THE COUNTRY -- Why does Haiti seem so broken
We cannot understand Belle-Rivière without some grasp of its political context. As B-R is part of the Haitian context, so Haiti is part of a global context.
As a country, Haiti seems hopelessly "broken." It fluctuates between political crisis and natural disaster, forever doomed to be labeled "the poorest country in the Western hemisphere." Understanding how it got here requires an awareness of how Haiti evolved as a nation and how that nation relates today's global community. These articles offer some critical details.
As a country, Haiti seems hopelessly "broken." It fluctuates between political crisis and natural disaster, forever doomed to be labeled "the poorest country in the Western hemisphere." Understanding how it got here requires an awareness of how Haiti evolved as a nation and how that nation relates today's global community. These articles offer some critical details.
1. Political Unrest
'There is No Hope': Crisis Pushes Haiti to Brink of Collapse — New York Times, October 2019
"Haitians say the violence and economic stagnation stemming from a clash between the president and the opposition are worse than anything they have ever experienced."
2. Unrest Explained
What's Driving the Protests in Haiti? — Council on Foreign Relations, October 16, 2019
"Corruption, economic mismanagement, and charges of fraudulent elections have driven discontent."
3. Political & Environmental Pressures
Haiti’s Troubled Path to Development — Council on Foreign Relations, March 12, 2018
"Since its independence from France, Haiti’s development has been menaced by forces that run the gamut from the interference of foreign powers to domestic political malfeasance to natural disasters and epidemics."
4. Misguided Development Policies
Haiti 10 years after the earthquake: the fight for social & economic justice continues — Eurodad, January 2020
"The 10th anniversary of the earthquake is a good moment for the international community to assess its relationship with Haiti. Untying aid and promoting local and regional procurement are basic principles of effective development that should be prioritized by development agencies, together with the need to extend these principles to any engagement with the private sector in development."
5. Access to Energy
Routine blackouts in Haiti symbolize a loss of political power for its citizens — The Conversation, February 7, 2019
"For many Haitians, blackouts do not just signal a political crisis — they also symbolize feelings of their loss of political power.
In that sense, blackouts are not just the result of a weak government. They are a symptom of a deeper crisis of sovereignty as the Haitian people continue to struggle, still, for democracy, autonomy and self-determination."
In that sense, blackouts are not just the result of a weak government. They are a symptom of a deeper crisis of sovereignty as the Haitian people continue to struggle, still, for democracy, autonomy and self-determination."
6. Climate Control
In Haiti, climate aid comes with strings attached — The Conversation, January 25, 2019
"More than 20 percent of its national budget is funded by loans from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund –
a setup that gives international lenders an unusual level of control over Haiti's government expenditures."
a setup that gives international lenders an unusual level of control over Haiti's government expenditures."
7. Haiti's "Debt" to France
The Case for Haitian Reparations — Westenley Alcenat, January 14, 2017
"Haitian leaders needed to avoid a second, costly war. Moreover, France was standing as a commercial barrier between Haiti and the rest of the Atlantic world, barring full engagement in international trade networks. To prevent an invasion by France, president Alexandre Pétion proposed a compromise."
