To counter the corporate media’s highly misleading reporting on the Haitian earthquake disaster, the ANSWER Coalition and the Party for Socialism and Liberation organized a public forum featuring longtime Haitian activist Eugenia Charles.
Charles is executive director of Fondasyon Mapou, an organization that has worked in support of the struggles of the Haitian people, both in connection with relief efforts, and also to inform the public about the centuries of exploitation that have devastated Haiti.
The successful Jan. 22 forum provided the historical context surrounding the crisis in Haiti. Going back to Haiti’s struggle against French colonialism—starting with a slave uprising that would culminate in the creation of the first Black republic—Charles explained how her country, rich in resources, has been targeted by imperialism for hundreds of years and plundered by corporate interests.
The mainstream media’s coverage shows the plight of Haitians as they cope with a natural disaster, yet remains silent on the long pattern of exploitation by foreign capital that has greatly magnified the devastation and suffering caused by the earthquake.
When Haitians gained their independence from France in 1804, the French demanded an exorbitant sum before recognizing the new republic. Fearing that it would inspire slaves to rise up in their own country, the U.S. slave aristocracy was hostile to the new Black republic from the outset.
The U.S. would occupy Haiti from 1915 to 1934, imposing a new constitution on Haiti that would allow U.S. capital to freely plunder the country. Neoliberal policies and foreign exploitation have led to the destruction of the agriculture and forced people off the land and into cities. The U.S. twice engineered the overthrow of the democratically elected President Jean Bertrand Aristide.
Through all the disasters, the Haitian people have been strong and resilient. Forum participants were called upon to not only learn about Haiti, but become active. As Charles said at the end of her presentation: “We have a long road ahead of us. Let’s stay engaged, Let’s get involved.”
The March 20 National March on Washington, called in opposition to the colonial-type wars and occupations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine, will also stand in solidarity with the people of Haiti in their struggle against imperialist intervention. For more information on the March 20 National March on Washington, visit www.March20.org.
