were perfectly suited to low-input peasant production. USAID tried replacing them with a large US variety requiring housing conditions many peasants might envy; these new pigs died. Absent their traditional source of protein, desperate Haitian peasants turned to felling trees to sell for charcoal, thus producing the now tragically familiar images of Haiti’s deforestation.

Political upheaval followed as Haitians worked to end their twenty-eight-year-old dictatorship. The United States sought to guide this process, forcibly at points, demanding a veto power over policy in Haiti.

In 1995, US president Bill Clinton instructed Haiti to drop its tariff on US rice (subsidized and chiefly grown in Arkansas) from 50 percent to 3 percent. Haiti’s rice production subsequently collapsed. Two decades later, Clinton apologized to Haiti for advancing this disastrous policy.

This coup de grâce to Haitian agriculture led peasants in the hundreds of thousands to decamp from the countryside to Port-au-Prince. Impoverished and desperate, peasants built housing from cinder blocks in the capital. When Haiti’s big 2010 earthquake hit, these cinder-block dwellings were destroyed. Official estimates put deaths at over two hundred thousand and injuries at three hundred thousand, with another 1.3 million displaced and widespread disease following the collapse of infrastructure, from which Haiti has yet to recover.

The above is to say that it indeed has not “always been this way” in Haiti, which once economically rivaled the now-successful DR. Yet it would be too easy to blame all Haiti’s misfortunes the past half century solely on the United States — Haitian elites have made their share of errors. 

On March 25, James B. Foley, the US ambassador to Haiti from 2003 to 2007, published an op-ed in the Washington Post asserting “Haiti’s dysfunction is a permanent condition” and calling for yet another military intervention. If there has been any “permanent condition” in Haiti, it has been foreign interventions, and not the despair currently being experienced in the country.

The Caribbean nations, particularly those that are members of the Commonwealth, are fiercely independent in their foreign policies vis-à-vis the United States, as many of their politicians are major intellectual figures. Their stance on Haiti comes from a position of concern; they acknowledge a shared history of resistance to imperialism. Yet today, one still cannot discount the observation made in February 1907 by Dantès Bellegarde, arguably Haiti’s best-known diplomat and one of its most influential intellectuals of the twentieth century: “The US is too close and God is too far.”

https://jacobin.com/2024/04/haiti-disorder-poverty-us-intervention?fbclid=IwAR31T2169D3-p2YPMPEe5kl-bSVBZzASX39EgfXhANPub842p3DdWbPDdkQ_aem_AbFZO3pEdITIrIH2i3ksYkQZ35ngNPiVIL47u8lYVxEUmLU72pKSElSoyxkxJSIrkG6Lt8XfBexNcA5DSWSxjdXw