My Father was a Jamaican immigrant who paid a great deal of attention to political matters all over the world. He was especially attentive to the relationship between the United States, Europe and the Caribbean colonies. He believed it was important to teach his children about our heritage and the history of our people – this was essential for our understanding of the world as it now exists.
I remember when he explained to us that the people of Haiti had revolted against colonial rule and slavery in the early 1800’s and won their freedom under the leadership of a former Haitian slave, General Toussaint L’ouverture. This was the only truly successful slave rebellion in the Americas. Yet, under threat of renewed war with France 24 years later, the French had compelled the Haitian people to pay 150 million francs to compensate French Slave owners for the emancipated slaves. Though the amount of debt was eventually reduced to 90 million francs, this was still an outrageous demand. Even as a child, I understood that such a thing was madness – what right did those people have to force someone like me to be a piece of property anyway? And then make me pay for my freedom!!! The debt was not paid until 1947 – probably about $28 billion dollars in today’s currency.
We are continuing to see the aftermath of the French subjugation and oppression of the Haitian people – people who have courageously fought a seemingly endless struggle to govern themselves as free people! A close look at Haitian history since the mid 1800’s shows that our country – a country that holds itself forth as a “democratic beacon” in the world, has supported, not only France’s imperialistic behavior toward Haiti, but every false, undemocratically installed and elitist dictatorship that has pledged to serve Franco-American neocolonialist interests. A perfect example were the Duvaliers – father and son, brutal rulers of Haiti for over 20 years. The democratic and economic interests of the Haitian people have been trampled over and over again. Today Haiti boasts the greatest number of puppet millionaires, and the dubious distinction of having one of the highest rates of poverty in the world – 59%.
In spite of the brave efforts of Haitian freedom fighters to rid the country of corrupt dictators such as the Duvaliers and the latest dictator, Jovenel Moise, the U.S. Government and France have continued to support and prop up governments that do not serve the needs of the vast majority of Haitians. Now that Moise has been assassinated, what will American democratic leaders do? Some are calling for President Biden to intervene on behalf of the current leaders who belonged to the Moise cabal. Will America continue to act as a supporter of corrupt and undemocratic dictators, or as a supporter of fair elections and true democratic rule? Will the Haitian people ever be free to fulfill their promise?