What the Duvalier is going on in Haiti?

Haiti, the first independent state of Latin America, began its tumultuous history under French and Spanish colonization as early as the 1500s. Sharing the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, it is the least developed country in the Americas according to the United Nations. After years of repression under the French-created slave trade, the country led the world’s one successful slave-based rebellion in 1804. For roughly forty years, the establishment of a new government was generally unsuccessful; the French routinely challenged Haiti’s independence until an agreement was reached in 1825, and fighting between groups resulted in an elite class controlling the majority of the economy and political system. In 1843, a smaller revolution within Haiti created the Dominican Republic on the eastern half of Hispaniola.

The years following the division continued in a pattern similar to those before it; violence was widespread and excessive. In 1915, the ruling president Guillaume Sam was brutally murdered by an angry mob, and the United States took advantage of the horrifying situation by invading Haiti to establish order. For the next 20 years, the United States government had almost complete control of the nation, making it a de facto colony. Despite claims of wanting to help the citizens create a more stable nation, the U.S. did nothing but exploit the island’s coffee and sugar resources. In 1934, the U.S. relinquished its control of Haiti and withdrew its forces, leaving behind chaos for five military presidents, including Paul Magloire and Joseph Nemours Pierre-Louis. Pierre-Louis, a provisional leader overseeing elections after Magloire’s resignation, was responsible for holding elections in 1956. The elections were rigged by the army, and placed François Duvalier (later known as Papa Doc) in control. Papa Doc held the presidency until his death in 1971, using a private police force known as the Tonton-Macoutes to subdue the population with force for his term. Despite an inflicted death toll pegged at 30,000 or more, the United States continued to back Duvalier and the Tonton-Macoutes to ebb the flow of communism into the Americas.

Duvalier was succeeded by his son Jean-Claude (known as Baby Doc) in 1971, and did little to improve the country’s situation. By 1983, riots and protests resumed against the regime and, 3 years later, the U.S. called for Jean-Claude Duvalier’s resignation. Despite rejecting the idea, he was forced into exile, leaving the Tonton-Macoutes to fight with the National Governing Council for control. In 1990, four years after Duvalier left Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristride was elected. His rule lasted only a year, and he was exiled briefly after a coup d’état. The justice of Haiti’s Supreme Court held the provisional presidency until, with the help of the United States, Aristride was placed back in power in 1994. He held this position for one year, was succeeded from 1996 to 2000 by René Préval, but was re-elected following Préval’s first term. Despite his original broad popularity, he was accused of intense corruption and was removed from power in 2004 as a result of the U.S. and French supported Haitian Rebellion. Another interim president held control for two years until elections could be held, under which René Préval was re-elected.

Despite the United Nations Stabilizing Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), progress in the under-developed country has been slow. The recent earthquakes have shed light on the inability of the government to cope with such serious incidents, as well as the difficulty other governments and international organizations have in assisting. While President Préval has made minor achievements, including being only the 2nd democratically elected president in Haiti’s independent history and establishing friendly relations with neighboring countries, there are still large steps that must be taken to ensure a better, more peaceful future for this island nation.

The purpose of this column is to inform people about global events. While one article is not enough to fully explain a conflict, it is enough to provide the reader with the basics. It is my hope that when you are finished reading, you can readily answer the question, “What the (blank) is going on in (blank?)”