CARICOM and Haiti










 As rampant gang violence displaces hundreds of thousands of Haitians and leaves millions on the brink of famine, the temptation to call on the United States to intervene is compelling. But, we must learn from history – US intervention in Haiti, whether through outright military force or imposing an outside economic agenda, has done tremendous harm and contributed immensely and directly to today’s instability.

This pattern cannot be repeated. The path forward must be charted by Haitians themselves, with international support channelled into uplifting homegrown efforts to restore peace, democracy and development from the ground up.

It is for this reason that the latest statements from powerful ganglord Jimmy Barbecue Chérizier are so concerning. Chérizier has expressed a willingness to potentially disarm his forces – if gangs like his are allowed to have a seat at the table in negotiations to establish Haiti’s interim government.

Legitimising armed criminal militias in governing would not only perpetuate Haiti’s anguish and make a mockery of democracy and the rule of law but ultimately set a fuse for civil war. Chérizier’s are dripping with blood. Gangs like his have already murdered over 1 500 people this year through what the UN describes as “harrowing practices” of violence, sexual assault, and terror against civilians. They cannot be treated as legitimate political actors and no chauvinistic suggestion that Haiti must be treated differently from any other nation on the face of the Earth will work.

The current crisis of over 360 000 Haitians displaced by gang violence is but the latest chapter in this grim history enabled by harmful US policies prioritising corporate profits over Haitian lives. Washington’s shameful “contingency plan” to divert Haitian refugees fleeing this chaos to the Guantanamo Bay military prison – reviving a practice from the 1990s — epitomises the racist disregard for Haitian humanity.  

At the same time, trying to shut gangs out entirely through military action would start the fuse that would detonate deeper chaos and bloodshed and cement the gangs’ reign of terror. CARICOM and the international community need to work smart, not hard, on a solution.Rather than imposing a heavy-handed foreign solution, we should listen to Haitian civil society and grassroots leaders who have long called for accountable governance, economic investment in poor communities, and a reckoning with the nation’s history of outside exploitation and racist subjugation – a legacy bequeathed by France and the United States.  

Nothing is stopping Washington from funding an international reconstruction bank in support of Haitian-led development initiatives, staying out of the dialogue between civil and political factions, and imposing targeted sanctions and prosecutions to cut off the illicit arms flow that has turbocharged gang atrocities. But the solutions themselves must be made in Haiti.

Stabilising the nation will require extensive long-term partnerships and investment from CARICOM and multinational partners and donors. But it can only succeed if it empowers the Haitian people’s own democratic vision – not the interests of criminal gangs or overbearing foreign powers that have perpetuated the crisis.Haiti’s people have suffered immensely from cycles of exploitation, upheaval and indifference. It is in Washington’s self-interest to contribute to the resolution of his latest tragic crisis but the US must once and for all abandon the arrogant notion that it can manipulate outcomes in Haiti. The path forward needs to be paved by engaging and elevating the Haitian people’s homegrown solutions with CARICOM’s backing.

(Barbados Today Wednesday April 2nd 2024)

Stay informed and engaged with our digital news platform. The leading online multimedia news resource in Barbados for news you can trust.

     

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Turning our backs on Haiti is not an option

04/04/2024

Violence deepens malnutrition risk for Haitian Children – UNICEF

01/04/2024

Haiti gang leader willing to consider ceasefire if included in international talks

29/03/2024
Barbados Today logos white-14

The (Barbados) Today Inc. is a privately owned, dynamic and innovative Media Production Company.

COMPANY

BT LIFESTYLE

© 2024 All Rights Reserved Barbados Today Inc. | Developed by PVH Group Inc. 

     
@2021 - All Right Reserved. Designed and Developed by PenciDesign
      

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  By William Skinner As we celebrate International Womens’ Day, we are cognizant of the role our Caribbean women have played in the cultural social and economic growth of our region and evolving Caribbean civilization. They , like our men , have risen from the depths and decadence of slavery , to the highest political and corporate ladders in the region. They have given birth, to millions and have made and continue to make significant contributions to those in the Diaspora. In many cases, where they were not the biological mothers, they nurtured, cared and developed those , who were deprived of parenthood , and socio-economic hope. They are in our classrooms, directing young and fragile minds , how to navigate a world that we in the region , must forever avoid being dragged into conflicts of the so-called super powers. They are pursuing all the opportunities of our tertiary educational institutions, including the University of the West Undies, often in higher numbers than our men. In o
Read more
Image
  By William Skinner We aware that our culture is being infiltrated and seriously penetrated by our exposure, both physically and mentally to foreign norms We will continue to remind regional leaders that our culture is our major strength and while we are appreciative of their efforts to support our cultural practitioners , we believe that a more concentrated effort is needed , in our schools and communities. As a region, we have the distinction of creating the only musical instrument of the twentieth century, in the form of the steel pan (drum) of Trinidad and Tobago. We have also brought the calypso and reggae music , to the globe.  Every day we blend our culture with economic activity in all areas. Our foods , are magical and each island has its share of culinary delights that incorporate all our cultures .  We have made the cardinal error of being embarrassingly slow in linking our culture with the tourism industry , which is the economic mainstay of many island economies. Our seve
Read more